'It's more amazing than I ever thought!'
When I was alive, I never really get to see the Aurora Borealis, I live in a country far away from it, and I can only see it on my phone, but now, even with the warm lamps and lights of the street, up above us all is the hint of it.
"My Lady, wear this." Lady Rose handed me pair of gloves with the embroidery of stars and what seem to be a constellation, "Thank you, Rose..."
This brings me back to the nights after my overtime in my world, after leaving the office, what would face me is the busy street of office men and women living their own lives not caring with one another, covered with their coats and ear muffs, I always used to hide my hand between the pockets of my corporate blazer, and rushing to the train station hoping for the heat of the underground train would ease the cold. But now, I even got my own gloves.
We walk pass multiple merchants who sells various of foods and goods, one of the barbeque stores sells roasted Silk Eel that seems like an intestine, it is said by the merchant that it can help with raising one's poison resistance, because the Silk Eel inherently have a poison despite being killed, cleansed and cook, it will always have a poison and the more you intake it, the higher your resistance will be. "I'll take one, do you want one Rose?"
"My Lady... I..." I saw her face turn pale, and was weirded out, 'Maybe a lady like Celeste wouldn't even think of looking at these foods, but, I grew up watching mukbangs! These looks so yummy for me!'
"More for me then!" I just bought one roasted Silk Eel and marinated blue crickets, as for the blue crickets, they look just like a bug, but for some reason, the way it was marinated and the stick is filled with vegetables as well makes it melt on your mouth.
I saw Rose being weirded out but couldn't utter a word nor question me, 'Yeah, this is a weird sight. Most of the merchant's customer were commoners or lower nobles, the ones that are used in this kind of food street, what kind of Duke's Daughter would eat such food? But—'
"I want to live, y'know."
"My Lady?"
"I've always been sheltered, even when I attend the Aurora Lane, passing these streets, it always makes me feel alive."
I look at the laugh children playing, the men and women laughs and eat together, merchants negotiating well and maybe even scamming some nobles, if they weren't accompanied by their aides they would've paid gold coins for silver worth goods.
I don't know why Celeste yearly attends the Aurora Lane, maybe its because the Duke wanted her too, after all, the Wintercrest Manor was built solely just so the Rosenfield's have a place during the celebration of Aurora Lane, maybe because Celeste wants to be connected to her mother who grew up in this dukedome, and had always attended the Aurora Lane without missing a year. 'I really don't know why Celeste never fails to attend, maybe only during her wedding week, which is today, if she had live for one more season in the novel, a part of me knows she'll attend the Aurora Lane again.'
"The capitol's, the palace's, and even our manor's light always gets to be humbled in comparison with the bright and warm lights of the Aurora Lane. It makes you want to see the world. And maybe I couldn't see the world, but at least, I want to experience how to live, what others eat, where they play, when they fall in love—"
"My Lady..." Rose worries, I didn't meant to say fall in love, I just, it slip. "Don't worry, Sir Zeke has been able to save a seat at the Night Auction, he had made this preperation long before the engagement for My Lady to use, and luckily, you can use it! From what I heard, the auction this year will present the worldy goods of travelers! Just tell me the word, and I'll make sure to make sure you win whatever you want to bid for! The Duke had also given us a blank check before we leave, so worry not, My Lady!"
Rose had always been reliable, but I never thought she would have this fiery spirit to uplift her lady.
[The Night Auction is a grand yet shadowy spectacle, an open secret known to nobles far and wide. Held in a lavish underground hall at the end of Aurora Street, it marks the final day of the Aurora Lane festivities. The atmosphere buzzes with anticipation as nobles from across the world gather to witness the auction of rare and forbidden treasures.]
'The line is long.' At the end of the Aurora Street, a dark hallway is filled with buzzing individuals, some are wearings masks, some in hoods, just any way to cover their faces but one thing is for sure, a noble couldn't hide their wealth through their clothes and black robes, "My Lady come here,"
"Don't we need to fall in line?"
"My Lady, you're..." She looks left and right, before whispering, "a Rosenfield, of course you wouldn't need to! Plus, you've always hated lines, isn't that why Sir Zeke made sure to get the VVIP?"
On cue, Rose showed me a diamond sparkling card, it has the symbol of Aurora Lane, the Aurora Borealis sparkling, she smiled at me brightly and guide me to the door.
Unlike the hiding-their-identity nobles, no one bats an eye when they saw Celeste—me. I saw their gze, piercing and knowing, they know me. 'Come to think of it, I think one ofthe troubles Celeste had made in her making as a Villainess is attending the Night Auction... What did she do again?'
"My Lady! The Black Rose!"
'Black Rose?'
"Don't tell me, My Lady had forgotten me, Copper Fox?!"
I couldn't figure it out, until I realize that I am not the only one with a man or woman welcoming them, the other nobles who didn't had to fall in line had one. 'Ah... Middle men.'
Black Rose is Celeste's code name, no noble man in their right mind would use their real name to bid, and her middle man, the man working for the auction and the acting mediator for transaction between the noble and the auction to make sure all transactions work smoothly. A middle man also helps out their nobles when securing the goods, each item, comes with a commission, and this one right in front of me, is Copper Fox.
[The middle man at the Night Auction, known by the code name "Copper Fox," is a figure who exudes cunning and greed. Dressed in a gaudy green and brown coat, his attire reflects his unscrupulous nature. His brown hair is slicked back, giving him a sly, almost oily appearance. His voice, irritatingly sweet and pitched higher than typical for a man, grates on the ears of those who interact with him.
Copper Fox is one of the top facilitators at the auction, ensuring all transactions run smoothly between the nobles and the auction house. His shrewd eyes miss nothing, and his manner, though outwardly obsequious, hides a keen intellect and an insatiable hunger for profit. Whether arranging the sale of a rare artifact or negotiating the price of a high-born slave, Copper Fox maneuvers through the shadowy dealings of the Night Auction with the precision of a seasoned predator.]
'Was he discussed in the novel? I couldn't figure it out. But its as if I can read him very well.'
Copper Fox lead me and Lady Rose to a table with walls surrounding our sides, seperating each nobles, we have our own cushioned seat and table for drinks, a servant had served a wine, as Copper Fox discusses me this year's theme of Night Auction.
"This year's Night Auction is themed as: Forgotten Kingdom, I suppose, the Black Rose would be very delightful with this year's set of goods, and slaves."
"Ah—!"
I almost choke from my drink, I can now remember last year's chaos that disrupted the nobles! What Celeste had brought in the capitol with, an outrageous display.
She bought a boy toy, that is a slave!