Chapter 52 – GOY 52
#52
He bit my earlobe. Was he seriously planning to do it here? My blood ran cold.
“But Seung-hyuk-ah, we’re in a restaurant.”
“Were you planning to do it here? Lee Yeon-soo, you’re quite naughty.”
“…….”
He was teasing me. As I pressed my lips tight and glared at him, Joo Seung-hyuk burst into laughter and picked up a piece of grilled sirloin.
“Say ‘ah~’.”
He scares the life out of me and then thinks he can soothe me with a single piece of meat without even apologizing?!
“Ah~.”
I opened my mouth obediently. If the Obsessive Madman tells me to do it, I have to do it. Besides, I think my gaze was too defiant. I quietly lowered my eyes.
I’m not being subservient. Come to think of it, I gave him braised short ribs too. This is just mutual sharing.
Joo Seung-hyuk popped the grilled sirloin into my mouth.
“How is it?”
“It’s delicious. I think it tastes even better because you’re feeding me.”
“I’m glad.”
His expression softened considerably. It seems he’s truly calmed down now.
Relieved, I tried to get off Joo Seung-hyuk’s lap, but the hand wrapped around my waist wouldn’t budge.
“Seung-hyuk-ah?”
“Hearing you say that, doing it here might not be so bad after all.”
“What?”
Joo Seung-hyuk kissed the nape of my neck.
Surely this crazy bastard isn’t going to… in a restaurant!
“Wa-wait a second!”
“Why?”
“It’s time for the auction!”
“I thought you didn’t want to go?”
“I-I do want to go! I’ve never been before. I was actually looking forward to it internally!”
Whenever I’m with Joo Seung-hyuk, I always find myself choosing the option that avoids the absolute worst-case scenario.
I thought the auction was the worst, but it seems a hundred times better than doing it here.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“I hate people who lie.”
“It’s true.”
Joo Seung-hyuk stared directly into my eyes without answering.
Knock, knock.
Just then, the sound of a staff member knocking was heard. I hurriedly stood up. Fortunately, Joo Seung-hyuk didn’t hold onto me.
By the time I returned to my seat, the staff member entered.
“If you have finished your meal, shall I prepare dessert for you?”
“Hyung, are you done eating?”
“Yeah.”
I nodded quickly.
Soon, dessert arrived. I let out a sigh of relief inwardly while eating the ripe persimmon sherbet.
The Obsessive Madman’s anger seems to have subsided. Now I just have to get through the special auction safely.
After finishing our meal, we headed to the 10th floor where the special auction was being held.
Entry to the special auction was prohibited for anyone who wasn’t a High-ranking Ability User of A-Class or above, an official from a large guild, or someone with special permission. Furthermore, only those with ‘Republic of Korea’ nationality could enter.
S-Class items or special treasures were traded at the special auction.
Treasures could be obtained by defeating a gate boss or finding hidden chests.
For reference, the grade of the gate and the grade of the treasure do not necessarily correlate. There are times when an A-Class treasure drops from a C-Class boss, and conversely, a B-Class item might drop from an A-Class boss.
Even if they were called treasures, most had performance similar to general items, but very rarely, there were treasures with special abilities.
Such treasures were classified as security-grade, and their export abroad was prohibited. The same applied to other countries.
Because of this, foreigners could not participate in the special auction. Dual citizens were also ineligible. In the original story, Aaron tried to participate in the special auction but was rejected because he was a foreigner.
Additionally, no matter how much money one had, if they lacked the ability to handle a treasure, they could not purchase or own it.
This was the same reason why priority access to the special auction was granted to High-ranking Ability Users or officials from large guilds.
After verifying our identities, the staff gave us auction paddles with numbers on them. Joo Seung-hyuk was number 15, and I was number 16.
As we entered the auction house, I saw familiar faces.
They’re all big shots… It felt like S-Class Awakened and guild leaders were holding some kind of summit here.
Compared to the spacious seating, there weren’t many people. It was likely due to the strict entry requirements. Perhaps that’s why everyone was sitting comfortably with plenty of distance between them. We also sat in a spot away from others.
Honestly, I was excited.
I had wanted to visit a special auction at least once. As an S-Class Guide, I had the [unauthorized copy]qualifications, but since I’d heard that astronomical sums of money were traded here, I never dared to come.
The image of it being a secretive place where only special people gather also played a part.
“Why are you so nervous?”
“I’m a bit jittery because it’s my first time,” I whispered softly into Joo Seung-hyuk’s ear. It was an embarrassing thing to say if others heard.
Joo Seung-hyuk chuckled and rubbed my cheek.
“If there’s something you want, just raise the paddle. Don’t worry about anything else.”
“Okay.”
I nodded. However, there was no way I would ever raise this.
Soon, the auctioneer entered, and the formal auction began.
‘I wonder what kind of items will be traded? Please, let them not sell only rings.’
With a mix of worry and excitement, I looked toward the podium.
“The first item today is the Whip of Armac.”
A whip?
I questioned my hearing. But the object under the strong spotlights on the podium was definitely a whip.
“The Whip of Armac is a treasure discovered on March 18th in an A-Class gate in the Gyeongcheon region. It was initially graded as B-Class, but upon a second appraisal, its special abilities were recognized, and it was classified as security-grade.”
I listened intently to the auctioneer. Just what kind of whip was it to be classified as security-grade?
“The Whip of Armac can be adjusted in length from a minimum of 30cm to a maximum of 5m, and it allows for precise control of intensity. Furthermore, it leaves no scars even when struck, and there are no aftereffects.”
That’s it? Isn’t that too mediocre to be traded at a special auction for ability users? What would anyone even use a whip like this for?
As far as I knew, whips weren’t particularly popular weapons. While a long range is nice, it didn’t have a magic attribute or any other apparent value.
Besides, what’s the point of not leaving scars… unless you’re doing some weird play, it’s useless.
‘Ah, come to think of it…!’
A chill suddenly ran down my spine. In the original story, Joo Seung-hyuk often wielded a whip. Not against monsters, but against Kim Joon.
Kim Joon would recover quickly even after being whipped all night… I thought Kim Joon just had a steel constitution. Or maybe he was an M and didn’t feel the pain because he was feeling pleasure…
But if that’s not it, if Joo Seung-hyuk had purchased that…
No, that can’t be. No matter how crazy Joo Seung-hyuk is, would he really buy a whip worth hundreds of millions of won just for play?
I shook my head.
While I was lost in thought, the auctioneer’s voice pierced through.
“Yes. Number 15, 900 million.”
Number 15 is Joo Seung-hyuk!
Startled, I looked at Joo Seung-hyuk. He was proudly holding up his paddle.
“Seung-hyuk-ah…!”
“Yes?”
“You’re buying it?”
“Yes.”
Goosebumps broke out all over my skin. What is this Obsessive Madman trying to buy right now!
“…Why?”
I asked as
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