After waiting for about 20 minutes, the auction started.
All the nobles were much more quiet than Yen had expected. She thought they would still talk about it and have some believe in Beatrice.
Yen: 'The title 'Duchess of Ceresé' must be quite the useful one for Aquie most of the time. To think it makes everyone this quiet..'
Host: "The auction begins! Our first item is a ceramic vase from the Qurouan Empire. The design is quite unique, and I think it would be quite the look when stored in your homes! The bidding price starts on 10,000 REN!"
"20,000!"
"50,000!"
Dianna: "500,000."
Everyone was shocked with the price the Princess bid. The Ceresé's table was just beside the Royal's table, so Yen could catch a glimpse of the Princess. She looked determined, as if the vase had held quite the meaning to the Princess.
Yen: "Does she have some kind of history amongst the Qurouan Empire?"
Duchess of Ceresé: "She loves the Crowned Prince of that Empire. The vase symbolizes him very much."
Yen: "I see.."
No one dared to bid higher. The vase was given to the Princess.
Host: "Next! A painting from the best painter of this empire in the 30,000s. It can be quite the artifact too, decorated in the household. This represents the sacrifices our people had made in the Cold War. The bidding price starts on 50,000!"
Beatrice: "100,000!"
"200,000."
"500,000!"
Duke of Grace: "1,000,000."
Host: "1,000,000! We have a deal!"
Marione: "Expected from the Duke. I heard he's quite the guy who loves history."
Duchess of Ceresé: "He's just quite touched with the stories. It gives him hope for the future."
Yen: "..I'd like some tea."
Duchess of Ceresé: "Then we shall call for a maid to send us 2 cups of tea."
Marione: "Add some cold coffee with it too?"
Duchess of Ceresé: "The milky kind?"
Marione: "Yeah."
Duchess of Ceresé: "Very well."
Aquie called the maid as the maid soon brought 2 cups of tea and cold coffee. It took for about 10 minutes, but the auction was what had kept them distracted.
Maid: "Lady Yen, please sign here for the payment."
Yen just wrote her name and her signature above it. She was wondering why it had to be her when Aquie could have done it but she could care less.
Duchess of Ceresé: "Why did she let you sign it?"
Marione: "I'm getting the feeling I got from a while back."
Duchess of Ceresé: "Then let us wait and see what they will do to tarnish our honor."
Host: "Up next is a necklace from the Radiance Era, that still shines as bright as it was from before. It won't ever break, and it is said to be quite the protector. The bidding price starts with 100,000!"
Duchess of Ceresé: "10,000,000."
Silence engulfed the room. Many were shocked that the Duchess had finally spoken but they were also shocked with the price she had bid. It had been the highest among all.
Host: "10,000,000! That is the end of the auction. You may all pick up your items."
Duchess of Ceresé: "I'll give the necklace to you, Yen. I figure you may need it."
Yen: "Ah, thank you."
Yen: 'She bid 10,000,000 REN to give a necklace to me?!'
Marione: "Oh my, how lucky of you, Yen."
Duchess of Ceresé: "Let's pick it up now. Make sure to finish your coffee too, Marione."
Marione hurried up and drank it all in one go, to make sure not to waste anymore time, as the Ceresés headed to the lobby.
Yen spotted Irene, who was walking furiously to the Duke of Grace, and slapped him across the face. This shocked everyone present, even seeing Irene, who was one who never showed emotion, tearing up.
Irene: "I thought it was all speculation but you were actually cheating on me with Lady Yen?!"
Yen: "What?!"
Duke of Grace: "I have never!"
Beatrice: "Then please explain what I found here."
Beatrice handed out a letter, to which he had read, and his eyes furrowed in disbelief.
Duke of Grace: "This is fake! Why would Lady Yen send me a letter like that?"
Duchess of Ceresé: "What's with the commotion!"
Beatrice: "My Lady, this letter proves of the infidelity shown by both Miss Yen and the Duke of Grace! In what I remember, Yen has sent a letter to the Duke yesterday and these were it's contents."
Marione: "Are you sure it's Yen's handwriting?"
Beatrice: "You may take a look yourself."
Both Aquie and Marione were reading it as Beatrice covered her lower face with her fan.
'Dear Anthony,
I should've trusted you when it came to your warnings about Rui. Please leave Irene so we may be together.
Yen Ceresé'
Duchess of Ceresé: 'It is her handwriting but..'
Duchess of Ceresé: "How funny."
Beatrice: "I know it may be hard to believe but-"
Duchess of Ceresé: "All your plans have come to waste, Beatrice."
Both Bea and Yen's eyes widened with shock and confusion.
Duchess of Ceresé: "Yen, do you remember the letter you wrote to the Duke?"
Yen: 'Ah! I forgot about that!'
Yen: "Of course! I gave it to you so you could give it to the Duke personally."
Everyone was left in shock.
Duke of Grace: "But I haven't received any letter.."
Duchess of Ceresé: "That's because it's with me right now."
Beatrice: "What?!"
Aquie used magic to reveal the letter in her person.
Duchess of Ceresé: "May I read it, Duke Grace? It might ruin the plans for.. you know."
Duke of Grace: "Of course. I was going to discuss it with Irene today, after all."
Irene: "Discuss..?"
Duchess of Ceresé: "Dear Duke Anthony of Grace, You have asked me for advice for your fiance and I have figured out a solution for that. Miss Irene loves romance, even if she doesn't show it, so I suggest you two may dress up like the common folk and have fun in the amusement park together! I have tried it once, and it was spectacular, especially romantic. Just try to be romantic for a day. I have some books that Irene reads and I will give the description for each male lead she liked, in order for you to give out the most spectacular date for her. And then Yen's description, which I won't name. P.S. Don't forget to eat at that one ice cream shop too! I'm sure she'll love it. Greatest blessings and luck, Yen of Ceresé."
Irene was shocked, while the Duke was a bit red with Yen's suggestions.
Duchess of Ceresé: "Number one, my sister always starts and ends letters with their title and name in order to show such gracefulness and respect. Second, she would try her best to keep letters as long as possible, because she believes she's strengthen bond the longer the letter. And third, she's not one to easily fall in love. It had just been months since her breakup. What kind of person do you think she is?"
Beatrice had been left dumbfounded, with the amount of people looking at her. Her reputation sank rock bottom the moment she had planned this out.
Marione: "We were curious as to why Yen had to sign the papers when we ordered drinks when it is usually the one with the highest position who would do so. I believe you were behind this."
Beatrice: "My Lady, this must be a misunderstanding.."
Yen: "You've held a grudge on me for defending those of lower status from you whenever you'd bully them when we were children. Such a grudge is destroying you!"
Whispers were heard among the crowd.
"Lady Bea bullies people of lower status? How is she not ashamed!"
"I can't believe I wanted to be friends with her."
"What will her family think with such behavior?"
Yen: 'Her reputation must be quite bad now, but we shouldn't leave this at that.'
Duchess of Ceresé: "One thing I also wonder is how you knew we had a letter to send to the Duke of Grace?"
Beatrice: "I.."
Yen: "You could be faced with criminal charges.. but I'll let it go, only if you apologize."
Beatrice fell to the ground, shaking intensely and panting nervously as she kneeled before Yen. She was sniffling and the sight itself had shocked Yen, yet it amused her quite a bit and everybody else, most especially the Duchess of Ceresé.
Beatrice: "I..I'm sorry! I have been a fool for trying to blame Lady Yen for my foolishness. I ask for forgiveness from thee!"
Yen: "....You are forgiven. You may stand up."
Bea stood up and bolted out of the room, both in anger, sadness, and embarrassment.
The Princess, Dianna, and the Duke of Aurora had just entered the lobby after picking up what she had won in the auction.
Dianna: "What.. happened here?"
Duchess of Ceresé: "Miss Bea had caused a scene for trying to frame my sister, and she was forgiven, but she had ran away. You may hear the details from others."
Duke of Aurora: "In such a short period of time, she got to do that? How shameless."
Duchess of Ceresé: "It was quite the hassle but.."
Duke of Aurora: "?"
Duchess of Ceresé: "Where may we get the necklace..?"
Duke of Aurora: "Right, you may just follow me."
____________________
Marione: "All that trouble in the lobby, but luckily, we got to get that necklace in the end."
Duchess of Ceresé: "We also got to put away some weight off our minds. It was annoying."
Yen: "What was?"
Duchess of Ceresé: "Later. I'll tell you in the carriage."
Yen: "Alright."
They headed outside, gift in hands, and hopped into the carriage after bidding farewell to the Princess and the Dukes.
Yen: "Now, what happened that made you so annoyed?"
Duchess of Ceresé: "If our suspect is the right one, she had been trying anything possible to tamper and slow down our research of this case."
Yen: "Really?!"
Duchess of Ceresé: "But how was she able to know? I don't sense any listening or tracking devices anywhere."
Marione: "Unless.. that demon could roam freely and spy on us."
Duchess of Ceresé: "Then, Marione."
Marione: "Hm?"
Duchess of Ceresé: "Make sure to put up a protection barrier on each member of the Ceresé House and of the Royal Family. Also make sure that you'd get a signal whenever that demon tries to interact with it."
Marione: "I'll inform you if anything happens."
Duchess of Ceresé: "Good. Starting today, we must always be alert. Whenever and wherever you are, always keep you're guard up."
Yen: 'Right. We could get attacked anytime. That led to my death, and I must not forget the reason I am here, and that is to fix my mistakes. I must find ways to expose Beatrice for her illegal acts.'
Marione: "Yen, talk to me tomorrow, I wish to tell you something."
Yen: "Alright."
Yen: 'I'll start with asking for Marione's progress, then I shall make my own. I shouldn't depend on others.'