Chapter 13

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter Title: The Princess Only Deals in the Real 21

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Blade-like eyes fixed on me.

I swallowed subtly and met Alter's ashen gaze as I asked,

"Hey."

"Speak."

"Don't you need to watch the front anymore?"

"......No. Keep watching ahead."

Having successfully changed the subject, I let out a quiet sigh of relief inside and turned my body slightly.

Now that the painting auction was over, my sole focus was Carlos.

"We will now begin the auction for rare books and ancient documents. Our first item is a signed first edition by a famous fairy tale author."

This wasn't it.

Carlos, arms crossed, looked utterly bored.

He kept crossing and uncrossing his legs, unable to sit still, like someone desperate for this segment to end quickly.

"Our second item is a cocktail recipe document from an old imperial chef, complete with illustrations."

This wasn't it either.

"Our third item. The unpublished final work of sociologist Auguste, and..."

This was it.

Carlos's posture shifted.

"...his handwritten notes are included in Interpretation of Power. Bidding starts at 200,000 gold."

"Oh my!"

A scream-like voice echoed through the previously silent auction house.

My eyes instinctively turned toward the bidder section where the sound came from.

The woman who had apparently cried out without thinking stood up abruptly, looking terribly embarrassed as she sat back down.

"Sorry about that..."

I turned my gaze back to Carlos's seat and narrowed my eyes.

What's this? He's been staring at that woman the whole time.

If it had been a casual glance like mine, his eyes would have moved on, but he kept watching her intently.

And that wasn't all. Carlos's jaw clenched tight. He was surely grinning sinisterly beneath his mask.

Why? Who was that woman, visible only by her purple-hatted silhouette from behind?

More importantly, Interpretation of Power?

It felt familiar. Racking my brain, I drew in a sharp breath.

I remember now. That book!

It was a forbidden text. Or more precisely, it was about to become one.

Interpretation of Power—an unpublished work designated as forbidden. I'd remembered the article because it struck me as odd. Of course, since it was up for auction now, it wasn't forbidden yet, but exactly one month from now, it would be.

Why would Carlos put a soon-to-be-banned book up for auction so blatantly?

I bit my lip. Punishment for possessing forbidden texts came to mind.

If an ordinary citizen is caught with a forbidden book, they just pay a fine and it's confiscated.

But if a public official owned one, it was a different story.

They could even be dismissed. And the person fired for having that very book was...!

[...Dismissed Imperial Document Officer Hanna Diego claims unfair treatment in interview...]

Hanna Diego.

The woman in the purple hat was her, and Rozanne Viscountess wanted her gone.

The reason didn't matter right now.

If Rozanne hated that document officer?

It means she's someone useful to me just by holding her position!

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I watched with wide eyes.

"500,000 gold. 550,000. 600,000. Bidding up by 100,000. 700,000. 800,000..."

The price was skyrocketing in an instant. It was down to Hanna at seat 80 and the man at 81.

Hanna clearly wanted that book badly. She kept raising her paddle.

Rozanne must have predicted Hanna would desperately want Interpretation of Power.

But the man at 81 wasn't backing down either. Every time Hanna raised her paddle, he followed suit.

Yet the timing felt off.

He's not raising immediately—he pauses first, like he's taking orders from someone.

The man wore an enormous mask visible even from behind.

It covered not just his face but his ears too.

I glanced at Carlos again. His fidgety body had gone still.

Except for his foot.

Tap. He tapped his shoe once, and a second later, the man raised his paddle.

Tap tap. He tapped twice, and the man waited, pretending to hesitate.

Got it. Seat 81 has a magic earpiece! Carlos has a transmitter under his shoe sole, signaling him!

"1.3 million gold. 1.4 million. 1.5 million. Bids up by 200,000. 1.7 million. 1.9 million."

The auction price went berserk, and Carlos's grin wouldn't fade.

The reason was obvious.

You scum! Selling the book to get her fired, while jacking up the price for maximum profit!

I had to stop Hanna from charging toward her own dismissal like a runaway horse.

Once an auction item was sold, it was final—no cancellations.

Even if collusion was proven, the deal stood; you'd have to sue separately for damages.

A way to dump the book on Carlos's gang and expose them too.

While keeping myself hidden as much as possible...

"Hey."

It hit me.

I grabbed Alter's arm.

"How much to borrow you for an hour?"

"What?"

Alter looked shocked, but I was in a hurry.

The book's price was soaring endlessly even now.

"You said it last time—begging me to buy you! So, how much for just one hour?"

"No, that's... sigh."

Alter raked a hand through his hair in bewilderment and asked,

"What's this about? You said no last time. Why buy me today?"

"Ugh, no time to haggle—send the receipt later."

I stretched up to whisper in his ear.

"See seat 81?"

Whether his ear twitched or not, I rapid-fired the explanation.

From Carlos's foot transmitter to the scheme with seat 81.

But a twinge of unease hit me. Would he believe me?

No, more importantly, would he help?

"I'll handle the transmitter somehow, so you make sure seat 81 doesn't escape..."

"Why?"

As expected. Alter asked.

Why should he cooperate?

But his follow-up was slightly different.

"Even if seat 80 overpays for the book due to collusion, they don't lose out. So why stop it?"

Deflated, I gave a hollow laugh and answered.

"She's innocent. An innocent person about to get scammed. We have to help. Even if there's nothing in it for me."

Even if she wasn't Hanna.

Even if he wasn't Carlos. Having witnessed it, I would have helped anyway.

"You know that, so how could I pretend not to?"

I knew. Now that I knew, I couldn't look away.

At my firm response, Alter's dark eyes narrowed faintly.

Is he going to refuse?

Well, he might be a bad guy too.

I'll handle it alone, I thought, reaching for my bag.

"Fine. I'll cooperate."

An unexpected reply.

As I turned, Alter added,

"Because I liked that answer. That answer alone. No other motives."

He added it so deliberately, probably fearing I'd say something sappy again. It was a bit funny, but I snapped back to focus.

"Got it. Whoa, it's already at 6 million gold. Hurry!"

"And how do you plan to handle him? With your strength, taking out that man's transmitter is impossible. You even left your self-defense tools."

"I have a plan—just go!"

Alter glanced back a few times as he headed toward the bidders.

Taking a deep breath, I rummaged in my bag.

I'd left the self-defense magic tool, but one thing remained.

I've got this.

A glass vial of holy water.

I timed it. Hanna was hesitating at the soaring price, her bids slowing.

Just before the auctioneer counted to three, she wavered—then raised her paddle.

I knew instinctively. This was her final bid.

Carlos knew too and smirked. This time, he'd tap twice to signal no bid.

Tap.

Right before the second tap.

Now!

Crash—

I'd signaled Alter and smashed the vial on the floor.

And then, tap.

"...What the."

Carlos shot to his feet.

What he saw, stepping in the spilled holy water, was...

"Closing the bid after three. Three, two."

"No! That's not it!"

"One."

Bang, bang. Bang.

"Interpretation of Power goes to bidder 81 for 8.5 million gold."

"Nooo—!"

The bewildered back of seat 81, who had unwittingly won the bid.

And...

"We received a tip, sir. We need to check something—mind taking a seat?"

Burly guards blocking the way with stern faces.