"Alright, let's put that aside," Cain said, waving a dismissive hand to break the tension in the room. "We're here to have a good time, not to argue over trivial things."
"You're right," Yuchen agreed, nodding at Cain with a friendly smile. Then, turning her gaze to Ayla, she added, "Ayla, I'm still curious about why you were so frightened earlier. If you feel comfortable telling me, I'll give you another vial."
With that, Yuchen took out yet another vial, causing Ayla's eyes to sparkle with interest as she hurried back over to her side.
Ayla then told her about her story, including when Cain rescued her, which made everyone who hadn't heard the story look at Cain in a different light.
Garran and Butler Zen were even surprised when they heard it because they had seen how cruel Cain was, and hadn't expected that Cain had such a side within him.
If it was someone other than Ayla herself telling them about this story, neither of them naturally wouldn't believe it.
However, when Ayla told the story herself, they automatically believed it because Ayla was genuinely innocent and would never lie about anything like this.
"Ayla," Yuchen said softly, hugging her in a show of sympathy. "If there's ever anything you need, just tell me. All it'll cost you is a hug, nothing more. How does that sound?"
"Ayla, you said you want to buy all of the items that were being auctioned, right? Let your big brother Garran pay them for you. And If someone dares to bully you in the future, just tell your big brother—I promise I'll make sure they regret it." Garran bumped his chest with a fist as if he wanted to look as a dependable big brother for Ayla.
He glanced at Elion with a grin. "Naturally, that goes for you, too, Elion." Then, patting Sylvia on the shoulder, he added, "And of course, you're included."
However, before anyone could react, their attention was shifted to Ayla as she looked at Cain with a curious expression. "Big Brother Cain, are there any powerful hidden talents among us that haven't awakened yet?"
Cain raised an eyebrow, smiling gently. "What makes you ask that?"
"Uncle Fenix told me that people with strong talents often get pursued by major factions," Ayla explained. "That's probably why all these people are being so nice to us because they want to recruit us later, right? But don't worry, Big Brother Cain. I'll stay by your side and become your personal guardian when my talent finally awakens. Then I'll be super strong and protect you, and my brother forever!"
She spoke with such confidence and such a cute, smug expression that it made the entire group burst out laughing. In her mind, she recalled vividly how Cain had freed both her and her brother without asking for anything in return.
Her desire to get stronger was motivated not only by her determination to protect her brother, but also by a deep wish to repay Cain for his kindness.
Everyone immediately laughed when they heard Ayla's exclamation confidently.
Cain joined in the laughter, though he pretended to complain. "If you end up being my guardian, I'll probably go bankrupt trying to feed you, considering how much you eat."
"Hmmph!" Ayla snorted and pouted unhappily, puffing out her cheeks in disagreement.
…
A few minutes later…
As they were chatting happily while waiting for the auction to start, they immediately shifted their attention when they heard instruments being played beautifully. It caused the noisy auction hall to suddenly quieten down. Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire
Above the platform, 5 beautiful young girls walked around as they scattered flower petals, brightening further the centre stage and drawing everyone's attention.
The girls waved their long sleeves in an enchanting dance with each of them displaying different yet equally intoxicating expressions that fascinated the hearts of all who were watching before gently moving back into the backstage.
A beautiful woman with a voluptuous figure then walked up onto the high platform, her skin was as white as snow and her tight-fitting dress accentuating her astonishing curves while leaving two jade arms bare.
The low cut around her neck revealed a deep yet seemingly bottomless valley in the eyes of the audiences.
Her hair was pulled up into an exquisite bun that exposed the delicate nape of her neck, adding a touch of grace to her appearance.
When this gorgeous woman appeared, she immediately drew in more attention than the girls who came before her with her mature charm.
The beautiful woman stood on the high platform and bowed elegantly as her glossy red lips curled into the most attractive smiles before a pleasant voice leaked through them.
"Honored guests that have come from far away, thank you all for participating in our Starlight Auction House. I would also like to say a special thank you to the young miss of the Liang Family for her appearance in this auction. This auction was only able to proceed without any problem thanks to her support."
She paused briefly, then added, "As many of you know, among the items we're offering is a rare piece of Ice Dragon blood essence—acquired personally by the young miss from the outside world."
The crowd immediately made a commotion when she mentioned the blood essence because even though most of them couldn't afford it, one of their reasons for coming here was to watch the fun when people started to bid for it.
Not only that, they also wanted to know about who would be the fortunate person that would get the blood essence and might even be part of the dragon family in the future if they could refine it.
Cain observed the beautiful auctioneer with interest. Although he had never participated in such an auction before, that didn't mean he knew nothing about it.
Because honestly, one of his most exciting parts about reading a novel was when the MC attended an auction. That's why he had always been craving to attend one when he knew that he was transmigrated into a novel he had read in his previous life.