NOVEL NEXT Chapter 91
“Are you going out again?”
“Huh?”
Camilla, in the middle of preparing to leave, blinked in surprise when she saw Ravi standing in front of her.
“What’s this about?”
“What’s what?”
“You’re actually outside at this hour.”
“You’ve been so worried about me growing mold in my room, I thought I’d step out.”
Pat, pat.
“…What are you doing?”
“Praising you.”
“Don’t push it.”
Ravi quickly swatted away the hand Camilla had used to pat his head. He frowned, but when Camilla started laughing brightly, he tossed something toward her with an almost begrudging motion.
“Take this.”
“Oh!”
What Ravi had thrown was a robe—the very one she had asked him to enchant with cooling magic not long ago.
“A robe in this season?”
“It’ll come in handy.”
“What are you getting up to these days?”
“Good deeds.”
“Hey.”
“Thanks, I’ll use it well.”
As Camilla tried to walk past him after her lighthearted reply, Ravi grabbed her arm.
“You’re not off doing anything dangerous again, are you?”
“I can’t say it’s completely safe.”
“What?”
“There’s no such thing as something perfectly safe in this world.”
“Hey!”
A smile spread across her face again.
“Don’t worry.”
Camilla lightly tapped Ravi’s chest with her fist.
“I’m not going to leave my brother an orphan.”
“…….”
“See you later.”
Camilla walked past him, and this time, Ravi didn’t stop her. Though he sighed repeatedly, his expression was more relaxed than it had been in a long time.
“She’s really starting to mess with people’s moods lately.”
Unconsciously, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
“An auction?”
“Yes.”
Chris, the manager of the Ghost Trading Company, glanced through the documents Camilla had handed him. It was about an auction he was already familiar with.
“As you might know, this item is highly sought after.”
The item Camilla had set her sights on was a mine. Not just any mine, but one that many nobles coveted for its massive deposits of iron.
Iron was always in high demand. Rumor had it that even the three great ducal houses would be participating in the auction to secure it.
“Why a mine all of a sudden?”
Chris couldn’t understand her intentions. It wasn’t as though she was running a weapons business. The sudden interest in purchasing an iron mine baffled him.
“It’s not just iron that’s buried there.”
“…Pardon?”
“The gem of all gems is hidden in that mine.”
The king of all jewels—diamonds.
Deep within that iron mine lay an abundant deposit of diamonds, their purity at the highest level.
And it didn’t stop there. Further inside, rare blue diamonds could be unearthed, leaving people utterly astonished.
“That’s why we have to get it.”
Thinking back, the Duke of Jabilon had been incredibly lucky in the past. That mine had ended up in his possession, and the discovery of diamonds had made him immensely wealthy.
He had even gone to Duke Sorpel to boast about his fortune.
“But, Lady Camilla, winning this auction won’t be easy,” Chris said, shaking his head slightly.
“The others have been preparing for this for a long time. Even if we join now, our chances of winning are very slim.”
“True.”
Camilla nodded in agreement with his reasoning.
“But what if,” she said, her tone playful, “I already know the winning bid?”
“…Even if you know the Sorpel family’s bid, it won’t help much.”
Chris assumed she had figured out the amount Duke Sorpel intended to offer. Living in the same household, it wouldn’t have been difficult to obtain such information.
“No.”
But Camilla shook her head.
“I mean the final amount the mine will be auctioned for.”
“…What?”
This time, Chris’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“What are you talking about…?”
“If we add just a little more—just a little—we can win the auction.”
“Well, yes, that would work, but…”
Suddenly, rumors about Camilla’s abilities flashed through Chris’s mind.
The ability to foresee the future.
He’d heard the stories before but hadn’t paid much attention. Without concrete proof, it had always seemed like mere speculation.
“Do you really know the winning bid?”
“Yes.”
Her confident answer left Chris bewildered. Could he really trust this and proceed?
‘Of course I can.’
Camilla understood his hesitation but didn’t bother explaining further.
She vividly remembered the exact amount Duke Jabilon had paid for the mine in the past. He had always bid the same amount.
When the diamonds were discovered, the comparison between the auction price and their value had stirred up a massive commotion.
Even someone like Camilla, who usually avoided gossip, had heard about it.
“We’ll add exactly 30,000 gold to his bid.”
Camilla didn’t plan to spend a single coin more than that.
Honestly, even 30,000 gold felt like too much. She would have preferred to win with just 100 gold more, but she didn’t want to risk Duke Jabilon making a scene over such a small margin.
“Are you sure about this?”
Chris asked one last time.
“Yes.”
Her firm reply silenced him. He dropped the subject of the auction.
“Your first auction?”
“Yes.”
Camilla had planned to leave everything to Chris and stay out of the way. But her curiosity got the better of her, and she begged Duke Sorpel to take her along.
He had agreed surprisingly easily and seemed to enjoy the idea of accompanying her.
“It’s not very spacious in here,” she observed.
The auction hall was smaller than she’d expected, though its elegant atmosphere made up for the lack of size.
“It’s limited to a select few nobles.”
The participation of the three ducal houses had already discouraged most other nobles. Their bids couldn’t compete. Only a handful of people were seated inside.
“You’re here.”
“Camilla’s here too, I see.”
Familiar faces greeted her: Duke Sephra and Duke Jabilon. In the distance, she also noticed Marquis Gabriel casting glances their way.
“That must be the manager of the Ghost Trading Company.”
At Duke Sorpel’s words, Camilla turned to see Chris seated nearby. He briefly nodded in their direction, even offering her a subtle greeting.
“Young, isn’t he?”
“Yes, he is.”
Camilla replied absently and sat down. Chris glanced at her again, his unease still apparent.
To reassure him, Camilla flashed a confident smile.
Click.
Soon, the doors opened, and the auction staff entered carrying documents.
“We will now announce the results for Lot 127, the Areas Mine.”
The auction’s format was straightforward: participants submitted their bids in advance, and the highest bidder won.
All eyes were fixed on the auctioneer.
“The Areas Mine is sold to the Ghost Trading Company for 21,387,000 gold.”
“…What!”
“The Ghost Trading Company?!”
“Unbelievable!”
Gasps of shock erupted throughout the room.
“What… what did he say?”
The most stunned of all was Duke Jabilon. The winning bid had beaten his by only a slim margin.
“I even added an extra 2,000 gold!”
Camilla had initially planned to add 30,000 gold but decided on a slight increase for safety, tacking on 2,000 more. Duke Jabilon’s bid had been 21,355,000 gold.
“Hah…”
Chris turned to look at her again, his disbelief evident.
I told you to trust me.
Camilla had even double-checked the bids of Duke Jabilon and the others through her ghostly helpers.
“Congratulations.”
“Young and impressive, indeed.”
Camilla tried to suppress her satisfaction as people congratulated Chris.
“Congratulations.”
The familiar voice of Duke Sorpel rang out. He, too, was offering his congratulations.
The problem was…
“Well done.”
…he was looking directly at Camilla, not Chris.