The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 18

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“You said you have a granddaughter, Michele. What kind of person is she?”

“Aren’t you in a profession where you shouldn’t be interested in my granddaughter?”

“What do you take me for? I’m asking what she’s like as a successor. I’m curious if she’s someone trustworthy enough to entrust this pawnshop to.”

“Well. If my granddaughter takes over the pawnshop, it would be one of two things.”

Michele answered with a chuckle.

“Either she’ll fail very loudly, or succeed very loudly.”

Michele’s words were usually not wrong.

Since it was already noisy, he was already half right. So would she fail or succeed?

As he was thinking, he heard a knock.

“Your Eminence Cardinal Crescenziano, it’s time to attend the meeting.”

“Yes. I’ll be right there.”

Crescens put down the music box and pulled off his raincoat.

What was revealed was a purple cassock. Over the colored garment that only cardinals could wear, a strange gray cloth was draped.

Crescens let out a hearty laugh.

“At this rate, I can’t complain even if they call me a thief.”

He had come with a towel wrapped around his neck.

As Crescens put down the towel, he thought of the woman who had retorted to everything he said.

It seemed that not only handkerchiefs but towels also reminded him of the person who gave them. He muttered.

“I’ll come to return it soon. See you again.”

I’m too curious whether you’ll fail or succeed.

Crescens’s light green eyes sparkled.

***

“Ow, my eyes sting.”

It was the aftereffect of the strong spray that was supposed to last at least two days when sprayed.

Still, was it thanks to the holy water? After a few hours passed, it had calmed down somewhat.

Looking in the mirror, my eyes were still red, but this much was fine. Just in case, I brought some holy water mixed with regular water in an empty bottle, but it didn’t seem like I’d need to use it.

‘There must be plenty of women with stories who frequent auction houses. It’s good for hiding my identity.’

Since it would be troublesome to encounter people from Lionet, I had to hide myself as much as possible.

In that sense, the auction house was surprisingly the optimal place. Because.

‘Everyone wears masks.’

It was a rule that came about because there were cases of high-ranking nobles colluding or threatening each other.

They cover their faces so no one can tell who’s who, and participate in auctions only by numbers.

‘Well, they could recognize each other by clothes or accessories…’

Since collusion results in a lifetime ban, everyone is careful.

In other words, all the logic of the auction house comes down to one thing.

‘Money.’

Status, titles, age – everything is equal before gold coins.

A world where only the biggest numbers win. My heart pounded with anticipation.

I twisted my hair up to hide it under my hat and headed to the entrance wearing a large mask.

A guard who was smiling kindly but had an intimidatingly large build blocked my way.

“Good evening, customer. Welcome to Philosophie Auction House. What brings you here?”

“I’m a seller.”

“I see. I’ll escort you this way.”

“Yes. Oh, I can observe the auction once the selling process is finished, right?”

“Yes. You cannot make purchases, but you may watch the auction from the observation seats.”

“I understand, thank you.”

Philosophie’s night auction wasn’t just a simple auction. It was a public auction and an event.

Perhaps that’s why even the sellers waiting in the waiting room were dressed in dazzling and glamorous attire. They looked just like peacocks.

In contrast, with my modest clothes and crude bag, I stood out in various ways even though I was standing at the very end.

Glance, glance. I could feel the stares.

“Tsk, really.”

After the people who came first left one by one.

When only the man ahead of me in line and I remained, he clicked his tongue and spoke to me.

“Hey. Do you know where this is?”

It didn’t seem like he was asking because he didn’t know.

I answered indifferently.

“Hmm? It’s the seller waiting room of Philosophie Auction House, isn’t it?”

“That’s not what I meant… Never mind. This place is good in every way except for this problem. They let any Tom, Dick, or Harry in without even checking their status as long as they want to sell something.”

‘Are you stupid?’

Of course, that’s because auction houses evaluate objects, not people.

Wouldn’t a jewel consigned by a beggar in shabby clothes still be a jewel?

In the end, what goes on the platform is the object, not the owner.

Moreover, if the method of opening doors to all sellers was inefficient, Philosophie, which operates purely on money, would have changed it long ago.

‘He doesn’t know that Philosophie maintains this because it’s efficient. He seems to have come only once or twice at most, but where did he learn such strange ideas.’

“What’s the point of thoroughly inspecting goods? They don’t inspect people.”

“Inspect people?”

“That’s right. Whether it’s picked up or stolen…”

The man in the fox mask looked me over with contempt.

“You can’t place precious consigned items next to objects of unknown origin, right? Well, you probably won’t pass the screening anyway.”

I could overlook other things, but treating me like a thief!

As someone who showered with pepper spray today while trying to catch a thief, this was absolutely unacceptable.

Considering his irritating way of speaking, his stiff neck, and everything he had said, I chuckled.

I think I know why this person is picking a fight with me specifically.

“Then why didn’t you come during the day?”

The man whipped around.

“Night auctions are public auctions with an event nature, so everyone can participate, but day auctions are private auctions where only invited people can participate. If you want to deal with ‘filtered’ people, you could come during the day. …Oh my, perhaps.”

I covered my mouth with my hand.

“Have you already been ‘filtered out’?”

‘It’s an inferiority complex.’

Acting overly arrogant while knowing nothing, not daring to open his mouth when others were around but picking a fight when only we two remained.

It was obvious without looking. At best, he was a fallen noble or a collateral branch member who lost in family power struggles.

He got intimidated among the flashy people and was taking it out on me.

The conclusion was that he wasn’t worth dealing with at length.

‘This is how he fills his wounded vanity and pride. Ugh, how pathetic.’

Whether I hit the mark accurately, the man flew into a rage.

“What did you just say? Do you know what I do? How dare someone with no background act so impudently in front of me? If I put my mind to it, someone like you could be…”

Usually, among people who say such things, there’s no one with real background.

Whether he ranted or not, as I listened with one ear and let it out the other, I suddenly tilted my head.

‘But how did this person, who at best is a fallen noble, acquire something worth putting in an auction?’

Moreover, he said ‘precious consigned items.’

It didn’t seem to be his own possession. Then it meant he participated on someone’s orders or commission?

‘So he has some backing. Could it be?’

A certain possibility flashed through my mind.

What if the backing this person believes in is Lionet?

Of course, it could be someone else, but there was no harm in being suspicious.

The man who had been shouting loudly quieted down when the large guard entered.

“Next person, please enter.”

I quietly stood up while staring at the man’s retreating figure.

Pretending to drink water, I pressed close to the door, and the loud-voiced man’s voice leaked through the gap in the door beyond the corridor.

“What item did you bring…”

“No need for pleasantries, just check the item and decide whether it passes or not.”

“We cannot do that procedurally. You must tell us how you acquired it. And please submit the relevant documents, receipts, and business cards or papers for personal identification.”

“Ugh!”

The man who had been huffing lost his temper.

“You can tell just by looking. How I acquired this old book? I received it on consignment, and documents? Here! They’re piled up here, so pick out the right ones yourself. And personal identification? It’s not like this is my first time here, so is that necessary?”

“This is a matter with no exceptions for anyone.”

“Damn… I don’t care about that crap, but remember this clearly this time. Carlos Golto! That’s my name!”

Carlos Golto.

‘I remember now!’

My memories from my previous life, when I had read and reread anything related to the Presripe Empire, especially the Rionet Family, flashed through my mind.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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