FVB - Chapter 70

Theo leisurely entered the amount using the button in front of his seat: 1,000 gold. Considering that 1 gold was roughly equivalent to 100,000 won, it wasn't an astronomical sum given the nobles' tendency to splurge on art. 

However, it was definitely excessive for a new artist's painting. Even without any competition, it was the most expensive item donated so far. Everyone, including the host, applauded Theo's generous contribution.

"It seems the painting has returned to its rightful owner, which makes me feel so proud. Now, for the next donation item!"

I have to see that painting up close later! It'll look even better up close, right?! Excited, I turned to Theo, but he still had a sulky look on his face. 

Seriously, is he still pouting?! I thought he was over it since he stroked my back and bought the painting of me, but I guess I was wrong. Unbelievable...

The feather I donated was presented last. Since it was more of a charity event than an auction, people had been participating in a friendly atmosphere without much competition. 

But as soon as they saw my feather, they raised their paddles and started shouting out bids without even lowering them. 

Some even dropped their paddles and waved their hands in the air. I was the only one taken aback by the sudden change in atmosphere; the host calmly handled the situation.

Eventually, it became less of an auction and more of a situation where the host would roughly raise the price, and people would lower their paddles if they gave up. 

Despite this, the price skyrocketed. I wondered if I had accidentally given them a toe or something, so I looked closely again, but it was definitely just a feather.

So that's why the Baron ran away as soon as he received the feather! I had a feeling I had caused quite a stir. 

The bids, which had been soaring endlessly, finally stopped at 100,000 gold, and only one person remained with their paddle raised. He was a plump man with a large beard, and he looked very wealthy.

"If there are no more bidders, I will announce the final bid three times and conclude the auction!"

People were murmuring that the auction was ending at this price because many financially well-off high-ranking nobles hadn't attended today, implying that the price could have gone even higher. Had I dropped a bomb on a peaceful charity event? A chill ran down my spine.

Just as I was relieved that it was ending at this level, Theo suddenly pressed the button and entered an amount. He was too quick for me to stop him.

"Uh... 200,000 gold..."

The host, who had been calm throughout, trailed off for the first time. Whether I turned to him with a shocked expression or not, Theo showed no intention of canceling. 

The man who had been holding up his paddle hesitated for a moment, then called out 250,000 gold. Theo didn't care and entered another amount.

"...500,000 gold..."

With such audacity, doubling the previous bid as if he would never let the feather go, the man finally lowered his paddle with a pathetic look on his face. Wait, is he crying? His eyes are glistening...

In the end, the winner of my feather was Theo, the man who lived right next to the feather-producer.

***

After the auction, we were heading out for dinner, so we were traveling in a carriage. However, the atmosphere was still gloomy. Theo was still upset. 

Could it be because of the feather...? Or because he bought my feather for too much? No, if that were the case, he shouldn't have bought it in the first place, right?

I watched Theo, who was sitting across from me but kept his gaze fixed on the window. Eventually, I moved to sit next to him. He still didn't look at me, so I cautiously reached out and took his hand. Only then did he finally turn to me.

"Are you mad because I gave away a feather? But it grows back quickly, so that's why I gave it away..."

"I'm not mad, just disappointed. I know that it's just one of many feathers to you, and I know that you gave it away without much thought. But I'm still disappointed."

"Why are you disappointed?"

"To Shuian, I am the only one, the special one. So, every single feather belongs to me. It feels wasteful to give it to others.”

No, why is it yours? It's obviously my feather. But seeing him lower his eyebrows and sigh deeply as if he was truly disappointed softened my heart.

"Then should I not give it to anyone in the future? Except during subjugation. I can't help it then."

"Yes, it's all mine, so I should be the only one to have it."

I flinched at his intense gaze. So... this is still about the feather, right? I nodded vaguely.

"Okay... it's all yours, Theo."

He seemed to feel a little better after I reaffirmed it, but Theo was still in a bad mood. It's like raising a child... I pondered for a moment, looking at Theo's sulky face, and then wrapped my arms around his waist. 

His lips seemed to twitch for a moment as he hugged me back, but it still didn't work. Wait, is he pretending to be upset?

I narrowed my eyes, and Theo turned his gaze back to the window. Seriously, even a hug isn't enough? This is a first... Does that mean he's really upset? Feeling restless, I decided to take drastic measures. Well, I have no choice.

I waited for the right moment, then suddenly lifted my butt slightly and pressed my lips to his cheek before quickly pulling away.

Smooch-!

The kissing sound seemed especially loud because the carriage was quiet. My ears burned with embarrassment, but I comforted myself by saying that it wasn't much different from what Theo did. 

Yeah, Theo kisses me like it's a habit. He hasn't gone a day without doing it, so what's the big deal if I do it first! Actually, it was a big deal, but thinking that way was the best I could do.

But Theo seemed genuinely surprised, staring down at me blankly with his mouth open. He was even covering the spot where I had kissed him with his hand; anyone would think I had slapped him. Seriously, is it that shocking...?

The silence stretched out, making me feel awkward. Just as I was about to say something, Theo suddenly lifted me onto his lap and started covering my face with kisses.

"Ugh, stop! My feathers, no, my face is getting wet!"

Whether I struggled or not, Theo didn't let me go until he had kissed every inch of my face. I quickly moved to the opposite side of Theo and wiped my face with my sleeve. Seriously, isn't this what they mean by "raining kisses"?

Unlike before, I was now the one in a bad mood. I pouted and fixed my gaze on the window. Whether I was sulking or not, Theo looked completely cheerful. I'm never kissing him first again. I’m completely damp…

Then, in the distance, I vaguely saw a large, white building come into view.

"Theo, what's that? The big, white building."

"You must be referring to the Vita Order's temple. It has a large influence within the empire, so its temple is larger than other orders."

A temple... It would be a lie to say that I wasn't intrigued. Maybe I could stop by for a casual look and, if I was lucky, find something out? Before I could ask anything more, Theo closed the window on the side where the temple was visible and opened the window on the opposite side.

"Look over there. It's the clock tower in the square. There are many restaurants and dating spots nearby for couples..."

He was clearly trying to divert my attention, as I had seen it during our last outing, but I nodded vaguely. Well, maybe it's just my imagination. What reason would he have to change the subject now?

***

The first thing Ricardo did after receiving command regarding the black magician's human experimentation was to mobilize mages to track the magical energy. 

Since there were no clues immediately available, he thought that finding the laboratory where the experiments were taking place was the priority. 

Experiments conducted by black magicians inevitably generate demonic energy, so he expected that tracking the demonic energy would lead them to even an abandoned laboratory.

First, he compiled the information he received from the Emperor and tracked the demonic energy around the area where the chimera had appeared. 

awww He also divided the Imperial Guard troops and conducted searches separately from the mages.

Several days later, they succeeded in finding an empty laboratory. The evidence they found consisted only of the corpses of demonic beasts abandoned inside the facility, unidentified debris, and some research materials that seemed to have been discarded because they were unimportant. However, it was enough to prove that human experimentation had been conducted there.

The next laboratory they found was also already closed, so there were no particular gains. It was clear that it had been used until recently, judging from the remaining demonic energy, but they seemed to be constantly moving the laboratory, whether to avoid being tracked or for some other reason.

The third laboratory they found was also a dead end, but this time they discovered an assistant of the black magicians lurking nearby. He had been hiding nearby, unable to escape, and was discovered by the knights. At the time of discovery, he actually looked relieved. He was currently in custody, of course.

"How will you interrogate him?"

"I will do it myself."

The knight couldn't hide his surprise. The First Prince, who had always shown a gentle and generous demeanor, was going to conduct the interrogation himself, which seemed quite out of character. 

However, Ricardo felt pressured to make this a success, so he was willing to do whatever it took, including interrogation. More than anything, he wanted to avoid Theodor getting an opportunity because of his failure.

"How is he?"

"He seems very anxious, unable to stay still."

Seeing that he was terrified even though he had only been locked up without any torture or threats, it was clear that he was a weak-willed person. 

On the other hand, it was questionable how someone with such a disposition had even thought of becoming an assistant to a black magician.

Could he be a spy? If he was a spy who had received separate orders from the black magicians, his excessive fear could be somewhat understandable. The fact that he was caught so easily was also suspicious.

Whatever the case, the answer would come out if he was questioned. After pondering for a moment, Ricardo said to the knight.

"The questioning will have to be postponed for a few days. I will investigate a little more."

He couldn't inflict harsh torture on someone who was just an assistant, not a black magician. It was important to resolve this incident well, but it was also important to maintain his widely known image. 

Apart from his legitimacy or level of power, there were quite a few nobles who supported Ricardo as the Crown Prince, concerned about Theodor's violent and impetuous nature.

Leaving him alone to consume his mental strength for a few more days was not a bad choice. Since he was already anxious, he would imagine the worst-case scenario on his own and drive himself into a corner. 

Most of human fear stemmed from imagination. It was clear that it would be more efficient to question him when he was willing to say anything to get it over with.

When he reached that point, Ricardo swallowed a sneer. Even though he had learned a lot from the Empress, there were no subtle methods among them, so in the end, all he could do was this. 

Was it possible that the reason he had been able to be a gentle and kind prince was because nothing had ever passed through his hands?

Ricardo suddenly recalled something Ariel had said to him in the past.

'Ricardo, you are a truly warm and kind person.'

Was I a warm and kind person? Perhaps the person who deserved Ariel's bright smile didn't exist. He no longer knew exactly what kind of person he was.

He suddenly felt suffocated, as if he couldn't move forward or go back. So, he wanted to see Ariel even more.