## Chapter 141 – (17)
The auction proceeded quickly.
Many items were sold at high prices.
Like the previous auction, there were some absurd items mixed in, but there were also rare items that seemed like they truly belonged in an auction.
Works by famous painters, rare jewels, and even secret bunkers were among them.
Some of them made me consider participating in the bidding myself.
However, I saved my chips in case of an emergency.
“The next item up for auction is a slave.”
It was Lana’s turn to be auctioned.
As her turn arrived, Lana slowly walked out from behind the stage.
Numerous spotlights focused on her.
The shimmering dress, reflecting the light, and her snow-white skin, which seemed to shine even brighter, glimmered subtly.
Her appearance was no different from the photos in the auction catalog.
No, she looked even better in person.
“Lana…”
Lasha smiled faintly as she looked up at Lana.
Lana, however, didn’t seem to notice Lasha.
She simply stood there with a slight frown, as if the bright lights shining on her were bothersome.
“We’ll start the bidding at 500,000 chips. Each raise will increase the bid by 100,000 chips.”
The auction began with the auctioneer’s announcement.
However, as if by agreement, no one raised their hand.
‘What’s going on?’
Slightly puzzled, I raised my hand.
“600,000.”
However, the auction house only buzzed quietly, and no one else raised their hand.
Wondering what was happening, I listened to the murmurs.
“Where’s the director?”
“Damn it, if it weren’t for that gangster, I would have bid once.”
“Why isn’t the landlady participating?”
Ah.
It turned out there would be a moment when those three would be helpful.
It seemed they had been working behind the scenes before the auction even started.
Well, it was strange.
Those three asked for two weeks to buy Lana at a higher price?
‘That’s ridiculous.’
On the contrary, they probably tried to buy Lana for as little as possible during those two weeks.
This was the result of their efforts.
An auction house filled with people bought off through threats or coercion.
Of course, there seemed to be some who hadn’t managed to buy off people in time because they had lost their money to me too quickly.
I started to see a few people cautiously raising their hands.
“700,000.”
“800,000.”
Frankly, it was boring.
After fighting over tens of millions of chips in one round, bidding in small increments like this left me dopamine-deficient.
Only my arm hurt from raising it.
So, I passed the baton.
“Do you want to try?”
“Huh?”
“Show your sister that her sister is here.”
“…”
Lasha looked down at her hand and nodded as if she had made up her mind.
And this time, she carefully raised her hand.
“Alright, 900,000.”
The auctioneer raised the price, seeing Lasha’s raised hand.
Lana’s gaze turned in our direction, and she looked at us with narrowed eyes for a moment.
For the first time, there was a change in Lana’s expression, which had been expressionless the whole time.
Her eyes widened, and her mouth opened.
Her lips trembled, and she uttered only two words.
“Sis…ter…?”
“…Lana.”
Lasha called her younger sister’s name with a gentle smile.
It was too early to call it a perfect reunion, but the two’s heartfelt emotions were palpable.
Of course, the outcome of the auction was obvious.
We succeeded in bidding for Lana at 10 million chips, and we were able to return to the hotel room with her.
Thankfully, it was a large room.
***
Lana sat awkwardly on the sofa.
The touching reunion was fleeting. She would look at Lasha with a faint smile, but occasionally she would glance warily at me, who was sitting comfortably next to Lasha.
Despite the expression that she had so much to say, she didn’t ask me any particular questions.
Perhaps, regardless of her uncomfortable feelings, she was enduring it because she understood her and Lasha’s positions well.
“…”
Still, she couldn’t control the glare in her eyes as she stared at me.
“…Ugh…”
But as soon as our eyes met, Lana would flinch and lower her gaze.
She really reminded me of a cat.
She was similar to Lasha.
At least it seemed I had properly established the hierarchy.
Lasha was pouring out words, as if this reunion was too overwhelming for her.
“Have you been well? Are you hurt or uncomfortable anywhere?”
“Yeah, I’m fine…”
Lana quietly nodded, listening to Lasha’s words.
‘This is a bit unexpected.’
Lana seemed more docile and quick-witted than I had thought.
I couldn’t imagine her being someone who would commit fraud.
And I was able to find the reason for that in the process of Lasha scolding Lana.
“I’ve always told you that you trust people too easily!”
“…Sorry, Sis…”
‘…Did she get tricked by a man?’
That’s what I thought.
I wondered if a man had approached Lana, a casino dealer, from the beginning for the purpose of fraudulent gambling.
Lasha seemed to be thinking something similar.
After one round of Lasha’s nagging, Lana cautiously opened her mouth.
“…Are you okay, Sis?”
“About what?”
“That…”
Lana’s gaze turned to me.
Following her gaze, Lasha’s gaze also turned to me.
“Don’t worry, Master treats me well.”
“Master…?”
Lana looked back and forth between Lasha and me with a shocked expression as Lasha called me Master so naturally.
I was the one who told her to use that title, but…
If I had known it would turn out like this, I wouldn’t have told her to.
“Sis! Are you okay? What happened to you?”
“Huh? No, I’m really fine…”
“Really, nothing happened?”
Lana grabbed Lasha’s shoulders and shook her, and Lasha smiled awkwardly.
She couldn’t bring herself to lie and say that nothing had happened.
Lasha only smiled awkwardly.
Then Lana rushed at me.
“What did you do to her!”
She grabbed my collar with her slender arms.
Unlike Lasha, there was no strength at all in her movements.
For a moment, I was reminded of when Lasha grabbed the old man’s collar.
They were similar.
“Lana! What are you doing!”
“Sis…?”
“Let go of him now!”
As soon as she saw Lana grabbing my collar, Lasha shouted loudly.
Lana seemed shocked by Lasha scolding her actions.
With trembling hands, she removed her hands from my collar.
I waved my hand at Lasha, indicating that I was okay.
Being grabbed by the collar by a beautiful woman?
Some people would even pay to experience that.
Under the name of industry reward.
“…Master is our benefactor. Be careful.”
“…”
Lana didn’t answer.
In the slightly chilled atmosphere, I opened my mouth.
“It’s a special day, should we buy something to eat?”
“…Yes. I’ll go buy it.”
Lasha nodded, as if she realized that I had brought it up to ease the atmosphere.
Watching Lasha get up from her seat, I subtly said to Lana.
“Then why don’t you go with her, Lana?”
I thought it wouldn’t be bad to have the sisters go shopping together.
It seemed like it would be good for the two of them to be on good terms to ease this chilly atmosphere.
If they went shopping together and picked out their favorite foods, the atmosphere would improve.
“…No, thanks.”
Lana refused in a cold voice.
I thought she would naturally choose shopping with Lasha over being with me.
It was an unexpected answer.
“Okay, then I’ll be back.”
Lasha also looked at Lana for a moment, then left after a brief greeting.
Lana and I watched Lasha’s retreating figure, and as soon as the door closed, it became quiet.
A suffocatingly quiet atmosphere continued for five minutes.
Uncomfortable with the silence, I spoke first.
“Are you okay?”
I asked, worried that there was a faintly cold atmosphere flowing between the sisters.
My fault also contributed to the fact that the reunion, which should have been touching, turned out like this, so I was concerned.
“…I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about it.”
Lana smiled faintly and added one word.
“My sister and I fight often from the start.”
It seemed that the affectionate appearance at the auction was different from their usual selves.
I was an only child, but I had heard about it.
Originally, it was rare for siblings to have a good relationship.
These sisters only had those affectionate feelings because they had met after a long time due to special circumstances.
It seemed that arguing like just now, or her sister scolding her, was their original, everyday 모습.
If so, that was fortunate.
I didn’t have to worry about reconciliation.
Lana glanced at me and sighed deeply.
“…Haa…”
“…Why?”
“Actually, you did… something with my sister, right?”
I thought I knew roughly what “something” meant.
She must be talking about something lewd.
So, I nodded lightly, and Lana also nodded slightly.
“I like that you’re honest. In the first place, if you were a slave and you didn’t do that much, I would have been more suspicious.”
This time, she asked me in a nervous voice.
“Did you go all the way?”
I shook my head at this question.
I didn’t go all the way.
“Hoo… that’s a relief…”
Lana came to my side and sat down, pressing her shoulder against mine.
She whispered in my ear.
“Then from now on, do it with me.”
“…Do what?”
“Something lewd.”
Lana said with a nonchalant expression.
“I’ll do it instead of my sister.”
Lana’s expression was serious as she said that.
I let out a hollow laugh.
Lasha’s words and appearance overlapped with Lana’s.
Sisters were indeed alike.
