She was a fallen angel. She had a slender, athletic body, fair skin, and black wings that folded behind her back. Her dark hair, streaked with silver, reached down to the middle of her back.
Her amber eyes were sharp, always alert, and her movements carried a discipline that betrayed her celestial origin.
Looking into Taylor's eyes a brilliant blood red, she spoke in an evenly cold voice "It's a pleasure to meet the heir of House Flame as well"
Taylor said nothing and resumed walking toward his room, accompanied by the servant.
Once they were far enough, the girl's friend spoke in a trembling whisper "Has he gone? Can I open my eyes, Bianca?"
Bianca sighed in exasperation "Yes, he's gone, Princess Rose."
Rose opened her eyes and, seeing a group of girls with hostile expressions in front of her, asked in confusion, "Why are they looking at us like that? Did they recognize me and are jealous that they couldn't accompany me to the auction?".
Bianca didn't answer, focusing on something else "Who was that earlier, the one who scared you so much?".
The group, who had overheard even in low voice, immediately burst into shouts "I can't believe it, the person Taylor greeted is so rude"
"Yeah, what an ignorant girl, I bet Taylor mistook her for someone else" added another, before they all returned to their room, murmuring among themselves.
Rose sensed the tension and understood the reason for their hostility. With a sigh, she said "Sometimes ignorance is truly a blessing".
Then she entered the room further ahead together with Bianca.
Sitting in the comfortable armchair in the room, Rose answered Bianca's question "The boy,in this case, Taylor Flame. As you've seen, he's extremely popular. His commercial and military influence spans all nine continents. In short, if he wanted to, he could purchase enough land across the continents and deploy troops to invade half the world."
Hearing this shocking information, Bianca asked in confusion "The higher-ups, don't they do anything?"
Rose replied with a sarcastic tone "They can't do anything, and there's a specific reason for their hesitation. Though I can't know it myself, since I'm just a princess they consider immature."
Bianca didn't press further, but she felt a certain unease at the thought that someone like him had already approached her.
Rose then added with a sigh "I suggest you be careful around him. The reason I fear him so much is that my older brother, the next in line for succession, always told me not to provoke him or stay too close to him. Aside from that, I wouldn't go near such a dangerous person, not even if I were offered the crown."
In the end, the two changed the subject and began talking about the items they expected to see at the auction.
In another room, Taylor sat in an armchair, sipping apple juice as he watched the auction about to begin through the glass window.
The auction started, and various items were presented. Everyone seemed to enjoy observing the goods on display; even Rose and Bianca looked satisfied.
Yet, among all of it, Taylor saw nothing that caught his interest. With an impatient tone, he said, "When will this display of trash end? I'd like to focus on my next move with my second star."
At that very moment, the door to his room opened. With a cold voice, he asked, "Nyssa, how did it go?"
Nyssa replied respectfully, "Sir, I took care of almost everyone, but some seemed to have protection from the four strongest continents. I was able to retreat only thanks to the crystal."
Taylor answered indifferently, "Alright. Stabilize your advancement, and we'll discuss it when we return."
Behind him, Nyssa nodded silently and closed her eyes, remaining standing as if blocking out the world around her.
The auction concluded with its final item. On the stage, five rings were presented, forged from one of the hardest materials in existence.
Each of them possessed two effects: the first allowed the wearer to instantly sense if another bearer of the same type of ring was in danger; the second allowed the object to transform into any shape the owner's imagination could conceive.
The price quickly rose to one million and five thousand.
The man who was about to win the rings was ecstatic, already convinced they were his. But in the quiet of another VIP room, a sudden offer arrived: twenty million.
Not wanting to let such a precious item slip away, the man frantically pressed the sphere, raising the bid to twenty-two million.
Yet one instant later, from the same mysterious room, another offer appeared.
Thirty million.
With that number, every hope in the other VIP rooms shattered. No one could compete anymore.
Taylor was sleeping in the VIP room, his breathing slow and steady.
Beside him, Nyssa sat composed, her gaze fixed on the sphere displaying the winning offer.
After a moment of silence, she said "Sir, said the budget limit for the rings was one hundred fifty million gold, yet we won with only thirty million. I suppose this is the difference he mentioned between the Flame household and the other people on this island."
In another VIP room, Rose declared with absolute certainty, "I bet Taylor bought that ring."
Bianca looked at her with a doubtful expression "How can you be so sure?"
Rose let out a soft laugh "Do you really think anyone else could throw out that kind of money in one go? Even everything we've gathered totals barely twelve million".
Bianca fell silent at that answer, then grabbed a drink from the table to cool herself, adding nothing more.
They knocked on the door. From behind the wood came a respectful voice "Young master Taylor Flame has sent a gift for Duchess Bianca."
Rose and Bianca exchanged a quick glance, a tense silence that lasted only a couple of heartbeats. Then Rose turned toward the entrance "You may come in."
The door creaked open slightly. The servant stepped forward, keeping his gaze low as he handed over a small, finely decorated box. Inside, cushioned by velvet lining, a ring sparkled.
After delivering the gift, the servant bowed and quietly withdrew.
Rose felt a twinge of envy, staring at the beautiful ring before her, unable to wear it.
"You can keep it" Bianca said suddenly "I've already taken everything I wanted, it should arrive soon."
At that moment, someone knocked, announcing the arrival of their belongings.
Rose and Bianca completed the payment and added an extra amount for delivery to their villas.
Rose looked at the ring on her finger and murmured wistfully, "Are you sure I can take something so precious, that was meant for you?"
Bianca chuckled lightly "You should worry about yourself. What do you think would happen if Taylor found out you were wearing a gift meant for me?"
Rose went pale instantly, but she didn't remove the ring "We'll be together for all the time we spend here. I'm sure that if you were in danger, I'd be in danger too."
As they stepped out the door, by a strange coincidence, they ran into Taylor and Nyssa.
Rose stiffened immediately, feeling her heart race with a panic she had never experienced before.
But Taylor only cast a quick glance in their direction before continuing toward the auction exit.
Once they were far enough away, Rose let out a sigh of relief "Do you think he didn't notice?"
Bianca sighed, walking toward the exit "A ring this sparkling and rare, it's not something you can ignore, even if you want to."
Rose followed, remaining silent, as if she had resigned herself to her fate.
Taylor had already left for his villa, while Nyssa explained the situation she had encountered, sharing information about the various races involved.