I Wasn't Trying to Seduce with the Male Lead - Episode 117

“Please, have a seat.”

Blain was guided by the attendant and took his seat. Thanks to the Duchess’s influence, the five of them were able to get seats right in front of the stage.

“There are quite a lot of people.”

Bianca Starr said, looking around. The large auction house was indeed bustling with people.

“What’s the auction item that’s attracting this many people?”

The Duchess answered Blain’s question neatly.

“Eternity Purple.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Despite her clear pronunciation, Blain unconsciously asked again. He was astonished, as anyone would be, at the name “Eternity Purple.”

“The legendary jewel you’re talking about?”

Bianca Starr also asked in a surprised voice. However, the man seated next to her, Adrian, seemed to be hearing the name for the first time.

“What is that?”

“It’s a large diamond that a mermaid presented to the first emperor of the empire. It’s said to emit a dazzling, beautiful purple light when it catches sunlight.”

With her hands clasped to her chest, Bianca Starr explained as if she had prepared for this moment.

“It’s been passed down through generations of empresses of the empire. But the 27th emperor buried it with his beloved empress after she passed away early, in an act of mourning…”

She remembered reading about it in a book as a child and felt it was a shame that such a meaningful object had been buried with someone.

“How did such an item end up for auction?”

Adrian asked, raising the pamphlet he had been reading.

“It says here it’s just a mysterious 24-carat diamond. But…”

“They just wrote it that way, but everyone who’s in the know already knows it’s the ‘Eternity Purple.'”

The Duchess’s voice was full of certainty.

“It’s a well-known fact within the thieves’ guild that the Empress’s tomb was plundered.”

“Plundered? But then why is it listed as a confiscated item by the Imperial family?”

Adrian’s voice trailed off as he seemed to realize the answer himself.

“The Princess orchestrated it,” Blain said, and the Duchess nodded.

“Almost certainly. There are even rumors that the Princess publicly bragged about it to a group of her close friends.”

“To plunder her ancestor’s tomb just because she wanted a jewel… The more I learn, the more despicable she seems.”

While everyone was indignant, Adrian posed another question.

“Why would it be put up for auction? As an imperial treasure, it should just be reclaimed.”

“The official reason is to combat corruption and supplement the depleted national treasury, but…”

The Duchess’s lips curled up, and her eyes sparkled.

“I suspect they intentionally put it up for auction because they knew I would be here to acquire it.”

If it fell into the hands of the Duchess of Floyd, it would be passed on to Eleanor, the next empress, and would also help the national treasury with the Duke’s family’s wealth. Given Minaz’s meticulous and clever nature, the Duchess’s prediction was likely correct.

“There might be bigger diamonds, but considering its historical value and symbolism, there is no greater treasure than this. I will obtain it and return it to its rightful owner.”

As the Duchess expressed her resolve, the auction began.

When the Eternity Purple, covered by glass, was revealed, gasps erupted from all directions. Even to Blain, who was an outsider, it was a jewel so beautiful it could captivate anyone.

“The bidding will start at 5 million gold. Bidders, please raise your paddles and call out your price.”

As expected, the starting price was formidable. However, as soon as the auctioneer’s gavel made a sound, paddles went up at a frightening pace from every direction. The price instantly climbed to 10 million, leaving Blain stunned.

“This is incredible. It won’t be easy to win the bid.”

At his words, the Duchess frowned.

“It’s boring to keep raising the price. I’ll have to put a stop to this.”

“Pardon?”

For the first time, the Duchess raised her paddle.

“30 million gold.”

Her clear voice instantly halted the boisterous flow of the auction room.

“Customer number 3. Did you just bid 30 million gold?”

Even the auctioneer, who must have been used to high-stakes auctions, sounded flustered. His expression was similar to the one Blain had seen when Liyan purchased the mansion.

By instantly raising the price so high, most of the participants seemed to lose their will to continue. However, the bid was not yet won.

“30 million and 50 gold.”

Someone followed the bid. Blain recognized him as a marquis, a well-known banker. But he doubted whether he had the money to buy something like this.

The Duchess frowned even more and raised her paddle again.

“Will you bid higher?”

In response to the auctioneer’s question, the Duchess didn’t state a number. Instead, she spoke in a clear voice.

“I am Christie Floyd, the head of the Duke of Floyd’s family.”

The name “Duke of Floyd” caused a stir in the hall.

“I will buy this no matter what. I have more than enough to outbid everyone here.”

It was an arrogant statement, but no one dared to refute it. In the now silent hall, only the Duchess’s voice echoed.

“And I’m also familiar enough with auctions to ruin anyone who tries to play games with ridiculous prices. It’s quite amusing to watch someone who was just toying with the price fail to pay up and then win the bid myself.”

The Duchess slowly turned her head and looked at the person who had just raised his paddle. She smiled, but the man’s face turned pale.

“D-Duchess, you can’t do this.”

Publicly threatening other bidders was forbidden in auctions. The Duchess offered an apology for her words.

[There seems to be a gap in the provided text. The following paragraph seems to be a continuation of the story, but with a sudden shift in context.]

…she got into the carriage. As soon as they were in the carriage, everyone was spellbound, gazing at the legendary jewel.

“If I give this to him and he still rejects her, I’ll just have to take him with me to the north.”

The Duchess’s words showed just how wonderful the item was.

“Are you going to deliver it to Lian now?”

“A bit farther away.”

She gave an answer that was hard to understand.

“It’s a treasure that finds its owner. Perhaps the Princess’s downfall was because she meddled with something like this.”

After murmuring softly, the Duchess raised her arm, and a hawk soared up.

“Go and deliver it well.”

The magnificently soaring hawk soon disappeared into the sky. Blain thought that if it was a treasure that truly found its owner, it would arrive safely.

Blain looked up at the sky for a moment, and then…

“Did you sleep well?”

Lian asked, his beautiful purple eyes narrowing.

When he spoke, Eleanor’s senses returned. Lian’s arm was propping up her head, and his arms were wrapped around her. She was wrapped in a flat sheet, but it was so thin that she could feel his firm chest beneath it. He was just as he had been last night.

Eleanor’s face flushed.

“Were you awake?”

She asked awkwardly, and Lian nodded.

“Since when?”

“A long time ago.”

“Then why didn’t you wake me?”

“Your sleeping face was so beautiful, I lost track of time.”

Liyan’s face, on the other hand, was so fair and without any disheveled look even right after waking up, that it was almost embarrassing to look at. Eleanor’s eyes slightly averted and then stopped at the hand resting on her arm. She felt as though she had been touched while she was sleeping.

She stared at Lian, who, feeling guilty, confessed sheepishly.

“I just rubbed your skin a little.”

Was he still a believer in that theory? He had already developed so many feelings for her. Liyan, with his eyes narrowed, brought his lips to Eleanor’s cheek and added sheepishly.

“I didn’t do anything naughty.”

Just being held like this was naughty enough.

“I just touched you a little and tried my best to hold back until you woke up.”

With that, Lian began to grope around her waist again. Had she already become so accustomed to him? She was flustered that her body was starting to heat up again from his whisper. However, even if she wanted to respond, her whole body felt as heavy as a waterlogged sponge. It was because she had been overexerted all night.

Eleanor stopped his fingers, which were about to get playful again, and shook her head.

“I have no energy left now.”

“You… you just have to lie still.”

Lian showed no sign of stopping and wrapped his arms around her again.

Just as Eleanor was about to say something, she felt a shadow fall across the window and looked over.

Tap-tap-tap.

Something black was tapping on the window. She flinched, but she soon recognized it as the Duchess of Floyd’s hawk.

“Count.”

She called out to Liyan, but he was already engrossed in his actions. Eleanor shook his arm and raised her voice a little more.

“There’s a hawk at the window. I think the Duchess sent it.”

At her urging, Liyan, looking very disappointed, moved away from her. As he left, the area around her back felt cold, a testament to how long she had been held. Her eyes turned away in a hurry, dazzled by his naked body revealed as the sheet fell away.

Lian calmly put on the gown hanging by the bed and stood up. As he opened the window and checked the hawk, Eleanor asked him.

“Is something wrong with the Duchess?”

“No, nothing’s wrong.”

Then why would she send the hawk? While she was wondering, Liyan took something off the hawk’s neck. He then wrote something on a note and tied it back to the hawk.

“Please take good care of it.”

As he opened the window and released the hawk, the wind from its wings ruffled Liyan’s hair. He looked so beautiful against the blue sky that it was dazzling to behold.

“I have conveyed your wishes to my mother,” Liyan said, slowly coming back to sit on the bed.

Eleanor’s eyes were fixed on the small bundle in his hand.

“What is that?”

“It’s something I forgot.”

Before she could even ask, Liyan leaned over Eleanor, who was still lying down. Before she could ask another question, their lips met. His soft lips were refreshing and gentle. Just as the heat that had subsided was starting to rise again, he gently stopped the kiss.

“I don’t need to ask again, do I?”

Not knowing what he meant, Eleanor looked up. Liyan held something up in front of her. It was a diamond much larger than a thumbnail. When it caught the sunlight coming through the window, it emitted a purple glow.

“Is that…?”

“It seems my mother found something that suits you perfectly.”

Eleanor, with her good eye for detail, could tell at a glance that it was the Eternity Purple.

To receive something so precious… A strange feeling rose in her as the ring touched her finger. It was likely because she was reminded of the person who had originally owned it.

‘Is it really okay for me to accept this?’

She began to doubt her worth now. It wasn’t because she felt worthless or anything like that. It was just that the awkwardness that had remained in a corner of her heart ever since she first met Liyan had finally come to the surface.

A man she truly loves and wants to spend her life with. A man who would selflessly sacrifice his life for her. Don’t I have the right to let him know who I am, what kind of person I am?

“Wait a minute.”

Eleanor grabbed Liyan’s hand, stopping him from putting the ring on her finger. She had to do it now. She felt that if she didn’t, she would never be able to tell him.

“Count. There’s something I absolutely need to tell you first.”

Her voice trembled slightly from the tension.

“What is it?”

Seeing Eleanor’s serious expression, Liyan also looked tense.

“Please keep what I’m about to say a secret between just the two of us forever.”

Swallowing hard, Eleanor slowly opened her mouth. It was the moment she revealed a secret she had never believed she would share with anyone.

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