The daughter, whose name Leo still hadn't bothered to learn, was placed under the 'Problem Child' category by him.

The girl still stared at him with an expression that suggested she was currently tasting something very sour.

Leo, for his part, leaned back into the plush couch, having successfully avoided the most troublesome situation.

He felt a bit like a cat that had not only avoided being kicked out of the house but had somehow convinced the owner to serve him the expensive tuna.

'I should've been an actor,' Leo thought, his heart rate finally slowing down from 'Colossal Heart Attack' levels to 'Moderate Anxiety.'

'Voldred, if you can see this, I hope you're taking notes. This is how you handle a diplomatic crisis. You don't use a sword, you just stub your toe.'

He looked at Selene, who was still watching him with the kind of concern usually reserved for pets or injured birds.

Although it was a little uncomfortable to be seen as a little injured cat, but when the situation demanded it, it was better than the alternative.

"Better?" Selene asked, her voice still soothing to the ear.

Leo gave a slow, fragile nod. He let out a weak sigh, making sure his shoulders dropped just enough to look exhausted by the mere act of existing.

If he could have managed a single tear, he would have won an Oscar on the spot.

"He is literally sitting in my seat," the girl frowned, her hand trembling as she pointed at him.

"Mother, he is mocking us! Look at his face! That is not the face of a victim; that is the face of a man who just realized he's getting away with a crime!"

Leo was again taken aback. What expressions did he show? There was none that would prove his guilt. There was no mocking, at least not in the open. So how did she know? Just what was with her instincts?

If her Instincts were so strong, how did she not know that he was bluffing when they first met? Unless that mask from Voldred did a little trick.

Leo immediately looked down at his lap, his lip trembling. He looked like he was about to apologize for the crime of breathing her air.

"Enough, Lyra!" Selene's voice snapped, raising her voice. "You've frightened the poor thing enough. He's not an enemy. Or at least, he's a human caught in the crossfire of your paranoia. Go stand by the guard. Perhaps the fresh air of the hallway will clear your instincts."

Leo almost let out a snort. Poor thing. If Selene knew that the 'poor thing' had been two seconds away from calling down a bombardment from a Necropolis warship to escape, she probably wouldn't be offering him a seat.

As Lyra stomped toward the back of the room, her boots smashed aggressively against the floor, causing cracks even on the reinforced floor.

For a month, Leo couldn't help but imagine if that was his head instead of the floor... It could very well have been if he wasn't good at his act.

Leo turned his gaze back to the reinforced glass.

Down on the stage, the atmosphere had shifted.

Four guards, each with a powerful aura, brought forth a tray that was covered in the world's most luxurious silk.

On it sat a crystal vase containing a flower that looked like it was carved from moonlight and stardust, a miracle of nature itself.

This was the Celestial Lotus, something that had gone extinct previously, and was almost forgotten by everyone until it was recently brought into limelight with everyone looking for it.

"And here we have it," Selene said, her eyes narrowing as she focused on the stage. "The reason why everyone might be willing to kill each other today."

She raised her head once more, as she softly said, "How long are you going to wait? Do you really have that much patience, Voldred?"

'Voldred?' Leo thought inwardly, barely controlling himself from shaking his head. 'As if he would come here. No wait, if he comes here, can he even fit inside the auction house with his large size?'

'Wait, why am I even thinking about that right now? I should be looking forward to the price that this lotus will fetch for me! This will truly be magnificent!"

Leo stared at the flower. It was beautiful, sure. But more beautiful than that was the money that was going to come rolling.

And the best part? That money didn't count as the money of Alpha Corp, at least until he invested it in any venture. Until then, it was all his personal money.

"I know you have all been waiting for this movement. This is our final offering of the night, a flower that was almost thought to be extinct!"

The Auctioneer raised her hand, introducing the Celestial Lotus on the stage.

"The starting bid, decided by the seller, is non existent! That means, it depends on you, as to how much you think it's worth, as a starting bid!"

As soon as the Auctioneer finished, there was silence. Just what kind of mental gymnastics was this?

There was no starting bid? In that case, if they offered too low a price as the first bid, wouldn't they become a laughingstock?

It was for that reason that many people were hesitating. By not keeping any entry barrier, the entry barrier had become larger than they could have guessed.

As there was silence all over the place, Selene opened her lips to make the first bid.

"Hundred-"

"Three Hundred Billion Credits!"

Before Selene could even finish speaking, a voice rose. It didn't come from a VIP room. It didn't come from the representatives of the High Planets.

Instead, it came from a seat in the open area, where most of the 'ordinary folks' were seated.

As for the person that had spoken, it was none other than a small skeleton in disguise, who was casually sipping on juice after making that bid.

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