A female from the Cat Clan, wearing a long, cyan dress, slowly walked out from the back rows.

She gave a slight bow to the Fox Clan Lady, then raised her amber eyes, staring intently at the slender rabbit figure on the stage.

"Before this lady receives the Mermaid, please allow us to appraise the gemstones first."

The Beastmen in the venue all looked at her in surprise—

’Is this lady from the Cat Clan suspecting that the seven broken dreams are fakes?’

The Elk Host on the stage was stunned.

He quickly began signaling frantically to the Cat Clan lady with his eyes.

Too many people had come to the auction this time, with many females making special trips from other territories. They might not recognize Lord Luther of the Guard Team.

Only the Elk knew that for a member of the Guard Team to provide such close protection, there was only one possibility—

An Imperial S-level female!

Yu Zhizhi was completely bewildered through it all.

After all, she had no idea what a "broken dream" even was.

She had thought they were just ordinary gems that could be exchanged for gold. She hadn’t expected them to be so valuable, which actually made her a little nervous.

The Cat Clan female clapped her hands, and a young male in a blue uniform who had come with her stepped forward.

The Cat Clan lady announced, "This is an appraisal master from the Divine City. He will be the one to determine whether these seven Ice Blue Gemstones are truly broken dreams."

Originally, no one had considered this possibility.

But after the Cat Clan lady’s reminder, the Beastmen present began to whisper amongst themselves.

"Could they really be fakes?"

"This Rabbit Clan female looks so unfamiliar. I’ve attended many noble banquets, but I have no memory of her at all."

"Exactly. How could she possess so many broken dreams?"

The Fox Clan Lady remained silent.

She wasn’t taking a side in this matter.

Her mind was completely filled with the thought of the Mermaid locked in the Water Cage.

The male appraiser walked onto the high platform. He put on white gloves, picked up an Ice Blue Gemstone from the tray, and a faint green halo of light gradually appeared in his palm.

The eyes of all the beastfolk were fixed on his palm.

This was—

a male from the Cat Clan who had awakened the ’Appraisal’ talent.

The Elk Host stood to the side, wiping away his sweat. He cautiously glanced at the young Rabbit Clan female’s expression, only to find her staring blankly at the Mermaid in the tank.

In contrast, Luther, who was below the stage, wore a grim expression.

The Elk Host put his hands together in an apologetic gesture and mouthed—

*After this is over, I will apologize properly to the Rabbit Clan Lady and give her many useful things.*

The young appraiser withdrew his hand and placed the Ice Blue Gemstone back on the tray.

The Cat Clan lady feigned composure. "Well?"

The appraiser said softly, "They’re real."

The Cat Clan lady’s eyes widened abruptly. "All seven of them are real?"

"Yes."

He had already appraised them all carefully. Every single one was genuine.

The Cat Clan female looked at Yu Zhizhi in disbelief.

’Just what is her background? How could she possess such Rare gems!’

You have to understand, the Empire’s Crown Prince had been collecting broken dreams. He had already gathered thirteen and was only missing the final seven.

To think they were all in the hands of this little rabbit!

Many of the Beastmen in the audience looked ashamed.

Just moments ago, they had also doubted the authenticity of the gems. Now that the results were in, looking at the young Rabbit Clan female again, it was as if she was surrounded by a holy aura, dazzling and radiant.

The Elk Host hurriedly and excitedly announced, "Well then, let’s have a round of applause to celebrate for this Rabbit Clan Lady! Congratulations to her for officially winning the Mermaid!"

The venue erupted in thunderous applause.

The eyes of many females revealed their envy.

A Rare Mermaid was no longer something that could be exchanged for mere gold. Unfortunately, the treasures everyone else had were not enough to compare to a broken dream, let alone seven of them.

The auction ended.

The Beastmen in attendance left one after another.

The bright lights were half-dimmed, leaving only the high platform illuminated.

The on-site staff wheeled in a cart.

Along with a box of complimentary items.

The Elk Host said fawningly, "That appraisal was truly abrupt. We couldn’t stop it, and for that, we are truly sorry."

"These are all for you!"

"You’ll definitely be able to use them!"

Yu Zhizhi looked at the Water Cage to the side.

Blue seawater sloshed gently inside the glass tank.

The Mermaid locked inside appeared to be around the same age as Yu Zhizhi. An iron chain was fastened around his neck, and his long, seaweed-like, dark brown hair swayed slowly.

The Mermaid’s skin was pale, almost bloodless. He looked both fragile and beautiful, his distinct eyelashes casting a faint shadow on his face.

There was a faint mole on the tip of his nose, adding a hint of allure.

His crimson lips were like petals unfurling in the early morning.

The Mermaid’s exquisitely beautiful features were breathtaking, even with his eyes closed.

’So beautiful, truly beautiful.’

Yu Zhizhi marveled to herself. No wonder so many female members of the Beast Clan had come tonight, all wanting to take him home.

Luther stood to the side and took the box.

As was custom, he had to open it and inspect the contents first to prevent any dangerous items from being inside.

He opened the mahogany box and checked the items inside one by one.

Yu Zhizhi also looked over curiously.

"What are these?"

The Elk Host explained in a gentle voice, "This is sea salt. Sprinkling it in the bathtub will make the Mermaid more comfortable when he soaks."

"This box contains the Lost Potion. To prevent the Mermaid from harming his owner, please have him drink it daily. This medicine won’t harm his body; it will simply leave him weak and unable to resist, no matter what you do to him."

"And there’s this—"

The Elk Host picked up a small, snow-white box from inside. It looked like a jewelry box, the kind used for rings.

He opened it slowly. Yu Zhizhi saw two "dark blue eyes" and froze.

The Elk Host said, "This is a pair of prosthetic eyes. You can ask a physician from Paradise to install them for him. If you don’t like this color, you can choose another."

"...He—he doesn’t have eyes?" Yu Zhizhi asked, surprised.

"That’s right. When we found him, his eyes had been plucked out by a villain because they were too beautiful. They’ve likely been bought and collected by some noble by now."

There was a hint of regret in the male Elk’s voice.

A Mermaid’s eyes are beyond compare to any prosthetic; they are simply too perfect and flawless.

Trading seven broken dreams for a defective Mermaid seemed like a raw deal, no matter how you looked at it. However, these seven gems would allow Paradise to present a gift to the Crown Prince at this year’s Imperial Holy Rites.

The Elk said, "I will request some more benefits for you from the Tower Master."

"Oh, right. There is one more item that hasn’t been air-freighted over yet. It should arrive in about three days. When it does, we must ask you to come to the Lost Tower again."

Luther asked, "What is it?"

"The Purification Holy Medicine for the Mermaid. With it, he can become a true male."

"Isn’t he a male now?" Yu Zhizhi asked blankly.

The Elk smiled and explained, "He is a male Mermaid, of course. It’s just that he does not yet possess the ability to mate. However, once he drinks the Holy Medicine, that problem will be solved."

"Oh, I see..."

Inside the tank.

The Mermaid Youth, who seemed to be asleep with his eyes closed, listened to the discussion outside. His eyelashes trembled slightly, and his body, tightly bound by the chain, gradually turned a snow-like white out of revulsion.

’Naive. Foolish. Extravagant. Shameless.’

This was his assessment of the Rabbit Clan female who had bought him.

...Mate?

He would absolutely, positively, never touch her!