With Olivia’s provocation, the entire auction hall erupted instantly. Amid the roaring chaos, Vier remained calm like a seasoned veteran. After a moment of silent thought, she stepped back onstage, nudging Olivia aside. She addressed the crowd below:

"My lords, I deeply apologize. Today marks the first time our auction house failed to detect a counterfeit item. For the distress and losses caused by this error, I offer my sincerest regrets!"

"Please trust us—we never tolerate such mistakes. Our regulations have strict protocols for this. I’ll summon our owner immediately to handle it properly and ensure justice for all!"

"Lastly, to express our remorse, this auction house will personally cover half the bid price for every item sold today. I hope this satisfies you all!"

The red-gowned beauty smiled calmly as she finished. The nobles gradually quieted down. Clearly… the promise of half-price refunds was persuasive enough…

Though… bids would likely soar higher afterward.

As order returned, Vier hurried out to find the owner. Meanwhile, Caius frantically rolled on the floor to extinguish his flames, groaning in pain…

Soon, Vier returned with a middle-aged man. Olivia observed him: dressed luxuriously, sharp-eyed, with Vier trailing respectfully—he must be the owner.

The owner scanned the hall first. Then he rushed to Caius, who sat gasping on the floor, face smeared with soot. Before the blond could react, he was yanked upright.

"You dared sell fakes to us? How dare you?! Ruining our reputation—who do you think will take responsibility? Brat, I’ll drag you to the Judicial Tribunal!"

"Cough… Stop! I—I didn’t know it was fake! Let go! Do you know who I am?!"

"I don’t care who you are!"

The owner punched Caius hard, knocking him out cold. He tossed the limp body aside, then turned to Olivia with a strained expression.

This masked figure’s identity worried him most. If this offended some powerful noble, his entire auction house could be destroyed.

"V-very sorry, sir… for the poor experience due to our error. What compensation would you accept? Per regulations, we offer tenfold repayment…"

"Hmph. Tenfold? Is that enough?" Olivia feigned displeasure, making the owner gasp. He glanced back—the nobles still watched intently—then turned, hands trembling as he held up two fingers…

"Twentyfold?"

"Fine, deal! But… I have one condition. This Blood Amber Ring is mine too."

Olivia crouched beside the unconscious Caius and snatched the ring off his finger. The owner hesitated. "Sir… isn’t this fake? And we need it as evidence against the fraudster. Without it…"

"Eh, I like collecting trophies. Besides, I already bid on it. Just don’t pay him. The trial? Whatever…"

Olivia muttered to herself. With Princess Rin’s connections, Caius wouldn’t face prison anyway. Mission accomplished.

"Alright! Here’s two million denars as compensation. Take it… Everyone else, haul this fraudster out and dump him at the door!"

The owner fled after handing over the money. Silence fell. The crowd stared at the girl holding two million denars, murmuring in awe…

"That masked guy’s amazing—he really spotted the fake at a glance!"

"That fraudster setting himself on fire and rolling around was hilarious~ Worth coming even without buying anything!"

"How did he see through it? So cool… stole all the show."

"Maybe he’s a high-level appraiser here to sabotage us?"

"Masked cutie~ Did you help big sister avoid that Blood Amber Ring trap? So dashing~ Dinner’s on me later~!"

Uh… no thanks~

Olivia waved frantically to decline the rich lady’s offer. She returned to her seat. Vier stared blankly at the charred table until someone brought a new one.

The auction resumed.

Olivia glanced at Gawain. The boy looked away, clearly bored. Had he really come just for that ring?

Well… she’d return it after the auction. Her identity was still hidden. No risk boosting Gawain’s affection—she didn’t need another "thank you" stunt.

Vier busied herself onstage again. Item after item sold at sky-high prices—half-price deals were too tempting. Finally, the auction house seemed overwhelmed. Vier cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Ahem. Apologies, everyone. Due to today’s incident, this is our final item. Seize this last chance! Behold: a Stellar Gem—the dream of every Stellar Mage!"

Her words sent shockwaves through the hall. Even Olivia, who’d lost interest, widened her eyes. Oh wow, a Stellar Gem?

They actually have one?

Vier was right. Stellar Mages wield starlight to cast spells through six specialized arrays. Their power depends not just on rank—but on how many star systems they can harness.

Most low-level Stellar Mages unlock one or two systems. Even advanced ones struggle to exceed that. Human-star bonds are incredibly faint… except for one rare artifact that amplifies a Stellar Mage’s connection to specific constellations.

Its name? The Stellar Gem.