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The latter half of Lady of the Eternal Night's salon began, and the auction officially started.
The guests, wearing smiles, moved towards a side hall.
Not everyone was qualified to participate in the auction; Marinda had cleverly set a threshold, one that seemed unreachable to commoners, but to the guests present, it was a threshold that could be reached with some effort.
Guests without the qualifications either left or stayed in the salon, holding their glasses of wine and chatting with friends or engaging in light conversations with ladies they had just met.
The number of servants in the great hall was reduced to the necessary few, and the lighting was dimmed to facilitate the free flow of conversation between the gentlemen and ladies.
The musicians collected their pay and left along with the guests who were departing.
One carriage after another left White Bird Street.
