Lucien looked horrified.
"I'll be fine. I have you to protect me, right?" Euphemia said with a smile to assure him.
Lucien still looked worried but nodded. He took a small box inside his coat pocket.
"I was going to give this to you later but I think it's best you have it now," Lucien said and handed her the box.
Euphemia curiously opened the box. Inside the box was a necklace with an exquisite emerald pendant in the shape of a leaf.
Euphemia looked at Lucien. "This is for me?"
"Yes, it's for you, Euphee. The emerald has been imbued with magic. You can send an emergency message to me and I will hear it from my brooch." Lucien showed her a small emerald brooch in the shape of a leaf.
"Would you like to pin it on me, Euphee?" Lucien asked.
Euphemia nodded and began to pin the brooch on Lucien's coat. "So it's a communication device? We can send each other messages? How far is the required distance? How long is the message?"
"Well, the magic can only be used once so it's best to use it only when you're in danger. After the magic is used up, it becomes an ordinary emerald. Marco said the distance is limitless. For the message, it's just around one sentence. Also . . . it can only be activated by blood so you can use it when you're injured," Lucien said.
Euphemia finished pinning the brooch on his coat. It suited him. The brooch matched his emerald eyes.
"What about you? Can you also send me a message? What if you're the one in danger?" Euphemia asked.
"Ah, yes. I can also send you a message but I think I will not have any use of it," Lucien said with a smile.
Euphemia rolled her eyes at his confidence.
"Can you put it on me?" Euphemia asked.
Lucien unclasped the necklace and leaned close to Euphemia. Euphemia lifted her hair so Lucien could put on the necklace around her neck. She smelled like roses. Lucien forced himself to look impassive and not like he was breathing in her scent. He clasped the lock leaned back.
"Thank you, Lucien. I'll take good care of it. It's beautiful," Euphemia said cheerfully.
"Yes, beautiful," Lucien said softly, looking at Euphemia.
*
*
*
"We are now at the last item of the night! The most awaited item for this auction night is . . . the dress of the Saintess!"
The booming voice belonged to Marco and both Euphemia and Lucien looked at the stage. At the center of the stage, was a mannequin and it was wearing the dress Euphemia was wearing when she had arrived in Aderlan.
It was the dress from her original world.
The crown gasped in awe and admiration. The dress did look dazzling under the chandelier lights. The rhinestones reflected the lights as if it was giving off its own radiance.
"The starting bid is 90,000 gold! Any bidders?"
Several aristocrats raised their numbers signs.
"Number 17 bids 90,000! Will there be a bid for 100?"
Several aristocrats still raised their number signs.
"That's a lot of money, isn't it?" Euphemia asked. She was surprised that a lot of people were willing to pay so much for her dress.
"I think it's still low. It's your dress, after all," Lucien said looking unimpressed.
"I bid 300,000 gold!"
"Number 26 bids for 300,000! Is there anyone who would like to outbid this?"
There were murmurs from the crowd but no one was speaking up.
"Going once . . . Going twice . . ."
"700,000 gold."
The crowd gasped and turned to see the bidder. The bidder had golden hair and he was wearing a gold and violet mask.
Marco looked shock. "700,000 gold! Is there anyone who would like to outbid that?"
The crowd remained silent. Euphemia and Lucien looked displeased.
"I should just buy it," Lucien murmured.
"No, you shouldn't. It's for our funds for the play," Euphemia said.
"But it's his gold," Lucien said frowning.
"We'll use the gold to help people, Lucien. I don't care if he buys it. We just need the funds," Euphemia said.
Lucien looked irritated at the bidder. It was obviously the crown prince. "Are you sure you don't want my funds instead? I can fund the play for you."
"I'm sure. I want to earn my own funds, Lucien," Euphemia said.
"Going once . . . Going twice . . . Going thrice . . . the dress of the Saintess goes to our bidder for 700,000 gold!" Marco announced. "Our auction night has now ended. Thank you and have a good night!"
Lucien and Euphemia went to a private room where the seller will receive the payment and sign the release papers of the item sold. Each seller had a private room so that no one will know the identity of each other.
A man wearing a crow mask entered the room. He was wearing a staff uniform and he was carrying a heavy-looking wooden chest.
"The bidder has paid," the man said and opened the chest.
Inside the chest were several gold coins. Euphemia's eyes widened at the sight of so many gold. It would be impossible to count them manually.
"How do we know this is 700,000 gold?" Euphemia asked.
The man took a crystal and put it on the gold coins. The crystal shimmered and emitted a light with strange characters on it.
Lucien nodded. "It's 700,000 gold, Euphee. This is a magic crystal that counts money."
Euphemia realized that she did not know the numerical characters of Aderlan. She made a mental note to herself to ask Lucien to teach her.
"Please sign the contract, Your Grace," the man said.
Euphemia frowned. "Shouldn't I be the one to sign it?"
"The account belongs to His Grace, Holy Saintess," the man said.
"Sorry, Euphee. I did make an account just for you but it's still under me. Don't worry. I won't use that account. It's just for you," Lucien said.
Euphemia nodded. She trusted Lucien.
Lucien signed the contract and the man closed the chest.
"Thank you for taking part of the auction," the man said and bowed.
"We finally have funds for the play!" Euphemia squealed excitedly.
Lucien smiled at her fondly. "I'll support you all the way."
*
*
*
The man with the crow mask handed the contract to a man with golden hair.
"Did he sign it?" the man with the golden hair said.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Good work."
The man with the crow mask left and the prince smiled in satisfaction at the contract.
The Duke had just unknowingly signed a slave contract. Once he hears the Queen's command, the slave contract would activate.
Now, they just had to wait for the Queen's move.