Chapter 5: The Price (Part 2)
Count Juno still hadn’t placed a bid. He planned to wait until June 30th to make his move. As time passed, the price of these three stone sculptures crept upward slowly. Since works by master stone carvers were typically worth around 1,000 gold coins, the price increase for these three pieces slowed down as they approached that range.
500 gold coins, 510 gold coins, 515 gold coins…
The bids rose sluggishly. Even by June 29th, the price had only reached 625 gold coins.
June 30th.
On this day, Count Juno was unusually absent in the morning. He waited until evening to come, because the Proulx Guildhall stayed open until midnight every night. Linley’s three stone sculptures would also be taken down only after midnight passed.
“Yesterday’s bid was 625 gold coins. I’ll wait until the very end to bid.” Count Juno smiled as he walked over to stand beside the three sculptures.
“900 gold coins? Which idiot bid that!” Count Juno’s heart erupted in silent fury the moment he saw the price.
Just yesterday, the bid had been a mere 625 gold coins. Now it had shot up to this. Though rage boiled within him, Count Juno had no choice but to accept it. He decided to wait here patiently. After a long while, he looked up at the clock hanging on the wall.
“It’s already eleven o’clock. One more hour until closing.” A faint smile crept onto Count Juno’s face.
Count Juno was only a middling noble in Fenlai City. In his youth, he had been quite impoverished, but through collecting stone carvings, he had gradually built up his wealth. Now, with assets of several hundred thousand gold coins, he was considered a fairly well-off rich man.
“Count Juno, you’re here too?” A middle-aged man with a curled mustache, dressed in a tailcoat, walked over with a smile.
Count Juno’s expression shifted involuntarily at the sight of the newcomer, but he still replied calmly, “Oh, it’s Count Demu. What brings you here at past eleven o’clock?” A sense of unease stirred in Count Juno’s heart.
Count Juno and Count Demu were two of the more famous collectors within Fenlai City’s stone carving circles.
“Me? Naturally, it’s for these three stone sculptures.” Count Demu’s mustache twitched as he spoke with self-satisfaction. “Count Juno, look at the unique charm of these three pieces. They’re so captivating. The master who could create such carvings must be an extraordinary individual.”
Count Juno’s heart jolted.
Sure enough…
This Count Demu had also set his sights on these three sculptures. He had probably waited until eleven o’clock to show up, likely with the same plan in mind as Count Juno.
“Miss, could you come over here, please?” Count Demu said politely to a nearby waitress. The waitress smiled and walked over. Count Demu pointed to the three stone sculptures carved by Linley. “For each of these three pieces, I bid 1,000 gold coins.”
The waitress nodded courteously. “Please wait a moment.”
She took out a record book, noted down the item numbers and the bid amount, then affixed a price sticker beside the sculptures.
“1,000 gold coins?” The muscles around Count Juno’s eyes twitched slightly.
Count Demu smiled at Count Juno. “Count Juno, these three stone carvings are truly excellent. By the way, Count Juno, it’s late at night. Why aren’t you resting, old count? What brings you here? Could it be that you’re also after these three sculptures?”
Count Juno hesitated for a moment.
“I didn’t realize Count Demu had such a fondness for these three pieces. I haven’t paid them much attention yet. Allow me to observe them more closely.” Count Juno said with a smile, then fixed his gaze on the three sculptures, studying them intently, completely ignoring Count Demu beside him.
Seeing this, Count Demu sneered inwardly: “Old fellow, do you think I can’t guess your little scheme?”
The natural, tinkling music of a spring flowed gently through the entire Proulx Guildhall. Count Demu and Count Juno both quietly browsed other works, the hall serene and peaceful.
“Dong, dong…” The wall clock chimed.
Midnight had arrived.
“Miss, come over here.” Count Juno called out to the waitress in the distance. She immediately hurried over.
“For these three pieces, I bid 1,010 gold coins each.” Count Juno placed his bid at this final moment.
The waitress glanced at the original price tag of 1,000 gold coins on the sculptures and silently grumbled about Count Juno. Fortunately, he had added ten gold coins instead of just one.
“Please wait a moment.” The waitress took out her record book.
“Count Juno, you’re only adding ten gold coins? I bid 1,100 gold coins!” Count Demu’s voice rang out. Count Juno frowned and looked up to see Count Demu striding over from a distance, looking spirited and smug.
Clearly, this Count Demu had been keeping an eye on Count Juno the whole time. The moment Count Juno placed his bid, he came right over.
“I bid 1,200 gold coins.” Count Juno said in a low voice, his anger palpable to everyone around. The waitress beside them could also feel the rivalry between these two nobles. She temporarily closed her record book and watched with delight. At the Proulx Guildhall, the staff loved nothing more than seeing customers drive up prices through competition.
Count Demu looked at Count Juno with surprise. “Count Juno, even the works in the master’s hall are only worth about 1,000 gold coins. And you, such a frugal man, are bidding 1,200?”
Frugal?
Miserly was the word. Count Juno’s stinginess was legendary.
“Since you, Count Juno, are bidding 1,200, I can’t be petty either. 1,300 gold coins!” Count Demu said with a smile.
Count Juno’s gaze turned cold. “I’m only bidding high because I truly like these three sculptures. Their real value is just over a thousand. 1,500 gold coins! If you, Count Demu, bid any higher, they’re yours.” Count Juno stated his final offer.
To be honest, Count Demu’s eye for quality was inferior to Count Juno’s. He hadn’t noticed the peculiar details in the carving of these three pieces.
In Count Demu’s view, these three sculptures possessed a unique charm and were good works, worth around a thousand gold coins or so. Bidding any higher wouldn’t make much sense.
“Haha.” Count Demu laughed. “Since Count Juno is being so generous for once, I won’t take what you love. These three sculptures are yours, Count Juno.”
Only then did the waitress beside them record the item numbers and the bid in her book.
“My lords, it’s already midnight. Our guildhall is closing. Count Juno, tomorrow our staff will deliver these three sculptures to your residence.” The waitress said with a smile. Only then did Count Juno finally show a grin.
Count Juno shot a glance at Count Demu, disdain in his heart: “A junior? How many years have I studied stone carvings? Without a proper eye, you still dare to compete with me?”