The master of the oldest hosting family was in charge of the congratulatory speech. The marquis, who walked up slowly using his cane, gave a brief bow and took out a paper from his chest pocket.

He emphasized the importance of the harvest festival. He also explained how harsh the winter in the north is and what efforts are needed to endure the severe winter.

Let us be those who help and give generously. Finally, the long speech ended with a call for noblesse oblige.

“The marquis’s excellent speech has made the event more classical. Now, let’s begin the auction. I will introduce the auction items from the twenty-two families hosting the harvest festival one by one!”

Part of the auction proceeds would be used to cover the costs incurred by House Asthart in hosting the event, while the rest would be used as donations to purchase wheat and barley.

The list of items was very splendid. Since there were reporters present, they aimed to attract attention by being sold at the highest price.

Although they claimed that the harvest festival was hosted by everyone’s efforts, House Asthart had already taken all the spotlight. The goal was to gain honor by at least having their names listed in the auction.

But House Asthart must have also put up impressive items. There was a growing fear whether they could surpass them.

At that moment, the first item put up by Duke Asthart was introduced.

‘Why?’

Everyone who had been wary of Duke Asthart, the top candidate, had the same thought.

Early placement in the auction was disadvantageous. Unless it was sold at a very high price, one could simply bid one coin higher than the previous item.

The host lowered the cover, saying it was an honor to start with an item from House Asthart.

People who had been staring at the box with tense faces soon burst into laughter. Everyone applauded the humorous duke. That’s because the item up for auction was extremely useless.

What he had put up was an animal skin. It was raw and unprocessed, and common enough to be easily found in the market.

“I’m not confident in selling, only in buying.”

The subject of bewildered gazes soon shrugged his shoulders.

Everyone laughed heartily at those words.

“Well then, let’s start the bidding. Please raise your paddle and state your bid amount! One, two, three, start!”

A group sitting at another table quickly raised their paddles and competed eagerly. They were members of the Asthart knights.

However, despite their enthusiasm, the winning bid was unimpressive. The final price was three gold, equivalent to the cost of cheap black tea leaves.

“It shouldn’t be that cheap.”

Sieghart frowned. He had expected it to sell for a low price given the item, but this was treating it like garbage.

Still, the winning bid didn’t change. The animal skin caught by Duke Asthart was won by the vice-captain, widely known as the duke’s passionate fan.

The rest of the order was determined by drawing lots. After that, items that seemed to just meet the family’s requirements, like Sieghart’s, were mixed with quite impressive ones as they were introduced.

A jewel with unusually large stones, a sword commissioned from a famous blacksmith, a painting by an artist who passed away a few years ago, a one-day date ticket with a young lady beloved by young nobles, and so on.

As various items were being presented at the auction hall.

“Oh!”

The host, who had lowered a red cloth, was startled upon seeing the item in the box. The nobles, who had momentarily lost interest in the prolonged auction, sparkled their eyes one after another.

“This is, well, an antique that has been passed down through the family for over 300 years!”

An ornament that looked splendid at first glance caught everyone’s interest. Count Cedric, aiming for the highest auction price, had boldly presented this treasure.

The nobles, who had been somewhat passive until just now, now started bidding passionately.

Even though the initial price offered was high, they unhesitatingly called out higher amounts in an attempt to win the bid. The price, which started at three thousand gold, went up to ten thousand gold.

At that point, nobles who were backing out started to appear one after another. They clicked their tongues, saying that amount could buy land in the countryside.

“Yes, eleven thousand one hundred and fifty gold! Is there anyone else?”

The final winning bid ended at eleven thousand one hundred and fifty gold. The antique was to go into the hands of Leonardo, the marquis who was the oldest among the attendees.

Although three or four more items were introduced after that, none could surpass the winning bid created by Count Cedric’s antique.

It seemed that Count Cedric’s item would take first place.

“The last item is… Oh, it’s from the Duchess of Asthart! The husband and wife are bookending the beginning and end!”

The last auction item was a bookmark put up by the Duchess of Asthart.

“Oh my, how pretty!”

“I heard the duchess made it herself!”

A bookmark made by drying flowers, attaching them to paper, and sprinkling crystal powder densely caught the attention of the ladies and young ladies.

Her name was also written at the bottom of the paper, perfect for showing off their acquaintance later.

Meliana and Vanessa also eagerly raised their paddles and started bidding.

Natasha, who hadn’t been very interested in the auction, had made a bookmark just to keep up appearances, but it turned out to be quite popular.

“Fifteen thousand gold.”

Then, a low voice came from the front.

“… Did you say fifteen thousand gold?”

The host asked back as if surprised, but Sieghart didn’t correct himself.

“Fifteen thousand gold.”

“… Yes, yes! Fifteen thousand gold is currently the highest bid! Is there anyone else?”

Fifteen thousand gold!

No matter how much effort and jewels were put into making the bookmark, a bookmark was still just a bookmark. Wasn’t fifteen thousand gold an absurd amount?

Even the host, who had been conducting the proceedings skillfully, was in a daze. Blinking his eyes, he finally shouted.

“Yes, yes. The Duchess of Asthart’s handmade bookmark has been sold for fifteen thousand gold! This is the highest winning bid in today’s auction and…”

The nobles who had been recalling the face of the man who had boasted that he was only confident in buying finally understood the meaning of his expression and let out sighs.

The first day of the harvest festival seemed to be concluding successfully. Except for the prayer room and dining hall that would be open for the next ten days, the events prepared by Natasha ended today.

For the last schedule, people headed to a nearby lake by carriage. Releasing lanterns while crossing the lake was the last activity of today’s event.

Lanterns filled with people’s wishes rose into the dark sky. The pitch-black sky brightened with brilliantly shining lanterns. The yellow lights gathered to create a sun in the night sky.

Natasha and Sieghart also released lanterns into the sky. Hoping that their individual wishes would reach the deity ruling the earth, they quietly watched the lanterns drift away.

The lanterns, fluttering in the wind as they rose, soon mixed with other lanterns. The flames created by humans’ innocent desires soon disappeared without a trace. Like the brightest shining star that quickly fades.

Natasha, who had been standing, sat back down in the ferry. She glanced at the man across from her while pretending to gaze at the rippling waves.

Eventually, her unnatural gaze was caught by the perceptive man.

Even then, and afterwards, Sieghart remained silent. His closed lips showed no signs of opening.

Then whose voice was reaching Natasha’s ears?

Was it still Natasha Asthart’s?

She wasn’t sure. Natasha finally withdrew her gaze that had been shifting secretly like a stray cat eyeing a fish shop. It was the end of the event. She needed to stay focused until the very end.

“Thanks to you, the duke’s family is receiving unexpected praise.”

“… Last year, and this year, the duke’s family has suffered repeated damage because of me, so I’m just compensating. I only did what was proper.”

A faint laugh was heard. It was as if he had known she would say that.

“Why did you buy the bookmark? I didn’t make it with the intention of giving it to Sieghart.”

“It’s not that my wife gave it to me, but that I rightfully obtained it.”

Is there a difference in meaning between the front and back of that statement?

Natasha paused the conversation briefly to try to accurately grasp the meaning of his words. But still, she couldn’t understand.

“You always wonder about such things.”

“…”

“Is there a man in the world who would let his wife’s belongings fall into the hands of others? I disliked the swarm of ants trying to outbid each other for your item, so I called out a large sum at once. Is the explanation sufficient now?”

Wife.

It was a word that sounded quite different from usual. Natasha, who had been repeatedly mulling over the term addressed to her, nodded her head.

She acted as if she understood, but in reality, she didn’t comprehend anything. However, she quietly let it pass without asking further.

Because she felt that even if Sieghart said more, it would only bring confusion rather than certainty.

“Did you make your wish well?”

“Yes, but the content is a secret. What about you?”

“I made my wish well too.”

Sieghart smiled faintly, saying she was unusually perceptive. Of course, she had been about to ask what wish he had made.

“I prayed that you wouldn’t hate me.”

“… But today is the harvest festival?”

“Since I solved it with money, I should be able to make whatever wish I want.”

He was a shameless person no matter when you looked at him.

In fact, since she had also made a wish that deviated from the intention of the harvest festival, she felt too guilty to continue scolding him. Natasha pretended to agree and let it pass.

‘Hatred, huh.’

By the way, wishing for help not to be hated was ridiculous.

In the past, she would have dismissed his words as a pretty lie and moved on, but now it was problematic that it felt sincere.

‘Even though you’re already hated enough.’

Does he mean not to hate him more?

For such a thing, isn’t he acting selfishly towards Natasha? While claiming to hide secrets for her sake, he even declares that those secrets will never be discovered.

That day, watching Sieghart promise to keep the secret forever, Natasha once again resolved. Yes, she would never open Bluebeard’s room herself.

She would not listen. She didn’t want to live the rest of her life in torment, tempted by a moment’s curiosity.

After all, there wasn’t much time left in her marriage to this man. Once she divorced Sieghart and lived alone, her curiosity would eventually fade away.

‘Do you think you can divorce?’

It was a perfect monologue. A question Natasha threw at herself.

‘Natasha, you−.’

But why does she keep confusing her own voice with ‘his’ voice?

And why…

Does her heart race every time she sees that man?

She feels at ease, but then becomes anxious whenever she encounters Sieghart Asthart. Conversely, even when she’s tired, she would become calm upon facing him.

Now, she found it difficult to judge what kind of situation this was.

Her heart, which had been beating against the rules, had been racing faster for some time now. Her mind became hazy, and a sticky liquid flowed down her back.