"Amelia, you're late."
"Sorry. I had something to take care of."
The black market was more crowded than usual. Since it was the last day of the auction—the day when the truly valuable items appeared—nobles from every corner had gathered in droves.
"Alice, are you looking to buy something?"
"I don't know. Not really."
In truth, Alice wasn't there because she wanted to be. She was simply following her father's wishes as the head of the family.
"They're all nobles…"
Alice muttered under her breath with a faint sigh. Even behind their masks, their every gesture—the way they walked, the way they swirled their wine glasses—was unmistakably aristocratic.
"It's impossible for vagabonds to afford anything here," Amelia replied, watching the crowd with her usual calm poise. She reached for a glass of sparkling drink from a passing servant, moving as though she had done this a hundred times before.
