My Husband Was Clearly a Paladin
Chapter 40
“Haah, haah….”
Upon entering the breakroom, Irene hurriedly ducked into a private space where she could be alone and tried to catch her breath.
She couldn’t even remember how she’d managed to get here.
“Phew….”
It was only after taking several deep breaths that her senses finally returned.
Since the Auction House was built for the wealthy, the breakroom was decorated in an incredibly lavish and beautiful manner.
Normally, she would have been busy looking around since it was her first time here, but right now, nothing registered in Irene’s eyes.
After standing still for a long time, she raised her hand and touched the nape of her neck.
The spot where Michael’s breath had brushed against her felt hot, as if it had been scorched by fire.
Fiddling with the area, Irene deliberately applied pressure and rubbed it roughly. Yet, the lingering tickle on her neck refused to fade.
Irene recalled Michael as he had drawn closer and closer to her.
If she hadn’t pulled away then, his lips—exhaling that hot breath—would have touched her neck.
The moment she imagined that scene, a searing heat flushed all the way up to her ears.
Irene frantically cooled her burning face with the back of her cold hand.
‘What ridiculous thoughts.’
He had simply grabbed the railing next to her to get a better look at the man below. And it was only to comfort her because she had been upset by what that man said.
The idea of him burying his face in her neck…
She had never even dreamed of such a thing, so why did she think he would have acted that way if she had just stayed still?
Then, she remembered his face as seen from up close.
His appearance was always enough to draw an involuntary gasp of admiration. But no matter how perfect someone is, one would usually expect to find at least a single flaw at such close range.
Instead, his face up close only served as further proof of his perfection.
‘The title “The Knight Most Loved by God” didn’t come out of nowhere.’
His strength and swordsmanship transcended human limits, but his very appearance was like living proof of the divine.
Beautiful, reverent, and powerful.
Beneath his bright, golden hair, his delicate features were elegant and solemn, as if manifesting God’s grace and mercy.
His firmly set lips always spoke of his strong will and steadfastness.
Even though she knew all that.
‘I must have been startled because he was too close.’
He had approached her closely a few times during purification, but she had been out of her mind then and lacked the composure to observe him properly.
Today was the first time she had seen him clearly like that, so she had jumped in surprise at the unfamiliarity.
Pressing the back of her hand firmly against her cheek, she involuntarily recalled his eyes.
Lashes as bright as his hair had flicked over blue eyes that resembled a clear sky.
Despite his many other striking features, those blinking blue eyes watching her kept flickering through Irene’s mind.
It was after the second half of the auction began that Irene returned from the breakroom to the box seat.
‘He’s not here.’
Michael was nowhere to be seen.
Seeing that even his coat, which had been hanging separately, was gone, it seemed he hadn’t just stepped away for a moment but had left entirely with no intention of returning.
While leaving one’s companion behind was rude, it wasn’t surprising coming from Michael.
‘Did he get a report about a new dungeon?’
Usually, he roamed dungeons alone. However, there were times when the Fortress specifically requested him for a subjugation.
The high-ranking dungeon that Reina and Felix had tried to enter recently was one such example.
Treacherous places where those who had already entered failed the subjugation, and others dared not go. Whenever such a dungeon appeared, the Fortress requested Michael’s help.
And he had never refused those requests.
Because that was his duty as the Sword of God.
Still, Irene thought it would have been nice if he’d at least left a note as she looked down below.
“Huh?”
She hadn’t intended to pay particular attention, but her eyes naturally scanned the seat of the unpleasant man she’d seen earlier.
But the man was gone as well.
‘Did he just take the Stone of Silence and go home?’
But the probability of that was low.
Most of the people here—no, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say everyone who visited the auction today—had their eyes on the Ring of Invisibility.
Even if they couldn’t buy it, one would expect them to stay and watch who the winning bidder was, so had he really gone back?
‘Or did some kind of problem arise?’
Irene’s face clouded with worry.
What if he’d had a change of heart after winning the Stone of Silence? Like insisting he couldn’t pay the money?
If that happened, things would get annoying.
If a lot fell through like that, it would have to be put up in the next auction.
‘The next auction won’t be held for another month.’
Whether many other artifacts appeared in the meantime or not, both cases presented problems.
If many other artifacts came out, the introduction time would naturally be taken up by the new items. An item that had already appeared once and failed to sell would naturally be pushed to the back.
But it was also a problem if no other artifacts appeared.
This auction saw a huge turnout because it was the first one and because of the Ring of Invisibility.
But what if the next auction only featured the same items that were shown last time?
‘No one would come to see that.’
People living in kingdoms near the Fortress might, but wealthy individuals wouldn’t travel from all over like they did today.
‘Then I’ll just keep paying commission fees without it ever selling.’
While Irene was lost in thought, the auction proceeded steadily until it was finally time for the Ring of Invisibility.
“Everyone, thank you for waiting! Finally, we introduce the artifact that has garnered the most interest today: the Ring of Invisibility!”
As if to prove it truly was a magnificent item, small sparks popped on the stage and colorful paper fluttered about as soon as the auctioneer finished speaking.
Then, with a wave of the auctioneer’s hand, it all vanished in an instant.
“Ooh, so this is the Auction House’s artifact.”
“It would be nice to have a fun artifact like that.”
The guests were once again delighted, feeling that the auction house they were in was indeed a place where such wondrous, supernatural items poured out.
“The starting price is 1 million gold!”
Usually, auctions started at 1,000 gold. However, since it was clear a high price would be set, they seemed to be starting boldly at 1 million.
Irene watched the auction unfold with her chin resting on the railing.
“Must be nice….”
She sighed, regretting why on earth she had accepted Michael’s proposal.
The Ring of Invisibility was finally sold for 3.5 million gold.
“3.5 million! The Ring of Invisibility has been sold for 3.5 million! The winning bidder is the Second Prince of the Kingdom of Neren!”
As the auctioneer shouted, the man sitting in the VIP section received everyone’s greetings with a satisfied face.
Possessing an artifact—especially a powerful one—was a great source of pride.
Furthermore, the Ring of Invisibility could become a very powerful weapon depending on how it was used.
Therefore, far from hiding himself, the winner flaunted to everyone that he had acquired a magnificent weapon.
All that remained now was the unappraised auction for those who hadn’t won anything.
Since she had no intention of participating and no money anyway, Irene hurried downstairs.
“Irene!”
Reina, who had just come out from inside the auction hall, saw her and waved.
“Were you upstairs?”
“Yes, the auction house staff told me to sit separately in case there was a commotion. They were worried about my ring, but I think they were also concerned that people might swarm because Sir Michael was with me earlier. Oh, more importantly, congratulations on the 3.5 million gold bid.”
“Hehe, I’m happy, but I wonder if it’s okay for me to take all this, excluding Irene….”
“Well, honestly, if I’d known it would turn out like this, I wouldn’t have said I wouldn’t take a share back then. But that’s in the past, and I should get over my regrets quickly.”
Irene gave a playful wink.
“But if I run out of money, I’ll have to pester Reina to lend me some.”
“Anytime!”
The two of them chatted amiably, to the point where one would wonder if they had really been total strangers just a few weeks ago.
Meanwhile, a staff member approached to inform them of the remaining auction procedures.
The winner had provided a check immediately, and thanks to that, the deposits into their respective accounts would be completed within a few hours.
“Then, are you going back now, Irene?”
“Yes. There’s nothing more to see….”
Just as she said that, Irene felt something tighten its grip on her hand.
