Prisoner's Conviction (Yandere Detective x Reader x Yandere Heirs)

Chapter 9: Auction

The charity event was started off with a speech from Shota. It captivated the nobility in the audience who were all sitting at designated tables. No matter how far away they were from him, his aura seemed to spread across the entire area, claps echoing after he finished speaking. (Y/n) spoke as well, thanking everyone for attending and giving their time to a hopeful cause. Many people were pleasantly surprised by her capabilities and some stood up to clap. Among them was Kazuki who seemed to encourage others to do the same. After all, sitting down when a royal was standing was poor manners and a sign of great disrespect.

The silent auction commenced, the list of items rolling out and being sold to the nobility for high prices. Of course, every penny was going to those less fortunate than themselves, and with each raise of their paddles, the younger girl felt immense pride. Some of the children she had invited sat beside her, excited at the way their parents' expressions looked. To them, it was strange to see them smile so wide, but they were more than happy to join in their joy.

The money continued to be made as they auctioned off jewelry, statues, art pieces, and even historical artifacts. The red-haired male claimed that they were not of importance to him when she asked if he had anything of interest he didn't want. He was then very adamant about giving some to her, encouraging her to raise as much money as possible to help those she cared for. He seemed just about as excited to help and provide relief to others as she was, but there might have been another reason behind it.

When an ancient harp was unveiled, the younger girl watched as the only royal in the audience lit up. His eyes sparkled as he began the betting with a hundred thousand sich. The rest of the nobility soon followed suit, attempting to earn the beauty for themselves. There seemed to be more than one motivation for it as well. It appeared as though most wanted to win the artifact to then gift it to the royal in hopes of either gaining his attention or giving them a better reputation with him. Then there were the ones that wanted to steal something from a royal, but when against one from Vethela, their coffers weren't near deep enough.

"Five hundred thousand!" a noblewoman shouted, raising her paddle as high as she could.

"One million!" the blonde rebutted.

"1.1 million!" the coral-haired male chuckled, enjoying the look of betrayal on his best friend's face.

"1.2!"

It was then that the audience became silent, the gavel coming down on the wood and the object of the blonde's desire being given to him. Killing two birds with one stone gave him a delighted expression, one that didn't fade even as he was swarmed by the nobles. Some complimented him for the new treasure he had acquired and others asked with great delight if he could play it. Despite the male's royal status and popularity in almost all social circles, he was awfully shy.

If (Y/n) hadn't stepped in and helped remove others from him, Presley certainly would have. It seemed, however, that the prince was awfully grateful to the younger girl for getting him out of the smothering situation. It wasn't as if she had thought doing so would earn her a great favor for him or place her in a higher situation with him, and only, instead, helped because she empathized with him. Still, it was very much appreciated.

A dinner then commenced in order to thank the participants for their donations to the charity. The luxurious taste made many nobles thoroughly satisfied, many expressing their wish to meet the chefs who prepared the meals. The younger girl then stood by Shota's side as the event ended, handing out the gift bags with expensive trinkets, jewelry, and chocolates alike. They bowed and made small chatter with the departing guests before the only ones left were the children and families the younger girl invited as well as the royal blonde and his companion.