"No,” Zethir whispered, listening to his heart calming down. Squinting his eyes, he scrutinized the woman's face.

  The woman's skin was a gentle brown, her onyx hair resting on her dainty shoulders. And although she lacked the usual assets of a woman on her chest, her figure was full, not a single blemish blooming on her body.

  Her face was small, her lips plump and her nose pointy. Her eyes were round, with the edges sharp like phoenix wings, with her eyelashes shadowing her eyes like feathers. Finally, her eyes were the gems of her features, her listless gaze unable to hide the brilliance of rubies.

  ‘My mother has dull red eyes, and we all have pale skin. On the other hand, that woman looks healthier than a horse,’ he thought. ‘Ignoring her mental state.’

  Alas, he tore his gaze away from the woman. Her eyes caught his attention, but he wasn't interested in buying slaves. Hell, he wasn't here to save any of these slaves.

  Osmheal was the only one he was after.

  “Ladies and gentlemen!” Ernisho spoke, his voice heavy like drums inside the room. After a quick greeting, he walked toward one of the cages.

  “This one is from the endangered elven race!” He slapped a long, silver stick at the cage. “She was found loitering near the kingdom borders, and our friends were kind enough to take her home…”

  Zethir frowned, a gag nearly escaping his throat. Once he was done here, he might as well blow up the place.

  The woman inside the cage had a short stature, and just like the others, she was dressed in silk. Her wavy, platinum hair flowed down to her buttocks, and her emerald eyes were moist with tears as they darted around the room. Her skin was supple like fresh milk, and her face was nurtured with a temptress’ care.

  “...as we all know, elves are excellent at both magic and household chores. They can help you relax after a day's hard work, or assist you in battles,” Ernisho flashed a smile.

  “Last but not least, they are very obedient. Especially this one!” He clapped.

  “Now, the starting bid will be three hundred thousand mitos, with each increment being at least twenty thousand—”

  “One million mitos!” Suddenly, a loud voice erupted near the stage. Everyone turned to look at the person, before finding a golden-haired man seated on a chair.

  He was wearing a crimson suit paired with white pants, with golden glasses adorning his face. Behind, his topaz-like eyes were fixated on the elf.

  “One million!” Ernisho glanced at the royal, patting his chest lightly.

  Elves were endangered, yes, but they were most certainly not worth a million. At most, he was expecting to sell the elf at seven hundred thousand.

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  “One million and twenty, anyone?” He glanced around the room, not finding a brave soul raising their hand. “One million, going once… going twice—”

  “A million and a hundred thousand,” a calm, deep voice echoed in the room.

  Just like earlier, everyone followed the source, and soon, their gaze found a target.

  Zethir sat leisurely on his chair, his face stoic as stone. Raising an eyebrow, he swept his gaze at the bidders.

  “What?” Slowly, his poker face distorted to a frown.

  “Ahem,” Ernisho cleared his throat. “One million and—”

  “One million and five hundred thousand!” The royal gritted his teeth, sending a glare toward Zethir.

  Zethir cocked his head back, before furrowing his brows. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh while shaking his head.

  Seeing this, the royal scoffed and turned back to the elf.

  “One million and five hundred thousand, going once! Going twice!” Ernisho held his breath, his hand trembling lightly as he stood on the stage.

  “SOLD!”

  ‘Heh,’ Zethir quietly covered his sneer with a hand. ‘Idiot. Get scammed.’

  Meanwhile, the royal stood up, before leaving after a few words with Ernisho. Intentional or not, he happened to pass by where Zethir was seated.

  “Coward,” the royal whispered, his words as fleeting as a bird's stool.

  ‘What was that?’ Zethir looked back in bewilderment. Yet, the royal had already left. ‘Whatever.’

  “Ahem,” Ernisho cleared his throat. After letting the bidders take a minute of rest, he continued the auction.

  “Our next item is… a rare specimen,” he smiled, his face slowly turning cold as though winter had come early.

  “No one knows of their origin. No one even knows why they came to be!”

  He spread out his arms, slowly walking toward one of the cages. Watching him, Zethir couldn't help but hold his breath.

  “They came to existence one day, and everyone ignored them. Until they became too much of a threat… of course, that was in the past. Now, they are nothing but rare, beautiful vases. Their eyes contain the pinnacle of seduction, their bodies soft, yet firm. And alas, their whispers are as addicting as a sip of wine.”

  His footsteps stopped, and finally, he tapped his stick on a cage.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, a specimen with the Creva blood! Known for their excellent physique, their unyielding will, and their unmatched insanity… but this one is different,” he slipped his hand on the cage, touching the woman's chin and lifting it up, showcasing her ruby-like eyes that lacked luster.

  “This one has a weak body, a broken hope, and a serene mind. She will do everything she is told, and if she were to suffer, you'd hear not a word from her… The starting price is two hundred thousand, with increments of ten thousand!”

  “Two hundred thousand!”

  “Two hundred and ten!”

  “Two…”

  As the room erupted with bids, Zethir peered into the woman's eyes. He couldn't help but touch his own, feeling a bit lost.

  ‘This is the first time I've heard of Creva,’ he frowned.

  Her mother didn't have ruby eyes, while his father was your typical drunkard. Neither of them had such a “grand” bloodline.

  “One million.”

  Suddenly, the room went silent, snapping Zethir out of his daze.

  ‘What happened?’

  On the other hand, Ernisho was ecstatic. Two one million bids in a row! If only someone raised it a little higher… he couldn't help but glance at “Zen”, before quickly averting his gaze.

  “One million, going once! Going twice!”

  Ernisho looked around. No one put another bid.

  “SOLD!”

  Then, a man stood up, walking toward Ernisho and whispering into the latter's ears.

  Zethir lowered his head.

  Finally, when he felt a gust of wind pass by him, his eyes flickered with red light.

  ‘He made his move.’

  Osmheal had bought his next “material.”

  ~~~~~

  “Lilith,” a gentle voice caressed a little girl's ears as her mother combed her soft, onyx hair.

  The girl raised her head, staring at her mother’s pale face and dull-red eyes with her big ones.

  “What is it, mama?” She asked, the corners of her sugary smile touching both of her ears.

  “Oh Lilith, you're so lovely,” her mother chuckled. “Does Lilith want mama to continue last night's story?”

  “Yes! Please!” Lilith giggled, lowering her head to hum a tune.

  Unbeknownst to her, as she did so, her mother gasped inaudibly, her face twisting in pain. Her face paled a little further, but she gritted her teeth, silently enduring.

  “Where were we, again?” Her mother asked, her voice hoarse and barely above a whisper

  “Hmm~ Mama, what happened after the prince and princess left together?” Lilith tilted her head.

  Her mother took a deep breath, caressing her daughter's hair. She clenched her fists, light flickering through her eyes.

  “Mama remembers now… after the prince and the princess left the palace, they…”

  She closed her eyes, a bitter sigh escaping her mouth.

  ‘Were cursed by gods… I'm sorry, Lilith. You don't need to know these,’ she shook her head, watching as her daughter remained blissfully ignorant.

  “They settled in a very beautiful house, where fairies and…”

  While the sun sank below the windows, the mother and daughter spent their last time together in harmony.