Chapter 190
“Usually, when someone’s busy, they’d call the other person to the palace.”
“You can’t just summon the owner of a rare Tamer relic on a whim.”
…No, showing up like this is even more of a nuisance. My little sister got sick today and went out! Because of who!
“I thought you’d be the one to contact me first.”
“Me?”
“You even accepted a gift from me, yet I didn’t expect you to just wipe your mouth and say nothing. Was the ten-million-gold gift not to your liking?”
Ceres scratched her cheek while looking at the Aselrian Crown Prince, who was smiling faintly and lifting his teacup.
Thanks to him, she had to flee the auction house, and even if it hadn’t been for him, she would have gotten Artia’s ring somehow—but still, it was true that he had handed the child and the ring over.
‘He even kept the fact that they were there a secret.’
He was also the one who had warned them in advance that soldiers would come. It was true that he had offered various forms of help.
“Even the Grand Duke Persha said he’d pay the auction fee.”
‘Who… did what?’
‘The Crown Prince paid the auction fee and obtained Alti’s ring… Hey, where are you going?’
‘The palace.’
‘What? Wait!’
She barely stopped Kainel from immediately running to the palace to throw down the money. It was absolutely not the kind of situation where you could just hand over money and leave. He’d probably cause some other incident if she did.
“Hmm, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Excuse me?”
The Aselrian Crown Prince shook his head slightly.
“Then it wouldn’t really be a gift, would it? That ring is a present I gave you.”
“…….”
…Why does this person always make such a fuss about not being able to give me a gift? Ceres clicked her tongue lightly in her mind.
‘Well, if he doesn’t want money, that’s fine by me.’
The medicine that removes mana was still selling like crazy, and while ten million gold was a staggering sum, it wasn’t unmanageable.
“You didn’t come to greet me just to see if I received the gift properly, I suppose.”
Yet here he was, showing up at this early hour and even making breakfast.
“Because I thought you might be curious.”
“How did the auction house situation turn out?”
Ceres immediately understood what he was about to say. She was curious about how things had been handled there anyway. She had been planning to find out through the Sky Organization soon enough, but here the Crown Prince had come and told her himself.
“All the auction house members were arrested, and all those who were enslaved have been freed. The children are being temporarily sheltered at the capital’s orphanage.”
This much, Ceres had expected. But the news she was most curious about hadn’t come yet.
“And where did the funds ultimately go?”
She wanted to know whether they had found evidence linked to the Merial Marquis. She had heard that the documents in his office had all been swept away by the royal family.
“Hmm.”
The Crown Prince lifted his teacup and slowly sipped his tea in response to Ceres’ question, as if deliberately stalling.
After a long pause, seeing that Ceres’ gaze was growing increasingly sharp, he finally spoke.
“We found it. The Merial Marquis is under investigation now.”
They had tracked all the evidence showing that the auction house’s proceeds eventually ended up with the Merial Marquis.
“The Marquis’ household must be in a state of high alert right now.”
Of course, he didn’t think they’d collapse easily.
“So, the auction house matter is more or less resolved.”
Ceres nodded at his words. She had been planning to gather information on the Merial Marquis herself. It was a little disappointing to have been beaten to it, but if the Aselrian Crown Prince had uncovered everything, it wasn’t bad for her either.
“I have a favor to ask.”
She had considered going straight to the Emperor, but now that she had met the Crown Prince, she thought it might be fine to let him handle it.
“When the owner of a Tamer relic asks, you have to grant it.”
He leaned forward slightly with a faint smile, as if to say he was listening carefully.
“In return, you’ll grant me one favor next time.”
“…….”
…Maybe I should just go see His Majesty directly. Ceres couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling while looking at the brightly smiling Aselrian Crown Prince.
