Chapter 15
“No, we have to keep taking the holy water to know for sure. I’ve only drunk two bottles so far!”
“Louisa. Holy water isn’t a cure-all. Especially if it didn’t work the first time—you might want to consider other options.”
Louisa wanted to shout: This IS my cure-all!
But Damian, unaware of Louisa’s inner thoughts, continued to plead with the most desperate expression.
“So come on, Louisa. Just close your eyes and drink this. Just once a day. That’s it.”
Once a day, he said. Louisa had the words “No thanks” caught on the tip of her tongue.
Damian, unsettled by Louisa’s clearly displeased face and her tightly sealed lips, fidgeted nervously, but refused to back down.
“You said you wanted to see the auction house. We have to leave soon. And once we’re there, I’ll buy you whatever you want. Anything.”
He even brought up the time of the secret auction on the outskirts of the capital, using it as leverage—implying she had to drink this to go. He was acting like a parent coaxing a child who refused to take medicine.
“…What? You’ll buy me everything?”
Louisa finally spoke, her delicate brows furrowed.
At the same time, her eyes sharpened dramatically, and Damian felt his heart drop.
“Sorry. That was careless of me. I got ahead of myself. You’re not a child.”
But Damian had overlooked something: just because someone is stunned doesn’t mean they’ve accepted anything.
“You definitely said everything, right?”
Despite her unimpressed tone, Louisa cut him off as she reached out and took the cup.
“Uh? Yeah…”
Damian nodded, still a bit dazed.
“For something like this… if it’s for money!”
Louisa squeezed her eyes shut and downed the green liquid like it was some kind of energy drink.
“Ugh…”
Green things just aren’t meant to be eaten. What was that flavor?
Her lips twisted at the strange, bitter taste that was neither here nor there.
Then Damian reached toward her, carefully offering something in his hand.
“Well done. Here, candy. Ahh~”
Before she could react, the candy popped into her slightly opened mouth. It was overwhelmingly sweet, like a strawberry boiled in sugar.
Sweet enough to instantly soothe the bitterness in her mouth—and even the bitterness in her heart.
“…Still treating me like a kid.”
At first, Damian’s excessive kindness had been a bit uncomfortable. But when she thought about how, in the original story, he would eventually meet the female lead and turn away from Louisa—maybe it was a good thing that she was Louisa.
Even if he changed, she was already used to it. She wouldn’t get hurt.
Yeah, it’s definitely better to keep my rare condition a secret. You can’t trust anyone. The only things worth relying on in this world are holy water and money! But…
She didn’t understand why, despite her grumbling thoughts, the corners of her mouth twitched up into a smile.
I shouldn’t get used to this kindness—it’ll disappear someday…
But it was like a force beyond her control. No one had ever treated her like this in her previous life. This warm attention she had never known before was melting her heart.
“You’re sick again? Do you get sick whenever you feel like it? You’re just a money-draining ghost, a ghost!”
“Hey! Set the table. You’re sick again? Mom told you to do it. What kind of crap excuse is that? Get up already!”
Unpleasant memories from her past life surfaced without warning.
Even after being ignored and working herself to the bone, the moment someone threw her a crumb of attention—like just calling her name—she’d feel her resentment melt away. It was all so meaningless.
“We’ll be late. Should we head out?”
Louisa smiled like nothing was wrong as Damian gently brushed her fingertips.
Even if this attention wasn’t really hers, so what?
Leaving behind a few good memories for the lonely days ahead wouldn’t hurt. As long as she didn’t get her hopes up, it would be fine.
“Okay.”
Crunch—the candy shattered in her mouth. Tiny shards spread across her tongue with an overwhelming sweetness.
She didn’t even dislike sweets, but this one was so sweet it almost made her want to spit it out.
*
Since it was a secret auction, black outfits and masks were mandatory to conceal identities.
Wow~. So much for “secret”—this place is so extravagant. Looks more like a masquerade ball.
Louisa adjusted her half-mask, which left only her mouth exposed, and lightly rested her hand on Damian’s offered arm.
From the outside, the building blended in perfectly with its surroundings. But inside—it was like stepping into another world.
Expensive decorations filled the space, raising expectations for the upcoming auction items and elevating the class of the entire event.
“This way.”
Damian led her to a seat at the end of the first row. To think he secured such a good seat at the last minute—just showed the power of a duke’s house.
Leaving the last seat empty, he had Louisa sit next to it, and then took the seat beside her.
Louisa glanced briefly at the empty seat before turning her attention to the staff preparing the stage.
“Here’s the pamphlet, Louisa.”
“Thanks.”
The small booklet listed the order of auction items.
Louisa scanned the names carefully, and about halfway through, she spotted what she had come for:
“Light of the Abyss”
Although the auction only described it as a simple ancient artifact, it was actually a powerful magical ring with bound abilities.
I remember how jealous I was when the original heroine used this ring… I wanted to zap those jerks with it so badly.
If she remembered correctly, you activated the ring by rubbing the clear gemstone. It would turn red and release a shock at the target. She’d have to try it to be sure.
“Is there anything you want?”
“Yeah. This one.”
“An artifact? Got it. Anything else?”
“Hmm… I’ll have to see the items before I decide.”
Louisa waited with anticipation for the auction to start. A few minutes later, the lights dimmed, and she could feel someone settling into the once-empty seat beside her.
Come to think of it, Rafael should be here too. I wonder where he is.
The person next to her wore a hood and had a clearly masculine build. Louisa glanced at him, and Rafael suddenly came to mind.
People thought Rafael was upright and pure, but he wasn’t completely above worldly desires.
In the original story, Rafael had a good eye for rare weapons and often attended secret auctions. In fact, one of the main episodes involved him buying the “Light of the Abyss” after sensing something special about it.
It’s kind of weird, though.
She couldn’t remember the title of the novel, but the content stuck so vividly. It was oddly useful—and surprising.
Maybe it’s fate for someone who transmigrated? If that’s the case, shouldn’t the man next to me be Rafael too? Like, always bumping into the main characters wherever I go… Hmm. That sounds kind of annoying.
Just imagining it was absurd—but so ridiculous it was funny.
Louisa quietly scoffed at her own thoughts and looked away from the man sitting next to her, who had been staring straight ahead.
Just in time, the auctioneer wearing a mask stepped onto the stage. The auction was finally about to begin.
“Our first item.”
The secret auction skipped lengthy introductions and got right to the point. Louisa nodded, pleased with the swift pace.
Sure, the auctioneer would still give a brief explanation, but unless it was something you really wanted, people rarely paid close attention.
Besides, most of the descriptions were exaggerated anyway. There was no need to take them too seriously.
Louisa simply focused her gaze, trying to take in each unusual item that appeared on the stage.
“How about that one?”
“A necklace? Ooh. That gem’s huge.”
“Too bulky?”
“No. I love it. Bigger is better, right?”
She widened her eyes at Damian, who seemed unsure.
Should fetch a decent price if I sell it later. When in doubt, go big!
“Haha, is that so? Then should I focus on the big ones?”
“Yeah!”
Unaware of her ulterior motives, Damian chuckled and started bidding. Louisa watched him with satisfaction.
But her excitement didn’t last long. Each item took so long to process. The pace was dragging.
Louisa stifled a yawn and slowly closed her eyes.
“You seem tired. Should we head back?”
She must’ve dozed off for about five seconds when the man seated quietly beside her suddenly whispered in a low voice.
Louisa flinched and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. The hooded man had turned to look down at her.
Why is he staring? And… his jawline looks oddly familiar… Am I imagining things?
Unsettled, she narrowed her eyes slightly.
“I didn’t expect someone in your condition to come to a place like this.”
He hadn’t reacted earlier when she looked at him—but now he suddenly acted like he knew her. Louisa’s sharp senses picked up familiar things one by one.
That low, familiar voice. The casually biting tone of someone well-versed in poking nerves. The elegant, proud line of his jaw.
It was unmistakably Rafael.
Wait… seriously?
She’d just joked to herself earlier—and now it had actually happened.
Sure, she figured he’d be somewhere in the auction since he liked rare weapons. But to think he’d be sitting right next to her.
