"50 Trillion."
The number hung in the air, a cosmic hammer blow that silenced the entire auction hall.
".....?!!!"
The collective gasp was audible. Everyone from the low-level nobles to the most powerful rulers shifted in their seats, their expressions a mixture of shock and disbelief.
"Does this king know the value of money?" someone whispered, the hushed tone barely concealing a sense of awe.
Matilda turned to Sunny. "Are you really that wealthy?" she asked, her voice laced with a dangerous skepticism.
Sunny scoffed, a flicker of a smile on his lips:
"Are you backing down?" he retorted, his eyes holding hers with a playful challenge.
A soft chuckle escaped Matilda.
"This is the supreme auction. If you can't back up the money you're bidding, you'll be banned for life. Not even your five generations will be able to enter." Her words were a warning, a final chance for Sunny to retract his outrageous bid.
