I Decided to Let You Go (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 73

The head of the hosting family with the longest lineage was tasked with delivering the opening speech. The marquis, tapping the floor with his cane, walked up slowly and deliberately, gave a brief bow, then pulled a sheet of paper from his breast pocket.

He emphasized how significant the Harvest Festival was. He also explained how harsh the winters in the north were and what efforts were needed to endure such a brutal season.

Let us become people who give generously and help others. Finally, invoking noblesse oblige, he concluded his lengthy address.

“Thanks to His Grace the Marquis’s splendid speech, the event has gained a refined, classical air. Now, let us begin the auction! We shall introduce, one by one, the auction items contributed by the twenty-two families who co-hosted the Harvest Festival!”

A portion of the auction proceeds would cover the expenses incurred by Duke Aschardt’s household in hosting the event, while the remainder would go toward purchasing wheat and barley as charitable donations.

The list of auction items was truly impressive. With reporters present, the families intended for their items to fetch the highest bids and draw attention.

Though they claimed the Harvest Festival was hosted through everyone’s collective effort, the spotlight had already been entirely claimed by the House of Aschardt. Their aim was to at least secure recognition through the auction and claim some honor.

Yet Duke Aschardt’s household was surely offering something formidable as well. Anxiety quickly mounted over whether they could possibly surpass it.

At that moment, the first item—an offering from Duke Aschardt himself—was introduced.

‘Why?’

Everyone who had been wary of Duke Aschardt, the top contender, thought the same thing.

Going first in an auction was disadvantageous. Unless an item sold for an exceptionally high amount, bidders could always outbid it by even a single coin on the next lot.

“The honor of opening the auction with an item from House Aschardt!” declared the auctioneer, lifting the cloth covering the item.

The attendees, who had been staring tensely at the box, soon burst into laughter. They all applauded the duke, amused by his sense of humor—for the item put up for auction was utterly useless.

What he had offered was an animal pelt. Untreated, raw, and utterly ordinary—something easily found even in the marketplace.

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