The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Apparently, Money Isn’t a Problem for These People

One of the private dining rooms reserved for nobles was filled with the warm aroma of freshly prepared food, its walls decorated with elegant gold-trimmed panels, crystal chandeliers, fine paintings, and polished furniture that made the entire room feel more like a royal banquet hall than a restaurant.

At the center of the room sat a Marquis and his family, all dressed in refined noble attire as they enjoyed an assortment of dishes served across the long table. The main course was a beautifully prepared Crimson Wyvern steak, accompanied by several luxurious side dishes, while their children eagerly enjoyed the tender meat with far more enthusiasm than their parents.

Across the room, several Starlight maids stood quietly with perfect posture, ready to attend to anything the family might need.

The Marquis leaned back slightly after taking another bite.

"I told you, didn’t I? Coming here was worth the trouble."

His wife smiled as she sampled the wyvern meat.

"I admit it. You were right."

One of their daughters looked around the room with curiosity.

"Still, this place is incredible. Just how influential must its owner be to operate something like this?"

Her father glanced toward the maids.

"That’s another thing I’ve noticed. Look at the staff here. They’re young, yet every one of them is remarkably disciplined."

His wife nodded.

"Now that you mention it, I don’t think I’ve seen a single male employee here."

"Neither have I."

The Marquis chuckled.

"Perhaps they simply prefer hiring women."

One of his sons joined the conversation.

"Wouldn’t that make security difficult?"

The Marquis laughed.

"Apparently not. I heard that someone caused a disturbance in the weapons section a few days ago, and one of the maids beat him down and threw him outside."

The children stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"She actually did that?"

"That’s what I heard."

His wife covered her smile with one hand.

"Then perhaps some of these young women aren’t ordinary maids after all."

"Perhaps not."

The Marquis returned his attention to his meal, clearly amused by the thought.

After the conversation eventually shifted toward family affairs and matters concerning their territory, the Marquis reached beside his chair and retrieved a beautifully decorated box before placing it in front of his wife.

She looked at it curiously.

"What is this?"

"Open it."

She lifted the lid, and her expression immediately changed when she saw the dress carefully folded inside.

The fabric was exceptionally fine, woven from material obtained from a high-ranking magical spider and decorated with delicate gemstones that caught the light whenever the fabric moved.

Her eyes widened.

"This..."

"I waited until we came here to give it to you," the Marquis said with a satisfied smile. "A dress of this quality is only sold once a day, and I was fortunate enough to secure one."

His wife looked at him, her expression softening into a warm smile.

"My, my... you even went this far?"

"Of course. You’re my beloved wife, after all."

Her cheeks turned slightly red.

"Oh my... Dear thank you."

The children immediately exchanged glances.

Their youngest son quietly covered his face with both hands.

"Father is doing it again..."

His older sister giggled.

"They’re embarrassing."

The Marquis and his wife simply laughed while the maids quietly watched from the side, maintaining their professional expressions despite the amusing scene unfolding before them.

The collectors’ hall of Starlight was unusually crowded that afternoon, filled with wealthy nobles, merchants, aristocrats, and renowned collectors from across the kingdom who had gathered for one reason alone—the latest treasures had finally been placed on display.

At the center of the grand exhibition hall, a young woman wearing the maid uniform stood beside a series of carefully illuminated displays, her composed smile never fading as she introduced each piece to the increasingly restless crowd.

"Our first piece is Lady Beneath the Sun, an original painting from the southern kingdom that was believed to have been lost during the Great Merchant War. The artist’s identity remains unknown, although several historians believe it was painted more than two centuries ago."

The nobles stared at the painting in silence, their eyes slowly widening as they examined its intricate details.

"How much?"

"Three hundred gold."

"Four hundred."

"Five hundred."

The maid’s smile remained perfectly calm.

"I should mention that the reserve price has not yet been reached."

"Six hundred!"

"Seven hundred!"

"Eight hundred!"

"What?! You can’t possibly be serious!"

The bidding immediately descended into chaos.

The maid quietly stepped aside while two elderly collectors began arguing over the painting as though their entire reputations depended on owning it.

"That painting belongs in my collection!"

"Your collection? You wouldn’t recognize a masterpiece if it struck you in the face!"

"At least I have taste!"

"You call buying twelve identical royal portraits taste?!"

Their argument earned several amused glances from the surrounding nobles, but neither man seemed remotely embarrassed.

The maid simply moved toward the next display.

"This is a preserved Crystal Beetle Wing, harvested from a mature Crystal Beetle found deep within the northern caverns. Its natural mana circulation has remained intact, allowing the wing to retain its original crystalline luster."

A collector immediately raised his hand.

"Two hundred gold."

"Three hundred."

"Four hundred."

"Five."

"Six hundred!"

"Seven hundred!"

"Eight!"

The maid blinked once before calmly announcing the current price.

Meanwhile, another group had already gathered around a sculpture made entirely from frozen crystal.

"And this?"

"The Moon Serpent. It was carved from naturally formed frozen crystal recovered from the Frostgrave Mountains. The material is exceptionally rare, and the sculpture was crafted by a master artisan from the northern territories."

A middle-aged nobleman stared at it as though he had just discovered the meaning of life.

"I’ll take it."

"Name your price."

"Five hundred gold."

"Six hundred."

"Seven."

"Nine hundred."

"One thousand."

The first man slammed his hand against the table.

"One thousand and two hundred!"

"You bastard!"

"Don’t call me a bastard simply because you cannot afford it!"

"Cannot afford it?! I’ll pay fifteen hundred!"

The maid watched the two men glare at each other with childish hostility before calmly writing down the new bid.

"Fifteen hundred gold has been offered."

The surrounding collectors erupted once again.

There were countless treasures displayed throughout the hall—ancient weapons, enchanted ornaments, preserved monster materials, sculptures carved from rare magical crystals, paintings that had disappeared from historical records, and artifacts whose origins remained unknown even to scholars.

Every item seemed capable of turning an ordinary collector into an obsessed fool.

Yet the strangest part was not the treasures themselves.

It was the people fighting over them.

"Two thousand!"

"Two thousand and fifty!"

"Three thousand!"

"You actually raised it again?!"

"I would rather die than let you have it!"

The maid merely smiled as another bidding war began.

For Starlight, this was nothing unusual.

For the collectors, however, it was becoming increasingly difficult to remember that they had originally entered the building intending to look at the treasures.

Most of them were now fighting as though their lives depended on taking something home.

The commotion in the collectors’ hall continued when the doors at the far end opened, and Celeste entered the exhibition area with the calm and graceful presence of someone who was already accustomed to being surrounded by wealth.

She wore an elegant silver-white dress made from fine enchanted fabric, its delicate patterns embroidered along the sleeves and waist while several small gemstones were woven into the edges of the dress, giving it a refined appearance without making it excessively extravagant. Her long silver hair had been carefully arranged into an elegant hairstyle, with part of it gathered behind her head while the rest flowed naturally down her back.

The moment she entered, several collectors turned their attention toward her.

"Who is that?"

"She’s beautiful..."

"Is she one of the nobles?"

Celeste paid little attention to the whispers and approached the Eclipse member responsible for the exhibition.

"How is everything going?"

The young woman immediately bowed.

"Lady Celeste, everything is proceeding smoothly. The new collection has attracted considerably more attention than expected, and several pieces have already been sold for prices far beyond their original estimates."

Celeste smiled lightly.

"I see. Which pieces have attracted the most attention?"

"The Lady Beneath the Sun has already surpassed one thousand gold, while the Crystal Beetle Wing has reached nearly a thousand. The Moon Serpent sculpture has caused the greatest commotion, however. The current bids have already exceeded fifteen hundred gold, and they’re still competing over it."

Celeste glanced toward the collectors who were still arguing over the sculpture, her expression remaining perfectly composed.

"That certainly sounds lively."

The member smiled.

"They seem rather determined to take something home today."

Celeste gave a quiet laugh before turning toward the surrounding collectors.

"Everyone seems to be enjoying the new collection."

Several of them immediately approached her, eager to speak with the woman who appeared to hold considerable authority within the establishment.

"The new pieces are extraordinary," one elderly collector said. "I’ve collected artifacts for more than thirty years, but I’ve never seen materials of this quality displayed in one place."

"The preservation of the Crystal Beetle Wing is remarkable," another added. "Whoever handled it clearly understood exactly how to preserve its mana."

"And the Moon Serpent..." A third collector sighed almost dreamily. "I would have paid twice what I’ve already offered."

"You were already prepared to spend two thousand gold on it," another collector immediately replied. "Don’t pretend you’re being reasonable."

"That is precisely why I must have it."

Celeste smiled at their exchange before one of the nobles looked at her more carefully.

"Forgive me for asking, but are you perhaps the daughter of the owner of Starlight?"

Several nearby collectors became curious as well.

Celeste shook her head with a polite smile.

"No, I’m not. I’m simply one of the people entrusted with managing this section of Starlight."

"Just one of the managers?"

The collector looked around the enormous exhibition hall before returning his gaze to Celeste.

"Then Starlight must place an extraordinary amount of trust in its people."

Celeste’s smile remained unchanged.

"We simply make sure that every guest receives the quality they came here expecting."

Her gaze briefly moved across the priceless paintings, magical artifacts, sculptures, and rare monster materials surrounding them.

"After all, these collections deserve to be handled properly."

The collectors nodded in agreement, and before long their attention returned to the exhibits, with the bidding once again beginning to rise as Celeste calmly watched over the hall she had been entrusted to manage.

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