“…Big Sister, why are you suddenly calling me… Little White?”
“I like it. Got a problem?”
“No, no, absolutely not. Big Sister can do whatever makes her happy.”
Being called “Little White” affectionately and receiving a gift, Elizabeth was happy beyond measure. But she knew her place… she already owed her Big Sister far too much.
“But this absolutely won’t do! This is magic that Big Sister spent a fortune on! How can I… Please, Big Sister, take it back.”
“I am the one-in-a-million Strongest Mage. Do you think I couldn’t learn it and that’s why I’m giving it away? Hmph, I just look down on this measly Tier 2 magic. If Little White doesn’t want it either, then I’ll just tear it up.”
Weilin really couldn’t learn it. The fact that her abilities were fully digitized proved that Weilin interacted with this world through game mechanics.
For example, a Forbidden Spell-level magic—as long as certain conditions were met and she had enough Skill Points—Weilin could master it in a second. But people native to this world, to learn a Forbidden Spell, needed not only super-high elemental affinity and the comprehension of an unparalleled genius, but also had to seek that elusive spark of inspiration during countless meditations just for a tiny chance of grasping it.
Conversely, for an ordinary Tier 2 magic that anyone could easily learn, if Weilin didn’t have the Skill Points, she really had no way at all…
“…Tear it up!?”
Seeing Weilin genuinely about to tear it, Elizabeth instantly panicked. Her little face showed alarm, as if it were something she herself had bought.
“—Ah, no! Don’t tear it! Big Sister spent four thousand Gold Coins! How can you be so wasteful…!”
“Then just take it!” Weilin looked at her with a suddenly fierce gaze.
With Weilin’s posture threatening immediate “ripping” if she refused, Elizabeth had no choice but to steel herself and accept it helplessly and weakly.
“…Fine, I’ll take it.”
Elizabeth sighed but carefully wrapped the parchment scroll, treasuring it and keeping it close. Then she looked up, her expression resolute. “…I am grateful for Big Sister’s kindness, but this is the last time!”
Weilin acted as if she hadn’t heard, already turning her gaze away, eagerly looking out the window, awaiting the third auction item’s entrance.
Did she… not hear?
…How could Elizabeth know if Weilin was pretending? But if she deliberately emphasized it again, wouldn’t she seem overly self-conscious?
——————
“For the next auction item, please open your eyes wide!”
Master Lei took the jade tray the maid brought over. On the tray lay a crystal-clear, icy hair ribbon.
“Its name is the ‘Flowing Wind and Returning Snow Ice Silkworm Cloud Ribbon.’ A masterpiece of exquisite craftsmanship, light as a feather, yet sparkling like jade and dazzlingly lustrous as snow. I believe few women under heaven wouldn’t be moved by it… Wearing it not only bathes one constantly in a purifying aura of ice and snow, but also invisibly soothes inner sorrow, purifies bodily impurities, and provides long-term, miraculous benefits for meditation, spirit, and Mana cultivation. It is a rare, wondrous treasure of the Sixth Tier! Base price is—10,000 Gold Coins! Each bid increment no less than 500 Gold Coins. Begin the auction!”
The moment this ribbon appeared, even many men were briefly entranced by its dreamlike beauty and the astonishing effects visible to the naked eye… while some women’s hearts were completely captivated, unable to break free.
Amidst the clamor on the first floor, many girls had already started threatening their boyfriends with breakups if they didn’t buy this ribbon… Some even went further, promising physical favors in hopes some big shot would splurge for them.
Even Elizabeth secretly swallowed a mouthful of saliva… but she still struggled to maintain an expression of indifference.
Gazing at the ‘Flowing Wind and Returning Snow Ice Silkworm Cloud Ribbon’ from afar, Weilin couldn’t help but narrow her eyes.
After her gender transformation, she wasn’t as enthusiastic about adorning herself as other women. What interested Weilin… was that this thing was genuinely a treasure.
Seems this auction house has some decent stuff after all. So those first two discount-quality auction items were just appetizers to warm up the crowd.
Weilin glanced surreptitiously at the seemingly unmoved Elizabeth. The corner of her lips curved up, and she suddenly spoke casually, “Hey, Little White would surely look super cute wearing this, right?”
“…Eh? Huh?”
“Help me place another bid, 12,000 Gold Coins.”
Elizabeth reacted, stunned, but then steeled her heart, summoning the courage to refuse. “…Thank you for your kindness, Big Sister, but I really don’t need anything! If you’re buying it for me… then I’d rather boldly refuse you than make a bid!”
Shot a sullen glare by her Big Sister, Elizabeth felt her face burn with both discomfort and shame…
“Then I’ll bid myself.”
Weilin’s voice, sounding almost sulky, made Elizabeth feel even more guilty.
“20,000 Gold Coins!”
After dithering for ages, the ribbon’s bidding price had stalled at 11,000 Gold Coins. Weilin’s first bid nearly doubled the current price.
The hall suddenly fell silent. Everyone looked up in unison at Room 303, which had just bid.
Although the voice was different, it seemed to be from the same room as the previous rich Loli. The crowd gradually accepted it.
Standard operating procedure for a big shot, please take your seats.
In any case, the bidding for a Sixth Tier item was basically irrelevant to those sitting on the first floor. Why not become an onlooking crowd and quietly watch the big shots tear each other apart?
“Clap, clap, clap, clap————”
Just as silence lingered in the air, from the room directly opposite Weilin’s, also on the third floor, came a rhythmic clapping sound.
“Miss, your bid is simply the pinnacle of extravagance. You must surely not be a nameless figure. Yet, within the Snow Kingdom, I, Wu Song, am familiar with anyone possessing such financial power. But I am utterly… Forgive my shallow knowledge. May I ask for the Miss’s esteemed name?”
From Room 313 came a man’s voice, seemingly respectful on the surface but clearly dark and ominous beneath.
The name instantly caused ripples among the onlooking crowd on the first floor.
“Wu Song! The Snow Kingdom’s Third Prince, Wu Song?!”
“The 11,000 bid just now was from 313, right? The person in Room 303 actually dared to embarrass His Highness the Third Prince… but they probably didn’t know. It’s not too late to wisely back down now.”
Hearing this guy announce his name, Weilin turned her head towards Elizabeth.
Understanding her intent, Elizabeth quickly explained: “Wu Song is the Third Prince of the Snow Kingdom, the City Lord of ‘Snow Continent City’. He was probably invited to the auction by First Prince Wu Yin this time. …And according to rumors, he is very close to the First Prince and has a penchant for beautiful women. So… I’m guessing he wants to buy this to please some woman.”
“…Oh.”
Weilin was utterly calm, even feeling a sense of schadenfreude that someone was volunteering as a target.
A Prince, huh? The traitorous princes of the Snow Kingdom… Not a single one will escape…
Through the glass, Weilin could see directly into Room 313 opposite her. She couldn’t see the person inside, but that didn’t stop Weilin from mocking him maliciously.
“Prince Wu Song flatters me. I dare not claim a great name. My name isn’t worth His Highness the Third Prince remembering. If it weren’t for painfully splurging for my beloved today, I truly wouldn’t want to take what the Third Prince desires…”
“Twenty-one thousand Gold Coins.” Wu Song first called out his bid to Master Lei.
Then, the Third Prince’s voice, as if sighing in relief, changed tone. Addressing Weilin with a condescending, magnanimously granted favor, he said, “…Rest assured, now that you know my identity, I’m sure your beloved will understand. In life, one must gain and lose. Doing me this favor, you absolutely won’t lose out!”
“No…”
No one could see the mocking smile that curved Weilin’s lips. But the young woman’s next words caused everyone present to turn pale with shock: “You seem like a real idiot. Since it’s for your beloved, you should be giving it your all to show your determination. I was only giving His Highness the Third Prince a chance to prove his resolve and compete on the same stage. I never said… I’m backing down! —Master Lei, Room 303 bids fifty thousand Gold Coins!… Your Highness the Third Prince, please, don’t stop! So many people are watching. Is your woman beside you too? How embarrassing would it be to just slink off silently like that? You’re a prince, after all. Even if you just add 500 Gold Coins at a time, we absolutely won’t laugh at you for being incapable! Hahahahahahaha burp…”
