The Third Princess of the Valorian Crown watched our sloppy exchange with wide, disbelieving eyes.
In this manner, I officially welcomed the fifth member of my harem.
“Have you no shame?! You’re in the presence of Her Royal Highness!” Princess Felicity’s head maid shouted at us with utter disbelief.
*Paah!* A lewd sound echoed across the silent building as I retracted my tongue from Jasmine’s mouth.
I ignored the maid and instead glanced at the girl directly. I sighed, “I apologize, your highness… the fault is with me. I’m a hopeless romantic who loves his wife just a tad bit too much…”
Princess Felicity stared at me for a few seconds before realizing that I was addressing her. *Khm! Khm!* She cutely coughed into her palms before responding. “May I know your name?”
“Please call me Black, and this is my wife, Blue.”
It was rather rude to introduce myself with an obvious alias, but I was wearing a mask for a reason. It should be self-explanatory that I wished to be in incognito right now. Jasmine also offered her greetings very respectfully.
Felicity nodded, “I understand, Lord Black. Displaying one’s affection for his partner in public does not go against any of our laws as long as… *ehem!* the clothes stay on. Instead, it should be me who apologizes for my subordinate’s uncalled outburst.”
She then slightly bowed her head in my direction, surprising me greatly. It was not normal for nobility to apologize, let alone for royalty to do so.
What a good girl.
I couldn’t help but compare this young lady to the twin bitches sitting on my other side. She was even more privileged than them, but her head was on the right shoulders. She seemed to be grounded in reality.
“Please, don’t bow your head. I’m unworthy.”
Felicity had a faint smile on her lips before she raised her head as I asked her to. She then turned back toward the podium, “Continue with the auction.”
The host quickly collected himself and did as instructed.
“Thirty gold for the Glacial Aegis Staff! Going once… going twice… aaaaand…. Sold! Congratulations to Lady Amara Valessia Arvanelle Greenvale for taking home the very first item of the auction! The mighty Greenvales had once again showcased their extreme resourcefulness, awing thousands of people in the process!”
I had to laugh inwardly due to the auctioneer dude’s antics, he was a true pro. His words had the immediate and desired effect of making Amara leer at me smugly. Yeah, she spent a lot, but the host’s words reinforced the idea in her head that getting the prestige that comes with winning the first bid was worth it.
I only smiled at her for a moment before straightening my neck, and since Jasmine was still sitting in my lap while facing me, I returned to my exploration of her sensual mouth as the host brought out the next few items.
A few minutes passed until my fifth woman found herself seated next to me instead of on my thighs. Jasmine looked at me with eyes full of emotion even now as she hugged my arm to her chest. Receiving my acceptance had made her very dreamy.
Read latest stories on empire
In these minutes some items were sold, though none were bought by me or the twins. I didn’t know how much cash they had on them, but I could breathe a sigh of relief that it couldn’t be many thousands, as otherwise, the arrogant Amara would’ve gone for these items even if she didn’t particularly need them.
Neither did the princess bid for any of the items and the same was true for the Scarlet Lilies. All artifacts had the rare rarity to them, which was nothing to scoff at, most of my team still had that rarity as their gear, but it didn’t make me overly excited.
I knew the strategy of the organizers. They wanted to sell their mediocre items at the beginning of the event when morale was high among the bidders so people wanted nothing more than to spend their hard-earned money. I had to preserve my funds if something truly worthwhile caught my eye because it was not just the three of us occupying the first row, there were seven other people – meaning ten of us had at least 500 gold on us.
“Esteemed ladies and gentlemen!” The host decreed as the previous item was hauled back to the inventory, “What you’ve seen so far has only scratched the surface of what we have in store for you tonight. We now move to a segment that has always captured the interest of the discerning and the influential alike in our past auctions – the presentation of our animated assets. The living, breathing objects.”
Vivienne, who nearly fell asleep in the past few minutes, visibly returned to the land of the living as her eyes began sparkling with excitement.
It was no longer the two women in skimpy clothes who brought the goodies out.
Instead, from a side door, two large, burly, armed men stepped forward, escorting a line of disheveled individuals in chains.
Slaves and their slavers.
There were ten of them and they were all men with lean but muscular bodies, clearly chosen for their capability of enduring harsh labor. Each of them wore a simple collar, a standard mark of their status. Their eyes were downcast with a mixture of weariness and resignation etched into their faces.
I turned towards the princess with curious eyes. I wanted to see her reaction. She seemed to be a sweet girl, but I was curious how she would be in the presence of slaves being sold and bought as if they were inanimate objects. After all, it was her family that made the slave business into the booming industry it is today. Slavery magic had existed for a very long time, but it was the Valorians who made multiple laws that made it flourish like never before.
I had to give it to Felicity, she had a very highly trained poker face, no emotion was discernible on her dainty features. That is if you weren’t me. While well hidden, I could see traces of unease and sadness. She didn’t feel comfortable with the situation.
The host raised his arms theatrically, “Ladies and gentlemen, what you see before you are not mere men but tools of labor, honed and ready to serve without complaint. This particular lot is a package deal – a rare opportunity for any discerning buyer seeking efficiency and reliability.”
He walked down the line of chained men, gesturing to them one by one as if he were showcasing livestock at a market. “These fine specimens were part of a once-prosperous estate owned by the late Lord Havelock, a man known for his industry and foresight. Unfortunately, tragedy struck, and his untimely demise left these assets without direction. His heir, a far less industrious fellow, has chosen to dissolve his father’s enterprises and instead live the high life, spending his inheritance on finer wines and looser company.”
The host chuckled dryly and managed to elicit a ripple of laughter from parts of the audience.
This was a tale as old as time. The inheritor didn’t have to sweat and bleed to earn the resources he now suddenly owned, so he didn’t value them.
The host gestured broadly to the slaves.