Chapter 183: Isn’t This Just Hunger Marketing?
Arabella Donovan was stunned speechless by the heavy label he’d just slapped on her, and for a moment, she didn’t know how to react.
’Wait, is it a crime for me not to spend my grand-uncle’s money? Why are they acting like it’s a mortal sin if I don’t? It’s so weird. Most parents worry about their kids spending money recklessly, but my family seems terrified I don’t know how. They’re all pushing me to go out and splurge, and they actually get upset when I don’t...’
Dennis Donovan and Guinevere Preston exchanged a helpless glance.
Their own blood relatives and closest confidants were all scheming to make off with every last bit of their wealth and connections. They acted as if they wanted to break their bones, suck the marrow, bleed them dry, and then grind up the remains to be reused.
This girl, on the other hand, was afraid to spend money even when it was practically handed to her, clean and clear. It truly left them at a loss for words.
"Grand-uncle, you’ve misunderstood! I just... I just figured this was all small stuff. I can cover it with my own allowance. Why would I need to use your ridiculously impressive supreme black card for this? Wouldn’t that just cheapen it?"
Leaning on his cane, Dennis Donovan raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Is that so?"
"Of course, it is," Arabella Donovan said, forcing herself to commit. "I’ll be staying in Brynn for a while yet. Surely you’re not afraid I won’t find opportunities to spend money? You said it yourself, living in Brynn is expensive. Making money is hard, but spending it is easy, right? Just don’t come crying to me when I spend too much."
"Listen to her! Just listen to her!" Dennis Donovan pointed at Arabella and roared with laughter. "Well then, you’d better give it your all. Your grand-uncle’s fortune is vast. If you can spend enough to make me feel even a tiny pinch—just the tip of the iceberg—I’ll admit you’ve got real talent."
Arabella Donovan let out a dry, embarrassed laugh.
’I know Grand-uncle is telling the truth, but isn’t it a bit... much to say it out loud like that? I’m starting to seriously suspect that his unabashed flaunting is what attracts all those people coveting his fortune in the first place.’
The expert flexer, suffering in silence: "..."
’You ungrateful girl. How could your grand-uncle not understand the wisdom of keeping a low profile about his wealth? It’s just that at my level, even without knowing the full extent of my fortune, the assets that are impossible to hide are more than enough to tempt people.’
’And another thing, do you really think your grand-uncle just throws money at everyone? The only people I’m this generous with are you and Preston. Anyone else who tries to pry a single coin out of me had better check if they’ll live long enough to spend it!’
The frustration and resentment in Dennis’s eyes were so obvious that Guinevere Preston couldn’t help but feel both helpless and amused. "Alright, alright. The girl ran into trouble on her first day out, she must be tired. Stop giving her such a hard time. Serena, are you hungry? Let’s go get something to eat."
’Grandma, you’re a lifesaver!’
"Mhm! I want roast duck today, and braised chicken drumsticks."
"Of course, of course, we have it all. I had your Uncle Miles get everything ready when you mentioned it yesterday. We also have the crab roe soup dumplings and sweet and sour ribs you like."
"Yes, yes, yes! Those are all my favorites. Grandma, I absolutely adore you! If you keep spoiling me like this, I won’t want to leave after you two get married."
"Then don’t leave if you don’t want to. Your grandpa and I will always have a room for you here. Just come back and stay whenever you miss us."
"Mhm."
The pair, one old and one young, walked away arm in arm, leaving Dennis, the head of the household, forgotten where he stood.
But he wasn’t angry. As he watched their retreating figures, he felt an empty space in his heart fill up, and a faint smile touched his lips.
Only when the pair had entered an inner room and were completely out of sight did Dennis give Howard a meaningful look.
Howard nodded, then immediately turned and left.
One could only imagine how miserable the fate of those people would be.
Of all the people to cross, they had to go and provoke one of the two people their Ninth Master cherished most. Well, now they had really gone and done it—they’d played themselves into ruin.
Perhaps because Arabella Donovan hadn’t accepted Kieran Kerr’s apology by taking jewelry from his store for free, he was worried that her anger still lingered.
He called early the next morning to say he had sent another gift and hoped Arabella Donovan would either come out to retrieve it or give him an address for delivery.
Arabella Donovan knew that if she didn’t accept this gift, he would likely continue to worry, so she decided to just have Herman go and pick it up.
When he returned with it, she discovered that what Kieran Kerr had sent was actually... an invitation card with gilded lettering?
"Pavilion of Many Treasures?" Guinevere Preston had also only recently arrived in Brynn and wasn’t familiar with the name. She turned to Herman. "Have you heard of this place? What do they do?"
"The Pavilion of Many Treasures is the largest auction house in Brynn. It gathers rare treasures, antiques, and artworks from all over the world and holds an auction every quarter. The attendees are mostly business magnates and newly wealthy elites from Brynn and other regions."
Arabella Donovan waved the invitation at him. "This is it?"
"Yes, but the one you’re holding, Miss, is an invitation to the annual auction. It’s much rarer and more valuable—far harder to obtain."
"How is the annual auction invitation different from the quarterly ones?"
"Their annual auction, which is the final one of the year, showcases the most collectible treasures they’ve acquired over the past year. Every year around this time, the wealthy from all over the country compete to attend, so the value of the invitations rises accordingly."
"...So it’s just scarcity marketing?"
Herman chuckled at her description. "You could put it that way, but the quality of the items they auction is universally acclaimed. They’re truly top-notch. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have so many wealthy individuals coming from all over just for its reputation."
’Got it. So the stuff they’re auctioning is rare enough to be considered real treasure, which is why so many suckers are lining up to hand over their money and get fleeced.’
Guinevere Preston: "..." ’Well, she’s not wrong about that,’ she thought.
"Serena, do you want to go to this auction?"
"Mhm, I do." Arabella Donovan had been struggling to find a suitable wedding gift for them. If this auction house truly had rare treasures unavailable anywhere else, she might not have to go through the trouble of having someone make a trip up the mountain to retrieve one of the treasures she kept hidden at the Sacred Temple.
When Guinevere Preston realized Arabella wanted to go to the auction for their sake, the smile in her eyes deepened. "If you want to go, then you should go. But auctions are crowded and draw a mixed bag of people. Be sure to take Herman and the others with you so you have some backup."
Knowing Guinevere’s intentions were good, and acknowledging that she was, in fact, a stranger in Brynn and it wouldn’t be wise to go alone, Arabella Donovan accepted the offer.
The auction was in three days, but before the day arrived, a call came from Eugene Jennings.
"Hm? What was that? Your mother wants to invite me over for dinner?"