A small space in the corner of the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

  The only objects were the podium and ten chairs lined up in front.

  A public auction was held here today, just like any other day.

  It was a ’public auction’ mainly used by aristocrats or rich merchants when they wanted to sell their property safely.

  If a small fee was paid at the selling price of goods, the whole process would be under the authority of the Imperial Family, so it was the preferred method because there was no useless gossip.

  An official in a government office looked at the auction documents he had to deal with with a dull face.

  A nobleman in the Northwest had sold a coal mine he wasn’t using to pay off a debt.

  What lucky.

  If you don’t have enough money and you have a lot of things, it’s enough to dispose of them one by one.

  It was a normal routine, with boring thoughts passing by.

  In particular, today’s auction has no more preparation because it is a simple bidding method if you put your bid in an envelope.

  "Hopefully no bidders……"

  Since it was a public auction held so frequently, sometimes bidders did not show up, making bids.

  And an old coal mine.

  The items at the auction were also not good at all, which made them more concerned.

  If someone bids, then the auction must be opened once again so that the work increases.

  Click.

  Then, as if to quell the anxiety, he heard someone coming in through the door.

  "You can sit in front of this……"

  The mechanically guiding auctioneer stopped talking.

  "Oh, Angenas……"

  "Right, from the Top of Durak."

  It was Croyton Angenas, the upper Lord of the Angenas family.

  He became so famous after the Coroi cotton project, which hit the jackpot throughout the Empire that no one in the Capital doesn’t know him.

  How booty it is.

  His skin seems to glow, and the color of the clothes he’s wearing was different from that of ordinary people.

  "Hey, sit here."

  "Thanks."

  The auctioneer was puzzled as he quickly handed out the front chair.

  Then, several people came on behalf of the Small and Medium Enterprises Association, but everyone responded the same as an auctioneer

  "Why is Angenas here……?"

  Everyone couldn’t even come close and chatted in the distance.

  Seeing Angenas’s participation, there was a conversation about whether there was more coal left in the Lira coal mine than expected.

  Durak’s top-owner sat and crossed his arm with a satisfied smile as if enjoying the people’s reaction.

  Then, the door opened again.

  The auctioneer’s eyes, which was seeing Top of Durak’s Angenas in a daze accidentally turned to the side, and his eyes widened.

  "Huh!"

  And the response was the same for others at the auction room.

  "Am I dreaming in broad daylight?"

  "No, I’m, I’m watching……"

  Whispering.

  There was a commotion in a narrow auction room.

  Durak’s owner, who was enjoying the show with people’s attention, opened his eyes.

  "Well, there you are."

  It was the people of Lombardy who had just entered the auction room.

  It was Romassie Dillard, the Top of Lombardy, and Vestian Schultz of the mining company.

  The attention that had been focused on Durak’s Top owner a little while ago quickly shifted to that side.

  Durak Top’s owner was a bit disappointed, but he didn’t mind much because he will get a bigger profit in a moment.

  He just stood up and greeted the two.

  "Good afternoon, both of you."

  "Oh, I see you here."

  "Long time no see, Durak Top."

  Romassie Dillard shook hands with a grin.

  Meanwhile, Croyton and Vestian secretly exchanged glances.

  It meant let’s proceed as they talked in advance.

  Vestian nodded, pretending to say hello.

  A few days ago, the two men’s plot was almost caught, but Vestian did not change his plan or anything.

  Given Florentia’s response, he thought she hadn’t heard anything.

  Otherwise, there is no way a child with a secret can smile so brightly.

  "No, I don’t know what’s going on……"

  "I know, Angenas and Lombardy. I think the Lira mine is a lot bigger than we thought."

  "Oh, well, today’s auction is off."

  Since Lombardy appeared, everyone has given up bidding for the auction itself.

  It would be worth rubbing against Top of the Angenas, but Lombardy was a different level of opposition.

  It was because they were well aware of their way of taking whatever they wanted, even if they pay several times the amount.

  Likewise, the auctioneer, who had been dazed at the sight of Lombardy and Angenas sitting side by side, rose from his seat.

  There are still a few minutes left before the auction begins, but we’ve been waiting more for Lombardy to attend.

  As the auction seemed to begin, the roaring interior became quiet.

  Click.

  It was then that the door opened again.

  It was a handsome man who came into the auction room alone.

  The man, looking around, stepped inside with a leisurely step.

  Unlike the two famous family members, people felt sour.

  But there was an unexpected reaction.

  It was from the people of Lombardy and Angenas.

  "Oh, no!"

  "How could you……"

  "Clerivan Pellet?"

  Unlike the three men who were flapping their hips in surprise, Clerivan was easygoing.

  He shook his head and crossed his legs anywhere in the middle where no one was sitting.

  "Huh?……"

  Especially Romassie Dillard was surprised by his son’s sudden appearance.

  After exchanging glances for a moment, Durak Top’s owner and Vestian frowned.

  "The, uh, um auction…… Let’s get started."

  The auctioneer checked the time and declared in a trembling voice.

  "The lowest auction price is 700 gold."

  Those who attended the auction were given a piece of paper and an envelope that had not been used.

  It was a simple way of writing down the amount of money for the bidding and sealing it, then the auctioneer checked it and won the bid to the person who wrote down the highest price.

  No one was worried about how much Durak top, Lombardy, and Clerivan would write.

  As soon as they received the paper and pen, they wrote down the number and sealed the envelope.

  The people of Angenas and Lombardy, especially Vestian, glance at Clerivan, but he, who received the attention, was only looking forward.

  After a while.

  The auctioneer took all the envelopes.

  Only the sound of opening the square envelope was heard, but silence fell due to strange tension inside the auction room.

  "I’ll announce the results……"

  The auctioneer announced three bids that were close to winning the bid according to the procedure.

  "First of all, Top of Durak…… 2,000 gold."

  Vestian rolled his eyes with a smile and looked at the Top of Durak.

  Obviously, he said 1800 gold would be enough.

  The timid Durak Top’s owner, who didn’t believe in Vestian, managed to write 200 more gold.

  "And secondly, the Top of Lombardy is 1600 gold."

  The inside of the auction room was noisy again.

  "Then did Angenas win?"

  "That’s right, he has spent 400 more gold."

  "Lombardy has lost to Angenas……!"

  The repercussions were even greater because no one was unaware of the delicate confrontation between Angenas and Lombardy.

  Romassie Dillard looked at Vestian with a red face and asked in a small voice.

  "What’s the matter, Vestian?"

  "Well……"

  Vestian shook his head and acted naturally, just as if he was in trouble and couldn’t figure out why.

  "1600 gold was more than enough……"

  "Let’s talk about it later."

  It was Romassie Dillard, who was angry, but he could only endure the simmering anger in front of the people.

  "The presentation is not over yet. Finally……"

  The auctioneer raised his voice.

  "Lastly, Pellet."

  The auctioneer, who saw the numbers on the paper, gulped down.

  "Pellet Com0any…… 2050 Gold."7

  The auction room is in shock and silence.

  "Therefore, the Lira mine was sold to Pellet Company…… I declare……"

  Tuk, Tuk!

  The sound of a light wooden stick rang, but no one was speaking.

  As it is, the time has hardened as if it has stopped.

  "This, this is……l"

  In particular, the Top of the Durak was shocked and his mouth was puffy like a goldfish out of the water.1

  Criekkk.

  Then Clerivan rose from his seat and the chair scratched the floor.

  Surprised, Vestian, Durak Top, and his father, Romassie Dillard, looked at Clerivan one after another.

  Clerivan stood up and checked his clothes with an unaffected face, and only then gave them an eye.1

  The corners of his mouth crept up.

  "Of course."

  Again, with his head lifted, Clerivan strode out of the auction room with his long legs moving.

  "No!"

  Durak’s Top owner screamed and grabbed his head.

  No one left easily until the auctioneer quickly returned to the office with the documents behind him.

  * * *

  The jewelry business has cruised.

  Just two months after winning the bid for the Lira mine, the first gemstone appeared in the world.

  Clerivan picked it up himself and brought it to the Crowley craftsman from Ivan, and as he put it, at the "first gemstone I saw in the world," the craftsman tried to kneel, saying, "Please let me work."

  But polishing was not easy.

  How strong the jewels are.

  In the meantime, the tools Crowley used were useless in front of the new gemstone.

  However, as time went by, his obsession grew.

  And two months later.

  A jewelry store in Sedakyuna, Pellet Corporation opened.

  "We don’t have a name for the jewel yet. What would you like, Lady Florentia?"

  I answered Violet who asked me that.

  "Diamond. Let’s call it a diamond."5

  Of course, diamonds were sold like hotcakes as soon as they showed up.

  Despite being ten times more expensive than ordinary jewelry, pre-orders continued endlessly to Crowley.

  He had no choice but to.

  The beauty of diamonds has never been in this world.

  When Crowley gave the Emperor the biggest and most beautiful diamond he had ever crafted, they said they could hear Jovanes’s laughing outside the Central Palace.

  "Oh, good."

  Looking at the diamond sales report while sipping cold fruit juice, it’s like heaven.

  Maybe it’s because I took away the things from Angenas, my juice become sweeter.

  I put down the glass of juice I had finished and muttered when looked out of the window.

  "Now, let’s dig in Vestian."

  A father who loved Shananet the most in the world and was kind to his twins, or a traitor from Lombardy who held my hand as if to break it.

  It’s time to see which of the two is the real face.