Frank, however, had no intention to negotiate and refused bluntly. "I''m sorry, Ms. Lionheart—I have


    great use for my Hale Marrow, and I''m not selling no matter what you offer me."


    "What?!" Sif did a double take, her temper ring right then.


    It was the first time someone would refuse her, the heiress of the Lionheart!


    "I''m being nice here!" she snapped. "Know your ce and give it to me right now! No one ever refuses


    me, and everyone will always hand over whatever I want to me on a silver tter!"


    Frank simply raised a brow and sneered. "Really? How on earth did you manage to describe daylight


    robbery with such righteous words? Or perhaps you own this ce too? Surely you should know how


    to abide by rules too, Ms. Lionheart?"


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    "Shut up! What I say is the rule!" Sif bellowed haughtily, ring at Frank. "The Lionhearts will make this


    worth your while—you bought it for 200 million, didn''t you? I''m now buying it for 2 billion dors. It''s no


    loss for you, so hand it over!"


    Seeing that Sif was stubbornly persistent, Frankughed despite himself.


    To think Sif herself was mocking him for buying the hale pearl for 200 million just earlier. Now that he


    had unveiled the real treasure within, Sif was now bent on taking it from him!


    Still, it was even more outrageous that Sif was demanding to have it for just 2 billion dors—it was


    hardly the value for a real treasure like the Hale Marrow! The woman was really taking him for a fool!


    "And what if I still refuse?" Frank asked, leveling a cool stare at Sif.


    "Then you''ll have to face the consequences," Sif threatened him, not pulling her punches at all.


    Even if she only got an underdeveloped Hyperion Root, the Hale Marrow would make up for it and then


    some.


    It was her only way to recoup her losses, and she would take it from Frank even if it meant her


    embarrassment.


    "It''s disappointing to think that a Lionheart would be socking in virtue." Frank snorted, shaking his


    head. "I actually believed for a moment that your family was the upstanding sort after meeting Titus


    Lionheart—well, consider my eyes open now."


    With that, he turned toward everyone else in the auction hall and spoke audibly, "Everyone! It seems


    that the Lionhearts would not hesitate to im any treasures you may luck into on this day. Are you


    willing to just roll over and yield? If so, why bother with the auction at all?!"


    Pointing at Sif just then, Frank bellowed furiously, "Just let Ms. Lionheart look through the entire


    catalog, and then im what sloppy seconds she leaves! That''s all the rest of us deserve, right? No!


    Even if she messes up and misses some treasure, she''ll im it from you anyway! You must return it


    because it''s rightfully hers! If you refuse, she will name-drop her family and threaten to end you! So, I


    ask again: why bother with the auction at all?! Why don''t we all just swear fealty to the Lionhearts,


    be theirpdogs, and deliver all we have as tributes?!"


    The auction hall was silent after Frank was finished, and everyone was scowling.


    After all, he was right—why bother with the auction at all?!


    They had alle prospecting, keen to snatch some unnoticed treasures from the Leaf family''s


    auction.


    But with that despotic Lionheart heiress there with them? Really, why bother?


    Not only did they have no chance of outbidding her, but even if they won some miracle, she would just


    threaten them to hand over their loot.


    At that point, what could one do other than to yield, even if it took painstaking effort to im their


    treasure?