Bloodline Rose (7)

The host continued to build suspense, announcing the last item of the auction with a dramatic tone – "The Butterfly Countess's Necklace."

The curtain was lifted, revealing an impeccably beautiful necklace. The pendant, a vivid sapphire butterfly, showcased layers of differently shaded gemstones, creating a nearly perfect sense of depth. The butterfly, delicate and exquisite, was intricately carved, appearing as if it was about to take flight.

It lay quietly in the jewelry box, radiating a luster that seemed to flow through the ages.

Without a doubt, the necklace was flawlessly beautiful. However, what made it the grand finale was not just its appearance.

"The Countess never wore this necklace. After its completion, it was permanently sealed and only discovered recently," the host explained with a smile. "The special feature of this necklace lies in its power to traverse through time."

As soon as these words were spoken, the audience buzzed with murmurs of disbelief and skepticism.

"The necklace has never been taken out to this day," the host continued, "and no one knows if the rumors are true or false. If you're curious, feel free to raise your paddles to seek the answers. The starting bid is fifty million gold coins, with each subsequent bid no less than one million gold coins."

"Five million one!"

"Five million five!"

"Six million."

...

The price quickly escalated to eighty million.

Cassie rested her chin on her hand, watching the bidding with interest. While the necklace did capture her attention, she refrained from participating, considering her lack of possessions.

Xavier, meanwhile, continued to gently stroke her hair, lost in thought.

His actions resembled petting a cat, but Cassie found it oddly comfortable, curling up entirely in his embrace.

"One hundred million!"

A crisp female voice from the opposite private room raised the bid to a new level.

The auction house fell silent.

In reality, for a meticulously crafted gemstone necklace, a bid of a hundred million was already quite high. The idea of time-traveling magic was considered dubious, even by the best wizards, as creating a teleportation spell required an immense cost. Hence, many doubted the authenticity of such claims.

This necklace had belonged to the legendary figure, the Countess Butterfly, whose name resonated throughout the continent for many years. Inheriting the title of a Countess, she always wore a butterfly mask when in public, earning her the nickname. As an exceptional jewelry designer, her creations were still highly sought after.

Xavier used this moment to explain to Cassie while leisurely raising his paddle, "This Countess was a legendary figure on the continent. She inherited the title of a Countess and was often seen wearing a butterfly mask in public, hence the name. She was an outstanding jewelry designer, and her creations are still highly valued. The rumors surrounding her are numerous, but few have seen her in person. Therefore, even her passing remains mysterious."

Xavier continued to explain, seemingly sharing more information with Cassie.

"Two hundred million!" the opposing female voice bid.

Without haste, Xavier lifted his paddle once more, "Three hundred million."

An instant hush fell over the auction house.

"Interesting," he smiled, turning to Cassie. "Do you like it?"

If language was an art, then he had perfected it. He seemed to imply that he did this not because she wanted it but to please her.

Cassie nodded gently.

He concealed the disappointment within – he had hoped to hear Little Rose speak during their visit to the auction, but all she managed were a few simple syllables.

Facing Cassie, Xavier raised his paddle again, "Two hundred million and one."

The auction house fell silent, and Cassie was intrigued by the bidding game. The voice from the opposing room declared, "Three hundred million and ten."

Xavier paused for a moment and then raised his paddle, "Three hundred million."

The private room had been specially treated for confidentiality, allowing guests to see the auction hall outside while keeping the interior hidden from view. Hence, people occasionally glanced at the wealthy bidder making extravagant offers, unaware of his identity.

Princess Taff lowered her tea cup abruptly. A maid stood nearby, trembling, and said, "Prin-Princess, you can't increase the bid any further..."

Two hundred million was Taff's final limit. Despite the royal family's wealth, she couldn't spend so recklessly, especially considering the scrutiny on the royal financial reports. This two hundred million came from her private funds, a sum she could barely scrape together.

In truth, she had expected to secure the Butterfly Necklace. When she bid one hundred million, no one else raised the stakes, but unexpectedly, a man suddenly joined the bidding.

No, this man didn't appear out of nowhere.

During this auction, Taff had her eye on several items well within her budget. However, each time this man bid, he doubled the price, leaving her unable to compete.

She could let go of the other items, but not the necklace. If not for it, she wouldn't have bothered attending the auction.

The man mainly bid on delicate items that would please young ladies, clearly aiming to make them happy. The thought of this necklace possibly ending up with a stranger made Taff furious.

Taking a deep breath, Taff instructed her maid, "Tell the auction house about my identity. Let them know that if the bidding continues, it will be considered opposing the royal family. Two hundred million, give me the necklace."

The auction hall fell silent. The price was too high, and no one had the capacity to bid higher. In the end, the necklace ended up in Xavier's hands.

Xavier elegantly swirled the red wine in his glass, taking a sip.

Vampires couldn't taste human food, and even the wine only had the primal spicy flavor. The gestures from the auction house were attempts to please him, but he had no interest.

The waiter was well aware of Xavier's identity and found it amusing when delivering the message. The Duke of Xavier didn't regard even the king highly, let alone a mere princess.

The maid quietly approached the man sitting on the sofa.

Xavier leisurely tasted the wine, his eyes calm, seemingly indifferent to everything.

Maybe he did care—only about this little rose in his arms.

"Tell her," his voice was gentle yet cold, "not to disturb me when I'm pleasing someone."

This message was conveyed verbatim to Princess Taff.

"Don't disturb him when he's pleasing someone? Is that what he really said?" She almost erupted but managed to hold back, maintaining an assertive tone with the maid, "I understand."

She squinted, "It's better if I don't find out who he is."

She noted this grudge.

If she didn't know that this was Xavier's auction house, Taff would have sent people to smash the place. As the youngest princess in the royal family, she had been pampered and never faced obstacles. The only reason she refrained from taking drastic actions was the fear of leaving a bad impression on Xavier.

"Get a few people and follow him," she instructed the maid. "You know what to do, right?"