"Sold to Patron Sixty-Nine!"
THWACK.
The gavel struck the podium with finality.
It was over.
The entire hall erupted into murmurs. From somewhere behind me, I caught fragments of someone cursing themselves bitterly.
"If only I had spent more carefully, that child would have been mine..."
But this victory felt different from anything I had experienced before. This wasn't about conquest or profit. This was something else entirely.
I exhaled deeply, releasing tension I didn't realize I had been holding.
Then I turned to address the important matter. The mysterious woman beside me.
Patron Sixty-Eight. The one who carried herself with the heavy elegance of nobility and the cold authority of someone who commanded empires.
"I..." My voice came out rougher than intended. I cleared my throat and tried again. "I can't pay you back right now. But if you give me time, I will return every single coin. All of it. With interest."
