My Fiancee Was the Villainess of This World

39 – The Crazy Prince of the Auction House

We arrived in front of the auction house owned by Viscount Carvery, which is quite large in the archipelago.

As we stood in front of the auction house, the guard, who judged us to be commoners without money, raised his voice with a slightly stern expression on his face.

“Hey! This is a place where commoners like you are not allowed to enter!”

It’s not even a festival, but the men and women dressed as commoners who wear masks are usually commoners who come from the provinces to play.

That’s probably why this guard was threatening without much thought.

Even if this was an anonymous auction house, I would never have thought that there would be aristocrats dressed as commoners.

“Get out of the way.”

I took off the mask I was wearing and showed my face.

After seeing my eyes return to their original color after the activation of the Perse was canceled, the guard hurriedly lowered his head with a pale expression.

He was a rather ignorant man, but he didn’t seem ignorant enough to not know about these distinctive eyes.

“I am so sorry! Today, the sun of the empire is—”

“Stop.”

Viscount Carvery’s auction house is basically anonymous.

It is a kind of safety device that prevents unfair bidding or retaliation by asserting the prestige of the family.

That’s why it’s best to create only this amount of fuss in moderation.

─ The Imperial Sun?

─ No way?

Woong-goo-go-go.

Yeah, that’s enough.

As the guard, who was a bit lacking in tact, made a loud noise, a man who looked a little more senior approached us.

“Sorry. I will guide you this way.”

“Yeah, before that….”

I went up to the guard, who was still sweating and had his head down, and put ten gold coins in his hand.

“Tough work.”

“Tae… Go, thank you… !”

Not much to thank, guard.

The gold coins you will earn will be at least a thousand times that amount.

“I will call you when the time is right. Could you please wait here for a moment?”

The senior guard asked me while checking the magic tools on Priscilla’s wrists.

The greeting of the sun, a magic tool that changes the appearance of the hand.

Looking at the two of them, it seemed that they had skipped the process of verifying their identities.

I nodded at the man’s words and sat down on the sofa in the waiting room.

Priscilla was quite nervous, probably because it was her first time at an auction house.

“Did you mean to keep standing?”

“Oh, no….”

“Tsk.”

I grabbed Priscilla’s hand and pulled it a little rough.

“Wow!”

Priscilla lost her balance and staggered, then slumped back on her couch.

I looked at Priscilla and laughed.

“Think of it as a store decorated a little more sensibly.”

In ports where trade has developed, even the common people encounter auctions on a daily basis.

The only difference is that it’s decorated in a fancy way and the product is a little expensive.

“Get used to it.”

It is such a thing to be with the imperial family.

Should I be flustered over such trivial things?

“… Yes, Max.”

Now I’m in a situation where I have to call you Maximilian, not Max, right?

I wanted to give you that kind of advice, but I couldn’t help but keep my mouth shut when I saw the guy with his mouth twitching in a happy expression.

… Yes, a picnic is originally a picnic when you go home.

I’ll allow you to call me Max until the end of the day, sir.

“You’ve waited a long time. I will guide you this way.”

As we were talking about this and that, a neatly dressed guide led us to the venue where the auction house was being held.

‘Now, this is the beginning.’

This auction house is anonymous by default.

So, at the VVIP level, you are guided to a private room where you don’t even face other participants.

In such a situation, it is difficult to borrow the authority of the imperial family to monopolize goods at a low price.

However, what would happen if we secretly leaked rumors that the crown prince had appeared here and acted to hint at him?

It is a story of an anonymous but not anonymous unfair trade.

What kind of madman is bidding with the crown prince?

hahahahaha!

“Max.”

“Why are you doing this, Sir?”

“… What are you thinking?”

Priscilla seems to be able to read something in my expression.

Must be thinking I’m going to do something mean.

“Okay.”

I didn’t reveal my identity, nor did I publicly threaten to stop bidding.

I didn’t break the rules here, so it’s ‘legal’.

I’m not thinking of anything mean.

I’m thinking about reasonable behavior as far as the law allows!

“If you have free time, read this at least.”

I handed out the catalog placed in the VVIP room to Priscilla.

I came here impulsively and didn’t know what products were on display, but I couldn’t help but be grateful for the consideration.

Priscilla began to look at me with a slightly awkward expression while reading the items in the catalog.

Perhaps some of the luxury items I saw at the Biryong Hall are listed in the catalog.

Priscilla, who was looking at me, widened her eyes as if she realized something.

“What do you think of me, something rude?”

“… Yes?”

It’s no use pretending, you witch.

I also have pride.

No matter how much you regret the collection, would you borrow my authority and take it back at a low price?

I tried to stare at Priscilla with that in mind, but she immediately averted my gaze, perhaps thinking that it was a bit rude.

Then, making a little fuss, she pointed to a corner of the catalog and opened her mouth.

“Max, what sign is this?”

“That is a sign that it is a consignment item.”

“Ah, it was a consignment sale….”

For items sold on consignment, 5 to 10 percent of the sales price is paid to the auction house as a commission.

Auction houses tend to set low minimum bid prices for items sold on consignment, so if you bid even these items at the minimum price, it means that even good citizens will suffer.

What I’m aiming for is not consignment items, but only items that Viscount Carvery put out, so it’s a story that you don’t need to worry about.

─ The warm sun was a gracious day today. The reason why the auction can be held safely is probably because the sun is watching over these islands.

The words spoken by the moderator were ordinary greetings announcing the start of the auction.

But nobles are those who are more sensitive to information than anyone else.

Any noble would know that I am participating in this auction.

The word sun must feel very heavy.

─ Then, the first item of the day!

After the emcee’s boring emcee, the first item went up on the podium.

─ As for this article!

There is a semi-unwritten rule in the auction house, that the goods appearing in the early stages are of lower value than those appearing in the later stages.

For example, that painting on the podium over there was a consignment product, and it did not stimulate my aesthetic sense that much.

─ We will start with an initial starting price of 100 Imperial Gold Coins! The minimum unit is 1 gold coin!

Converted by Earth standards, one Imperial gold coin is worth about 200,000 won.

In other words, it was a story that the initial starting price was approximately 20 million won.

At this auction house, which is not particularly reprehensible in my eyes as the crown prince of the empire, the starting price of 20 million won was literally close to a bargain price.

Even if that painting doesn’t satisfy my taste, it should cost at least 500 gold coins.

But—

─ That’s 100 gold coins. 100 Gold coins!

The moderator was visibly flustered and was shouting for 100 gold coins, but no one bid.

This made it clear.

The nobles gathered here know that I participated in this auction.

‘As expected, he is a noble of the empire.’

You guys are so talented!

I had a really good laugh.

─ 200 Gold coins are here!!!

After I didn’t bid for a while, bids started pouring in in an instant, as if I had decided that this was an item worth bidding on.

I looked at the host busily shouting out bids and lowered my eyes to the catalog in his hand.

“Is there anything else you are aiming for?”

In response to Priscilla’s question, I scanned the catalog with my eyes and started taking pictures one by one.

‘Viscount Carvery. Please don’t resent me too much. Aren’t you planning on taking care of yourself with my collection anyway?’

This is a kind of ‘eating an oar’.

“That… If I buy this much, won’t I run out of money?”

Priscilla looked at her first prize, which finally sold for 1,000 gold coins, with a worried expression on her face.

Even though it’s only the first item, the price soars.

If the bidding competition intensifies like that in the future, it won’t be enough even if you buy Lunaris flowers and pour all the money left over.

‘If it goes back to normal.’

“Everyone has an idea.”

When I said that, Priscilla immediately turned her head towards her podium with a calm expression.

Those unnecessary items were bid and sold one by one.

At this point, a small rule was created in this auction house.

5 Seconds.

At the auction house, where normally bidding competitions would be held straight away, a grace period of just five seconds was created.

Aristocrats were people who were disgustingly quick to adapt.

─ As for this necklace….

What has been uploaded as a product this time is an item personally owned by Viscount Carvery.

The minimum bid listed in the catalog is 500 Imperial Doubloons.

At last the thing to come has come.

I ignored the moderator’s words and pressed the bid button right away.

The number written in it is 524.

─ 524! 524 Gold coins came out. 524 Out of 73!

The moderator shouted 524 extensions, but no one bid higher than that.

─ 3, 2, 1! This is the 73rd winning bid!

The host is trying hard to pretend to be bright, but I was sure his back was wet with sweat.

“… Max?”

Ah, I got caught.

This is why a fast-paced fiancee….

“I won the bid for that necklace for you, Sir.”

“… Yes?”

“Are you dissatisfied? I heard that the commoners of that street give gifts like this at the end of a date?”

Priscilla heard me and she blushed slightly and looked away from her.

“Are you not accepted?”

“Go, thank you, Max…. And I’m sorry. I’m not prepared for anything….”

“It has been done. I heard that it was originally a gift from a man to a woman.”

Priscilla shrank her body slightly, blushing at what was so good about it.

I brought her lips to her ear and whispered softly.

“With this, you are also an accomplice, Sir.”

“Ugh!”

Only then did Priscilla realize that she had fallen into my trap and looked at me with her eyes wide open.

I looked at Priscilla and raised the corner of my mouth.

“Did you not want to receive my gift?”

Priscilla, who feels like a diligent class president who has at least one student in the class.

This is what it means to hang out with a blonde but untanned brat.

hahahahaha!

“….”

Priscilla didn’t refuse my gift after all.

It has succumbed to capitalism.

After all, you were a human too, witch.

After that, I was matchless.

─ No. 73 3,050! 3,050! Do you have any more? Aren’t there any more!!!

‘Sorry.’

From 3,000 gold coins, the minimum bid unit was 50 gold coins, so I had no choice but to call 3,050 instead of 3,024.

At this point, no one knows that the number 73 is me, but it was a bit disappointing to see that I kept putting 24 on all the items that had won bids so far, but didn’t.

─ No. 122 20,500! 20,500 Gold coins are out! Any more?!

Number 122 had never made a bid before, but as soon as my collection was on the podium, they started bidding like crazy.

It seemed like he was an aristocrat who had been looking for my collection from the beginning.

Are you a new aristocrat with a lot of money?

… Ah, goodbye, my pretty collection.

Still, the owner who buys at that price won’t treat you badly.

I thought so, brushed off my lingering feelings, and checked the products on the catalog again.

I have already swept enough items to fill the amount requested by Count Arbest, but wouldn’t it be foolish to say that there are gold coins on the floor without knowing about them?

If you can rob it, it’s natural to rob it all.

“Because this is not illegal…. Ugh… Forgive us our sins….”

When did you become a religious person, Priscilla?

Your sins won’t be forgiven just because you pray like that?

‘Oh, I really like this.’

I don’t usually have much interest in weapons, but as I continue to learn swordsmanship, I’ve become quite interested in weapons these days.

Perhaps that’s why the sword on the podium attracted a lot of attention.

The appearance is beautiful, but the art is unusual, so it must be a famous sword forged by a renowned artisan.

─ … The starting price is 3,300 Imperial Doubloons. The minimum denomination is 50 gold coins!

I’d like to give the sword that’s been put up for sale over there as a gift to Sir Pedro, the deputy head of the knights who teaches me swordsmanship.

Then why don’t you make it easier to organize a special move or something useful?

I thought so and wrote down the minimum amount of 3,350 this time.

─ No. 73 3,350! 3,350… Don’t you have more? 3,350… Ah! No. 122 4,000! 4,000 Gold coins!

… What?

You dare to bid on the crown prince’s goods?

I hurriedly wrote down an additional 4,050.

─ No. 73 4,050! That’s 4,050! Oh… No. 122 4,500! That’s 4,500!

But seeing as the amount of 4,500, not 4,100, came out at once, that idiot number 122 didn’t seem to have any intention of giving up.

… It’s okay though.

I heard that there are two weapons forged by master craftsmen at this auction.

I’m sure we can get the rest.

─ Number 122 6,000! That’s 6,000! Any more?!

hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahahaha!

You’ll be glad you’re anonymous, number 122….

I sighed and immediately started preparing for withdrawal.

“Get ready, Priscilla.”

From now on, it is the turn of the most expensive items to be traded in this auction house.

That means it’s time to upload items that were especially valuable from my collection.

In fact, it was the story that the auction for the last thing I could buy with that sword had just ended.

Then I should pay the price and slip away before something bothersome happens.

As I was tidying up the place with that thought in mind, sure enough, Viscount Carvery, whose soul was stolen from me, personally came to me.

“… It was a day when the sun was gracious, Your Highness.”

“Yeah, that was really warm.”

“If you’re not rude, may I serve you some tea?”

Of course I wanted to say that it was rude, but you gave me a very enjoyable time, so I can accept that much.

I readily nodded at the viscount’s words and followed him.