“Hmm…”
After some consideration, I decided to attend the auction just to check. It won’t take long, I guess.
“Gloria, didn’t you say you were not feeling well and would leave?”
Sitting in the auction, Evangeline started a quarrel. It was undoubtedly because I swung a whip and knocked down a few tables. So petty.
“You know I enjoy the beastman slave auctions, don’t you? It’s just a bit regrettable to just pass by.”
“But even if you win a bid for a beastman slave… No, never mind.”
Evangeline shook her head as if she didn’t want to talk to me any longer, and sat far away from me.
Well, go ahead. I waited for the auction to start while sipping the champagne that came out for the auction participants.
When the champagne glass was about half empty, the auction finally began. The first introduced slave was surprisingly a white dolphin beastman.
“It’s a rare item! The population of white dolphin beastmen is small! They can take the form of the mermaids from legends, so if you raise them in a large aquarium, you can decorate your room beautifully!”
That was insane. But it seemed normal here, no one took issue with it. On the contrary, they fought over the white dolphin beastman in the auction. It was literally a scene of madness.
Similar situations continued after that. Various rare beastmen came out in the auction, and the participants passionately called out their bids.
“Sigh…”
My hand holding the number plate was shaking. I wanted to raise my hand and call out the highest bid for all auctions. However… I had to think realistically.
“…hold back. It’s impossible to buy all the beastmen in this auction.”
If I tried to win every beastman, my money source, the Salisbury family, would wobble. So, just one person. If the male lead candidate 2 appears, I planned to win him in the auction.
“I’d love to save all those beastmen if I could…”
The more I watched the auction, the more horrific I felt. How could anyone think of buying and selling people? It seemed like my head was going crazy too.
“I feel like vomiting… I just have to endure a little more…”
It was about to reach its limit.
Suddenly, the lights darkened, and the host spoke in a suggestive voice.
“Finally, it’s the last item of today.”
“…!”
At that moment, I felt it. An intuition that the male lead candidate 2 might really appear in this auction.
“A very dangerous and horrifying guy. It’s still a young individual, but it will not be easy to tame. However, it’s these guys that give a sense of conquest! Now, let me introduce! Today’s last item! A Red Tiger beastman!”
With the host’s booming call, the stage lights suddenly brightened.
In the middle of the dazzlingly illuminated stage, a boy with red hair was sitting on his knees with scruffy chains.
The boy’s body was full of unhealed wounds. When the boy slowly raised his head and glared at the audience, you could hear people holding their breath here and there.
No wonder, the boy’s eyes were bright red like burning flames.
The aura flowing from those red eyes was not ordinary.
“It’s really a Red Tiger beastman!”
“That’s no joke…?”
“I heard there are only a few Red Tiger beastmen left in the world!”
“I have to get rare beastmen. I’ll buy that guy!”
“No! It’s mine!”
Among the people starting to bid competitively, I was just staring blankly at the boy.
…I thought it might happen, but I didn’t expect him to really come out.
“That boy… How old is he now? 14? No, is he 15?”
My heart pounded wildly. The redhead and eyes like twilight, a redhaired beastman. It was unbelievable, but it was him without a doubt.
The second male lead, Lodri!
In the original, Lodri’s keywords were blind worship, innocence, madness, and obsession.
So…… he was the most popular character.
‘Readers can’t help but write more if it’s obsession…….’
Even the combination of innocence and madness? I can’t bear it. I can’t resist not looking.
Lodri, who played a huge role in the popularity of “The Secret Night of the Rabbit Princess”, appeared before me. I was much more moved than when I met Jade.
“1 million gold!”
Someone flashed a number plate and called out an insane amount. 1 million gold. Considering the average auction price of the beastman slaves that have come out so far is 100,000~300,000 gold, this was truly an insane bid.
‘Who is it? ……Oh, it’s Evangeline!’
When I stuck out my head and checked, the madman who shouted 1 million gold was none other than Evangeline.
This is completely…… going as per the original. In this auction, Evangeline was supposed to win the bid for Lodri!
‘And then she’ll take him and torture and abuse him immensely……. Ugh.’
Just imagining it was dreadful. Evangeline’s abuse played a major role in Lodri’s twisted personality. That negative influence also affects April in the future.
‘This is not the time to just sit and watch. I will also bid. Let’s go.’
Even if I have to face off against Evangeline, I must take Lodri. That’s the only way I can pave a path of flowers for our April’s future, and also……
‘Since I couldn’t save the other beastmen, I have to save that guy at least.’
I felt a lump in my throat and seemed like I might shed a tear. Will I be able to save all beastman slaves someday? ……For that, I would need to have a ridiculous amount of power and money.
‘Maybe I should start a business.’
I raised my number plate high, recalling the cliché of the female lead succeeding in business in a romance novel.
At that moment, Evangeline’s gaze turned towards me. The look in her eyes shooting at me was naturally sharp.
Don’t, don’t be scared. I’m not the Gloria who is just greedy and lacks any courage!
I shouted loudly.
“2 million gold!”
A price that far exceeds the 1 million gold called by Evangeline.
Naturally, the auction became chaotic.
“This, 2 million gold?”
“Who is it?”
“Shock……? Princess Gloria?”
“She married a beastman, right? But why is she trying to take a beastman slave?”
All the reactions were as expected. Yeah, let them talk as they wish. After all, there’s only one person I need to fight and win against.
Evangeline.
She glared at me with poison in her eyes, then raised her number plate again.
And she shouted loudly.
“3 million gold!”
Expressions of shock erupted from all around.
3 million gold for a single beastman slave, it was unprecedented.
“Th, three million gold…….”
“Princess Evangeline……. Are you serious……?”
“3 million gold…… My goodness, it’s the price of 3 luxury mansions in Wales.”
The luxury mansion in Wales, the capital of the Ainstern Kingdom……. You can think of it as being similar to the price of a house in the metropolitan area in Korea.
As the situation progressed like this, I also began to worry. I didn’t think Evangeline would go up to 3 million……
‘……I’m going crazy. How am I going to explain this to Grayan?’
As the Duchess of Salisbury, my annual maintenance cost was 3 million.
If I end up calling 4 million, I would owe Grayan about 1 million.
It might sound strange to have a debt between a married couple…… but it feels like that.
‘Gloria had about 2.5 million as a dowry, right? It’s too small an amount given to a princess of a country for her wedding.’
If I give 1 million of that to Grayan, I have 1.5 million left.
Well, it’s not bad. What the hell.
‘Let’s pray that I win the bid for 4 million gold. Evangeline, please give up. Stop bidding!’
I raised my number plate again. And then.
“4 million gold!”
I threw a bomb in the auction.
“Four…… four million gold has been bid! We will start the countdown! 10, 9, 8, 7…….”
Evangeline, who was biting her lip and glaring at me, met my eyes.
At that moment, I, who had a premonition of victory, smiled faintly.
“……3, 2, 1! 4 million gold! The bid is successful!”
At the end of the bloodboiling competition with Evangeline, the second male lead, Lodri, was taken by me.
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”