"Kalan, big brother," Alice whispered, her voice low and anxious as she looked at Kalan.
Perhaps some people would feel proud to become the "model" for a master sculptor's stone sculpture. But Lin Lei's work was different. Anyone with even a little knowledge of stone sculpture could savor the past between Lin Lei and Alice from the spiritual essence contained within the five separate human-shaped sculptures.
If Alice were only to become the wife of a modest family, then it wouldn't matter.
But the one marrying her was Kalan of the Debus Family.
The future heir of the Debus Family, one of the top three prominent families in the Fenlei Kingdom.
"Don't worry, don't worry." Kalan held Alice's hand.
But Alice could feel that Kalan's palm was slick with sweat.
"Father—" Kalan looked towards his own father, Bernard, and then at his own mother. His parents doted on him immensely, which was why they had been willing to produce eight million gold coins for him. After all, for the Debus Family, eight million gold coins was a very large sum.
"Kalan, stop thinking about it. The family will not spend over ten million gold coins for an unmarried wife," Bernard said, his expression stern.
Kalan froze, and even Alice looked up at Bernard, her eyes filled with worry and a hint of hope.
"Let's stick to our original decision," Bernard declared coldly, ignoring Alice's hope.
Kalan remained motionless for a long time. Beside him, Alice gripped his hand tightly, staring into his eyes. She understood perfectly what Bernard's words implied, and she desperately did not want to accept that outcome.
Kalan glanced at Alice and let out a helpless sigh, gently shaking his head.
"Kalan big brother, I don't want that," Alice whispered.
Kalan squeezed her hand slightly, shaking his head again. "I can't, Alice. I am the family's heir. I must consider the family. I also hope you can sacrifice a little for me. I promise you, my feelings for you will never change."
Alice fell silent.
The family's heir!
These simple words predetermined that Kalan's everything was inextricably linked to the family's honor and disgrace. Although Bernard doted on his son, he would never allow Alice to become Kalan's principal wife.
Yes, she could not become the principal wife.
This meant that any children Alice bore in the future would not be direct-line descendants.
In truth, ever since the stone sculpture "Awakening from a Dream" had been seen by so many people, the Debus Family had already demanded that Kalan give up Alice. Even if he were to marry her, Alice could never be his principal wife. But Kalan had remained insistent.
Later, the doting Bernard had compromised. He had decided that if they could purchase "Awakening from a Dream" back, then he would reluctantly agree to the matter.
But now it seemed...
"Kalan big brother." Alice looked at Kalan, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She looked around at the other members of the Debus Family, but whether it was Kalan, Bernard, or Kalan's mother, none paid any attention to Kalan.
In that moment, Alice felt a wave of ice-cold despair in her heart.
She suddenly recalled the time she was with Lin Lei, when he had cared for her with meticulous, devoted attention. In the past, she had taken for granted that Lin Lei's accommodation and concern were only natural. But now she craved it so desperately.
She tilted her head, her gaze penetrating through the glass towards the third floor of the auction hall. But all she saw was dark, impenetrable glass.
"Ten million gold coins, ten million gold coins! Is there any higher bid?" the blond host shouted from the podium.
The man in the loose-fitting robe glanced casually in all directions, then called out to the host: "Hey, stop blathering there and start the countdown." The wealthy nobles nearby laughed.
Would the person conducting the auction listen to someone in the crowd?
Based on what those wealthy nobles knew of this blond man, he was known for sensationalizing the auction items, inflating their prices to extremely high levels.
Hearing that voice, the blond host seemed as if he were hypnotized. Quite naturally, he said, "Then I'll start the countdown. Three, two..."
"10.1 million gold coins!"
An aged voice rang out from a private room on the second floor.
Everyone's gaze converged on that private room. Even the man in the loose robe looked at it with surprise. Aside from the Debus Family's room, all the other private rooms on the second floor belonged to families famous throughout the entire Yulan Continent.
The wealth of those great families far exceeded that of the Debus Family.
"Oh? There's actually someone who recognizes its value. But increasing it by only 100,000 gold coins? That's too stingy. I'll add a bit more, 10.3 million gold coins," the man in the loose robe said with a chuckle, his tone casual.
At this moment, Lin Lei and the others on the third floor of the auction hall also noticed the man in the loose robe. However, from their vantage point, they could only see his profile and could not make out his features clearly.
"Hmm?"
Cardinal Gilmour and Cardinal Rampsen of the Church of Light both stood up. They frowned and walked around along the glass windows to the other side, looking down carefully at the man in the loose robe.
And just then—
The man in the loose robe seemed to notice the two cardinals above looking at him. He actually looked up and met their gaze.
"It's him?!"
The faces of the two cardinals turned deathly pale instantly.
Gilmour and Rampsen exchanged a glance and both shook their heads. In fact, before the auction, the Church of Light had already made a decision: they would spend a large sum this time to win the stone sculpture "Awakening from a Dream" at the auction, thereby strengthening their relationship with Lin Lei.