Glitched Goddess: My Skills are maxed out

Seraphine sat silently, her slender fingers resting lightly on her lap as she observed Kana.

The girl's hand gripped the pendant so tightly that her knuckles turned pale, her expression a mix of defiance and fear.

There was a part of Seraphine that almost admired her resolve, but the sting of Kana's rejection pricked deeper than she liked to admit.

A faint sadness crept into her chest — the kind that made her throat tighten — though she masked it behind a cool, serene expression.

Still… she couldn't help the quiet, inexplicable warmth curling within her.

Kana's refusal, while frustrating, also meant one thing: the girl wasn't ready to sever the invisible thread between them.

It was foolish to feel happy about such a thing, Seraphine knew, and yet she couldn't stop herself.

The silence stretched until Kana finally spoke, her voice hesitant yet edged with steel.

"Why didn't you… take it by force? You had plenty of chances. I was unconscious this whole time."

Her gaze sharpened, studying Seraphine as if searching for a hidden motive.

For the first time, Seraphine's composed façade softened into something more personal. She leaned back slightly, eyes half-lidded, her voice gentle but firm.

"Because I don't want you to hate me."

She said quietly.

Kana blinked, startled by the unexpected answer.

"If I took it while you were helpless, there would be no going back. So I gave you the choice. If you want to keep it, then… you decide."

Seraphine's gaze lowered briefly, as if admitting a vulnerability she'd rather keep hidden.

Kana frowned, distrust lingering in her eyes, but Seraphine didn't stop there. Her tone shifted, gaining a sharper edge, the slightest hint of dominance threading through her words.

"And as for bringing you here? It was so you wouldn't run before giving me that answer."

Seraphine's lips curved faintly.

The weight of her words settled between them.

Kana tightened her grip on the pendant until her fingertips trembled. Her jaw clenched, heart hammering wildly in her chest.

For a moment, she seemed to hesitate — just a fleeting instant — before she glared up at Seraphine with burning determination.

"Go to hell. I'm not handing this over. Not now. Not ever."

Kana spat, voice low but unwavering.

Seraphine's lashes lowered, shadows falling across her eyes. Her expression remained neutral, but something deep within her stirred at Kana's resistance.

Instead of anger, an odd, quiet satisfaction bloomed in her chest.

"...I see. What a shame."

She murmured softly, her tone carrying neither mockery nor disappointment.

Her words sounded regretful, but her heart whispered differently. Kana's refusal meant more time — more chances to draw her in, to understand her, to… keep her.

But reality, cruel as ever, tugged at the edges of her fleeting indulgence. A sliver of unease settled in Seraphine's chest as her thoughts drifted back to the auction house master.

He was not a patient man, and she had promised him the pendant — a promise he intended to collect on. The clock was ticking, and she knew it.

______

Across the city, inside the lavish upper halls of the auction house, the master sat on an ornate chair carved from black cedar, his nails tapping rhythmically against the armrest.

His gaze, sharp and restless, darted toward the tall antique clock on the wall. The pendulum swung steadily, each tick amplifying his irritation.

"Where is she?"

He muttered under his breath, biting his lower lip in frustration. Seraphine had been gone far too long, and her absence was becoming dangerous.

Outside, murmurs of excitement swirled through the grand corridors.

Guests had already arrived — nobles, merchants, and powerful figures cloaked in wealth and secrets — each of them waiting for tonight's auction to unveil its treasures.

But the item they were most eager to bid on, the one centerpiece that would send prices soaring into madness, was the pendant Seraphine was supposed to deliver.

If she failed him…

The master's gaze darkened as he considered the consequences.

These were not ordinary buyers. If they left dissatisfied — worse, insulted — his entire business could collapse overnight.

At last, his patience snapped.

"Enough waiting."

His voice cut through the quiet like a blade, cold and sharp. He turned to the shadows lurking by the door — tall, hooded figures with indistinguishable faces.

"Find her."

The figures bowed silently, their movements soundless as they disappeared into the darkness, vanishing one by one to track down Seraphine's whereabouts.

The master leaned back in his chair, fingers curling against the armrest until his knuckles whitened.

If Seraphine thought she could defy him without consequence, she was gravely mistaken.

"If she doesn't bring me the pendant, then she'll pay with something of equal value… or more."

He whispered to himself, his lips curling into a cruel smile.

And in his mind, there was no question what — or rather, who — that "something" would be.

The shadows bow silently and vanish into the darkness, their forms dissolving into thin wisps as they scatter across the city.

The master drums his fingers against the polished armrest of his chair, irritation simmering beneath his calm façade.

He had trusted Seraphine because of her reputation, but every passing moment without the pendant chipped away at his patience. If she dared betray him, he would make her regret it.

His gaze sharpened as he whispered to himself,

"Seraphine… don't make me come for you. And break my trust, because if you do, then your life is over."

Outside, the restless murmurs of wealthy bidders waiting for the auction's grand prize grew louder.

______

Seraphine's delicate fingers brushed against her sleeve absentmindedly, her senses sharp despite the silence in the room.

A faint chill rippled down her spine, as though an unseen predator had fixed its gaze upon her. Somewhere deep inside, she knew the master wouldn't sit idle for long.

She turned her attention back to Kana, who still clutched the pendant protectively, unaware of the storm gathering around them.

A strange sense of urgency swelled within Seraphine's chest.

She had promised herself she would take the pendant… but watching Kana's stubborn defiance, another thought had begun to take root.

She wanted Kana — not just the pendant.

And the auction master would soon learn that this was one deal Seraphine would not surrender easily.