"10 gold coins!"
"25 gold coins!"
"35 gold coins!"
"Anyone else wants to bid more than 35 gold coins?"
"…"
"35 gold coins going once!"
"35 gold coins going twice!"
"35 gold coins going thrice! Sold! Slave number 22 is sold to the noble at Seat number 36!"
"Yeah!"
In the middle of an auction, a strange scenery created where the rest of the audience shout out their prices, while a noblewoman sips the tea served by the middle-aged-woman beside her.
"Aaa…this is such a boring auction….Maria…refill please…"
"Yes, Milady!"
The middle-aged-woman — Maria hurriedly pours the tea to the noblewoman who looks at the auction with bored eyes and immediately brews another pot of tea even before the current pot of tea runs out.
'How many pots did it make now…6 pot? So, why didn't she got an urge to go to the toilet after all the tea she had drunk!?'
Maria sighs inside when she looks at her current job, and the job her friends do right now.
She even starts to wonder whether she comes to the right job today. She supposed to be a prostitute yet. She works as an exclusive servant that only come to brew a pot of tea, pour the tea on the milady cup, and brew another pot of tea before the current tea runs out.
The noblewoman — Lady Lailah calmly sips her tea at the start of the auction, even so, Lady Lailah irritation can only grow after looking at one disappointing slave after another and start to drink teas without any reservation.
Maria is tired in both body and mind now…
While the others sit on the comfy couch talk with the guests, she were still standing and didn't even have a chance to relax. While the others work sweet talk their guests, she's still rigidly addressing Lady Lailah. While the other is working comfortably, she's still brewing and pouring tea without any rest.
Still… not working as a prostitute on the last day of her job might be for the best too…
Maria shook her head when she thought of that and turned to look at a were-beast boy who just arrived at the stage. That boy looks toward the stage but not long after, cried out loud on the stage, yet, the auctioneer nor the audience care about that scene.
Maria didn't know what kind of slaves Lady Lailah preferred. Is it old, young, boy, girl, mature, childish, lifeless, etc. She didn't know it, even after observing her for a while.
From the start till now, no slaves have gain acknowledgement from her. All it took is one look for Lady Lailah to lost interest in them. No matter how beautiful or handsome they are, none of them can enter into Lady Lailah eyes.
Even so, Maria wouldn't give up coaxing Lady Lailah to buy them even if she knew the probability of it getting her approval is close to zero after she lost interest. The boy who arrived this times also got ignored by Lady Lailah, even so…she wouldn't give up!
"Milady, can you take pity on the boy who's on the stage now…how about…"
"Rejected, that's his own fault for going outside the world like every stupid noble kid and gets caught by slave traders. Just one look at him and you would know other than his face. There's almost no redeeming quality about him. Look closely at his hands, with one look you will know that he has never earnestly worked before this, then why would I buy such a useless and lazy slave?"
Maria paused after she heard Lady Lailah words. In fact, she had listened to that kind of comments 23 times including this time today. Although she didn't understand much about it, one point she understood is that all of those slaves who appeared earlier is useless.
"Even so… Milady…please find some ki-…"
"I'm not kind, and I'm not a Saint, I can't save everyone just because I'm able to. To save someone is to sacrifice, and whether that sacrifice is worth it or not, will be judged by me alone. But…if you use yourself as a payment…I'll gladly hear one of your requests." Lady Lailah smile.
"Use me as a payment? As in using my body…?"
"Hmmm…not quite, I mean you do use your body, but absolutely not in the way you think it is. What I mean is for you to become my servant, follower, or something like that. So…are you willing to sacrifice yourself for that boy?"
"Absolutely not!" Maria instantly replied after she heard it. Working for her forever and all for a stranger? Absolutely not! She still has a family to care for!
"Figures… but my words still stand. For example…how about curing your daughter sounds? My friend can heal your daughter easily… How is it? Interested?"
"H-how do you kno-"
"Maria…an orphan born in Lowenheirtz Kingdom, and move to Calmarosh Kingdom to work as a prostitute for a living. 10 years ago, one of the customers dispels the anti-pregnancy spell usually used by prostitutes and makes you bore a child. The child is born safely, and although you plan to abandon her at first, your mother instinct overtook and cared for her like any normal child. You want to quit prostitution as soon as you can for your daughter future, but because of 20-year contract you have signed, you can't quit the job as cancelling the contract equals to debt. But 3 years ago, your daughter got some strange sickness that makes her unable to rise from her bed and lay there all day. All the money you have gained from the brothel are used for your daughter medicine, but none of it works...which makes you decide to take your daughter back to your hometown after your contract ends to find a cure. If all ends good, your daughter will be saved, and you will live happily with her if not, you will suicide soon after your daughter dead. Any question?"
"H-how....no...I want to ask Milady about how Milady know about all of my backgrounds…but…but…"
Maria trembled and put the pot of tea on the table. Kneel in front of Lady Lailah and said.
"If you can heal my daughter… I'll gladly accept your conditions even if I have to offer my souls to you…."
"Give me a break…I'm not a demon, souls aren't appealing to me, and you're wrong about one thing."
"What…?"
"The one who will heal your daughter later isn't me…but my friend…Villia Lainiesta."
***
"Tw-twe-twenty platinum coins! The young lady at seat number 44 has bet 20 platinum coins for the girl! Anyone else wants to bid more? Is there anyone else?"
Through the entire auction, the noblewoman who always sip her teas finally make her act as soon as the auctioneer declares the base price. Not to mention how she bid 20 platinum coins as soon as the first bid, let them know that she's serious in getting that girl.
Most of the people in this room might be able to afford 20 platinum coins, but buying a slave and demi-human, with that kind of money? It's not worth it! No, it can be said that it's stupid!
Although they can politically use that girl… the benefit they will get would be less than 20 platinum coins! After all, noble is just an empty title who only serve to manage their own fief, with some instruction from the Church.
If they offer the girl to the church, they may get some word of thanks and get some benefit, but whether or not the benefits are more than 20 platinum coins, isn't the question as they know they wouldn't get much from it.
That's also why none of them speaks as soon as the price issued by the unknown noblewoman who bid for that slave.
"20 platinum coins going once."
"…."
"20 platinum coins going twice"
"…."
"20 platinum coins going thrice! Sold! Slave number 3, sold to the young lady at seat number 44!"
The audiences give a glance to the young noblewoman who calmly sipped her tea, while the middle-aged-woman serve her with everything she has faithfully which even gain the approval of the auctioneer as the prostitute can adapt easily no matter the situation is.
"Like always, the best always keep for the last and here's the last slave we are going to auction today!"
The were-beast girl got taken back to another backstage by the pair of man and woman, and another pair of man and woman comes with a young boy to the stage.
The boy they brought in have a pair of red eyes, pale skin, black hair, whole body tightens up with chains and a collar on his neck. Various restrictions can be seen on the boy body which ensures him not to be able to move.
"He comes from the land of the death. Blood is his staple food and night is his home. Possessing both intelligence and eternal beauty that will make every woman jealous! A creature that haven't leave Death Isle for 200 years! He's...a vampire!"