Chapter 23
I Will Save My Father
I Will Save My Father, Episode 24
Episode 24
“We will start at one thousand kona! Number 17, one thousand kona! Number 28, 1.1 million kona!”
As soon as the auction for the pearl earrings began, Yosel started bidding at a terrifying pace.
To Marian, his behavior was incomprehensible. After all, the person who originally had the pearl earrings was Yosel himself, not her.
It happened on the day Raytan returned to the Travel County. Raytan’s young daughter, who knew nothing of noble etiquette, was a joke, but Marian had been burning with curiosity, unable to figure out why her father had summoned Raytan back.
Her eldest brother, Hevant, was a suspicious man who rarely revealed his true thoughts. So, she had headed to Emerald House to find her relatively simple-minded younger brother.
She wanted to discuss the current situation regarding Raytan’s return.
“You… that.”
Then, she witnessed it by chance.
Yosel was pacing around his room like a dog that needed to go, holding the very pearl earrings that had caused an uproar after disappearing from the main house.
“Ah, haha. This? It seems my kids took them from Mother’s room a few days ago because they thought they were pretty. Sister, could you pretend you didn’t see this? I was just about to have a servant sneak them back into place…”
“Wait a moment.”
Their mother, Priscilla, was furious over the disappearance of the pearl earrings. She had ordered the culprit to be found at all costs, so even a direct descendant would naturally face her wrath.
That’s right. Even if they were direct descendants.
Marian narrowed her eyes, a smile playing on her lips. A fan fluttered at her fingertips as she found her answer.
A clever plan to set the stage came to mind.
Priscilla was just as displeased with Raytan’s return as she was.
Since she already had a maid planted in Pebble House, she could use this to ruin Raytan’s reputation. Utterly and miserably.
First, she had to get Raytan onto the stage using the earrings as an excuse.
“I have a good plan. Want to hear it?”
“What kind of… plan?”
“If you return them to the main house now, Mother will find out the twins are the culprits. Let’s make someone else the culprit instead.”
That was how she had set the stage and gathered people here, but—.
“70 million kona! 71 million! 72 million kona!”
Marian narrowed her eyes. Yosel’s hand, gripping the bidding paddle, was white-knuckled.
His body was so tense that the veins in his neck stood out.
Seeing him like that, Marian recalled Yosel’s recent behavior. It was one thing that he had meekly followed her instructions to hide the pearl earrings in the maid’s house.
‘It’s suspicious.’
Marian had become the one who caught the earring thief and ensured the charity auction proceeded without a hitch.
Even though she had essentially stolen the credit, Yosel had never once protested.
‘No, he hasn’t even mentioned the pearl earrings.’
Meanwhile, the auctioneer’s frantic shouting ceased.
“Number 17! 120 million kona!”
It was because Yosel was the only one left holding up a paddle.
The bid was won.
Only then did the tension leave Yosel’s body in the hushed hall. It was just as he was sighing in relief.
“Ah! Number 36 has raised their paddle!”
What!?
Yosel whipped his head around. His eyes widened as if they might pop out when he identified the man holding the paddle.
‘Why that guy!’
It wasn’t just Yosel. The hall instantly buzzed with murmurs as people recognized the man’s face.
Raytan Quartz Travel.
All eyes were on him.
When Priest Holt, sitting at the same table, asked Raytan if he was participating in the auction, Raytan replied with a nonchalant look.
“I’m planning to give them to my daughter as a gift. I think they’ll suit her.”
“…Ugh…”
Who buys 100-million-kona earrings for a seven-year-old—?
Yosel bit his lower lip. Today, the cravat around his neck felt like it was strangling him. His valet must have tied it tighter than usual. He’d have to fire him.
“Number 36 has entered the bidding at 130 million kona! Number 17?”
“…I’ll continue.”
“Yes, Number 17 at 140 million kona! Number 36, 150 million kona!”
“…….”
Marian frowned as she watched Yosel continue the auction.
“200 million kona! Any further bids?”
The fair market value for the pearl earrings was 100 million kona.
Raytan was a rogue who lived however he pleased anyway. But Yosel, though simple, wasn’t so stupid that he couldn’t calculate profit and loss.
Why was he going this far instead of just letting Raytan have them?
Just as her suspicion grew strong, Yosel whispered to Marian in a trembling voice, as if pleading for help.
“Sister, we have to win the bid for those.”
What kind of nonsense was this?
Yosel’s face was pale as he looked back at her. Marian’s expression contorted at his next words.
“Because… they’re fakes.”
It was after Dad had left Pebble House to go to the charity auction.
I had been following Theon around the first floor, pestering him to find out his evening schedule, when I discovered an unexpected windfall was waiting.
Theon was sitting on the carpet, polishing his sword, telling me it was dangerous to be too close. I was lying on the sofa next to him, chatting, then pushed myself up to sit on my knees.
“You have to go on an errand for Dad? At night? Isn’t it dangerous? When will you be back?”
At that, Theon turned his head toward me. The armless sofa was perfect for meeting him at eye level.
Theon stared at me silently with an unreadable expression.
“W-Why?”
“I was wondering why it’s important when I’ll be back.”
Gasp. He caught that.
Was Theon becoming sharper from hanging around Dad? That was going to be a bit troublesome from now on.
When making excuses, a smile usually worked best. I gave Theon a cheeky grin.
“It’s not that it’s importa-ant, I’m just curious. If you’re not in the room across from mine, I’ll be lonely, right? If I know when you’re coming back, I’ll feel less lonely.”
“Probably around the time Master returns. …Should I come back quickly?”
“No. What if you get hurt trying to hurry? Take your time. Take your time.”
Yes!
I cheered inwardly at the perfect timing. Theon didn’t forget to answer my earlier question either.
“The errand is just walking, so it’s not dangerous. But… keep it a secret that it’s an errand. I’m going to tell people I’m going for training.”
“Huh? Okay.”
Theon hesitated at the word ‘secret.’ Did I pry too much when Dad told him not to say anything?
So, I didn’t ask any further. The important thing was that neither Dad nor Theon would be at Pebble House during the auction.
With Dad and Theon gone, I could act relatively freely in Pebble House.
“You want to be alone until Lord Raytan returns?”
“Yeah. I don’t want anyone coming in!”
“It’s a bit disappointing, but if that’s what My Lady wants, I must follow. Yes, I’ll do that.”
After that, I asked Acom to check when no one was around, and used that time to leave Pebble House and head to the auction hall.
I was currently hiding in the second-floor spectator seats, which weren’t being used today, watching the auction on the first floor.
[Little Quartz. Look over there.]
Acom pointed toward one of the second-floor spectator sections on the opposite wall. Behind the railing pillars, two small heads of golden curls were appearing and disappearing.
“It’s the twins!”
As the bidding price surpassed 400 million, Yosel’s hands began to shake. He had long since exceeded the limit he intended to spend at today’s auction.
Furthermore, because he had recently overextended himself expanding his clothing business, most of his liquid capital was tied up there. Even if he won the bid, coming up with the cash immediately was a problem.
Glance. Glance. Yosel’s eyes darted busily between the tables.
Raytan, sipping champagne while looking at the pearl earrings on the pedestal, showed no sign of lowering his paddle.
His mother, Priscilla, was leisurely chatting with a noble sitting next to her.
His eldest brother, Hevant, had his back turned completely, making it impossible to see his face.
Searching for a place to lean, Yosel’s gaze finally landed on an infuriated Marian.
“Sister, I’m finished…”
Yosel’s paddle lowered weakly. The only one left was Raytan.
“Ah! Number 17 has conceded! 410 million! Is there no one for 410 million!?”
At this point, even the auctioneer was being shameless for egging them on. Who would buy pearl earrings for that amount?
In the end, Travel’s ‘Minus Touch’ had suffered another loss.
Most people in attendance thought so. Except for Marian.
‘With that concubine’s son’s personality, do you think he won’t take those earrings to an appraiser?’
Marian recalled what Yosel had just said with a deathly pale face. Raytan would definitely go.
And then he would boldly protest to the Travels, claiming they were fakes. Without even considering the damage to the family’s position or reputation!
The rumors would spread.
They would say the main item of the auction hosted by the Travel family was a counterfeit. That they sold it for 400 million. And that the person responsible for hosting that auction was Marian Carnelian Travel!
‘That wicked brat!’
Marian grabbed her paddle. Her fist, gripped so hard that her knuckles turned white, trembled violently.
“…Number 4! Number 4 has signaled intent to bid! We shall restart at 410 million kona!”
The auctioneer, who was about to declare the sale, raised the amount again upon seeing Marian’s paddle.
“500 million.”
“Number 36 has called 500 million!”
“…520 million.”
“Number 4, 520 million!”
The only sound in the hall was the auctioneer’s shouting. It was an unimaginable sum. By this point, everyone was holding their breath, watching Raytan and Marian to see who would lower their paddle first.
“600 million.”
The second son of Count Travel spoke the amount nonchalantly, leaning back in his chair.
“Number 4 has taken it at 640 million!”
The eldest daughter of Count Travel held her paddle high while glaring at him fiercely.
“1 billion.”
Finally, Raytan jumped from 800 million to 1 billion.
Crack.
The hinge of the fan in Marian’s hand snapped.
Raytan, that insane, good-for-nothing bastard.
