Chapter 100

Lenaia, it's been a while.

Accompanied by the unusually cheerful Lenaia, Jair came to the auction venue. The venue, handling high-value items, was an extremely luxurious place, much like a theater. There was a horseshoe-shaped first-floor seating area, and there were also seats on the second floor. The first and second-floor seats closest to the stage were special, with a slightly different layout. They had wider spacing and tables with dedicated waiters. The second-floor seats provided antique-style opera glasses with a long-distance viewing enchantment, which could also be purchased if desired. It was not uncommon for regulars at such auctions to own them.

Each chair was upholstered in crimson velvet and had a hanging cloth with unique geometric embroidery, characteristic of Goyuran. The decorations were likely influenced by the preferences of sponsors and merchants.

The items for sale ranged from stolen magical artifacts and gems to ancient documents, but the main attraction this time was said to be slaves. Jair was officially there as a bodyguard, but in reality, he was more like a watchdog for Lenaia, who tended to overspend and buy excessively.

This was a special event where only wealthy special members were invited, so most of the attendees looked like gentlemen and ladies. Among them, Lenaia stood out with her crude behavior and a dress that revealed too much.

"Hey, is there a Selkie? I love odd-eyed people. Preferably, I want each eye to be a completely different color. Red and blue, gold and silver, that would be nice. And, I don't want anyone old! Only young men, definitely in their late teens to early twenties. Is there a catalog of items?"

The Selkie, also known as the Selkie people or Selkie tribe, are a minority group with fair skin and often have different-colored eyes and a well-proportioned face. They are considered a type of high-end slave. While the Selkie are a minority and thus shrouded in mystery, some show interest in pharmacology, alchemy, magic, and new technologies, occasionally leaving their villages to live in cities.

Although the slave-trading nation of Goyuran is nearby, the Selkie often come to Sandis, which has no slave system—though they are still quite rare. People who seek Selkies often do so for purely ornamental or companion purposes, not for labor or combat slaves, which are more commonly filled by beastmen or Moon Wolves. These groups have physical characteristics that set them apart from ordinary humans, such as enhanced strength, agility, and senses, as well as animal-like features like ears and tails. Some people who dislike beastmen tend to buy Moon Wolves, and some collectors buy them for their rare, golden eyes.

"Pink and aqua, orange and chartreuse, purple and green, or black and white or silver eyes would be nice too."

"You know, live Selkies are expensive. If you want to collect different eye colors, you might want to bid on heads."

"No way. Most of them are preserved in formaldehyde. Their eyes aren't open properly, and they need to be kept in the dark, which is a hassle. If they could be displayed all the time, that would be fine, but in the dark, they lose half their charm."

Is it acceptable to display human heads? To Lenaia, they are merely beautiful objects. Indeed, there are collectors with such tastes. Lenaia prefers valuable and beautiful things, and she would readily discard morals and common sense to obtain them. Her financial sense is skewed, but she has a keen eye for people she can exploit. She frequents the underground social scene, luring in wealthy patrons and draining them dry.

Lenaia accuses Albertina of being a villain, but from an outsider's perspective, Lenaia is far worse. Recently, the notable news about Albertina is that she sent handwritten letters to her connections, including the guild, servants, and craftsmen, to defend her half-brother Kistaria. According to Lenaia, Kistaria has long been mistreated by Albertina and resents her, but the prevailing rumor is that he harbors a deep, almost romantic affection for her. Despite her busy schedule, she frequently visits the palace, where she is warmly welcomed. Even the Viscount Micaelis von Dometrias, known for his strict standards in romantic relationships, has been a frequent visitor, adding to the gossip.

Albertina's social circle is quite narrow, but her mysteriousness makes her a favorite topic of rumor-mongers. Many of the visitors to the princess's palace are unmarried and handsome noblemen.

"Sigh, slaves are nice, but sometimes I want a good nobleman. Someone who can escort me smartly, like that masked man, perhaps?"

The "masked man" is a recent obsession of Lenaia's. Her enthusiasm for masquerade parties and costume parties is partly due to this. Each time, she complains, "Wear the same dress twice!? Why do I have to do such an embarrassing thing! What if he thinks I'm poor!" and insists on buying new dresses, which she finds tiresome. Lenaia's shrill screams often echo.

In reality, Lenaia is not a noble but a commoner, having lost the right to use the Duches name after being a criminal. She is not even a baron's daughter and is a wanted person. No proper noble would associate with her, but Lenaia, unaware of this, makes inappropriate demands.

Today, Lenaia's attire is telling. She wears a high-end bustier and basque skirt dress in neon blue, with black lace and frills adorning the chest and hem. The dress is quite unique, with exposed shoulders and a white mink stole that barely covers her skin. The skirt ends mid-thigh at the front, while the back is of a decent length. In a setting where formal fashion is the norm, such exposed legs are only seen on slaves or prostitutes. She also wears thick black tights and aggressive stilettos, which are in poor taste.

Jair, though not a pure noble, has some knowledge. In the Kingdom of Sandis, such attire is considered indecent, especially the exposed shoulders and legs. It is not appropriate for an unmarried woman.

Lenaia claims it is a "Gothic punk-style dress," likely made out of frustration at not being able to get a Rose brand dress. The design is similar to a riding dress with a vest-like top and a basque skirt, though the original has pants underneath, making it more like a dressy tailcoat. Combined with thin pants and delicate laced boots, it is casual yet feminine and elegant. As a riding outfit, it can also serve as a knight's uniform, and it is trendy for engaged couples or lovers to wear matching outfits for dates. It is extremely popular, and couples, friends, and even married couples exchange them as gifts. Other stores offer similar items, but Rose brand is the most popular. The top designer remains a mystery, having never appeared at social events.

"Oh, today's main item is a former noble from Valenstein?"

Unaware of the disapproving glances and laughter around her, Lenaia browses the items casually. Some young men are even ogling her.

"Apparently, he's a hidden royal child. They're going to use him as material for magical research."

"Hmm, can I play with him before the research? As long as he's alive, right?"

"They probably plan to drug him. No good. The royals around here often have special magical abilities. Even if the chances are low, a degraded version is no use."

If the royal were a woman, Lenaia would likely use her as a plaything for male slaves. If she is beautiful, her fate would be even more tragic. Despite her cute appearance, Lenaia is extremely cruel and ruthless. She will readily kick anyone down or frame them for her own benefit, a trait that is appreciated by the leaders of the Death Merchants, who find her interesting.

"By the way, what happened to Graham? I haven't seen him recently."

"He was too unruly, so I sent him back to his family."

"Huh?"

What is this woman thinking? Jair, doubting his ears, looked at Lenaia.

"I put him in a bag, gagged him, and made sure he didn't die on his own. He was really out of his mind lately. He even hit one of my favorite slaves, right in the face! I really liked him because he looked a bit like Grail, but I had to get rid of him!"

"Hey, he's a nobleman, the son of the prime minister! What if he talks?!"

"Don't worry. He's mostly out of his mind, and his financial situation has been poor lately."

Lenaia seems to think she is being kind by sending him back home. Jair finds this incomprehensible, but sometimes Lenaia acts as if she is being kind and wonderful. Her "kind" actions usually just expose her selfishness and are not even genuine philanthropy. Her cruelty lies in her belief that she is good and just, never doubting her own righteousness. She zealously asserts her correctness and demands it from others.

As the auction began, Lenaia started bidding aggressively, even before the excitement built up. This approach would likely prevent her from getting what she really wants. Her funds are limited, and focusing on one main item might have been better, but she probably never considered that. Unfortunately, Jair has a mission today and has no intention of lending her any money.

In the end, as Jair predicted, Lenaia failed to bid on the beautiful Selkie who appeared in the second half. She had no money to pay and had to give up. The Selkie, with delicate and handsome features, silver hair, and one blue and one green eye, was a surprise main item. The bidding price quickly soared to the point where it could buy a mansion in the capital.

"I wanted him because he looked like Julius!"

Lenaia pouted, and Jair tilted his head. Julius must refer to Viscount Julius Fran. Though they are close in age, Julius has jet-black hair and purple eyes. His well-proportioned face exudes intelligence and ambition, or a cold and precise doll-like appearance. His nature is more like a fierce predator. He acts like a polite doll in front of important people, but who knows what he does behind closed doors. Jair can't understand why Lenaia would want such a dangerous man. Her tendency to desire what she cannot have shows no signs of stopping.

"Hey, Jair."

"What?"

"You're good at killing, right? Kill the one who won the bid and bring me that slave."

"I haven't delivered the goods yet, so it's impossible. You should put the slaves you bought in their rooms properly."

"Okay, okay. Sigh, it suddenly became boring after I won the bid."

The slaves Lenaia won were huddled together in fear, their faces filled with despair. Jair sighed, knowing they wouldn't last long, and called for the driver to "deliver" them. If they were handed over to her acquaintances or friends, there might still be some hope. But if they were subjected to Lenaia's whimsical sadistic nature, they would likely end up drugged or abused to death.

After completing the "delivery," Jair smoked a cigarette and looked at the night sky, visible even through the smoke.

"Ah... I want to finish this job quickly and go to 'Hii-san's' place. I haven't received any instructions from 'Danna' yet, so I want to finish this job and get out of here."

Even the starry sky couldn't soothe Jair's heart. Thinking of the past made his stomach churn, but thinking of the present left him feeling hollow. He crushed the cigarette on the stone floor and stood up, moving with the grace of a predator, making no sound.

He noticed a hysterical voice echoing down the corridor, and he felt exasperated. A subordinate or slave must have made a mistake, or something didn't go as planned. Lenaia's triggers for anger are everywhere.

"Brother..."

"Huh? Bean, what is it?"

"That woman tried to make a move on Berna's man."

"Is that why there's a commotion? How many times does that woman need to cause a fuss?"

Bean, a freckled boy, handed Jair a note. He is a scrawny, ragged-looking child, typical of the commoners. Jair uses him for information gathering and small errands due to his lack of distinctive features, good intuition, and sharp hearing. Jair glanced at the note and sighed deeply, knowing he would have to intervene in the woman's drama.

Thank you for reading.

This is a survival report of the self-proclaimed heroine.