Being Cruel Empress
33. Auction House

Winter meets Carlos in front of Baron Rosaro. Carlos thinks Winter's not coming, because Winter's too late. Winter apologizes, saying he had to put Ellena to bed first and could only leave secretly.

"You mean, Your Majesty the Empress won't let you go?" ask Carlos.

"Yes, that's it. I don't know what made him suddenly like that. Strange, he doesn't seem to like me very much. He was indifferent to me before" Winter said.

"The heart of a man who knows. Aren't you glad that His Highness Parmaisuri behaved like that?" carlos Goda.

"That's it. Don't tease me. Just report what you got?" ask Winter.

"As you said, In the Baron's house there was indeed someone who visited. He was visiting with two other people, probably right-handers and bodyguards" Carlos said.

"Hm, so. All right, you can go. I saw that someone was waiting for you at the Grand Duke's residence. Ahemmm. .. I'm not gonna interfere, but I hope you're not playing Ellena's favorite lady-in-waiting, Carl" Winter said.

Carlos was shocked, "Your Majesty, don't talk recklessly. Janette and I have no relationship. You don't make me look like a bad guy" Carlos replied.

"Yes, yeah, yeah. I-i understand. Go there," Winter said.

Carlos asked, is it okay Winter is alone? Winter replied, she is fine. Asking Carlos not to worry and immediately go to see Janette. Carlos said goodbye and left.

Fearing for Winter's safety, Carlos asks the two secret bodyguards he had been with, keeping Winter in secret. The two secret guards accepted Carlos's request. And finally Carlos really left the residence of Baron Rosaro.

Winter keeps a distance from the Baron's residence. He knew the Baron must have installed protective magic around his residence that would be activated immediately if there was an intruder. Winter doesn't want to be caught watching Sebastian in Winter's residence, so he lurks from afar. He went up to the top of the tree, because from the top of the tree everything was clearly visible.

Winter watches for a while, until he sees three strangers leaving the Barons. The three of them took a horse-drawn carriage. Winter thinks one of the three men is Sebastian. He was suspicious of the middle-aged man with pitch-black hair. The same hair as his father's hair and his hair.

"Not wrong anymore. It must be Sebastian." Inner Winter.

As soon as the horse-drawn carriage moved, Winter directly descended from the top of the tree and climbed onto the back of his horse. He followed a horse-drawn carriage that walked towards the market.

***

Winter drove his horse slowly and stopped the pace of his horse. He got off the horse, put his horse into the daycare in the market. He saw a horse carriage stop at a house. Winter idly asked the owner of the horse care, about the place the horse carriage came to. And the horse care owner replied, if it was an auction house. The owner of the daycare added, if he hears there are good and rare items that will be auctioned that night.

Winter gave the custody owner a gold coin. He asked the man to look after his beloved horse, and thanked him for the information provided. The man hugged the bag of money tightly and bred Winter's request.

Winter's leaving soon. He walked towards the auction house. He walked in like most people would want to come in. The guard gave her a mask, Winter received the mask and immediately put it on. He gave her a bag of gold and whispered something. Apparently Winter wanted to be escorted to a special VIP room. The guard escorted Winter straight away, and served Winter well.

"I heard there's a lot of stuff coming tonight. Is true?" ask Winter.

"Yes, Sir. The owner of the auction seemed to be getting special items," the guard replied.

Winter is welcome to enter a room. Apparently it was a VIP room where the upper class nobles gathered. Winter was offered a waiter, whether to sit in the front seat or in the back. Winter picked the corner spot in the back. Because the shape of the place is arranged like a ladder, Winter can see the entire room even though sitting in the very back.

"Do you need anything else, sir?" ask waiter. The waiter also gave Winter a number board.

"No, thank you for sending me" Winter replied.

The waiter bowed and immediately left. Winter silently looked around. He searches for Sebastian and the two who are with Sebastian. Winter remembers Sebastian's clothes, so he looks for someone with similar clothes, but is nowhere to be found. Until suddenly the door of the room opened, one man wore a mask, and the other two did not. Winter saw that the masked man's clothes were exactly the same as Sebastian's. And Sebastian was sitting in front not far from him. Because Winter was wearing ordinary clothes and wearing a robe with her hood, Sebastian obviously didn't know it was Winter. Winter wears a mask.

The auction event began. The first item sold high. The second and third to fifth items also sold at high prices. Winter was curious, what item was said to be special. Looking at the first item until the last item all just ordinary baramg according to him.

It was only when the host mentioned the sixth auction item that Winter gasped in shock, as the item being sold was a female slave. The host blatantly said, if the slave is the daughter of a bankrupt businessman. Because his father lost the gamble, the girl was sold.

"Damn it! they may trade for human beings in my territory. I won't spare them, "inner Winter.

Winter enlists the help of a man beside her to buy the girl, and is the one who will pay the money. He just borrowed a name and a number board from someone beside him. It turns out not only slaves. The auction house was selling monsters up to medicinal ingredients like the ones he had obtained from the other side to give to Erwan and Catharina. Winter enlists the help of several other people buying everything that's being sold. Meksi did not know to be flanked, Winter could not take off items that could be used as evidence just like that. After the auction, Winter paid everyone she asked for help and thanked them. He said he would send people to pay the amount of money they spent to buy auction items and would pay double the auction price. All agreed, and each of the men left except for Winter. Winter waits for Sebastian to make a move because he wants to follow.

Sebastian chatted with his subordinates, faintly he heard the conversation of the two. Winter widened his eyes, knowing what they were talking about. It turns out Sebastian is the one who sells slaves, monsters to illegal drugs. Sebastian claimed it took a lot of money to be able to recruit mercenaries and storm the Imperial palace.