"I'm a GUY!" Marsh can't stress the fact enough after Choco's sister assumed him to be his 'ugly' girlfriend.
"A guy!? That's even worse! Father will be so disappointed."
Choco also got frustrated with her, "NO, I don't swing that way! Why do you keep assuming I eloped anyway!?"
His sister scoffed and squinted at him, "I always figured you'd never come back someday after meeting a crazy person who'd elope with someone like you."
"I didn't ran away for a stupid reason like that!" Choco defended.
"Of course, you do!" Lady Cocoa shook her head, "But I'm sure it'll be just another selfish reason, like all the times you ran away before." She even forced a laugh at her own statement.
"Argh!!!" Then Choco ran down his hands on his cheeks, "Can't you listen for once!?"
Marsh was feeling a little uncomfortable watching them argue, but then Choco turned to him and dragged him in, "What's the point of even asking stuff when you won't even listen to the answers, right Marsh!?"
"Uhh..." he absolutely have no idea how to deal with this situation, "...what are we doing here again? I could go for some fresh air." Marsh laughs nervously, tugging on his collar as if it was hard to breathe.
Then as Lady Cocoa got reminded of agenda for coming to this place, she held onto her head and started pacing. "Sweet Lord! I gotta go back, I still need to win the Crystal Grain!" She exclaimed.
This reminded the two boys of their purpose here as well, they glanced at each other as they mention in unison—"The orb!"
"No time to waste, let's get out of here!" And they all left the pantry together so that Lady Cocoa can return to her seat and wait for the special item bidding.
The boys managed to sneak past guards as Lady Cocoa drags them as her own servants. And when Lady Cocoa returned to her place, they even encountered her brother's pursuers which she easily disposed off so she can resume to partake in the live auction.
"Alright, now where's that wine I asked for." Lady Cocoa turned to the steward serving her.
"Here my lady." As the stewardess served her, Choco chimed in as well, "Hey, pour me some of that too!" He takes a cup for himself and presented it to the stewardess.
"Huh?" This got the stewardess confused to see a fellow servant act with audacity, "Ugh, Choco..." both Marsh and Lady Cocoa shake their head at Choco's recklessness
"Ow! What was that for?" Choco complained as Lady Cocoa hit him on the head after the stewardess poured him a cup anyway.
"Nevermind this foolish servant, you may go." Lady Cocoa ordered.
"U-Understood, my lady." Then as the stewardess left, she takes her seat and continues to scold her brother head on while the boys took off their masks. "Alright Choco, here's the deal. I can't take more stress than you're already causing me and it's way too much of a risk to give you a scolding right now."
"Yeah?—eugh." Choco face shrivelled and stuck out his tongue after getting a taste of the wine and gave the cup to Marsh. "Hmm—yuck." Even he didn't like the wine.
"I can't have the other nobles here figure out that you're with me today, so you and your friend should keep quiet and act like proper servants!" Then she shoved the mask back on their faces, "Got that?"
"What about after this?" Choco asks.
"I'll deal with you kids later."
Then as Lady Cocoa gave her full focus on the auction, Marsh was still uncomfortable with the high-knee skirt and heels he's wearing. "Err, I hate this... it's so cold." He uttered and kept pulling the skirt down
"Pft, nice legs." Choco teased, holding back his laughter.
"Shut up dude." Marsh glared at him, though their attention was caught by the host introducing a rather peculiar item to the auctioneers. "Up next, we have this awful dirty pillow—for your information, this item is no ordinary pillow as it has been washed multiple times but still stinks, gives you nightmares when you use it, trashed and it somehow comes back like a haunting ghost, burned at a thousand degrees and suffered no damage, thrown in the shredding machine though remained intact. This pillow proved itself to be annoyingly indestructible and most likely cursed, bidding price starts at 5 sugar gems!"
"Ohh, an indestructible pillow~" Choco seemed interested in the item, he looks to his sister with a grin. "Sis, that's a bargain, ain't it?"
"It's cursed to stink forever, so no."
"Aww."
Nobody in the auction took interest in the dirty pillow, and the whole place went quiet as Shru kept hit tongue rolling, "5 sugar gems! 5 sugar gems, do I hear anyone bidding over there? You sir?—No? Oh... 5 sugar gems, anyone?... ugh, why did we even put this up for bidding."
The item was set aside for another more interesting item, a shining caramel sword engraved with symbolic scriptures and a handle of the finest dark chocolate steel. The audience was in awe at the sight of this sword, especially Choco.
"For this item, it is known as the Divine Talio Sword owned by the fallen hero Ceres..." then as Shru introduces the sword, Choco had to convince his sister to bid for it, "Sis, that sword! We have to bid for it before someone else takes it!"
"And why should I? Don't you already have the sword I gave you." Lady Cocoa narrowed her eyes at Choco, "Speaking of swords, where's Caramia?"
"O-Oh... about Caramia." Choco chuckled nervously, remembering the Popsiclops snapping his sword like a twig.
"Anyway, I won't bid for anything else than the Crystal Grain. Who knows how much those other rich bozos will bid, so I need every bit of my sugar gem prepared." As Lady Cocoa dismissed Choco, Marsh was stunned hearing all the auctioneers raising the price for that special sword.
"That's 800,000 sugar gems by person 42!—oh, 850,000 sugar gems by 14!—1,000,000 sugar gems by 32!" The price kept going higher and higher.
"These people sure has a lot of money." He mumbled to himself, overwhelmed by the numbers.
"Hah! That's just some spare change in my pockets." Lady Cocoa laughed arrogantly.
"10,000,000 sugar gems!" And everyone fell speechless when Sir Amarel shouted a large sum while raising his paddle engraved with the letter C, showing his interest in the Divine Talio Sword.
"What!? Sis, are you going to let that guy beat you to it?" Choco tried instigating his sister to compete, but Lady Cocoa was too good for his game. "You can't trick me into buying that sword for you, Choco."
"Aww."
Marsh patted him on the back, "We do need a lot of money for the orb, dude. Just give up on the sword and let your sister take care of this."
"Alright." Still Choco was a bit disappointed to see another person obtain that cool sword.
After several items got sold, the most awaited item was finally put on display, making everyone in awe at the presence of the Crystal Grain. "For the last and special item of this night, the very item that everybody waited for!—The Crystal Grain of the Sugar Deity, passed down to generations of King in the Sweet Kingdom and had gone missing during the reigns of King Sugar Cube VII..."
Lady Cocoa and Marsh had their eyes glued to that orb, filled with eagerness to obtain the powerful object. "...this item has the power to grant a person's deep desires, in which a King use to grant their desire for prosperity of their Kingdoms. For this item, the bidding price starts at 50,000,000 sugar gems."
"Fifty million!?" Marsh gasped and turned to look at an unfazed woman. Lady Cocoa raised her paddle engraved with the letter F. "SOLD!" She yells.
"50,000,000 sugar gems by F! Can anyone else compete with—oh!"
Another person from the premium member raised the price, "75,000,000 sugar gems!" He was holding a paddle with a letter M.
The other premium members continued to bid, yelling some overwhelming prices for the ordinary auctioneers. Lady Cocoa sat back as the men competed, raising the numbers aggressively. "Sis, aren't you going to bid?" Choco asked in concern.
"Let them have a little fun first." She grinned, leaning back on her seat.
Marsh on the other hand was on edge hearing the numbers go higher, thinking that they'll lose the orb to the filthy rich bidders. "Oh no... we're going to lose, aren't we?"
Sir Amarel raises his paddle, "100,000,000 sugar gems!"
"105,000,000 sugar gems!" Marquis Avin Ru winced, but it was a necessary price to beat Sir Amarels bid.
Then Viscount Syrus bids as well, "120,000,000 sugar gems!" His price striking both Marquis Avin Ru and Sir Amarel.
"Damn it, 125,000,000!" Marquis Avin Ru yells with tears at the corner of his eyes, though Sir Amarel can still fight, "150,000,000!"
The audience gasped at the sudden price jump, and Marsh fell on his knees. "Nooo, we lost the orb... we lost the orb..." he cried while Choco and Lady Cocoa glanced at each other.
"You've got more than that on you, right?" Choco presumed, only to receive a smirk from his sister.
"Ack, that's all I've got!" Now Marquis Avin Ru was out the game.
This had Viscount Syrus and Sir Amarel into a showdown, "200,000,000 sugar gems!" Viscount Syrus flaunted.
Sir Amarel grinned and raised the stakes, "250,000,000 Sugar gems!"
"260!"
"265!"
"275!"
"300!"
Everyone was in complete awe as these rich nobles kept on going, and the bidding turns to a draw as Sir Amarel and Viscount Syrus yelled the same price at the same time.
"500,000,000 sugar gems!"
This had Shru scratching on his head, "Woah, this never happened before. Paddle letter C and M are tied at the same price, do any of you are willing to raise the price to cut the tie?"
Being asked to raise the price higher, the two were already at their limits. Even at a far distance, the two intensely glared at each other, daring the other to step down from the bidding. "Sir Amarel, surely you can't waste your family's entire fortune on that item, don't you?"
"Who said we're only worth 500,000,000 sugar gems? That's an insult to the Caramel Dukedom!"
"Gentlemen, please follow the policy! Don't drop names so carelessly!" Shru warned, but they continued to ignore him as they argued with their loud voices.
"What about you, Lord Syrus. Don't you think you're throwing away your hard earned money just for a ball?"
"We both know that ball is worth more than 500,000,000 sugar gems." Viscount Syrus gritted and raise the price again, "Make that 510!"
And Sir Amarel didn't back down, "550!"
Shru waited for the Viscount to retaliate before making the final statement, but they saw him swiping a bottle of wine from his servant and walked out from the venue. "Alright, for the price of 550,000,000 sugar gems for the Crystal Grain, this will sold to Sir Ama—I mean, paddle letter C over there... is there anyone willing to raise the price higher?...last chance, going once—"
"Yes, finally! The Crystal Grain is mine!" Sir Amarel threw his fists in the air, cheering for himself.
"—going twice!—"
"Come on, say it already!" Sir Amarel insisted, but down to the last few seconds, another loud voice has shaken up the crowd.
"ONE BILLION SUGAR GEMS!" Lady Cocoa shouted with all her might, surprising Marsh who have long lost hope for the orb. "One billion?—Ugh." And fainted into Choco's arms.
"Oh yeah, way to go sis!" Choco looked at his sister proudly, dropping Marsh to the floor to clap for her.
"Hahaha, what can I say? I'M ALWAYS A BILLION STEPS AHEAD AHAHA!" Everyone's jaw dropped as she laughed hysterically and Sir Amarel fell to his knees. "N-No... No! NOOO!"
"What the f*ck!" Shru uttered, clearing his throat as he make the final statement. "One billion sugar gems for the Crystal Grain, sold to that crazy rich woman over there!"