Auction

Niya had grown accustomed to life in the ancient castle.

The warm room, delicious food, and even wearing the same comfortable, exquisite dresses as everyone else... Although the training was strict, compared to her past days, this bit of hardship was hardly worth mentioning.

Feina was a veteran here and quickly helped her get familiar with the place.

During a casual chat, Niya could not help but ask about Lady Aina's husband.

"Him... He is quite an extraordinary figure." Feina lowered her voice, her eyes filled with awe. "The legendary human hero, the very one who personally sealed away the Demon King."

Niya's eyes widened in surprise. "Eh? But we are demons? Lady Aina is also a vampire..."

"That is exactly what shows Lady Aina's profound foresight." Feina's tone was full of admiration. "Perhaps she foresaw the crisis long ago and personally infiltrated the humans to capture that hero's heart... Because of this, after the Demon King was sealed, the hero did not drive our demon race to extinction. Lady Aina's contributions to the current peace between humans and demons are indispensable."

Niya opened her small mouth in astonishment.

She felt that something was a bit strange.

"Alright, go attend your classes seriously. I heard Lady Aina say your talent is quite good." Feina pinched Niya's cheek. "Study hard, and perhaps you might receive Lady Aina's blessing in the future."

"Blessing?"

"The Blood of the Progenitor, which is Lady Aina's lifeblood... Lady Aina told me before that she will be leaving this place later. When the time comes, she will bestow her lifeblood and power to cultivate her most loyal confidants to manage the affairs of the vampires in her stead."

Niya blinked, somewhat hesitant. "Is it really okay... to tell me about this?"

Feina shrugged her shoulders. "What does it matter? Everyone knows... Hehe, I will tell you a secret: I have actually already been chosen. You have to work hard too."

Niya was not surprised by this.

Feina's status here was clearly different from the others, and Aina would let her handle many matters.

Feina's right hand brushed up the long hair by Niya's ear. "If you can also receive Lady Aina's blessing... your hair could turn snow-white too. With your foundation, it would definitely be very beautiful."

A different kind of light suddenly appeared in Niya's eyes.

As a half-blood, her hair was a mix of pale gray and yellow. It was the mark of her mixed heritage and the root of her father's disgust toward her.

"I... I will work hard."

Just then, Feina's expression suddenly turned stern, and she instantly stood up straight. Niya also straightened her back as a reflex.

"I am going out. Feina, come with me." Aina's cold and clear voice rang out from behind.

"Yes, Lady Aina," Feina replied respectfully.

Aina's footsteps paused slightly, and she glanced at Niya beside Feina. "Niya, you come along too."

"Yes... Yes! Lady Aina!" Niya's voice carried irrepressible excitement.

"Silence." Aina frowned almost imperceptibly.

"Yes... Yes..." Niya immediately covered her mouth, her small face flushing red.

"In front of Lady Aina, try to speak as little as possible... Just follow quietly," Feina secretly transmitted her voice to Niya, who nodded gently.

Because of her past experiences at home, Niya was destined to have a cold and silent personality. However, when facing Aina, Niya always found it somewhat difficult to manage the emotions in her heart.

Aina took the two of them and soared into the sky.

After landing, a tall, ancient-looking building stood before them.

"This is..."

"An auction house," Feina explained softly to Niya. "Lady Aina must have set her sights on some material."

Niya found it a bit strange. "With Lady Aina's status, does she still need to come in person?"

"She just wanted to come out for a stroll."

The figure and aura of Aina in front of them dissipated silently like ripples on water.

Niya was momentarily stunned.

"It is fine. Lady Aina is still here; she just hid her presence... After all, if she showed up in person, absolutely no one would dare to bid against her."

"Huh..." Niya was a bit surprised, and then she watched as Feina also put on a mask.

"Sister Feina, what is this for?"

"Despite how I look, I am actually quite famous outside. After all, I have followed Lady Aina for so long... Someone might recognize me," Feina said softly. "So, you will be in charge of bidding at this auction."

"Eh? Me?"

"Rest assured, there is no need to be nervous. You just need to call out the price." Feina patted Niya's shoulder. "Lady Aina said that if there are any other little trinkets that catch our eye, we can also bid on one or two to take back."

Niya shook her head repeatedly; she would not dare to actually bid on something for herself.

Although she was not good at dealing with such occasions, having Feina by her side allowed Niya to relax a little.

Niya did not really understand. Clearly, as long as Lady Aina said the word, anything would be delivered right to the ancient castle... Why go to all this trouble?

"That would break the rules," Feina explained to Niya.

"Rules?"

"Yes. Even though this auction house is a vampire property and Lady Aina could get whatever she wants with ease, if this precedent is set, the long-established rules would quietly collapse. The resulting chain reaction might not be what Her Ladyship desires."

Niya nodded in half-understanding, vaguely grasping the order and balance involved.

"That is why Lady Aina rarely does things that break the rules..."

Feina suddenly clutched her head, as if she had just been flicked.

"Ugh, apologies, Lady Aina."

Entering the auction house, Feina led Niya straight to the VIP seats on the second floor.

This spot offered a bird's-eye view of the entire venue and was clearly reserved exclusively for distinguished guests.

Looking down, a sea of people surged, and there were no empty seats, but the second floor was practically empty.

Without too much of an opening speech, the auction quickly commenced.

Precious collectibles were brought to the stage one by one... The exaggerated numbers made Niya secretly click her tongue, feeling no sense of reality.

Niya's former family was a declining minor nobility. Although her father held a noble title, he did not have many assets. Yet, her father would occasionally spend large sums of money buying flashy but useless things just to keep up appearances.

Niya had never understood her father's actions. If that money were put into daily expenses, their standard of living would definitely have improved by a level...

"Niya." Feina called Niya's attention back. "That is Lady Aina's target for today."

Niya looked toward the stage. It was a strangely shaped piece of wood; she had no idea what kind of material it was.

"How much should I bid?" Niya asked quietly.

"One hundred thousand gold coins."

"Oh." Niya raised the paddle in her hand, even though the starting price of that material was only ten thousand gold coins.

"One hundred thousand!"