The Demon’s Bride

As they entered, an echoing voice loudly exclaimed to the auction hall. The auctioneer cued the other employee for a new slave to be brought in the stage.

"This new slave would be younger than the others. Her name is Elise from Yunan Village. Her age is still yet ripe, but as everyone could see, her skin is pure white, her face is undoubtedly pretty to look at even without her eyes. And to top all the deal, this young girl is a pure untouched virgin!" The commentator's enticing words brought some likings to the audiences who were sitting in the curved seat across the stage.

Elise was pushed to the stage, hearing the talk of the auctioneer next to her as he untied the cloth on her eyes, intense light befell on her eyes, making her squint to protect her sight before eventually looking down back at the floor.

The stage was wide and across her, the bidder sat on the chair stacked on from bellow. Standing alone in the middle of the stage, she felt even smaller. They had the self hawking in the girl, starting from the sorcerer who graded her with different standards to the disgusting noblemen who couldn't wait to taste the little slave for themselves.

In her heart, she could only understand that if someone bought her now, especially the sorcerers she would lose her life for good. Her childish mind could only think that she shouldn't attract any eyes of the audience and look down from the grinning faces of the nobles.

Even if Elise couldn't view their faces, she could sense what kind of emotion and desire running through their eyes. Lust, greed, selfish, and disgust. Some chattered about the use of a child slave and the fact that they could raise her to their taste. A few sorcerers also eyed themself on the girl, whispering how the girl would be a fitting sacrifice for a demonic ritual.

"We will start the bid, from 50 gold coins!" The auctioneer slammed his hand on the tall wooden table that stopped on his waist. He glanced around hawking the bidders who had their interest piqued.

"A hundred gold!" Suddenly a man shouted from the third seat of the auction hall, bringing the set of eyes on him.

Even less than a second he finished his words, many people seemed to have taken a liking to the girl's petite body. Elise's face was delicate and with her red hair, the complexion of her fair skin became paler while her red lips as colorful as ripe cherries. Her large blue eyes glittered like jewels from the light, flickering the interest of anyone who saw her pure eyes. The same exact pure eyes that would stir the people's evil deed to stain the girl.

For a slave, she could be labeled to be one of the rarest beauty. Not to mention, nobles love rare thing including her burning red hair. Whispers clamored around the room before another shout followed the man in less than a second. "two hundred fifty gold!"

"four hundred gold!" Another one jumped the other bidder when a crisp husky voice echoed through the room. Everyone turned their face to the man who bided, thinking that his taste must have been innocent children to bed with a disgusted expression. Because most of the bidders had half of their upper face hidden, they couldn't see the man's face but it didn't change their inner eagerness to guess which noble of merchant under the mask.

The auctioneer rolled his eyes across the room waiting for anyone to raise the price, but heard no one and hummed. "Anyone else? Anyone else?"

No one replied and the auctioneer immediately raised his hand to slam the fate of Elise to the pedophile when suddenly his hand froze in mid-air from magic.

"Four thousand gold." Ian's deep voice echoed through the hall, bringing gawking silence as it ended.

The people's eyes on the bidder snapped to the back. They couldn't possibly hear it wrong, someone had just bid a small and young slave who was mostly useless as she couldn't satisfy anyone in bed yet for four thousand gold. It was the same amount as a humongous mansion with a complete furniture store. The amount of money that people could only get a hold in their dreams.

The bidder had his eyes wide open to the man and jaw nearly kissing the floor. His head would have wanted to exclaim no way, but thought it was impudent and gulped it back.

Elise who had resigned her fate in finally rose her head in a shock. A gold to her was enough to fill her stomach for a whole year. But someone had just thought her as expensive to spend four thousand gold coins on her.

Ian walked down the stairs in glee after finally finding what he needed to find, he ascended the stair with a high jump, elegantly doing his movements with little efforts. He raised his finger on her chin and rose it up to smile at her under his mask.

"Nice to meet you, my puppy." A chuckle followed his greetings.

The auctioneer had an aghast face paler than a corpse when he saw Ian jumping to the stage in ease to the point he almost collapsed in shock. Due to how dangerous auction is, Turisk, the head merchant hired the strongest sorcerers that he could find to protect the items he will sell and placed a very strong magical barrier. Once someone foolish enough to enter the stage uninvited, their body would be shredded into pieces and burn to ashes. Yet Ian didn't have to do anything and hopped on with glee! What a frightening magical power! He was taken aback greatly for a moment but eventually found his way to walk to the man. He rubbed both palms near his chest and nervously muttered in a crooked jittery smile.

"S- Sir... Please do not enter the stage... It is forbidden by the rule." In front of Ian who could enter the stage even though it had a protection magic circle that could shred the unwanted people to pieces easily, no one could keep their calm including the auctioneer who was about to piss himself. However, the man was someone important and he wouldn't dare to annoy him.

Yet when the auctioneer thought about who could be under the mask and hopped into death in ease, his face was drained from all blood, looking horrifyingly pale.

This strong magical power, and the signature red eyes. Even though there are a few mythical beings who had the same colored eyes, this was the Runalia, the land that forbids mythical beings from entering. Meaning there was only one person who could have this blood-like eyes. No matter how much stupid person could be dumb, there wasn't anyone who could not know this very powerful person. He was the Lord of Warine Land, Ian White. However, no matter how frightened he was to the looming man, he was an important buyer who had bid four thousand gold coins. He couldn't rudely show his fear that could annoy this person who was known well for his fickleness.

Ian turned his face or his mask that exuded eeriness and uttered simply. "Oh, really?"

Behind Ian, Alex's forehead had colored in red from the face palm that he did numerously. He cursed Ian for running his steps to buy a slave and with such a bold move that must have alerted a few people in the slave auction hall. He swept his green eyes very faintly to the corner sides and as he expected some people had run away due to fear. Those who run were the people who knew who he was and perhaps known that they have done sins that could raise Ian's fury. Sighing with burden, he glanced for a moment at the young girl, trying to find anything that could have to evoke Ian's interest yet found nothing other than her odd hair and eyes color. The more he looked at her the more pity he felt for the girl. The little girl's body had black and blue bruises, some scratches of wounds, and her thorn-apart course dress stained with mud. It was truly heartbreaking luck for such a little girl to suffer in.

"Y- Yes... please follow me to the backstage. The slave would follow after you have signed the contract." The fear stricken auctioneer ushered Ian with his hand to the red curtain behind the stage. Ian wrinkled his lower lips and made his wand disappeared in thin air to follow the man to the back before sparing another glance at the dumbfounded Elise.

"Then I'll see you later, puppy." Elise saw the masked man waving his hand playfully and another man looking at her gently with a smile before drawing out a long breath to follow Ian to the backstage.