Chapter 78: Unexpected

Camilla stared at the ancient armor bathed in the lights below and shook her head.

“Thank you, Your Highness, but I think I’ll pass.”

She took a sip of her tea, her tone carrying a hint of helpless self-deprecation.

“What would I do with armor? Wear it to the alchemy lab to strike iron? Besides…” She began counting on her fingers. “Elena has already promised to commission a set of top-tier magic armor for my sister. The craftsmanship of House Baldea is bound to be better than this antique. Moreover, this armor’s attributes lean toward fire resistance and physical defense, which doesn’t really fit my sister’s current ice-attribute magic path. As for me…”

She spread her hands, making a “weak, pitiful, and helpless” expression.

“I’m just a plain alchemist apprentice. I don’t have my sister’s ability to freeze an entire field with one swing of a sword. If I wore heavy armor like this, I’d probably be out of breath after walking 2 steps. I’d rather stick to researching my potions and formulas; it’s more practical.”

Lilian couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh as she listened to Camilla’s string of excuses. She reached out and gently patted the back of Camilla’s hand, the movement natural and intimate.

“Don’t talk about yourself like that, Camilla. You’re much more capable than most people.” Her gaze was gentle and sincere. “You should have more confidence in yourself.”

Camilla felt a bit embarrassed by Lilian’s sudden, earnest praise. Her ears burned slightly, and she could only give a vague “mhm” in response before lowering her head to take another sip of tea.

The bidding for the armor had already begun in the auction hall below. After several rounds, the Old Empire General Armor was sold for 1,300 gold coins to an elderly noble sitting in the general seating area.

The following auction items were quite varied: there were ornate staffs embedded with massive magic gems, ancient scroll fragments recording lost magic, rare medicinal herbs from the Elf Forest, and even a strange fruit said to slightly increase magic affinity.

Lilian seemed somewhat interested in a few of the items, but for the most part, she only glanced at them without placing a bid. Most of the time, she spoke in low tones with Camilla, with topics ranging from the auction items to Academy courses, and then to recent rumors circulating in the Magic City.

As time passed, Camilla gradually felt Lilian sitting closer and closer to her.

At first, it was just their shoulders occasionally brushing. Later, when Lilian spoke, her body would naturally lean toward Camilla, her warm breath almost brushing against Camilla’s ear.

When passing snacks, Lilian’s fingers would unintentionally graze the back of her hand. When pouring tea, her arm would lightly press against Camilla’s.

The elegant, noble fragrance belonging to a royal princess lingered faintly at the tip of her nose, mixing with the warmth of the floral tea to create a subtle and intimate atmosphere within the private booth.

Camilla’s body felt a bit stiff, and she couldn’t help but mutter to herself.

‘What’s going on? Is Her Highness Lilian being… a bit too enthusiastic today?’

While the feeling of being close to a beautiful girl wasn’t bad—especially one of Lilian’s caliber, whose soft warmth and close proximity made Camilla’s heart race and her cheeks flush—Camilla’s nerves immediately tightened when she identified certain special components within the fragrance.

In the original game, although Lilian Vivalana appeared gentle and approachable on the surface, she was essentially a deep-thinking, competent politician who prioritized the Empire and her own interests above all else. Almost every act of kindness or closeness she showed hid a clear intention or calculation.

This current behavior… was undoubtedly Lilian’s attempt to win her over.

Camilla enjoyed this rare “benefit” while frantically warning herself internally.

‘Don’t get dizzy. Don’t lose your head. This princess isn’t some simple, innocent girl. Physical closeness is one thing, but don’t go getting any delusions. She’s interested in your alchemy skills and your sister, not your body!’

Thus, while she maintained a slightly shy and overwhelmed expression on her face, she quietly sat up straighter, creating a nearly negligible amount of distance. She also became more cautious when responding to Lilian’s topics.

It was a good thing she was careful to take her Purity Potion every day, otherwise the Silver Crest on her lower abdomen would have been trouble.

According to her research, the Silver Crest Lilith had left on her body would subtly amplify the host’s desires—specifically those of a carnal nature—allowing the lower half to control the brain. If Camilla hadn’t used the Purity Potion to suppress her desires, she might have been unable to stop herself from getting handsy with Lilian.

Lilian seemed to notice Camilla’s subtle withdrawal. A flash of hard-to-capture emotion flickered deep in her eyes, but her smile remained gentle and proper, and she didn’t push any further.

The auction proceeded smoothly. Items were presented, introduced, bid on, and hammered down one by one. The atmosphere grew increasingly heated, especially when several rare ancient magic items and high-level magic beast materials appeared. Even those in the upper booths began to bid frequently.

Finally, after another piece of exquisite elven jewelry was sold at a high price, the auctioneer Rodriguez cleared his throat. His smile widened, and his voice rose several notches.

“Thank you to all our distinguished guests for your enthusiastic participation! Next is the final item of the evening, the grand finale of this monthly auction!”

He gestured with his hand. This time, the cart being pushed forward was escorted by only a single attendant. The cart wasn’t covered by ordinary black cloth or red velvet, but by a translucent magic cover swirling with pale gold runes.

The entire hall fell silent as everyone turned their gaze to the center of the auction stage.

Rodriguez carefully deactivated the magic cover. An ancient-looking amulet, deep blue and appearing as if carved from a single piece of deep-sea crystal, floated silently on a small sandalwood stand.

The amulet was about the size of a palm and shaped like a teardrop. Its surface was covered in naturally formed silver spots that looked like stars, and a milky-white gemstone the size of a grain of rice was embedded in the center, emitting startling ripples of energy.

Even across the distance and through the magic glass of the booth, Camilla could clearly feel that magnificent and stable power of protection.

“The Deep Sea Star Tear Amulet.”

Rodriguez’s voice carried a rhythmic passion.

“Created with the full effort of the late enchantment master, ‘Star Speaker’ Maurice, in his later years. It uses rare thousand-year deep-sea silver and star fragments as core materials. Constantly sealed within is a complete 8th-tier defensive spell—the Star Dome Barrier!”

The words “8th-tier defensive spell” caused a wave of gasps and low exclamations to ripple through the hall.

8th-tier magic was already a strategic-level power, usually only cast by 9th-rank experts or massive magic arrays. The technical difficulty and material value required to permanently seal such magic into a portable amulet were unimaginable.

“Verified by our company, once the Star Dome Barrier is activated, it forms an absolute defensive barrier that lasts for 15 seconds. It is sufficient to block one full-power attack from anyone below the 9th-rank, or withstand continuous bombardment of 8th-tier intensity for a significant duration. Whether used as a life-saving measure in a critical moment or as a family heirloom, its value is beyond question!”

Rodriguez scanned the room and slowly announced the price.

“Deep Sea Star Tear Amulet, starting bid: 200,000 gold coins! Each subsequent bid must increase by at least 10,000 gold coins!”

The price made many guests in the general seating area gasp, but bidding immediately broke out from the upper booths.

“210,000!”

“220,000!”

“230,000!”

The price climbed rapidly. Clearly, this life-saving magic item had struck a cord with many powerful figures.

Lilian watched the bidding below calmly, a thoughtful light flickering in her pale gold eyes.

When the price broke 500,000 gold coins and the pace of bidding slowed slightly, she suddenly raised her hand and pressed the magic transmitter used for bidding inside the booth.

Her cold yet melodious voice echoed through the hall via amplification magic.

“600,000 gold coins.”

Increasing the bid by nearly 100,000 gold coins in one go immediately pushed the price to a new high, demonstrating her determination to win.

Many bidders fell silent; clearly, this price had exceeded their expectations.

After a brief silence, a raspy male voice came from another upper booth.

“610,000.”

“700,000.”

Lilian didn’t hesitate for a moment before calling out another staggering number.

The hall broke into an uproar. Even the auctioneer Rodriguez was stunned for a moment before quickly repeating the bid.

The raspy male voice didn’t speak again, and the other booths fell into silence. 700,000 gold coins was a fortune large enough to cripple a minor noble family.

“700,000 gold coins once! 700,000 gold coins twice! 700,000 gold coins three times!”

The gavel fell heavily.

“Sold! Congratulations to the guest in Booth Seven!”

Lilian breathed a soft sigh of relief, a satisfied smile appearing on her face. She turned and winked at Camilla.

“It seems our luck is good tonight. Our trip wasn’t in vain.”

Watching Lilian’s relaxed “it’s just a bit of money” attitude, Camilla mentally converted the purchasing power of 700,000 gold coins, once again deeply realizing the financial chasm between the royal family and top-tier nobles versus ordinary people.

However, the amulet was indeed worth the price. Being able to block a 9th-rank attack at a critical moment was practically equivalent to having an extra life.

The auction thus came to a close. The lights brightened, and guests began to file out or head to the back to handle the transfer procedures.

Not long after, a polite knock sounded outside the booth.

Ludmila became instantly alert, her hand resting on her sword hilt. After receiving Lilian’s permission, the door was pushed open. A waiter wearing the Kayin Trading Company uniform and white gloves entered, carrying a tray covered in deep blue velvet.

In the center of the tray was the Deep Sea Star Tear Amulet.

The waiter kept his head lowered, walking with steady steps until he stopped about 3 steps away from Lilian. He bowed respectfully.

“Noble Highness, this is the item you purchased. Please inspect it.”

Lilian nodded and was about to stand up to receive it.

But at that moment, Camilla’s pupils constricted. her gaze locked onto the waiter’s hand holding the tray.

The hand was covered in a white glove and appeared to be holding the tray respectfully, but the tips of the index and middle fingers were tapping the bottom of the tray at a rhythmic, extremely subtle frequency.

It wasn’t an unconscious movement. It was… some kind of trigger-type magic primer gesture, combined with the faint trace of dark magic she keenly sensed on the waiter’s person…

“Ludmila! Take him down!”