Reincarnated as a step-dad in a fantasy world-Chapter 370: The night auction

"Dear ladies and gentlemen, on that note, today's auction comes to an end," Frieda declared as the final item of the day was sold. "For those of you who successfully acquired one of today's treasures, you may proceed to the transaction area to finalize your payment and retrieve your items. I hope you enjoyed your time with me, and I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow for the continuation of our auctions."

"I hope to see you all tomorrow. In the meantime, I encourage you to explore our city and take full advantage of everything it has to offer. I assure you, you won't be disappointed," she added with a soft and innocent smile.

As Frieda finished her final words, the audience responded with applause and cheers. Moments later, guests began to exit the auction grounds, their conversations overlapping with excited chatter and echoing footsteps. Many of them were still caught up in discussions about the day's highlights, already eager for what tomorrow's auction would bring.

Watching the crowd slowly filter out of the auction area, Frieda couldn't help but smile to herself. Her day had started in the most frustrating way imaginable, but seeing how well the first day of the auction had gone completely turned her mood around.

"Now all that's left is for that girl to screw up her presentation tonight, and this day would be absolutely perfect," she thought as she turned and walked off.

Meanwhile, in one of the private booths above...

"So, what now?" Alex asked, glancing down at Freya, who was comfortably nestled against his chest. "When does the more private part of the auction begin?"

"It won't be long," Freya replied. "We can wait here—or leave for a bit if you prefer."

"It's fine. We should stay, especially if it's going to start soon," Alex said, then glanced at her. "In the meantime... what's the story with that witch, Kizzarae? Are you two related?"

The truth was, the two of them hadn't been paying that much attention to the public auction. Instead, they had been talking for quite a while now. Just before Frieda had announced the end of the auction, Alex had finished telling Freya about his other wives and a bit about their personalities. He didn't go into too much detail—just enough to give her an idea of who they were. If Freya wanted to know more, she'd have to ask them directly.

Now that he had shared something personal, he felt it was only fair to ask in return and what intrigued him most was Freya's connection with the witch he had met earlier.

"You remember when she said she was my mother?" Freya asked.

Alex nodded.

"Well... in a way, she is," Freya admitted. "Not biologically, but in spirit and presence, as she had said herself, she's done more for me than my real mother ever did."

"We met not long after my mark appeared. She had come to our family's estate looking for something, I don't even remember what exactly," Freya continued. "But I still remember her reaction when she realized I was marked. She didn't panic or recoil like the others. She was curious. Protective, even. She ended up staying for months, telling me stories and recounting her travels all across Imperion."

"Even after she left, she would occasionally come back to visit me," Freya said, smiling at the memory. "One time, when she returned and found out I'd been married off to the patriarch of the family, she was so furious that she stormed into the council of elders and gave them the scolding of a lifetime. It was actually kind of hilarious—none of them dared to interrupt her. Considering she's the one who secured our family's contract with the witches in the first place, so they had no choice but to sit there for hours and listen to her rant about how useless and selfish they were."

Alex also chuckled, picturing a bunch of old men and women being forced to sit in silence while someone who looked younger than them lectured them like misbehaving children. "She sounds like a kind person," he commented.

Freya smiled. "She is... just don't say that to her face. She's already narcissistic enough as it is," she added before bursting into laughter.

Alex smiled as he watched her laugh. He had never seen her laugh so freely before, and it warmed his heart to see her enjoying herself this much. 'And damn, she's beautiful when she laughs,' he thought, leaning slightly toward her with the intent of capturing her lips—only to be interrupted by a knock at the booth's door.

"Are you expecting someone?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Freya replied with a frown, "no one knows I'm here, so if anyone came, it's probably for you."

"I don't remember inviting anyone," he said, puzzled.

"Then it must be one of the auction house servants," Freya guessed.

Putting on his mask, Alex walked over to open the door. Just as Freya had said, standing outside was a man dressed in a formal butler uniform, pushing a cart loaded with several covered dishes. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

As it turned out, the butler had been sent to deliver a meal for him while he waited for the night auction to start. Alex welcomed it—he hadn't eaten anything all day, and after expending nearly all of his mana during the beast tide, he had been feeling the growing pangs of hunger for hours.

There was one slight issue, however. It was clear the food had been prepared with only Arcanor in mind, and no one had accounted for Freya's presence in his booth. Still, it wasn't a real problem. They sat down together and shared what was there, talking casually as they ate, exchanging stories from their pasts and anecdotes about the many strange and colorful experiences they'd had in their lives.

About an hour after the main auction had ended, the lights in the room dimmed and slowly began to shift, converging toward the stage below—signaling the start of the much-anticipated night auction.

Even if Freya hadn't warned him earlier, Alex would've immediately realized just how much more exclusive the night auction was. Looking down into the hall, he noticed that not a single person was seated in the general area anymore. The only attendees left were those occupying the private viewing booths—an intentional choice, as Freya had explained to him earlier.

The night auction was meant for a selected few, far away from the public eye.

As the lights focused on a figure standing on the stage, Alex's eyes widened in surprise when he recognized who it was.

"Maya?" he exclaimed, clearly not expecting to see the young heiress appear in such a position.

"The elders wanted to start initiating her into the family business and help her build a reputation for herself," Freya explained with a small shrug. "So, they decided she would be the host of tonight's auction."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Alex raised a skeptical brow. "That girl is a walking disaster—I wouldn't be surprised if she tripped on her own dress and destroyed the treasure she's supposed to present," he chuckled.

"Hey, that's my daughter you're talking about," Freya said, playfully nudging him. "I'm sure she'll do just fine. And seriously, how come you trust her to win a fight, but doubt she can handle hosting an auction?"

"Well, in a fight she's strangely agile—doesn't stumble, doesn't fall, somehow pulls off moves that shouldn't even work," Alex scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "But yeah, you're right. I'm sure she'll be fine... hopefully."

Down on the stage, Maya glanced upward toward the viewing booths with a composed smile. There was not a hint of nervousness or hesitation on her stunning face. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," she said, bowing slightly in greeting. "I'm sure it's already been explained to all of you, but allow me to go over it once more."

"Our Drazen family's yearly auction is a ten-day event during which we present to our esteemed guests the finest treasures found throughout Imperion—and occasionally, even from beyond its borders. However, what most people don't know is that our auctions aren't limited to the day. Every night, we host a second, more exclusive event. The treasures presented during these night auctions are far rarer, far more valuable than those displayed during the day. We're talking about items on the same level as the sword we auctioned this morning—if not more extraordinary. These are the true stars of our event, and only guests of your caliber are even permitted to compete for them!"

Her voice echoed clearly throughout the entire room, reaching every corner without the aid of a microphone.

"Damn, I take it back—she's actually good at this," Alex said, clearly impressed, his eyes still fixed on the stage. "Knowing her, I was sure she'd start stuttering or lose her place halfway through. But she's handling it like a pro."

"Like I said she would," Freya replied, a proud smile curling on her lips. "Not seeing the people she's talking to probably helps too."

Maya took a breath, letting the brief silence settle before she spoke again. "Each night, for the next ten nights, a single treasure will be presented and auctioned. Only one per night—each one unique, rare, and worthy of legends. And tonight's treasure... is this."

She extended her hand with elegant authority, gesturing for a servant pushing a velvet-draped cart to step forward. As he came to a halt before her, Maya turned gracefully toward the cart. In one smooth, practiced motion, she grasped the corner of the cloth and pulled it away with a flourish, revealing the treasure underneath for all to see.

"Gods... these are beautiful," Alex whispered, almost to himself, his eyes gleaming with wonder.