In the washroom, Li Fei leaned forward slightly, one hand sweeping the dark hair away from her ear, turning her head left and right in the mirror.
Tiny, luminous white earlobes — a pair of black drop earrings swaying beneath them. Even the pallor of illness couldn't conceal that soul-stealing allure. Who, pray tell, was the beauty capable of bending an ironclad straight woman into a pretzel in under three seconds?
That's right. Me.
The top courtesan's eyes went hazy and dreamy. She licked her dry lips, then fished out her lip balm and traced it carefully along that faintly chapped yet devastatingly bewitching lip line — still perfectly capable of ensnaring souls. She pressed her lips together slowly, then parted them all at once, blowing a kiss at the beauty in the mirror. A warm, suggestive little sound rang out and cut off just as suddenly:
Mwah.
Two full minutes passed before the thoroughly self-satisfied top courtesan reined in her narcissistic expression. She lifted the hem of her white formal gown with one hand and click-clicked her way down the corridor in her high heels, each step crisp and clear.
Standing outside the door was a tall, vivid streak of red.
Leona was as effortlessly elegant as ever. True to her love of red, she wore a deep crimson gown with a high slit, her posture at once graceful and upright. She wore a single earring as well — but hers was adorned with a jewel of gorgeous, deep crimson that seemed to hold the night inside it. Black lace gloves wrapped her snow-white, slender forearms; the left glove ended just at the crook of her elbow, while the right extended a little further. That subtle asymmetry did nothing to diminish her allure — if anything, it added a note of romantic, unhurried languor.
Unlike her usual style, tonight she went bare-legged. Her skin, faintly luminous as though lit from within, flickered in and out of view through the slit of her gown. At her feet were a pair of exquisite strappy heels; the elegant, fine-boned lines of her feet and the pale curve of her instep were fully on display, her toenails painted a vivid rose-red — more tempting than rose petals, the kind of thing that made you want to cradle them in your palms and press your lips to them.
Leona turned to look at Li Fei. Those jade-green eyes held a warm smile — and yet they always gave off a razor-sharp edge, like a rose blooming in poison: noble, elegant, and lethal.
Li Fei looked at her and, for no particular reason, was reminded of footage she'd once seen of the Russian Empress. Their faces were nothing alike — but there was something in the bearing, a certain quality of presence, that overlapped.
"Sorry for the wait," Li Fei said, sticking out her tongue. She stepped forward and tucked her arm through Leona's, grumbling: "This kind of formal gown is... incredibly inconvenient."
"Indeed," Leona agreed readily. "But given how dazzlingly beautiful you look tonight, I believe it's worth it."
"Oh?" Li Fei tilted her head, a mischievous smile playing at the corner of her lips. "Am I not beautiful the rest of the time?"
"Every time I see you, you are more breathtaking than I remembered." Leona emphasized each word with a note of genuine wonder. "Every single time."
Goodness, stop telling such obvious truths...
Keep going. Please, keep going.
Li Fei's eyes curved into little crescents. Her steps grew lighter.
The two of them walked down the corridor over the plush carpet, and the grand hall came into view — dazzling gold and brilliant light, a massive crystal chandelier overhead spilling radiance across a long table where a tower of wine glasses gleamed and glittered.
A string ensemble in black tie played in the corner, their melody drifting through the air as finely dressed ladies and gentlemen leaned close to exchange quiet conversation.
Tonight's auction was nothing like the polished, professionally staged affairs held at proper auction houses. It was a private event — a social gathering first, an auction second, wearing a dinner party as its costume.
This had left Li Fei — who had received the invitation after class — simultaneously a little disappointed and a little curious.
She looked around at everything with bright, inquisitive eyes, a trace of wonder and faint self-consciousness in her gaze.
The top courtesan had seen her share of the world, yes — but this was her first time walking into the kind of noble gathering that could only be described as upper crust.
Leona, perceptive as always, noticed the pair of soft arms tucked through hers pull in just a little tighter.
And it was perfectly clear — compared to the somewhat languid Leona, Li Fei, who had specifically borrowed a precious pearl necklace from her PR-professional neighbor next door and dressed herself up with painstaking care, looked exactly like Cinderella who had snuck her way into Snow White's ball.
There was, of course, a deliberate element to that impression. After all — a certain someone, golden-born and pampered, who had been in seclusion for who-knew-how-many days, was precisely the type who had grown up in a gilded cage, which was why she'd become so enchanted by the free-spirited, unrestrained top courtesan. And by instinct, Li Fei suspected that Leona — the quintessential "powerful female CEO" type — might be more susceptible to the protective urge when faced with an innocent girl from humble beginnings.
As it turned out, she was right.
Leona guided Li Fei to the long table, which was laden with an elaborate spread of food — visually exquisite and appetizing, though honestly, this kind of cuisine gave off more of a "collectible exhibit" feeling than the kind that made your mouth water on sight the way a bowl of noodles in red broth or skewers of cumin-dusted grilled meat did.
Li Fei instantly read Leona's intentions and cooperated beautifully, fixing the food on the table with wide, shining eyes.
"The Rostav family's chef has always had exceptional skill," Leona said, picking up a plate of small lamb chops on the bone. "Wouldn't you like to try some?"
Li Fei glanced at the food with barely-contained eagerness — then seemed to catch herself and turned bashful, twisting slightly: "But the lady next door told me... this kind of dinner isn't really the place for eating."
"Oh? Is that so." Leona slowly peeled off one glove and sighed with theatrical resignation. "Then it seems I'll have to enjoy this delicious pan-seared lamb chop all by myself."
To demonstrate for Li Fei's benefit, those flawless pale fingers picked up the chop — earning themselves a smear of grease in the process — and as the woman beside her watched with barely-veiled longing, Leona slowly raised it toward her lips.
"Nom—"
The "sweet, innocent girl from the common folk" could hold out no longer. She lunged in and bit down — holding on like a little animal guarding its food, not budging an inch, the two of them suddenly very, very close.
At such close range, Leona absorbed the full force of Li Fei's magnetism — and for the first time, a faint ripple stirred in those beautiful eyes. She released the chop between her fingers without changing her expression and spread her palm open with a faint smile: "You see — no matter how glamorous a banquet, nothing can stop the guests from eating, can it?"
"Mhm..."
Li Fei gave a muffled, contented hum, squinting happily as she savored the tender, juicy lamb.
Delicious. Just not quite enough.
Li Fei stripped the meat clean from the bone in two efficient bites, wrestled with her conscience for approximately two seconds, then quickly adopted an expression of gleeful self-abandonment and extended her scheming little hand toward a plate of steak.
Leona appeared to find watching Li Fei eat genuinely entertaining — much like the last time she had treated her to lunch. She casually accepted a glass of red wine from a maid passing by with a tray, and stood in comfortable silence, watching Li Fei chew while her eyes roamed in search of the next thing to eat.
Then, without warning, the lights in the hall dimmed slightly, and the illumination concentrated on a presentation platform at the far end of the room.
A middle-aged gentleman with a pleasantly round belly stepped up to the stage — warm, open smile, every bit the approachable host.
"Good evening, my friends! It is my great honor— dammit, I forgot to memorize my opening remarks. I do hope you'll forgive this oversight, for the sake of the chicken pot pies my chef spent all afternoon preparing!"
The gentleman made a helplessly sheepish face. The crowd below obligingly rippled with laughter.
"...In any case. Tonight we have fifty-seven lots up for auction. I hope each of you finds something to your satisfaction — and if not, there are thirty vacant rooms upstairs, and just through the side door of this hall lies a quiet, beautiful garden. I trust our lovely ladies and handsome gentlemen won't consider the trip wasted."
And with that, the private auction got underway.
"Lot one — scales from a Royal Snake Demoness. A hundred and four grams in total."
The rotund gentleman waved a hand. A bunny girl attendant who had been ready and waiting stepped gracefully forward to the stage, carrying a wooden case to display the lot to the assembled guests — genuine bunny ears, a fluffy little pom-pom tail, none of it prosthetic.
A single deep teal scale rested inside the case, its patterns flowing and elegant, giving off a faint luminescence — like a breathtakingly beautiful work of art.
"This scale... why does it look a little familiar?"
The top courtesan frowned, and the face of her snake demoness colleague Dasha — with her warm, maternally generous presence — floated up from somewhere in the back of her mind.
But a moment later, her attention snapped back to the food in front of her.
This lady is undefeated in all her battles, utterly invincible. What I need are fast-acting restoratives — stamina, energy, hydration. Not some fortifying tonic for the overly vigorous.
The pallid, haggard top courtesan smiled with perfect confidence, a glint of arrogance in her eyes.
But very quickly, Li Fei's jaw dropped — because the atmosphere in the room was far more heated than she had anticipated. Under the frenzied bidding of noblewomen and daughters of wealthy families, that single scale sold for a five-figure sum.
That thing is worth almost as much as my Blade of Joy!
"These nobles are... utterly deranged!" Li Fei muttered sourly.
"The Rostav family appears to have connections that allow them to source high-quality snake demoness scales, which they put up at irregular intervals in their private auctions," Leona said, amusement threading through her voice. "They have a strong reputation for it. Quite a few people tonight came specifically for the scales."
"My body is better than any of theirs. My body is better than any of theirs. I absolutely do not envy these frail, delicate noblewomen one bit..."
Li Fei chanted this internally — and for some reason she couldn't quite name, the chicken pot pie in her mouth suddenly didn't taste as good.
The middle-aged gentleman turned out to have a brisk, no-nonsense style. Once no further bids came in, he didn't drag things out — he brought the hammer down cleanly and moved on.
Li Fei had barely accumulated a stack of ten-odd empty plates when the fifth lot was announced.
A Siren captive from Viranean.
This time, the gentleman made a point of solemnly reading out a long list of the captive's "offenses," then cited the relevant statutes at length — emphasizing that this was absolutely not an evil, illegal slave trade. Rather, this particular Siren had deliberately sabotaged the Rostav family's lawful development projects in Viranean, was unable to compensate for the damages, and — after a period of equitable negotiation — had herself deeply reflected on her wrongdoing and voluntarily agreed to serve as a maid for three hundred and twenty-seven years to make amends.
What was being auctioned now was the "right to that debt" — not a "slave." This was in no way a violation of Loxibrook's protections for "rights of sentient beings."
The Siren stood there with a blank expression and hollow eyes — but she was undeniably, hauntingly beautiful. Li Fei felt a flicker of temptation, and firmly suppressed it.
Money must go where it counts!
Leona had told her there was something tonight that she actually wanted — that was the only reason she'd bothered to come.
A short while later, to the gleeful cheers of a young noblewoman who looked to be twelve or thirteen, the Siren was purchased by her mother and presented to her as a birthday gift.
Bloodsucking nobility... getting to snuggle something you bought with money — as if I'd ever envy that... everyone gives me the money! Wait — what exactly is the difference between me and the auction lot?
The top courtesan, practically radiating resentment, began to contemplate the nature of existence.
"Didn't Zhihua buy two Sirens?" Leona swirled her wine glass idly, curious. "How are things going with them?"
"..."
Li Fei blinked, and it all came back to her — just before she'd left for Viranean, Lady Zhihua had requested a Siren mother and daughter from Leona as a gift...
Ugh. Now I'm even more heartbroken about the dowry I lost.
Moisture gathered in Li Fei's eyes, her expression aggrieved: "They were — they were confiscated by that awful woman Qin Lan!"
"Oh?"
Leona's lips curved upward, a dangerous note entering her voice. "A gift I gave to a friend — confiscated?"
"She even had Zhihua-jie under house arrest for several days!"
As Li Fei rattled off her complaints and gleefully piled on more grievances, the next lot went under the hammer — a male Siren's "debt rights" were purchased by a burly man with a full beard and arms like tree trunks — and then the following lot was announced: a rare material called a "Balance Crystal."
"Eight thousand."
A vaguely familiar voice reached her. Li Fei blinked, then immediately rose onto her tiptoes and craned her neck in the direction of the bid.
The bidder was a young man with golden hair and handsome, refined features — black tie and tailcoat, radiating a kind of elegant, sunny confidence.
Well, well, well. If it isn't my esteemed Senior Kenneth, the very one who once tried to "invite" me to his estate as a high-class maid.
The fact that you're still alive, senior — that is entirely thanks to this junior's efforts. You're welcome.
The corner of Li Fei's mouth curled. She pressed her palms together — slightly greasy — and rubbed the back of her hand against Leona's arm, blinking up at her:
"Leona-jie, what are Balance Crystals used for?"
"Crafting certain items. A catalytic component in certain rituals." Leona answered without hesitation, drawing on her considerable breadth of knowledge. "Though their most common use... is as a key ingredient in the class elixir for Sequence 6 — the Illusionist."
Sequence 6!
That meant leaving the low-Sequence tier entirely behind — crossing the threshold into the mid-Sequence realm in one step.
A level many Transcendents of modest talent and thin resources spent their entire lives unable to reach.
Li Fei's eyes narrowed slightly, a bone-cold glint flashing through her gaze.
So young, and already at that level of cultivation. Left unchecked, he'll be a serious threat in the future.
This one cannot be allowed to grow.
Even as killing intent rose quietly in the top courtesan's chest, the price of the lot climbed steadily higher.
"Ten thousand five hundred."
With Kenneth's latest bid, the room fell quiet. The other bidder gave a resigned shrug and tossed him a rueful smile.
Because this was a private auction, its greater purpose was as a social venue — most of the bidders knew each other, the atmosphere was relaxed and convivial, and most of the lots weren't genuinely scarce. So aside from the snake demoness scales at the opening, which had sparked a proper bidding frenzy, everything else tended to settle once it inched past market price. No one pushed too hard.
"It seems congratulations are in order for the young lord of the Mettis family."
The auctioneer didn't hesitate either, raising his gavel — and then a sweet, melodious female voice rang out.
"Ten thousand five hundred... and one gold coin."
Li Fei smiled pleasantly as she placed her bid, and gave Kenneth a friendly little wave.
This little—
Kenneth's smile froze. He composed himself, gave Li Fei a polite nod, and countered calmly:
"Eleven thousand."
"Eleven thousand... and one gold coin."
The sheer audacity of it sent a wave of rippling murmurs through the room. Guests began finding seats, signaling attendants for fresh wine, and settling back with their glasses to watch the two of them with unconcealed interest.
Enjoying the spectacle was an instinct common to all sentient beings. Nobility was no exception.
"Twelve thousand."
Kenneth's expression cooled.
"Twelve thousand... and one gold coin."
Li Fei's smile grew more radiant by the second — bright enough to make more than a few noblewomen in the room lose their train of thought entirely.
This put the auctioneer in a very awkward spot.
In truth, this private auction didn't have many hard rules — but by general custom, each bid was expected to go up by at least a hundred gold coins. Anything less was considered a breach of decorum.
The gentleman dabbed at his forehead and appealed with some difficulty:
"This... lovely young lady, you're making things rather difficult for me, I'm afraid."
"Difficult? Then don't do it."
Li Fei delivered the outrageously bold words in the sweetest possible voice — and simultaneously let her gaze drift sideways to the long table beside her, wearing the unmistakable energy of someone who was very tempted to flip it.
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