Only then did the Emperor smile with satisfaction. After briefly enjoying his vile sense of victory over his niece, he ordered irritably.

“Tie these women up well and throw them in prison. When my precious niece finishes the auction safely, we’ll decide then. Whether to kill or let them live.”

Embracing the half-dead nanny and maid, Aejean couldn’t stop her tears.

The moment several attendants rushed in to forcibly separate them, Netty, who barely regained consciousness, whispered rapidly in Aejean’s ear.

“……The sole blood of the great Emperor Razcal Turandeus. Only Your Highness is the hope to save Aisha…… You must not forget your pride, please.”

Netty’s completely hoarse voice sounded exactly like a dying wish.

Aejean collapsed without resistance before the devastating tragedy. She stayed awake all night in the terrible pain of her heart twisting.

The words “only Your Highness is the hope to save Aisha” were as insubstantial as an echo. When she couldn’t even save herself from the auction, how could she save the Empire? It was just a vain wish. Nothing but a fading legend.

Rather, what burned even hotter than the “pride” Netty urged was the desire for “revenge.”

The incompetent Emperor who usurped the throne and was bringing the Empire to ruin.

Not satisfied with that, the vile human even put the princess up for auction.

Cutting off her uncle’s breath was “the way to save Aisha” and the only path to repay this humiliation.

That night, Aejean prayed earnestly with clasped hands. She had no devout faith, so she had no holy heart either. Only a desperate voice filled with murderous intent echoed in the darkness.

“If I can only have revenge, I’ll give even my soul. I’ll grasp even the hand a demon offers without hesitation…… Send me a devil or Satan. O God, if you have even a shred of conscience, you must help me.”

Several days later, the reason Aejean walked obediently into the auction house wearing a bride’s dress was only one.

To save the lives of her nanny and maid held hostage.

※※※

Meanwhile, there was one more person suffering from the imperial tragedy besides Aejean.

Kaiden, Crown Prince of the Decan Empire, was engaged in a fierce struggle for the throne. He knew he had a chance of winning the fight only if he gained the support of the Grand Temple. Therefore, he decided to secure the saintess, a woman of divine oracle, and win over the Grand Temple.

Princess Aejean of the Aisha Empire, which bordered his nation, was a woman who fit the conditions of a saintess perfectly.

In other words, his decision to secure her was entirely rational.

Kaiden rode for three days and nights toward Aisha. It was such an urgent journey that even Pegasus, the famous horse that had entered battlefields like his own home, gasped for breath repeatedly.

Cold wind brushed past his sharp, blade-like nose. His blue cloak fluttered helplessly, but he rode with all his might. Finally, Kaiden crossed Aisha’s border with the faintly brightening dawn and headed to the auction house where the princess’s ransom would be negotiated before his travel fatigue could even fade.

“Wow…… look at that man.”

People on the street glanced at him and swallowed dryly. His beautiful appearance, unforgettable once seen, was enough to draw attention even in a foreign country.

A straight forehead with thick, vivid eyebrows, a nose bridge that extended refreshingly, and sharp eyes.

His beautiful yet masculine, sharp yet sturdy features created a breathtaking aura.

The sort of noble who seemed somewhat bored from being too perfect.

Kaiden, armed with intimidation throughout his body, was a man who didn’t fit the vulgar scenery of the market.

—If we fail to change the Grand Temple’s mind this time, it will be difficult to determine victory or defeat.

His confidants’ advice made sense. He must secure Aejean, the princess who would become Decan’s saintess—the only such woman. Strength entered Kaiden’s fist.

—If you fail to ascend the throne, Decan will fall into the whirlpool of war. The Empire’s people will burn in hellfire.

The loyal knight commander’s worry flashed through his mind. Kaiden’s steps quickened. Aisha’s sunlight shattered against the contours of his sharp face.

Shortly after, Kaiden found the auction house without difficulty. A bustling crowd had gathered, and they were all men.

“I sweated bullets getting the entrance fee. Let’s at least get a look at her face, hehe.”

Nobles who held grudges against Aejean’s father, idlers willing to pay an enormous entrance fee to witness a woman’s tragedy, nouveau riche who wanted to seize the trophy of a princess.

The men’s overwhelming excitement oozed damply into the smell of sweat. Kaiden frowned slightly as if smelling something foul.

Was Aejean a beautiful woman who would rank among the beauties of the century?

Unknown. Among those outside the imperial family, no one had actually seen Aejean’s face. Even high-ranking nobles who entered the palace rarely witnessed her.

Would possessing Princess Aejean earn one honorable treatment as the Empire’s consort?

Hardly. She was a woman appearing at an “auction,” no less. If she received such harsh treatment, even as a princess, she couldn’t claim ownership over a single stone in Aisha.

※※※

Whistling sounds and vulgar jokes mixed continuously, making the auction house as noisy as a marketplace.

“Now, now, let’s begin the auction. You all must know well about the rumored princess. A princess with a beautiful vessel crafted by a goddess but breathed upon by an evil witch! We present Aejean.”

After the attendant spoke in a dramatic tone and raised his hand, the velvet curtain covering the stage smoothly drew back, revealing Aejean wearing a veil……

“Ah……” Gasps poured out from here and there.

Though her face was covered by the veil, the figure visible beneath the thin dress was the pinnacle of mature curves. Moreover, the sight of both wrists bound by restraints was a blatant display that stimulated men’s desire for conquest down to the roots.

In this moment, Aejean was both bride and sinner, both goddess and witch.

“This current Emperor…… he really does what he’s told well.”

A moved smile hung on Federik Toilfranche’s lips. The Emperor was faithfully carrying out his request to hold an “auction denying Princess Aejean’s dignity.”

Revenge was sweet as honey, so Federik savored that pleasure slowly.

Several men jumped up from their seats, and some of them boldly approached the stage before being stopped by guards. Everyone stared at Aejean as if entranced. Blood rushed to their lower bodies in an instant due to her unexpected beauty.

The sensation of tightness pulling in the lower abdomen. A princess appreciated while feeling such beastly desires. Such a primitive sense of superiority.

In the men’s imaginations, Aejean was stripped, spread, penetrated, and made to cry several times over.

“10 paz!”

The moment Federik shouted in an arrogant manner, the auction betting began. Laughter burst out from all directions at the ridiculous amount of 10 paz.

Anxiety that she might not be able to plan for what came next assailed Aejean.

‘Once this vulgar auction ends, ownership of my body will pass into Federik’s hands.’

Aejean bit her lip hard enough to taste blood. If she survived, she would cut off her uncle’s lifeline by any means necessary.

“What the h*ll, Federik, you can’t even buy a hen with 10 paz. Pfft.”

A man who seemed not quite sober yet, swaying his head, placed his hand on Federik’s shoulder. Federik mercilessly swatted that hand away and pointed at Aejean with his chin.

“That b*tch is already mine. No matter how much I pay for her, I’ll treat her worse than a hen. I need to break her spirit in advance, don’t I? She needs to learn that her body’s worth starts at 10 paz.”

The eyes of the man whose hangover hadn’t cleared suddenly gleamed sinisterly. He lowered his voice in a somewhat more respectful manner.

“Hey, then later. Your hen…… no, that’s not right. That b*tch worth less than a hen. If she becomes your property. Can I play with her too?”

As a bonus, he slipped in a disgusting anecdote about how holes are really amazing—you can’t even tell after using them several times.

Federik scratched his temple in annoyance then spat out as if doing a favor.

“……Depends on how you do.”

The men’s eyes were damp like moss holding moisture, soaked in the superiority of mocking a princess. Sticky gazes followed her meticulously as if licking down her entire body.

Receiving all of those without exception, Aejean barely swallowed the nausea that surged up. Under the increasingly heated atmosphere, despair cast over Aejean’s features. The men stomped their feet and shouted, excreting mockery with one mind.

“Even when buying a mere slave, we check the number of teeth, so we need to see Her Highness’s face to make the auction worthwhile.”

“Please remove the veil. Show us your beautiful face!”

Aejean clenched her fists so hard her nails dug into her palms and murmured. The sad incantation “it’s okay” flowed out softly.

“It’s okay. Just think of Netty and Milla. If I survive, they survive too.”

Amid the recklessly spouted insults, Aejean worried only about her servants’ life and death. Right now she needed the will to save them, the courage not to succumb to fear.

The attendant, flustered at being unable to quiet the commotion, rushed to center stage and hesitantly whispered to Aejean. His attitude showed he knew well he was making a shameless request.

“Um…… Your Highness, I apologize, but…… you must show your face……”

Aejean tugged the edge of the veil with an indifferent touch.

Rustle.

As the white veil fell helplessly to the floor, the hall became as quiet as if cold water had been poured over it.

The reason the Aisha Empire put the princess up for auction was clearly for money. She was a beautiful trophy worth buying even at a fortune without regret.

Black hair like ebony and black eyes at that—this rare combination!

Originally, auctions were places to present beautiful and rare things, and in that respect, Aejean’s qualities were perfection itself.

When someone muttered, “Someone’s going bankrupt today, aren’t they?” several nodded in agreement.

Opposite to the men’s heat, Aejean’s gorgeous features gave off a light as cool as midwinter. But she didn’t realize that even her eyes glaring coldly at the audience were the pinnacle of fascination.