20

I had brought the funds I had secretly saved up just in case.

Of course, Shion didn’t necessarily think of helping, but before he knew it, a sign was in his hand.

‘Um… I feel like I’ll regret it… but I can’t help it.’

Harnett, conscious of the necklace hanging around her neck, shows a bitter look.

He said that he bought it with the hope that he would be happy.

No matter what the price of this necklace was, if the heart was sincere, I could have accepted it a little.

‘If it wasn’t for this necklace, I would have bought that one.’

Each necklace contained 30 gold coins.

Of course, the real value would be about 1 gold coin, but it was good now.

Since Shion gave something to himself, shouldn’t he also give back a little bit?

“Five, four… Oh! 270! 270 gold coins were bid!”

Harnette knocks on the sign and ponders over and over again.

Shion just couldn’t bid because he didn’t have enough money.

However, the competitor stalled for time and belatedly tried to bid.

In addition, since the bidding was reduced from 50 bids to 10, he must have had a limit on funds or felt burdened by the bid price.

‘If I push further, I can win.’

Harnette held up the sign confidently.

Since it had already started, I wanted to finish it properly.

If that item was taken away even though he stepped forward, he would be embarrassed for nothing.

“7, 6… 280! 280 gold coins came out!”

“Sister, even if you don’t go this far…”

“Be quiet. You are concentrating now.”

Harnette muttered softly and watched the auctioneer.

From now on, I shouldn’t even feel like hesitating.

Only then will you be able to win the bid more easily while pressing your opponent.

“4, 3… What! 290… aaah! 300! Up to 300 gold coins!”

Harnette quickly raised the sign with a cold gaze.

I had to push myself without even giving myself a break.

You can still spend more money this way, and it won’t do you any good to try.

It was a quick bid to fully preserve that feeling.

“3, 2, 1… 310… Huh! 320! It seems to be the most intense of today’s auctions!”

Shion is buried in tension and can’t take her eyes off Hanette.

You didn’t have to spend money on your behalf.

It wouldn’t have been easy to secretly raise funds, but why did he suddenly act like that?

“2, 1, 0… 320! It was sold for 320 gold coins! We would like to congratulate and thank the winning bidders!”

“phew…”

Harnette lets out a sigh of relief and leans back.

Then he slowly turns his head and shows a wicked smile.

“Whoever lives there will be happy. Don’t you pay for your fiancé’s lack of money?”

“… sister. 80 gold coins is no small money. I could have given up, but why did you leave?”

“If you received something, shouldn’t you give it back? It’s funny that I bought this for 30 gold coins, but I thought it was a bit special, so I took a look at it.”

Shion looks at Hanette, wrapped in silence.

Light brown eyes seemed to shine dimly through the fresh orange hair.

The smile drawn on his lips was not meant to ridicule himself.

It was as if he had shaken off the lingering lingering feelings in his heart and was intoxicated with relief.

“It wasn’t a gift I gave you hoping for something in return.”

“I know. There must be a reason. I feel a little bit of sincerity.”

“…”

Shion bought Hanette a present to match Fried’s intentions.

However, the gifts were chosen carefully, and based on superstition, I tried to put a meaning in my own way.

30 gold coins was a bit of a waste, but I thought it would be worth it because the magical power of the Holy Law was engraved on it.

Because Hanette had no one she could trust right now.

“I won’t ask you to pay it back. I’m not going to take a weak spot with this either. Just… do what you always do. That’s all you need.”

A strange feeling of remorse seized Harnette, but she did not cling to it.

It was something I wanted to do, and in the end it helped Shion.

Of course, some of the money I saved will disappear, but since I feel more comfortable, I don’t have anything to obsess over.

“… not like a sister.”

“You think so too? Now it seems that we have something to communicate with each other.”

“You may regret it.”

“right. I’m already regretting it. But what can I do? I already did it.”

“Your sister has something to write about, too.”

“You can think of it as writing a little too much today. I’m not rich, but I’m not living without very much either.”

Shion couldn’t bear to open his mouth.

It was the money he had accumulated by acting like an idiot and receiving criticism from many people.

Of course, I can’t say that the method was right, but it was something I did with a lot of determination.

However, since I made him spend part of the amount on himself, he had no choice but to feel a little guilty.

“Since you did something uncharacteristic of you too… Let’s say we exchanged each other once. Is that okay?”

“…you mean a gift?”

“A gift is a gift, but your actions were a bit like that. I was so surprised that I couldn’t even say thank you.”

“Whoa… are you really thankful?”

“Huh! Would you feel grateful if you were like that? How can I buy it for 30 gold coins?”

“I was almost impressed, but it’s back to how it was before.”

“Ah, you can continue touching. It seems to me that he was too merciful.”

Shion laughs and watches as the Witchbeast’s gloves are moving away.

After this auction was over, the price would be paid and the auction items would be delivered.

The preparations were over, and all I had to do was go to the location where the acid rain was hidden and draw it myself.

‘…the money must be paid back.’

Shion would have helped Harnette if he had helped with his plan, but had no intention of interfering with it.

Because this world had to move toward a certain end.

The main character, the heroine, and some strong people would be at the center of it.

‘You’ve got to catch me. Would it be enough for a day or two?’

* * *

The mansion of the Duke of Adelaira, the family head’s room.

Roberns was tilting his teacup as he checked tomorrow’s schedule.

The head of an aristocratic family coordinates relationships with each family and often meets with the king and other members of the royal family.

In particular, if you were the head of a ducal family, you would be put in a position to lead the subordinate nobles, and you had to expand your position within the royal palace while competing with the other duchy.

In other words, he had to be busy all the time, whether he liked it or not, and he naturally left the work in the mansion to his wife and butler.

“Now I can catch my breath.”

“Are you tired? It’s a bit early, but how about going to bed first?”

Yenid asked anxiously as he sorted out the scattered papers on the table.

He knew best that Robbins worked harder than anyone else.

It was also for the family and himself, so he had no choice but to put more effort into Robbins’ housekeeping.

“no. I can’t sleep deeply because I’m old. You better go to bed later.”

“Are you really okay?”

“Shouldn’t it be okay until you step down as head of household? If I shake, the family will also shake.”

Yenid swallowed the silence and asked no more.

He didn’t even know which of the four children Robbins was looking for as the next head of household.

Of course, he would like his own child to become the next family head, but since one was already in danger, he only put a small hope on the remaining one.

“… aren’t you curious? Who do I consider to be the next patriarch?”

“It’s not going the way I want, so I have no choice but to watch it.”

“What could be difficult? Of all my children, there is only one good-natured one.”

“I wish that proud fellow would be my son.”

“hahahaha… Are you acting humble?”

Of course, Yenid was well aware that his options were limited.

He was just worried that his son would not be able to become the head of the household due to unexpected circumstances.

“Yeah… How does Hanette look like these days?”

“It’s a little difficult to say.”

“Did something bad happen?”

“Nope. That’s not what I meant. Should I say that there is little… no progress?”

Yenid has been observing Shion and Harnet, and has mainly checked the parts that change or stand out.

At first, as time went by, they became closer, but now it seemed that they had stopped in an ambiguous relationship.

“What else am I saying… don’t make too much fuss. No matter how young you are, you can’t fall in love in a short time.”

“Yes. I know. I just… I wonder what if I can’t go further from there.”

Even when Hanette went out with Shion or prepared food for her, she expected quite a bit.

But I couldn’t go beyond that, and I only felt like I was noticing each other.

Even he couldn’t understand it if it was a part of the relationship, but from the standpoint of watching, I couldn’t help but feel a little urgent.

“It’s fine. Isn’t it still smooth? The engagement period is a bit long… but I think we can finish it within that time.”

“I guess I’m too sensitive?”

“Hanet must have sharpened my nerves. Did you or I know it would end up like this?”

Things were going better than expected.

As a result, Robuns and Yenid paid more attention to the two, and their nervous hearts had no choice but to take the lead.

Above all, he hoped that the relationship would not be broken because Hannette was more docile and calm than before.

“Um… then how about sending it somewhere else for a while?”

“Are you going to send the two of us together?”

“right. There are a lot of people here, so you might feel ashamed.”

“… Maybe so.”

Shion and Hanette had just had an engagement ceremony.

Although they became close to each other, they could become conscious of their surroundings secretly in a relationship beyond that.

If we provide a space where only the two of us can be, wouldn’t that time come earlier?

“It would be better to discuss this with the Marquis of Reggiard separately. What do you think?”

“Yes. That would be nice.”

“Hmm… I’d better get this sorted out quickly. Shall we meet tomorrow or the day after tomorrow?”

* * *

The residence and office of the Marquis of Reggiard.

Shion returned to her parents’ house alone and immediately went to see Fried.

Fried did not take the fact of Shion’s arrival seriously, but after hearing the contents, he couldn’t help but be surprised.

Most of all, I couldn’t help but be a little happy because Shion proved that fact right in front of my eyes.

“…So you’re saying you spent the money I gave you on it?”

“Yes. sorry.”

“I didn’t do well, but… I’ll skip this one time.”

Fried was able to understand that feeling a little bit.

He and Rien did not compare their other children to Shion, but Shion could have felt pressured by him.

The talents of the two older brothers were so outstanding, and Shion couldn’t do anything.

That’s why he must have awakened his magic even after spending all the money he received.

“I… I have one more thing to tell you.”

“Tell me.”

“Could you lend me some money?”

“Is something urgent happening?”

“I borrowed money from my fiancé…”

“what? Borrow money from your fiancé?”

Fried raised his voice and widened his eyes.

If you were going to borrow money, you could ask your brother or yourself.

If he had been involved with Hanette in relation to money, the Duke of Adelaira could have been angry.

“sorry. I couldn’t stop it because I was going to borrow it myself.”

“Did you borrow it yourself? What else do you mean by that?”

“There was an item I wanted to win at the auction house, but my fiancé stepped in for me while I was running out of money.”

“…”

Fried tried to reprimand him, but other thoughts came to his mind first.

Harnette was living on alcohol and gambling, so if money was not enough, it would be insufficient, and there would be no left.

In other words, there was no way he would lend money to Zion unless it was a special case.

‘The fact that Hanette gave the money means that she has a good opinion of Shion. then…

Are you looking at marriage positively?’