novelraw Chapter 96 : Transaction
Chapter 96 : Transaction
She loved reading.Chapter
Facing her, the evil dragon never knew what to say, but clearly this wasn't a problem.Chapter
She would always naturally respond with "hello," neither forcing conversation nor showing any fear.Chapter
And whenever she noticed the evil dragon's gaze falling upon the pile of books on her lap, she would enthusiastically lift them up so Patunasankus could see the titles clearly.Chapter
Yet the evil dragon could only understand half the words.Chapter
"I love reading," she would say, and then tirelessly begin recounting all the stories from the books on her lap.Chapter
Patunasankus couldn't understand, yet she would repeatedly suppress her restlessness to quietly listen to the things the princess cherished.Chapter
Never before had the evil dragon heard such a captivating voice. The way she spoke seemed as if she might break into gentle laughter at any moment, and when she actually laughed, it felt as if all forms of lips, leaves, and flowers would seep with her rare smile.Chapter
Though there was always a trace of reluctance in it that she still couldn't comprehend.Chapter
The evil dragon never knew what to say to avoid sounding dull, but this problem was never as serious as she imagined.Chapter
The princess loved talking, while the evil dragon preferred silence.Chapter
Thus, the evil dragon enjoyed listening to the princess speak, and the princess began to enjoy making her laugh.Chapter
It wasn't until later that Patunasankus realized this was what people called complementarity.Chapter
The majesty of the Black Death might fade, but having companionship was always a form of compensation.Chapter
"When the day comes that you become the version of yourself you love, who would choose to fear you? You've become a better you, and you'll definitely meet better people. Who you are determines who you meet."Chapter
This was clearly something Latifa had said before, or at least something she had read to the evil dragon from some book in the past.Chapter
Patunasankus couldn't remember which book it was from - this girl always had so many books around her.Chapter
"You need somewhere to put your books."Chapter
Patunasankus prepared a bookshelf for her.Chapter
And then the princess filled it with books page by page, each filled with emotion.Chapter
The evil dragon knew almost all of Latifa's habits and many of her secrets. What the princess seemed unaware of was that she herself was the evil dragon's secret.Chapter
Patunasankus didn't have many extravagant worries or luxurious sorrows, yet just the right amount of sensibility and rationality gave her some vague ideas—wanting to regain composure, start anew, overcome brutality and let go of arrogance. To become different.Chapter
However, this was a dream, completely a dream, ending with nothing gained, leaving only the dreamer still lying in the same place.Chapter
Still, Patunasankus hoped Latifa would know.Chapter
This dream was sparked by her.Chapter
"..."Chapter
Patunasankus opened her drowsy eyes. The room was somewhat noisy. She turned her head to one side and saw Shatina counting coins from a money pouch, flipping gold coins back and forth one by one.Chapter
"I'll get rich, I won't get rich, I'll get rich, I won't get rich, I'll get rich, I won't get rich..."Chapter
After finishing counting, unsatisfied with the result, she started shuffling the pouch again and continued counting.Chapter
Meanwhile, Loranhir kept polishing the holy sword as if it had never been mistreated like a fire poker, occasionally using all her might to try pulling it out, but it remained immovable as always.Chapter
Both were busy with their own tasks while waiting for the princess to wake up.ChapterChapter"Two lunatics."Chapter
Patunasankus muttered.Chapter
○Chapter
"Why are we coming to this kind of venue?" Patunasankus looked up at the opera house before them and asked.Chapter
"This is the rating site," Loranhir replied.Chapter
"No need to say more. Our quality skips the preliminaries and goes straight to the final selection, which is naturally a sure thing. We just need to wait here for the results."Chapter
Shatina signaled for Patunasankus to follow. She led them through a dimly lit passageway and found their private box. By then, other guests were also taking their seats around them, seemingly acquainted with one another, exchanging brief greetings.Chapter
Patunasankus noticed the room number of the box.Chapter
666Chapter
"Why is there a sign here?" Loranhir picked up the bidding paddle placed on the table inside the box.Chapter
"…Umm, let's not worry about the details for now," Shatina stammered.Chapter
Patunasankus felt something was off. Just as she was about to press further, she saw the previously bright lights dim, as if the performance was about to begin. A spotlight shone on the center of the stage, and a man in a black tailcoat walked out.Chapter
"Ladies and gentlemen, before the upcoming judge ratings begin, we have an impromptu auction event. Please allow me to take up a bit of your precious time."Chapter
"Let me introduce this 'Dandelion Girl.' Professional wine tasters have given it an S rating. However, since it's a completely unknown brand, the contestant has generously chosen to auction off the supply chain exclusivity. So if you want to completely monopolize it, it's entirely up to your interest. In short, just bid whatever price you see fit."Chapter
"Hey, what does 'supply chain exclusivity' mean?" Patunasankus stared intently at Shatina, her tone unfriendly.Chapter
"It's... just a simple way to make some quick money," Shatina's gaze drifted into the distance, looking guilty. "Anyway, we'll slip away after this is over... It's just a small matter."Chapter
Patunasankus thought about it and decided this interlude wasn't important either, so she simply let it develop, as it wouldn't cause any other impact on her side.Chapter
"Alright, 10 gold galleons," someone raised their paddle.Chapter
"12 gold galleons!"Chapter
"15 gold galleons!"Chapter
"16 gold galleons!"Chapter
The deliberately lowball prices made the auctioneer's expression somewhat awkward. "Everyone, I'd like to emphasize that the quality of this wine is very high—rated S. If released on the market, it would likely sell out in one night. Could you please offer some more competitive prices?"Chapter
"Of course, 2000 gold galleons."Chapter
A voice rang out from the right side of the box, instantly drawing the attention of the entire audience.Chapter
Especially Shatina, whose eyes nearly popped out when she heard the bid. Patunasankus didn't care at first, until she realized exactly who that distinctive voice belonged to.Chapter
Behind a deep red velvet curtain, Liulan sat there, expressionless, her eyes slightly lowered, like a queen presiding over a grand event.Chapter
...Liulansankus?Chapter
Patunasankus was stunned.Chapter
Wait, shouldn't this person be off capturing some princess or something? What is she doing here?ChapterChapter"Aren't you some kind of priceless treasure?" Shatina scrutinized Patunasankus intently, her eyes gleaming. "I just wanted to make a quick profit, but I never expected someone would offer 2,000 gold galleons."Chapter
"Young lady, take me away!"Chapter
She leaned her head against Patunasankus's shoulder, a calculating glint in her eyes. "...Rare to encounter a wealthy woman splurging gold—gotta bring out the real skills."Chapter
Patunasankus couldn't be bothered to engage with her and immediately fetched a veil to cover her face, leaving only a pair of striking blue eyes visible. What remained of her features was subtly captivating yet unobtrusively enchanting.Chapter
For heaven's sake, she couldn't afford to be spotted by Liulan here.Chapter
Patunasankus even considered hiding under a table, but such deliberate behavior would only arouse suspicion.Chapter
In the end, she decided to do nothing and stay quietly hidden to avoid drawing attention to herself.Chapter
After all, as long as she didn't deliberately do anything to attract notice, there should be no issue.Chapter
A few seconds later, another bid came in.Chapter
Patunasankus froze instantly, her eyes clouded with confusion, solely because the bidder was seated uncomfortably close to her.Chapter
"2,919 gold galleons!" Shatina shouted, raising her placard, the bright red '666' number glaringly obvious.Chapter
"2,919 gold galleons, once!" the auctioneer announced cheerfully, raising his gavel.Chapter
Patunasankus remained expressionless, her face taut.Chapter
"4,000 gold galleons." Without any hesitation, Liulan raised her placard again. She had been waiting for this opportunity—a rare vintage that could intoxicate her thoroughly—how could she let it slip away?Chapter
Besides, money meant nothing to Liulan.Chapter
"4,500." Someone from another section joined in, escalating the bid.Chapter
"5,000!" Shatina raised her placard once more.Chapter
"Lady number 666, 5,000 galleons!"Chapter
"Whoo, the competition is heating up! Successfully driving up the price."Chapter
"Don't let this thing end up in your hands," Loranhir said with concern. Though she had no fondness for Shatina's reckless attempt to make a quick profit, she didn't want to see her push the price too high and end up stuck with it.Chapter
"6,000."Chapter
Liulan raised the bid again.Chapter
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Shatina waved off Loranhir and raised her placard once more, directly challenging Liulan.Chapter
Patunasankus wanted to find an excuse to leave, but Liulan's gaze seemed to have noticed the confrontational '666' lady, her cold eyes occasionally drifting over with clear intent.Chapter
"..." Patunasankus sank into her seat and stayed put.Chapter
Leaving now would only attract more attention. Staying quiet might just keep her safe.Chapter
"7,000." Liulan's tone was icy, laced with faint irritation. It wasn't the money that bothered her—it was the annoyance of being provoked.Chapter
Unlike the Black Death, who enjoyed making acquaintances, the Eternal Frozen Mist preferred offering them a taste of her chilling resolve.Chapter
"8,000." Shatina, completely oblivious to this, pressed on with unwavering confidence.Chapter
"8,000 once!" the auctioneer exclaimed excitedly, raising his gavel.ChapterChapterShatina excitedly watched the opposite booth, waiting for the bidding voice that would top hers.Chapter
But no follow-up bid came from Liulan's booth.Chapter
"Eight thousand, going twice!"Chapter
"Eight thousand, going three times!"Chapter
"Sold!" The auctioneer's voice echoed through the hall.Chapter
"Huh?"Chapter
Shatina's face instantly turned pale.