As time passed, more and more people gathered in the hall, and it gradually became lively. Apart from the chattering of beautiful women, there were also a few handsome noblemen walking through the crowd. Of course, these noblemen weren't here for the Moonlight Perfume, but to hunt for beauties.
From time to time, there would be young ladies and noblewomen walking past Hallister. A few of the braver ones would even cast passionate glances at this ridiculously handsome man with blonde hair and blue eyes. However, Hallister only smiled back at them and did nothing else. If this were any other time, Hallister would have long since used his seductive methods to win over the beauties. But today, he definitely wouldn't do that.
Dong! An elven girl in a long dress stood on the stage and rang the small bell beside her. This signaled the start of the auction.
Hallister glanced at the door from the corner of his eye, but there was still no sign of Eva. His heart couldn't help but shrink. Is Eva not coming? With that thought in mind, he couldn't help but grip the armrest tightly.
Hallister's every move was seen by the bystanders. A faint smile appeared on Gail's face. He bent down and said naturally, "Young Master, the auction has just begun, hasn't it?"
Hallister was taken aback. He looked at Gail gratefully, but he wasn't as nervous as before. He propped up his chin with one hand and gently rested his other hand on the armrest. His slender fingers tapped on the armrest, making him look extremely relaxed. However, Hallister was laughing bitterly in his heart. I haven't been this nervous in years, right? I always prided myself on being a shrewd person, but when it came down to it, I became as nervous as a hothead. Humans were always like this. Once something became extremely important to them, even the slightest change in the situation would become extremely heart-wrenching.
Hallister suddenly remembered something his father had told him: the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Perhaps it was because he was too concerned about the aftermath of this matter. What was the point of thinking so much? Whether that dragon slayer could help him or not was still unknown. He just had to do what he was supposed to do, and that was enough. As for what would happen in the future, they could only wait and see.
Thinking of this, Hallister's attitude immediately changed. He no longer worried about his gains and losses. Instead, he regained his usual confidence. Even though Eva still hadn't appeared at this time, Hallister knew very well how obsessed women were with Moonlight Perfume.
You will definitely appear, my baby! Hallister thought to himself.
The atmosphere in the hall grew more and more heated. Eight bottles of Moonlight Perfume had already been auctioned off. Hallister had raised his sign a few times, but he hadn't been able to get one.
There were only two bottles left, and even though Hallister remained calm, his heart grew heavier and heavier.
"Three thousand gold coins! First time! "The elven girl on the stage raised the small hammer in her hand.
"Three thousand one hundred!" A gorgeous woman who had just arrived made a bid.
"Three thousand two hundred!" Another woman raised her card.
"Four thousand!" That gorgeous woman seemed determined to win.
At this time, a person wearing a cloak and whose face could not be seen clearly walked into the hall, but from the figure, it could be seen that this was a woman, and she had an excellent figure. An elven girl walked up to him and checked his invitation before silently retreating.
"Five thousand!" The gorgeous woman raised the sign in her hand high up and glanced at her competitor with slight contempt in her eyes.
The other side fell silent, clearly unwilling to spend any more money.
"Five thousand going once!" the elven girl on the stage shouted.
No one below the stage responded, and the gorgeous woman raised her head proudly.
"Five thousand going twice!"
"Six thousand!" The woman in the cloak suddenly raised her sign.
The crowd went into an uproar. After all, this was only a bottle of perfume. The previous eight bottles had sold for five thousand seven hundred, but this time, someone actually raised the price to six thousand.
"Seven thousand!" The gorgeous woman's expression became somewhat sinister, as if she couldn't bear being challenged.
The crowd immediately began to discuss. "Isn't this too ridiculous? Spending so much money on a bottle of perfume? "" What do you know? I heard that she's the person in charge of the Mercenary Association and Lawrence's lover … "
The cloaked woman's face was hidden in the darkness, and her expression could not be seen, but it was obvious that she had heard the discussions. After a moment of hesitation, she did not raise her sign again.
The gorgeous woman got her wish of obtaining the Moonlight Perfume, and before she left, she shot a threatening glance at the cloaked woman.
"Last bottle of Moonlight Perfume! Let the auction begin! "
The people below the stage began to raise their signs again. After all, this was the last bottle, and if they didn't buy it now, they would have to wait until next month.
Hallister looked around carefully, but there was no sign of Eva, so his gaze fell on the cloaked woman. If there was one person who was definitely in this hall, then it could only be this person.
"Is it her?" Gail asked beside Hallister's ear. After all, it was very unusual for someone to cover their face at night. There had to be a special reason for her to do so.
Hallister slowly shook his head. "Maybe, maybe not."
Gail was startled. "Then what should we do?"
Hallister sighed. "We can only take a gamble." He could only bet that the woman was Eva, because the dragon slayer would not have the patience to wait until next month's auction. If that happened, Hallister would be nothing more than a useless playboy to the dragon slayer, and he would be too ashamed to ask the dragon slayer for help.
"Three thousand!" A young girl leaning against a noble raised her sign.
"Four thousand!" The woman in the cloak raised her sign again.
The people below the stage all gasped. After all, not everyone could have a lover like the person in charge of the Mercenary Association. Looking at the mysterious woman's attitude, it seemed like she was going to raise the price even higher. She probably gave up just now because she knew that her wealth was no match for the gorgeous woman's.
"Four thousand and five hundred!" Hallister raised his sign with a smile.
"Five thousand!" The cloaked woman was Eva. At this moment, her heart was filled with anger. In the past, she could buy a bottle for around five thousand gold coins. She didn't expect to be so late today, and there were only two bottles left. Everyone knew that the competition would be fiercer towards the end. Eva had indeed backed off just now because she had seen that woman raise the bid to ten thousand gold coins to buy Moonlight Perfume. That was the most glorious moment in the history of Moonlight Perfume. Eva knew that she did not have the capital to compete with that crazy woman. The woman's money was given by men, while her own money was exchanged with her brother's blood and sweat.
"Five thousand and five hundred!" Since I'm going to gamble, I might as well go all out, Hallister thought bitterly. Either I get a chance to turn things around, or I'll be penniless and continue to live my life in a drunken stupor.
"Six thousand!" Eva gritted her teeth. This was the highest price she could pay. If she went any higher, she would not be able to explain it to her brother. This was a critical period. If she could exchange this money for magic crystals, the siblings might have a chance to survive.
"Six thousand and five hundred!" Hallister was still smiling, as if the money did not belong to him.
The audience, including Eva, fell into complete silence.
"Six thousand and five hundred going once!"
"Six thousand and five hundred going twice!"
"Six thousand and five hundred going thrice!"
"Deal! Congratulations, sir. This bottle of Moonlight Perfume belongs to you! " The elf on the stage was so excited that her face turned red. Six thousand and five hundred gold coins. This was definitely a result that would make anyone's jaw drop.
After paying the gold coins and receiving the perfume, Hallister, Gail, and the others walked out. At this time, the woman in the cloak happened to walk over from the side. Just as the two were about to reach out, Hallister suddenly yelped as if he had tripped over something and fell towards the woman. His left hand waved weakly in the air as if he was trying to catch something. It just so happened that it brushed past the woman's cloak. Hallister's finger lightly hooked, and the woman's cloak fell to the ground. Gail stepped forward and supported Hallister's body, preventing him from falling to the ground.
"What are you doing?!" The woman suddenly turned around and asked angrily.
Hallister was still in shock. With Gail's help, he stood up straight and glanced at the woman from the corner of his eyes. It really was Eva! He was very surprised, but he still put on an apologetic expression. "Please forgive my rudeness. Look, I didn't do it on purpose …"
At this point, Hallister's mouth suddenly gaped open. He stared at Eva, dumbfounded, as if he had seen something inconceivable.
"What's there to see?!" Eva was furious. First, the last bottle of Moonlight Perfume was stolen by this guy. Then, he almost hit her. If they were not in Isolated Cliff City, Eva would have already thrown a fireball at him.
"You … you … Impossible, impossible! Bernice … Bernice, you're not dead? "Hallister's face was pale as he stuttered incoherently.
"Am I dreaming? Tell me! Am I dreaming?! "Hallister grabbed Gail's hand without any of the elegance of a noble and kept asking.
Gail's eyes flashed. He had already understood Hallister's intention. He laughed in his heart. This kid was a little impatient, but his reaction was quite fast.
"Young Master! Don't be like this. Bernice is already dead! " Gail said sadly. Then, he bowed to Eva. "Please forgive my young master's rudeness. It's … it's because you look too much like my young master's fiancée who passed away."
Eva's anger gradually subsided. Looking at the infatuated look on the blonde youth's face, she knew how deep his love for his fiancée was. There was always a soft string in a woman's heart. Now, Eva felt that a part of her heart had been plucked. When she looked at this reckless youth again, he didn't seem as annoying as before.
With a different mindset, one's perspective on the same thing would change. Eva didn't hate Hallister as much anymore. At this moment, she realized that this blond young man was extraordinarily handsome. To be precise, he was much more handsome than any man Eva had ever met.
"Yes … Bernice is already dead. She will never come back …" Hallister woke up from his infatuation and said in a forlorn tone. He bowed deeply to Eva. "I'm really sorry. I hope you can forgive my rudeness."
After that, without waiting for Eva's reaction, he turned around and walked away in a daze. Before he left, he took a deep look at Eva. Grief, reluctance, confusion, and heartache — all kinds of emotions were vividly expressed in Hallister's eyes.
Looking at his lonely back, Eva's heart trembled for no reason. She almost wanted to ask him to stay. She didn't know why she had such a ridiculous thought, but it was very real in her heart at this moment.
Suddenly, Hallister stopped in his tracks and walked back to Eva. He took out the bottle of moonlight perfume that he had just bought and handed it to Eva with both hands. "Can you accept my apologies?"
Eva was stunned. "But … didn't you just buy this?"
"I don't need it anymore." Hallister shook his head. His brows were tightly knitted with sorrow. "Bernice loved this perfume, but she's already gone. She will never come back."
Eva finally understood. This man had bought this bottle of perfume to commemorate his late wife. Looking at the blond young man's furrowed brows, Eva couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She wanted to reach out and soothe his sorrow.
"You don't accept it?" Hallister shook his head in disappointment. "I really don't mean anything else. Please forgive my rudeness, but you look too much like Bernice. You look exactly the same. Please accept it for my Bernice."
Eva finally couldn't help but say, "If Bernice was still here, she wouldn't want to see you so sad right now."
Hallister's eyes lit up. "So you agree to accept it?"
Eva took the bottle of moonlight perfume with a bitter smile. "Can I refuse?"
"Thank you." Hallister seemed to have finally completed a long-cherished wish of many years. He let out a long sigh. "Your beauty is like the bright moon. Even the brilliant starry sky pales in comparison. I sincerely wish you a happy ending." After saying that, he walked out with Gail and the others without looking back.
"Wait a minute!" Eva shouted instinctively.
Hallister stopped and turned around. He looked at Eva strangely. "What's wrong? Is there something else? "
"I …" Eva suddenly didn't know what to say. She didn't even know why she had shouted those words.
Hallister stood there quietly, waiting for Eva to speak. He didn't seem to be impatient at all.
"I … I mean, you gave me such an expensive gift. I haven't even thanked you yet." Eva finally found an excellent excuse.
Hallister smiled warmly. "No matter how expensive the perfume is, it's just a decoration on you. You don't have to worry about it."
"Actually … I should invite you to my house, but … there's been some trouble at home these days. It's really inconvenient for you to come. I hope you don't mind." Eva said, a little embarrassed. It was reasonable for her to accept such an expensive gift. She should at least extend an invitation out of basic courtesy, even if it was just a simple dinner.
Manteco and Eva already knew that the dragon slayer had returned to Isolated Cliff City. Originally, Manteco was against Eva showing her face in public, but unfortunately, Eva's obsession with the Moonlight Perfume had reached a certain level. For her, life without the Moonlight Perfume was worse than death. In the end, Manteco couldn't dissuade Eva and had to allow her to come out. But because there were many more people in Isolated Cliff City who knew Manteco than Eva, Manteco didn't dare to show himself. He could only tell Eva to be careful before she left.
Eva was indeed careful. She used her cloak to cover her face the entire time. When Hallister touched her cloak, Eva was still wary of this blonde youth. Even when Hallister offered to give her the Moonlight Perfume, she still didn't let her guard down. If Hallister showed any intention of using this opportunity to get close to her, Eva would definitely keep him at arm's length.
On the contrary, after Eva accepted the perfume, Hallister turned around and left without hesitation. At this point, Eva finally let down her guard. This blonde youth really only wanted to give her the perfume for his deceased fiancée, and not harm her.
"Trouble?" Hallister asked in surprise. "Pardon me for asking, but is there anything I can do for you?"
Eva smiled and shook her head. "I appreciate your kindness, but this matter … forgive me for being blunt, but it's not something an ordinary person can solve." Seeing Hallister's displeased expression, Eva hurriedly added, "I don't mean to look down on you, but this matter is really … with your strength, it's best if you don't get involved."
Hallister looked deeply at Eva. "It's my honor to be of service to you. As for …" Hallister paused, then smiled. "Do you know my strength? Majordomo Gail, are there any powerful people in Isolated Cliff City? "
Gail said softly, "Here? Young Master, these are just a bunch of small mercenaries trying to make a living. "
Eva's expression changed slightly. She was a little disgusted. Although the old man's tone was gentle, and his expression was calm, his gaze was condescending. Small mercenaries? Eva sneered in her mind. That dragon slayer was also a mercenary. She wondered if this old man would still dare to speak like this in front of that dragon slayer.
At this moment, the crowd suddenly quieted down. A group of elves filed out from the back hall and walked straight toward Hallister. The elf in the lead was very ugly. Beautiful elves were not rare, but ugly elves were very rare. However, her ugliness was completely acquired. A long, diagonal scar extended from her forehead to her cheek, passing through her left eye. Her right eye was as clear and green as a lake, but her left eye was eerily empty and pale. There was no pupil in her left eye, which made one's heart go numb. There was a large patch of red on the right side of her face. One could even clearly see the twisted, pulsing muscles and blood vessels. Someone must have torn off a large piece of flesh from her face and didn't get it treated in time, so it left a horrible scar.
However, her expression was very calm, as if she didn't know her ugliness at all. She slowly walked in front of Hallister and bowed. "Young Master Ende, our elder wants to see you. May I ask …"
"I'm not in a good mood right now. Maybe another day." Before the elf could finish, Hallister rudely interrupted her.
"Excuse me." The elf wasn't annoyed by the rejection. Her gaze fell on Gail again, and she said softly, "Hello."
"Hello." Majordomo Gail solemnly returned the greeting.
"Please send my regards to the lord," the elf said with a smile.
Eva's expression changed drastically. In fact, the rules set by the elves were very strict. They only sold ten bottles of Moonlight Perfume every month. They encouraged people to compete with each other and make the most out of it. No one was a fool, so many people were dissatisfied with this rule. Some people once lost their bids and vented their anger on the elves, but they soon found out that they were wrong, very wrong.
It was all because of the existence of this elf! One of the two killing machines of Wild Willow City, the Great Elf Lydia! It was said that Lydia had become a tenth-grade ranger 150 years ago, and her current strength was even more unfathomable. In the battle with Black Raven City, Lydia was a powerful pillar of support for Wild Willow City against Zaguned. What was even more frightening was that Lydia had experienced countless battles in the past hundred years. She had long been trained to be as tough as iron. If someone really angered her, she would be even more ruthless than the brutal Zaguned.
What kind of person was worthy of an invitation from the Great Elf Lydia? Eva stared at Hallister, speechless.
A weak young noble was accompanied by a powerful figure that Lydia valued. Furthermore, the two guards behind the young noble were unfathomable as well. Without a doubt, Eva was certain that the young man in front of her was the heir of some big family. Otherwise, there was no way to explain the situation.
If I can get their help … Eva hesitated, but after weighing the pros and cons for a long time, she decided to go back and discuss it with her brother first.
"Young master, the elder of Wild Willow City wants to see you … I think it's better to meet him, otherwise …" Majordomo Gail stared at the back of the elf and softly advised.
"I said, I'm not in a good mood right now." Hallister appeared to be very willful. Of course, willfulness was a sign of immaturity, and immaturity often meant that one could be easily taken advantage of.
Eva bit her lips. She had finally made her decision …
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
