Chapter 164: Ch 164: The fake Auction- Part 1
Kyle kept his expression composed, but his thoughts were anything but.
The prince—Mikalius—had too much interest in him for soone who’d just t him.
His casual words, easy smiles, and laid-back posture did little to hide the sharp gleam in his eyes.
Kyle had seen it before—on schers, on manipulators, and more than once, on a hunter stalking prey.
He had a feeling Mikalius wanted sothing. And he wasn’t saying what.
So Kyle decided to ask.
“What do you want from , Your Highness?”
The air between them shifted. Amanda raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
Mikalius, on the other hand, blinked, clearly stunned by Kyle’s bluntness. Then, as if unable to help himself, he let out a soft chuckle.
“Well, you really don’t dance around, do you?”
He said, drawing out the word.
“I don’t see a reason to.”
Kyle replied.
Mikalius leaned back in his chair and rested his chin on one hand.
“If you want to survive in the courts, you might want to learn a little subtlety. Directness like that is going to get you killed.”
Kyle didn’t respond, but his unwavering gaze spoke volus.
He wasn’t the kind to be intimidated by veiled threats or royal titles. That silence seed to amuse the prince more than anything.
“By the stars. Where did you even find this guy? He’s just as much trouble as you.”
Mikalius sighed, glancing at Amanda.
Amanda scoffed into her teacup.
“He’s my fiancé. I don’t need to ‘find’ him. And trouble seems to be mutual.”
“Unbelievable!”
The prince muttered before turning back to Kyle. The lazy smile disappeared, replaced with sothing more serious.
“Alright. Since you asked so bluntly… with war creeping closer and chaos brewing under the surface, I want an alliance.”
Kyle tilted his head slightly.
“An alliance?”
Mikalius nodded.
“You’re no ordinary noble brat, Kyle Armstrong. You’ve stirred things up from the shadows. I’ve kept an eye on you, even before this auction ss. I’ve got a feeling about you—one that tells you’ll achieve results no one else can. And I like to be on the winning side.”
There was a pause before Kyle said.
“Are you sure you want to associate yourself with the ‘useless’ son of Duke Armstrong?”
That made Mikalius laugh. A genuine one this ti.
“Oh, that title? That’s old news, my friend.”
He shook his head.
“You’ve been busy while hiding away in the countryside, haven’t you? Let’s just say… word’s gotten around. People are watching. Your na is no longer whispered with pity, but with wariness.”
Kyle blinked but didn’t respond. He wasn’t aware of just how much his reputation had shifted. Mikalius seed to notice and smirked.
“Well, I guess you’re still in the dark. Good. I’ll take advantage of that while I can. So? What do you say? Want to be my ally?”
The prince said with a wink, offering his hand.
Kyle eyed the hand for a mont before taking it.
“For now.”
Their handshake was brief, but it sealed more than a simple agreent. It bound Kyle to sothing larger than he had anticipated.
“Good. Then I’ll leave you to your work. I’m sure you’ve got other arrangents to take care of.”
Mikalius said, standing.
Without waiting for a reply, the prince waved a casual goodbye and sauntered out of the inn, whistling as if he hadn’t just proposed a political alliance in the middle of a quiet tea room.
The mont the door shut behind him, Amanda set down her cup with a sharp clink.
“You should be careful around him. He’s far more dangerous than he looks.”
She said, her voice dropping in tone.
Kyle glanced at her.
“He doesn’t strike as naive.”
“That’s because he isn’t. He’s got a sharp brain behind that charming face. He’s been playing court gas since we were children. Half the noble factions owe him favors without realizing it, and the other half are either in his pocket or terrified of him.”
Amanda said, her expression tight.
Kyle thought back to the smile, the seemingly innocent conversation, and the way Mikalius had turned the eting into a negotiation without giving anything of value away.
“I have a feeling that I’m already part of whatever he’s planning.”
Kyle said slowly, Amanda didn’t disagree.
“Most likely.”
Kyle exhaled, sitting back in his chair.
It was too late to untangle himself from this web. But if he played his cards right, he could gain sothing valuable in return.
Being the prince’s pawn wasn’t ideal—but for now, if the alliance gave him leverage in the coming chaos, then so be it.
“As long as I don’t lose anything, I can’t afford I don’t mind walking the sa path. For now.”
He murmured.
______
Master Garret stared at the mana stone nestled in a velvet box before him, a gleeful smile stretching across his face.
The stone pulsed faintly with energy—brilliant, captivating, and filled with promise. Just the sight of it made his fingers itch with greed.
He had done it. He had actually stolen from Kyle Armstrong.
“Hah! That arrogant brat thought he could hoard treasures like this without consequence.”
He barked out a laugh, unable to contain his excitent.
Garret paced the room, glancing back at the stone again and again, as though afraid it might vanish.
Rumors had already spread that the royal family had bought the mana stone Kyle auctioned off just yesterday.
It had been a major scandal—how had a ‘useless’ son of Duke Armstrong co into possession of such a rare treasure?
Now, with this stone in his grasp, Master Garret’s excitent only grew.
“He had more of them. That boy had another one hidden all along…”
Garret muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
The implications were staggering. But Garret wasn’t foolish enough to think he could quietly sit on this for long.
He wasn’t Kyle Armstrong, with powerful family ties and military strength behind him. No—he had to act quickly, strike while the iron was hot.
“I’ll sell this one at an auction. Tomorrow, at noon. Make it public—no more secret dealings or assassins. Let the world know that I, Master Garret, possess sothing even Kyle Armstrong couldn’t hold onto.”
He announced to his subordinates with a grin.
His underlings hesitated, clearly unsure, but they nodded.
Garret could already imagine the sea of nobles and rchants clamoring for the item, waving fat purses and desperate promises. He wouldn’t let it go for anything less than a fortune.
“This will make rich beyond imagination.”
He whispered, a glint of madness in his eyes.
anwhile, in a quiet inn across the district, Kyle sipped his tea as Bruce returned with the latest news. lissa leaned forward, sensing the shift in Bruce’s expression.
“The underground auction’s been announced. Master Garret is selling a mana stone… and he’s making a lot of noise about it.
Bruce said.
lissa’s brows furrowed.
“But didn’t we already—?”
Kyle gave her a calm look.
“He thinks he stole sothing valuable.”
Bruce frowned.
“So he’s trying to outshine you? Make it seem like you lost a second one?”
“More like he thinks he’s being clever. Let him enjoy it while it lasts.”
Kyle replied with a faint smirk. He set his cup down with a soft clink.
lissa straightened up.
“Are we going to stop him?”
Kyle stood.
“No. We’re going to attend his auction.”
Bruce blinked.
“Seriously?”
Kyle nodded.
“We’ll be guests this ti. I’m rather curious how long his little celebration will last.”
lissa smirked.
“Then I suppose we should dress for the occasion.”
Kyle’s eyes glead with quiet amusent.
“Yes. Let’s pay our generous host a visit.”
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