Chapter 10

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: The Princess Only Deals in the Real Thing 19

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[…The head of the Lionet Ducal Family praises three years of dedication and bestows a baronial title and territory upon the Golt family…]

‘As expected, he’s connected to the Lionets!’

My mind raced.

Carlos clearly had no idea who I was.

I was wearing a mask, but anyone who knew me or had done even a little digging would have no trouble spotting me.

Yet he’d picked a fight with me as blatantly as if I were some random commoner he didn’t know.

That meant he was nothing more than a disposable errand boy without access to classified information.

‘Three years of dedication, huh. So Carlos must have started working for them around this time.’

He might have even caught Rozanne Viscountess’s eye with today’s little stunt and gotten handed a bigger job.

If that was the case?

‘What’s that guy scheming at the auction house? And what ancient tome did he bring?’

The item Carlos had consigned appeared to be a single ancient book.

The moment they announced the inspection was complete, footsteps stormed out of the room and faded away.

Heading toward the auction house, no doubt—he planned to attend the night auction too.

I glared at the spot where he’d vanished, then pushed open the door.

“Hello, thanks for your hard work.”

“No trouble at all. What item have you brought?”

“Three in total, right here. All the necessary paperwork and certificates are included. But before that, there’s one thing I’d like to confirm first.”

“Fees and consignment costs aren’t negotiable, I’m afraid…”

The staffer looked exhausted from dealing with Carlos just before, and I felt bad for him, but I had to say my piece.

It was the path to getting what I wanted from this auction, after all.

“No, what I want to know is the order of the auction items. The ancient books category is tenth, right? Right after paintings.”

“Yes, that’s correct. Hmm, if I may ask, you seem new here—how did you…?”

I flashed a bright smile.

“I’m new, but…”

The staffer glanced back and forth between the pawnshop-stamped documents and my face.

“I’ve heard a lot from someone very reliable. A lot.”

‘Mr. Michele?’ he muttered to himself. His expression shifted, and he slowly nodded.

There was a reason I’d double-checked the auction order. Out of twenty categories total, ancient books was tenth.

The peak of the auction’s fever pitch.

‘No easy escape for you.’

Everyone would be watching.

‘Whatever you’re plotting, it won’t go the way you think!’

I clenched my fist in secret.

A little while later.

After finishing with the staffer, I didn’t head straight to the auction house.

Instead, I stepped outside for some air.

‘On second thought, this works out perfectly. Carlos will blab about my “trap” too. That’s all he’s good for. Rozanne won’t trust him again after he botches this.’

In my previous life, Carlos had even earned a title and territory from those greedy Lionets.

Which meant he’d been more than a mere errand boy—a loyal limb they relied on.

This was my chance to cleanly sever that limb from the root.

‘I wanted to hide my presence as much as possible since being underestimated makes backstabbing easier, but…’

I’d seize this opportunity no matter what!

Even if it meant sacrificing the dim-witted flower garden image I’d planted with Hugo!

As I steeled myself—not quite resolve, but close—and headed back to the auction house.

“You.”

Some massive bulk blocked my path.

What? A guard?

I looked up, and my eyes met someone completely unexpected.

“Oh, customer?”

“Why are you here?”

It was Alter, the lunatic who’d begged me to buy him.

Running into him out of nowhere was startling enough, but his question baffled me even more.

“I asked why you’re here.”

“……Um, is this your house by any chance?”

Had I wandered into a no-go zone? Was the auction house private property?

I asked in genuine confusion, and his brow furrowed.

“Spouting nonsense again. Who buys stuff at an auction house to live in?”

“People like me buy from pawnshops and live there, though.”

I shrugged as I replied.

Alter’s face stiffened for a split second.

“You’re…… living at that pawnshop?”

“Yes.”

“By your own choice?”

“Does that matter?”

‘To be precise, it’s not my choice. It’s because of Hugo.’

It wasn’t important to me, so I brushed it off, but Alter’s expression grew even stranger.

“Do others know you’re living at that pawnshop? ……Family, say.”

“Who knows. Probably not.”

‘Strictly speaking, they shouldn’t know. Grandpa would be heartbroken.’

I gave a vague answer, surprised to see Alter’s face crumple even further.

What’s his deal? Looking at me like I’m the sorriest flower garden ever? Too harsh, isn’t it?

Anyway, what he thought of me didn’t matter.

The auction was about to start. The best way to shake him off came to mind.

“I get that you’re super curious about me, but I have important business. Gotta go!”

Say something itchy and bolt.

I dashed off without giving him a chance to retort and arrived, but lo and behold.

“Perfect timing. I have business at this auction too. Once you’re done, let’s talk more.”

Unfairly, his long legs got him there first. He’d even donned a black mask from who-knows-where.

Now only his eyes were visible.

‘Huh, they’ve got this subtle red tint normally, but today they’re just ashen. Maybe it’s dark at night and hard to see.’

He wore a pitch-black shirt that covered up to his neck, hiding his signature tattoo.

Anyway, talk more after I’m done? What for?

Had he already built up tolerance to my sappy lines?

“And stop talking like that.”

“Like what?”

“Implying I’m curious about you…… or interested in you.”

Good.

No tolerance yet.

“That’s how it looks to me. What can I do?”

“You know your eyes are bloodshot? Might want to get them checked.”

“When did you even see my eyes? And that’s how it sounds to my ears too.”

“Ever think your senses might be off overall?”

“But you recognized me instantly even with the mask. Isn’t that reasonable suspicion?”

“……It’d be far more logical to credit my sharp eyes.”

He shot back every word, showing no signs of building tolerance anytime soon.

Sheesh, is it that awful?

Suits me fine. I don’t want to get tangled with a suspected criminal either.

‘But seriously, what’s he trying to talk about?’

I sighed and tried to enter, but the guard blocked me again.

“Magic tools are prohibited inside the auction house. If you have any, we’ll store them for you.”

“Here you go.”

What I pulled from my bag was a telescoping baton.

“Eek, yes. We’ll keep it safe. Sir, do you have anything to entrust?”

The guard flinched at the sudden self-defense item but handled it professionally.

Alter had no bag, but a metallic clink suggested he’d brought something.

I ignored it and entered, scanning for Carlos.

‘There he is.’

Carlos sat in the very back row of the observer seats.

Perfect spot for a quick getaway if needed. So?

I’d block his escape.

I sat two seats away, cutting off his path to the exit.

Carlos startled at someone approaching, then glared daggers upon recognizing me—whites of his eyes visible even through his mask.

‘Whatever. What’re you gonna do about it?’

I was about to glare back without backing down.

Carlos’s gaze snapped away like he’d been burned. He even gulped hard.

What the…? I glanced around, and suddenly a shadow fell over me.

‘What?! Why are you sitting here?!’

The one who sat beside me was.

“Eyes front.”

None other than Alter.