The Unfilial Heir Who Tries to Kill Me Tempts Me - Chapter 50

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 50.

The front of the Auction House was already packed with wealthy ruffians and ne’er-do-wells. Everyone was draped in such garish clothes and jewelry from head to toe that my eyes ached even in the dead of night.
When Kaius and I reached the entrance, the massive man standing guard swept his gaze over us with thinly veiled disdain.
“…What brings you here this evening?”
Before his eyes could meet mine, I pressed the mesh of the Cloche Hat down firmly over my face. Not that I planned to return, but there was no harm in keeping my appearance hidden.
“My goodness, what else would we be here for? To purchase some ‘merchandise,’ of course! Isn’t that right, darling?”
I deliberately pitched my voice higher and seized Kaius’s arm with exaggerated affection.
Stop laughing and play along.
Kaius barely suppressed his amusement before following my lead.
“My wife has an insatiable curiosity. My dear wife was so keen to find some ‘merchandise’ to amuse herself with that we’ve traveled all the way from Libron. Do you need further explanation?”
“Oh, you tease. I’m just so thrilled.”
Don’t you dare laugh.
I squeezed his arm hard.
Unfortunately, my grip had no effect whatsoever, and it was only my fingertips that went numb.
Good grief.
The man was solid as stone.
Meanwhile, the Guard grew disinterested at my buffoonish antics and waved us through with a tilt of his chin.
Kaius leaned close to my ear and whispered.
“Reconsider your path. You’d make a far better actor than a writer. Should you need connections, I know several theatrical troupes I could recommend.”
“Yeth, thurr.”
The interior of the Auction House was already crammed with bodies. Kaius and I secured a pair of Paddles and took seats roughly midway through the crowd.
Soon, a masked Auctioneer ascended the platform.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience! We have a splendid turnout today. How fortunate—the ‘merchandise’ on display today is of exceptional quality!”
The auction commenced amid frivolous laughter.
And my first experience witnessing a slave auction was…
…utterly horrific.
Every time an appealing ‘item’ appeared on the block, bidders thrust their Paddles into the air and called out their Bids. The enslaved wretches fetched prices ranging from as little as fifty thousand Gold to as much as one million Gold.
The slaves brought onstage were all half-naked and trembling with fear. Yet those seated in the audience did not regard them as human beings at all.
To these madness-drunk spectators, the figures on the platform were merely objects—commodities to be consumed.
“…Are you all right?”
“My stomach is turning. I’m fine, though.”
I waved off Kaius’s concern and returned my attention to the auction. Fourteen people had been sold so far.
If my calculations were correct, it was nearly time for her to appear.
“And now, ladies and gentlemen, the grand finale! A dark-skinned foreigner—and our final piece: a girl under ten years of age!”
Sharp intakes of breath echoed throughout the hall.
Those who had already purchased slaves wore expressions of regret, while those who had wisely conserved their funds began to smile knowingly.
Sick bastards, the lot of them.
Enjoy your laughter while you can.
Soon enough, I’ll haul every last one of you off to the Imperial Underground Prison.
I know firsthand how foul and damp that place is—I was locked in there myself.
The hall fell silent. A small child climbed onto the stage.
Dark skin, coarse hair, and eyes the color of amber mixed with cream.
A girl of perhaps ten—or maybe only seven—stood trembling with bound hands, her face twisted in terror.
The audience erupted in cheers.
“Now, now, please compose yourselves. This particular ‘item’ carries a reserve price. We shall commence bidding at two hundred thousand Gold.”
Sensing this was an opportunity not to be missed, the bidding frenzy intensified unlike anything before.
As Paddles flew in all directions, the price skyrocketed past one million Gold in seconds.
“One million five hundred thousand! One million five hundred thousand Gold! We shall now raise the increment to fifty thousand Gold per Bid. Do I hear two million?”
These people were absolutely drowning in money.
Two million Gold was enough to purchase a modest castle in the Capital.
“Three million Gold going! From this point forward, the increment shall be one hundred thousand Gold. Do I hear four million?”
Now I understood—these people had not come merely to acquire slaves.
The spectacle of parading human beings, assigning them a price, and bidding against one another was pure entertainment.
And as the price climbed higher and higher, the child’s expression transformed from fear into something far worse—an overwhelming, suffocating terror.
“Four million Gold! Four million! Five million—shall anyone offer five million? Going once… going twice… Three! Two!”
In that instant, Kaius—who had been watching silently the entire time—raised his hand.
“Yes, five million—!”
“Ten million.”
Silence fell over the Auction House.
The Auctioneer, who had been standing in a daze, was the first to collect himself.
“T-ten million Gold has been bid. Ten million Gold. Does anyone wish to raise their Bid? If not, I will declare this the Winning Bid!”
No one reached for a Paddle.
It was only natural.
No matter how flush with money one might be, who would squander ten million Peri on a single slave?
But that’s my party.
“Ten million Gold, ten million Gold, ten million Gold!”
Bang!
“Sold!”
The Auctioneer struck his gavel.
The hall stirred once more. People whispered and craned their necks to look at us. I hurriedly pulled my hat low over my face.
Kaius led me to my feet.
“Let’s go.”
“…Are you sure about this?”
“What?”
“You won’t get that money back.”
Isn’t this pushing it too far?
We could’ve easily won with just five million Gold.
Kaius glanced down at me with amusement and smiled faintly.
“Do you really think I wouldn’t know something like that?”
What’s going on.
This guy must be loaded.
While I reeled from shock, Kaius made his way to the reception desk near the exit. The Merchant who had been waiting to receive payment wore a bewildered expression.
“The auction hasn’t ended yet… are you taking the slave now?”
“Don’t you see? I need no one but this one.”
“Well, in principle all slaves should be handed over only after the auction concludes. However, if you pay the full purchase price now, you may take the slave immediately.”
Kaius pulled a Check from his pocket. Right then and there, he filled in ten million Gold and handed it to the Merchant.
“The Central Bank of the Capital. Show them this Check and they’ll exchange it for cash.”
There’s a man who carries blank Checks around like they’re calling cards.
What in the world does this guy do.
“Ah, yes! Would you wait just a moment? We need to apply the Branding Iron to their shoulder….”
“No. Bring them now.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Do I need to say it twice?”
“But without the Branding Iron on the shoulder, it’s difficult to prove they’re a slave. Should they escape, you would be able to claim compensation….”
“Listen.”
Kaius called to him with a cold smile.
“I just told you to bring me my ‘property’ now. Is it difficult to understand what I mean?”
There it was.
A smile that sent ice down your spine.
The Merchant’s face went pale.
“N-no! I’ll bring them right away! Please wait just a moment!”
The Merchant disappeared behind the stage in a fluster and soon returned dragging a child bound tightly in Rope.
“Here they are.”
And I had to work hard not to strike the Merchant.
The child looked even smaller and more emaciated up close than from the audience seats. Bruises and wounds that hadn’t been visible under the stage lights covered their body.
The child looked at us with a face consumed by terror, trembling pitifully.
“…Damn.”
These bastards.
Should I just abandon this whole covert operation and burn them all to ash with Dark Magic right now?
“My lady.”
“Yes, I’ll restrain myself.”
Calm down.
I can’t let this spiral out of control.
My heart clenched and ached, but I couldn’t hold the child or comfort them here.
Until we left this Auction House, I had to look like someone who came to buy a slave.
Kaius swept his gaze over the child with an impassive eye and gestured to me with his chin to take them.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
I’m truly sorry.
Just hold on a little longer.
I dragged the child out of the Auction House by the Rope that bound them, the boy staggering along behind me with faltering steps.
The moment we rounded the corner of the building and put the Auction House completely behind us, I grabbed the Rope and snapped it clean, then seized the child by the shoulders.
“Are you alright?!”
“…Y-yes?”
“Those garbage-level human waste bastards won’t walk away from this. Not while I draw breath.”
I’m finished with them.

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