The first thing that caught Clementine’s immediate attention upon entering the hall was the beautiful woman sitting entirely alone on one of the luxurious velvet sofas.

Her physical posture was incredibly graceful, confident, and highly refined. With calm and elegant manners, she leisurely enjoyed her hot tea while completely ignoring her surroundings, remaining focused only on herself like a true narcissist. At least, that was the exact kind of aloof expression and air she carried around her, as though everything else in the building were far beneath her personal notice. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

She wore a high-quality red-and-black gown that perfectly matched her striking appearance. Her long, crimson-black hair reached all the way down to her waist, remaining incredibly smooth and carefully maintained. Her eyes naturally curved slightly upward at the edges, giving them a faintly seductive appearance even without any active intention on her part. Her nose was flawless, her lips carried a natural red tint, and her dark eyes calmly observed the room beneath half-lidded gazes. Her face itself was entirely unblemished and strikingly beautiful.

Though she sat completely alone within the wide hall, her mere presence naturally commanded the attention of anyone who entered. She was clearly a woman accustomed to being noticed by the world.

In the end, Clementine was not particularly impressed by the display. Women like this were not uncommon in her eyes.

Throughout her previous life, she had met countless individuals with similar arrogant personalities, including powerful women far more dangerous than the one sitting before her now. As for Aphryne and Auguszta, little that did not directly concern Aezaleon or their big sister truly interested them.

All three simply ignored the foreign woman’s presence—even though she had clearly noticed their entrance—and calmly walked toward the luxurious sofa directly opposite hers before taking their seats.

As the only maid currently present within the secure VIP Hall, the heavy silence and awkward atmosphere building between the two extremely important guests of the Auction House of Gilded Shadows was placing immense pressure on Myra’s poor heart.

Internally, she was nearly in tears from the absolute tension. ’Why did I have to be the one dealing with these arrogant women? Couldn’t someone else handle this job instead? What is that branch manager even doing right now?’ she cursed bitterly inwardly while maintaining her stiff professional posture, though the slight fidgeting of her fingers betrayed her deep nervousness.

The seated woman finally placed her delicate teacup back onto the table with smooth and precise movements. Her narrowed eyes focused directly on the three women who had completely captured her attention through their indifferent attitude alone.

Meanwhile, the three remained fully occupied with their own private telepathic conversation about mundane matters, seemingly oblivious to the growing tension inside the hall.

"So you are the girls who bought that pathetic rank three ability scroll for such a sky-high price?" The woman questioned in a clear, taunting voice.

She leaned slightly back against the soft sofa cushions, a faint smile forming on her lips. "Could it be that your shallow pride was wounded when someone kept counter-bidding you, forcing you to raise the price that high just to save face?"

Aphryne blinked, momentarily pulled out of her thoughts by the sudden question. A displeased expression immediately formed on her face as she looked toward the strange woman who had apparently reached her own absurd conclusions.

"Who are you? And why does it matter to you why we bought what we bought?"

Her spoken words were sharp and direct, plainly telling the woman to mind her own business without the slightest attempt at normal politeness or sugarcoating.

The woman parted her lips slightly, clearly not expecting such an openly harsh and defensive response in return. "Oh? Little girl, do you truly not know who I am to speak to me in such a manner?" She questioned with visible interest, a faint smile slowly appearing on her lips. "Do you have no fear of death?"

The exact moment those cold words left her mouth, the atmosphere inside the VIP hall abruptly shifted. A heavy tension quietly spread through the room like an invisible pressure. Clementine’s pupils constricted dangerously at the threat, while Auguszta’s usual playful smile completely disappeared from her face.

"Woman, it truly does not matter who you are," Clementine spoke at last, breaking the silence. Her voice was calm, empty, and completely devoid of any human emotion. "But wise people generally avoid provoking others when they themselves do not know who they are dealing with."

"Such nerve. A lowly rank one ascendant thinks she can lecture me?" Though her gaze remained fixed on Clementine, she briefly glanced toward Auguszta with clear disdain. "Do you truly think this woman can save you from me if I genuinely decided to kill you right here?"

To her surprise, the two younger girls merely smiled at the statement.

"Well, why don’t you try it?" Auguszta encouraged casually, her smile turning bright, relaxed, and almost playful. "After all, you won’t know whether my big sister even needs my help at all unless you try it yourself."

The atmosphere inside the hall grew heavier with every single exchange. The tension had already reached the point where even basic breathing felt difficult for certain ordinary individuals present.

Myra was inwardly panicking.

She was merely a low-ranking maid whose social status stood far below the powerful people seated before her. Naturally, the last thing she wanted was to end up on either side’s bad terms, as that alone could completely ruin her life. At the same time, she also did not want to lose her current job.

’Where is that bastard manager?’ Myra screamed inwardly while struggling to maintain her professional composure.

Azara narrowed her eyes slightly in deep thought. ’Big sister? This weak woman is their big sister?’ Confusion finally appeared within her analytical thoughts.

In the end, she decided to directly use her sensory ability on the three women. Even if such an action was considered incredibly rude and offensive, she simply did not care about the rules. They were weaker than her, so naturally they should adjust themselves according to her personal whims.

With how sensitive they naturally were due to possessing Perfect Forms, the three sisters immediately noticed Azara’s probing senses brushing against their bodies. However, Auguszta and Aphryne had complete confidence in Clementine’s unranked concealment-type ability, Aura of Flawed Phantom, and therefore paid little attention to the scan.

Only Clementine herself clearly disliked the intrusion.

"Using your sensory ability on others? Quite the well-mannered woman you are," she remarked coldly, making no effort to hide her displeasure. Despite her irritation, Clementine still controlled her power. She had already sensed that the woman before them was an Ascension rank five High Monarch, making an unnecessary conflict here very much undesirable under the current circumstances.

Meanwhile, Azara was far more shocked by something else entirely. The fact that a mere rank one had actually sensed her probe surprised her far more than discovering the material-spiritual Ascension ranks of the two women seated beside her.

"Just who are you girls?" She finally asked, genuine amazement filling her voice. At this point, her curiosity had risen to an unusually high level, to the point she could barely suppress it anymore.