novelraw Chapter 149 : Chapter 149
Chapter 149 : Chapter 149
Volume 2
Chapter 73 : Compensation
“That black-hearted swindler!”
Every single sentence that came out of her mouth had sounded true, yet once they were strung together, they became a pack of lies fit only to fool ghosts!
It was only because he had been influenced by the secretive atmosphere of a place like the black market that he had actually believed nonsense like a “secret auction.”
Muen was so furious he wanted nothing more than to charge back there and burn that black shop to the ground in one blaze.
But no matter how hard he ground his teeth, he had no time to go looking for trouble with that swindler now.
He could only swallow the grievance for the moment.
Because the auction was about to begin.
That alluring beauty from before had been so eager because she was probably trying to pull in one more round of people before it started.
From that alone, it was obvious just how... It was easy to attend this auction.
You did not even have to pay anything, and a sultry, voluptuous older beauty would sway her slender waist and personally invite you to join.
Was that not happiness? Was that not delight?
It was practically bliss.
Of course, that did not include someone like him, who had been tricked by a black-hearted swindler and then mistaken by a beautiful woman for some pervert trying to hit on her.
Still, that anger came quickly and went just as quickly.
Because not far from him, after another thin figure wrapped in a black robe spoke to one of the women handing out flyers, that person immediately pounded the ground and wailed in despair like the ultimate fool who had spent ten hard years scraping together enough money to marry his girlfriend, only to find that she had cheated on him and run off with all his savings.
“My money! My money that I did not even get the chance to warm in my hands! She tricked me with a flyer! That damned swindler!”
At the sight of that, Muen instantly felt much better.
At least he had not really lost anything, but the poor wretch next to him seemed to have genuinely paid money.
Watching someone else lose money really was more satisfying than making money yourself.
Muen’s mood immediately improved.
Humming a little tune, he walked into that luxurious building.
...
The decoration inside was even more lavish than Muen had imagined.
The crystal ceiling was set with precious gemstones, casting down a gentle glow.
The floor was so polished that it could reflect a person’s shadow, and even the walls were covered in gold leaf.
“How strange.”
Muen’s gaze swept over the surroundings, which reeked of nouveau-riche extravagance.
Rather than feeling impressed, he was instead puzzled.
“This is not the usual style of Belland’s great nobles at all.”
There was no time to think further.
Quite a few people were already in the hall, and Muen, having just walked in, did not stand out in the slightest.
Still, he was not neglected.
A professional attendant stepped forward and politely asked,“Welcome. Are you here to attend the Secret Auction?”
“Yes.”
“May I see your invitation, please?”
It was just a worthless flyer, and now they were suddenly calling it so formally.
Muen’s mouth twitched as he handed over the crumpled flyer.
The attendant pretended to inspect it, then casually tore it to pieces and tossed it into the trash.
“Your invitation is valid. Please come with me.”
Following the attendant, Muen passed through the magnificent hall and then down a dim corridor before arriving at a fork in the passage.
To the left came the noise of a crowd, while to the right all remained quiet.
“Would you prefer an ordinary seat, or a private booth?”
“What is the difference between the two?”
“The booth has a better view, so you can observe the auction items more clearly,” the attendant replied respectfully.
“It also offers greater privacy. And there are special services provided as well.”
“It does not sound... all that is different.”
For a warrior of Muen’s level, differences in angle no longer affected his ability to inspect an object very much.
In the end, though, Muen still chose a booth.
It was not because he was curious about the so-called special services.
He simply felt that when one was away from home, it was better to be cautious.
There was no point saving money over something so trivial.
...
Inside the booth, Muen sat on a soft sofa wide enough to rival a bed and curiously surveyed the entire auction hall through the floor-to-ceiling window before him.
The view from the booth really was excellent.
With a single glance, he could take in the whole hall, while everyone else had to sit in tightly packed seats like those in a cinema.
And according to the attendant, the glass was one-way, so there was no need to worry about being observed by others.
Still, he could not shake the feeling that the purpose of one-way glass was not merely to keep people from peeping.
As he was thinking that, he suddenly heard a knock at the door.
“Hello, your reserved special service has arrived.”
“Come in.”
The booth door was gently pushed open, and a woman in an ultra-short skirt, her makeup gaudy yet her looks still genuinely attractive, walked in with a trace of nervousness, swaying her slender waist.
Muen turned toward the voice.
The moment he saw her face clearly, he could not help but stare in surprise.
“You are... the beauty who was handing out flyers?”
“Y-You—”
The alluring woman was stunned as well.
Although Muen was dressed in a black robe, she still recognized him from the cut of the robe, his build, and the way he spoke.
It was that pervert who had deliberately tried to strike up a conversation!
Why was he here?
How had he ended up in a private booth?
She knew perfectly well that two hours in one of these booths cost a full five thousand Aemir.
That was already her entire monthly income.
How could a pervert like him possibly...
At that moment, even the thick makeup on her face could not conceal how pale she had turned.
No matter how foolish she might be, she had realized by now that Muen’s identity was anything but ordinary.
Most likely, that one word, “pervert,” had offended someone she never should have offended.
Yet Muen did not care much about any of that. He had long since grown used to being called a pervert. He had not taken the woman’s insult to heart at all.
“Come here. Peel me a banana.”
Muen beckoned to the woman, then slouched back onto the sofa once more.
After all, he had paid for this.
He had every intention of fully enjoying this sinful luxury of the bourgeoisie.
The woman walked over timidly.
But instead of reaching for the banana on the table, both her hands moved toward...
“Wait, what are you doing?”
Muen shot upright in terror, covering his crotch.
“That is not the banana I meant! And besides, is your establishment really this affordable? Such excellent service for only five thousand?”
If this had been in the Upper City, in a place with decorations like these, without eighty or a hundred thousand, one probably would not even be able to get through the door.
That was why Muen had never imagined from the start that the beauty had been sent for that purpose.
Even if such services existed, surely they would cost extra.
“Ordinarily, they do not.”
The woman bit her lip.
“This is my apology.”
Though she had not been here long, she had heard enough from some of the older women to know the darkness of this place.
If it had been an ordinary person, then with the protection of the boss behind her, a single angry remark would naturally have been nothing to fear.
But if it was a distinguished guest like this, then if she failed to earn his forgiveness, the boss would probably personally turn her into a human vase and present her to the guest in order to win his favor.
Profit above all else.
That was the iron law here.
“There is really no need to go that far.”
Muen let out a sigh. Looking at her expression, he already understood what she was thinking.
How strange.
Even though his appearance was hidden, it somehow still felt as though his blond-villain halo was at work.
Everyone seemed to assume he was the sort of man who would coerce a young woman into doing unspeakable things.
He had not said anything like, “Miss, you would not want your boss to find out you offended a guest, would you?” in the first place.