Seriously, Two Paupers

The girl replied, "There is one other possibility. If you are here to sell something, you may enter the auction house. However, the item must first be appraised by one of our professional appraisers. Only items valued at over one thousand Gold Soul Coins are eligible for auction. If the auction succeeds, we will take ten percent of the final price as a service fee."

Since Tang San could not even produce ten thousand Gold Soul Coins, the hostess's attitude became somewhat perfunctory. She thought, If they do not even have ten thousand Gold Soul Coins, why should I treat them warmly?

One had to know that her own price was ten times the admission fee—one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins! Every staff member here was worth at least that much, each one no small fortune! The more beautiful and alluring a woman was, the higher her status naturally became, and the higher her price rose accordingly.

As for how that "status" was judged, it was simple enough: whether she was still untouched.

Ten thousand Gold Soul Coins were merely the basic threshold. As a hostess, she was naturally worth far more. Sellers and specially invited guests, however, were not included in this category.

At that moment, Tang San seemed to have suddenly understood! He grasped the trick behind it all: either produce enough money to prove your worth, or bring something valuable enough. If you had neither, then there was no way in.

"Miss, we are here to auction something. Where can we have it appraised?" Tang San asked after a brief moment of thought. He was no fool and quickly understood the rules of the game.

Although Tang San's purse was empty, he still had several rare treasures on him! A flicker of surprise passed through the hostess's eyes before she smiled. "Please follow me, you two..."

Meanwhile, Wriothesley and the other two, who had entered the auction house, were led by the attendants to their private room.

To these women, they were the true "big clients."

Not to mention Crown Prince Xue Qinghe—even Duke Wriothesley alone qualified for VIP treatment.

After all, he was a Title Douluo!

And a Title Douluo even stronger than the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's guardian Douluo.

Wriothesley's residence might seem a little "shabby" to them, but if they could gain this man's protection, their lives would be comfortable from then on. Forget immediate promotions and riches; at the very least, their futures would be secure.

They pulled out all the stops, wishing they could display every last bit of their brilliance before Xue Qinghe and Wriothesley, the two honored guests. Even behind their masks, their slightly upturned lips seemed to reveal their feelings. If they could win the favor of these two, it would be worth giving everything they had—dying for it would be no hardship at all!

So handsome!

The allure of a Title Douluo truly was irresistible! Everyone said age could not be judged by appearances alone, but they had heard that the Duke was no more than thirty or so. It was enough to make their hearts race.

Thinking about it that way, being taken away by Wriothesley would be far better than being taken away by those elderly, potbellied nobles.

At that moment, Xue Qinghe's expression darkened. She cursed these shameless women inwardly and could not help regretting bringing Wriothesley here.

She glanced sideways and secretly looked at Wriothesley, only to find not the slightest ripple on his face. Even his pupils did not flicker. It was truly surprising. This Duke was as steady as a mountain!

Come to think of it, that made sense. Sigewinne beside Wriothesley might not have been beautiful, but she was certainly adorable enough.

And Sigewinne was petite and soft, with those big eyes... it made one want to push her down.

Hehe, ehe~

Hmph!

Once she revealed her true face, she would be a thousand times prettier than these women.

"Um... Your Highness, the Crown Prince, Your Grace, the Duke, Miss Sigewinne—would the three of you like to wear masks?"

The hostess smiled faintly, her voice as gentle as morning light and exceptionally respectful. The auction house had a special procedure for such matters. Even Xue Ye would visit this place. The sole red private room had been meticulously reserved for him, shining with an inviolable splendor like that of a distinguished guest.

"Eh~ Are the masks on your faces supposed to look like this?" Sigewinne tilted her head slightly and pointed at the hostess's mask, curiosity glimmering in her eyes.

In Sigewinne's view, wearing a mask made almost no difference. It was like adding an unnecessary frame to an already perfect painting.

For the Melusine race, given their distinctive appearance, wearing a mask or not was practically the same.

"Yes."

Xue Qinghe did not answer immediately. Instead, she turned to Wriothesley and asked for his opinion.

The hostess immediately understood what Xue Qinghe meant and waited for Wriothesley to make his choice.

After taking a look, Wriothesley said softly, "Forget it."

Whether they wore them or not did not really matter. It was just for show, and with Sigewinne beside him, they would be recognized even if they put them on.

It was completely pointless!

"Please lead us to the auction hall!" The girl's sweet voice drifted through the air like a gentle breeze, immediately guiding the three of them into the mysterious and magnificent heart of the Heaven Dou Auction House.

The auction center was located on the second floor of the auction house, and the atmosphere was appropriately tense and excited. Eight staircases stood in the hall like stage lights, gleaming as they led toward the unknown. Here, nobles put on masks as though casting off the burdens in their hearts. Behind those masks, they became another version of themselves.

Along the way, they occasionally caught sight of masked nobles employing little tricks on the "female companions" beside them.

Those companions were almost all auction house staff. Faint smiles hung on their faces like blooming flowers, yet the light had long since vanished from their eyes.

Their gazes were like ice on a winter lake—still and without ripples. Their bodies remained alive, but their souls had long fallen silent.

Even if a noble paid to "redeem" them, they could not escape the fate of becoming playthings.

Time was merciless. One day, these young women in their prime would also face the helplessness of growing old, sinking into the abyss of being forgotten. Their fate might even be more miserable than remaining at the auction house. It was like a silent tragedy—heartbreaking, yet utterly unavoidable.

Though Sigewinne was kind-hearted, she had seen far too much of this sort of thing in the Meropide of old. She could not interfere, nor did she wish to.

In her eyes, this was humanity's own affair, not something others could control.

She would not pity them, because it was their own choice.

If it involved treating illnesses and saving lives, Sigewinne would extend her hands without hesitation.

But when it came to matters like these, she did not wish to interfere. It was not a question of kindness, but of choice.

Seeing this, Sigewinne could not help thinking of Meropide.

It was an underwater fortress that existed independently of the judicial system and governed itself.

It housed prisoners who had been judged and exiled, and it was also Fontaine's largest producer of clockwork mechanisms.

Commonly known as an underground assembly line.

Before saving someone, she would not ask what mistakes they had made. But after they recovered, they still had to obediently accept their punishment, okay? Praising her would not help!