Rosette, who had chased after Haren, returned fuming.

“What did you talk about with Lord Haren?”
“Nothing much.”

The news that Sebastian was going to trial was a relief for me.

Feeling at ease and ready to move on to the next task, I took a light step forward, but Rosette grabbed my arm tightly.

“Are you ignoring me right now?”
“Yes.”
“What?”

Rosette’s sharp voice rose endlessly.

“Did you just say you’re ignoring me? Are you looking down on me because I’m not Father’s real daughter?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t you remember what Mother said? Even if I don’t share Father’s blood, I’m still his daughter. I’m Rosette Leon.”

Rosette was so angry that veins were bulging on her forehead.

Bringing up this talk about bloodlines and strongly asserting that she was Rosette Leon made it clear she had some kind of inferiority complex. She seemed to think that the reason she was being looked down on was because she wasn’t the Count’s biological daughter.

“So what?”
“So, you shouldn’t look down on me. I’m your older sister.”
“I’m ignoring you because you’re asking about things you don’t need to know. Not because you’re not Father’s daughter.”
“What did you just say? If you treated me like your older sister, you wouldn’t do that.”
“You’ve never treated me like your younger sister either.”
“……”

No response.

‘If she thought about her own actions, she wouldn’t be able to say things like that.’

What kind of older sister behaves like that toward her younger sibling?

“Now, can you let go of me?”

When I shook off Rosette’s hand, her grip loosened, and her hand dropped weakly.

“If you keep acting so selfishly, no one will like you. Look at Father—he must have found you so unbearable that he remarried. He needed a family that wasn’t you.”

Honestly, wasn’t she tired of this? Why did every conversation end with “No one will love you”?

This gaslighting was exhausting. Whether others liked me or not might have mattered to Espin, but it didn’t matter to me at all.

In a world where you couldn’t trust anyone, why would their love even matter?

That kind of love? I could live without it.

“You’d better introduce me to Lord Haren while I’m still being nice. Otherwise, I’ll tell Father everything about the real you.”

“Sure, go ahead. Good luck.”

Knowing full well that she would never dare say anything to Father, I walked past her and headed to my room. Behind me, I could hear Rosette shouting in anger.

***

“Lady?”

When I arrived at the former house of Melchaski, now the Viscount’s business venue, with the invitation from the Duchess of the Ameron Ducal Family, the Viscount greeted me with a friendly smile.

“I’ve heard about you from the Duchess of the Ameron Ducal Family. Please, come in.”

The inside of the mansion, decorated like a salon, was already bustling with several noblewomen.

“Haha, even though this is a secret auction, so many people have come.”

The Viscount proudly gestured to the seated noblewomen. Their eyes sparkled with the desire to possess artwork that was difficult to obtain.

And among them, far off in the distance, was Robert with his silver hair.

“Please, have a seat here. The auction for the paintings will begin shortly.”

After I sat in the seat he guided me to, he soon brought out a painting covered with a cloth.

“We’re sorting through Melchaski’s paintings and presenting them one at a time, but we ask for your understanding as this process takes time.”

The Viscount maintained a polite demeanor, his smile never fading. His eyes, however, darted around, assessing who might be willing to spend the most money.

“To be honest, we can’t guarantee whether there will be more of Melchaski’s works in the future or not, so we’re unsure about what lies ahead.”

Hearing that this might be the last chance, people leaned forward in their seats.

In the book, there were more than ten families who fell victim to this Viscount’s schemes, so even though he would hold at least eight more auctions, he was using this tactic to extract as much money as possible.

By suggesting that these might be works people could never obtain again, he was fueling their competitive spirits.

“The painting we’re introducing today appears to be the last work Melchaski left behind before his death. Although it’s an unfinished piece, its significance as his final work gives it immense value.”

The cloth covering the painting was removed, revealing an incomplete artwork.

A red figure stood out against an unfinished black background.

The painting, which was less impressive than expected, caused a slight stir among the audience.

Yet the Viscount, undeterred by the reaction, continued his explanation with a smile.

“This painting portrays Melchaski’s fear and dread of death, as well as his resolve to overcome it. The large black wave represents the looming death, and the red figure in the center depicts Melchaski’s stance as he faced it.”

As expected, the interpretation was more powerful than the artwork itself.

With the Viscount’s eloquent words, the audience’s expressions shifted from disappointment to admiration.

“Oh, how wonderful.”
“As expected of Melchaski. The painting is truly remarkable.”
“You can clearly feel the emotions of a genius facing death.”
“This will become a masterpiece in the future.”

In an instant, the public opinion turned.

“Now, let’s begin the auction.”

Robert’s gaze turned to me. His eyes silently asked whether I intended to participate. I shook my head.

I had no intention of participating in today’s auction. I was only here to observe how the auction worked.

“We’ll start at 1,000 litas.”

At the Viscount’s words, people quickly raised their paddles.

“1,000.”
“2,000.”
“3,000.”

The numbers rose rapidly, soon surpassing 100,000.

“100,000. From now on, we’ll proceed in increments of 10,000.”
“180,000, 190,000, 200,000.”

The price quickly reached the amount the Duchess of the Ameron Ducal Family had paid for her painting, and the Viscount could barely hide his excitement as the bids climbed even higher.

Though the number of bidders decreased, the competition for the painting continued.
“240,000. Any higher bids?”

At that moment, someone else raised their hand.

“250,000.”

The Viscount scanned the room. By now, most people had put down their paddles.

He gave subtle glances to those who were still hesitating, but they avoided his gaze, unwilling to bid more at such a high price.

“Then, sold for 250,000.”

The Viscount’s voice echoed.

Even though it was an expensive bid, the buyer enthusiastically walked over to inspect their newly acquired painting, while those who didn’t win left with regretful steps.

“You’ve made an excellent choice, Madam.”
“Do you think so? It’s a bit burdensome given the price.”
“Not at all. Once all of Melchaski’s paintings are revealed, their value will increase tenfold. By then, you won’t be able to acquire them even if you want to.”
“Really?”
“Yes, madam. Do you know how much the Imperial Family paid for a Melchaski painting 50 years ago? 500,000 Litas.”
“500,000 Litas back then…”
“That would be worth more than 1,000,000 Litas today.”

The lady who had won the bid seemed to be in a state of ecstasy, her eyes sparkling with delight.

As I was observing them, someone passed by me. That person lightly tapped me on the shoulder.

“It’s a truly beautiful painting.”

Robert, who had tapped my shoulder as he passed, approached the group and gave me a subtle glance.

“Oh, Count Kidne! Are you also interested in paintings?”
“Haha, of course. But finding this painting was truly a stroke of luck.”
“Isn’t it? Who would have thought that a Melchaski painting would be hanging in the house I happened to buy?”

At the Viscount’s words, Robert and I instinctively tilted our heads in confusion.