Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 82: Placing items for the Auction

She nodded lightly. "You arrived earlier than I did."

"We only just got here," Nigel replied cheerfully. "I’ll be taking the academy assessment next month. My father asked me to see if there’s anything I need to prepare."

Zora gave a faint hum and swept her gaze across the hall. Quite a few young people were present. Items at auctions were always better than those in ordinary shops. If she could find something suitable, it would be a good gain.

At the same time, countless eyes were fixed on her.

Today, Zora wore a simple white dress. Her aura was clean and detached, her temperament serene and refined. That flawless face seemed perfect from every angle.

Even standing still, she was already an unforgettable sight.

"Look, Zora is here."

"I wonder if she accepted the academy’s invitation. To reject such an opportunity... that takes guts."

"I’m telling you, the biggest fool in the imperial city has to be His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Letting such a treasure slip away. If I’d guessed such a day would arrive, I’d have gone to the House Phoenix to propose long ago when she was weak and vulnerable."

"Hey... Shush... She is Prince Kael’s wife."

"Ugh... why that crippled prince... He truly doesn’t deserve her. His Majesty did a bad thing to Miss Zora..."

The surrounding crowd nodded in agreement.

Zora’s rise had completely exposed the shortsightedness of the General household. As for the royal family, people thought the same in their hearts, though few dared say it aloud.

"His Royal Highness also took another huge loss," a man chuckled. "I heard this morning that Scarlett’s face is also in trouble."

That immediately drew everyone’s curiosity. "What kind of trouble?"

Rose laughed and glanced at Zora and Nigel. "I heard Scarlett’s face has broken out badly. Pimples and freckles were seen everywhere on her face. And it seems no doctor could cure her."

"Haha!"

Nigel’s eyes widened in shock. "No way... that’s brutal."

"I was wondering why she’d been strutting around like a peacock all day, acting so high and mighty. Turns out she hasn’t shown her face lately because she can’t show her face."

"Serves her right. I’ve long been sick of her arrogance. Honestly, His Imperial Highness shouldn’t marry a woman whose face can’t even be seen."

Rose laughed so hard her shoulders shook. Scarlett’s usual swagger had irritated her for a long time. Seeing Scarlett fall from grace felt unusually satisfying.

A faint, amused curve lifted Zora’s lips.

"This would be the Crown Prince’s second broken engagement," someone whispered. "If it gets annulled again, then..."

Nigel looked awkward. If that really happened, it would become the biggest joke in Elysia. The Crown Prince’s marriage fate would be talked about for years.

At the mention of this, many gazes quietly drifted toward Zora, all carrying the same unspoken thought.

His Royal Highness... truly suffered a massive loss this time.

Not long after, Prince Philip also arrived at the auction hall.

The moment he stepped inside, he sensed the subtle, strange looks aimed at him from all directions.

The usual pride on his handsome face had faded, replaced by a trace of helpless bitterness. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

He had lost first place in the royal hunting game. Now his fiancée’s appearance had become a laughingstock. Before coming here, he’d even heard that his parents were discussing whether to annul the engagement once more.

An inexplicable sense of exhaustion welled up in his chest.

Why had everything gone so wrong lately?

As Prince Philip entered, the lively discussions around him gradually died down, and the bustling hall quieted.

Zora calmly observed the Elysia Trading Hall’s auction hall. The spacious interior could accommodate hundreds of people with ease. The decor was understated yet refined. Nothing looked ostentatious, but every detail spoke of value.

As her gaze shifted, it landed on the side hall to the left.

That was the appraisal chamber, where items for auction were evaluated.

"You wait here for a moment," Zora suddenly said. "I’ll go to the appraisal hall."

Nigel blinked in surprise. "You’re selling something?"

She smiled lightly and nodded. "Yes."

"But items for auction are usually registered before the auction begins," Nigel said hesitantly. "If you miss the timing, you’ll have to wait for the next one."

"It doesn’t matter. I’ll take a look anyway."

Her smile remained unhurried and confident.

After all, items were only refused when they weren’t valuable enough.

If the value was high enough, even if the timing was wrong, the auction house would still find a way.

Seeing Zora head into the appraisal hall, Nigel and Rose exchanged a glance and shrugged helplessly.

Inside the appraisal chamber, Zora saw an old man in his sixties sitting behind a table, his head propped on one hand, dozing off. His head bobbed now and then, yet somehow never hit the table.

"Elder," Zora called out.

The old man slept too deeply to hear her.

"Elder."

She raised her voice slightly and called again.

Bang!

The old man startled awake, his chin smacking hard against the tabletop.

"Ouch!" He clutched his chin, glaring around. "Who disturbed this old man’s nap?"

Zora smiled faintly. "Elder, I’ve come to sell an item."

The old man who had been grumbling moments ago squinted at Zora. A glimmer of sharp interest flashed through his eyes as he rubbed his chin.

"Well now," he said slowly, lips curling, "what a pretty little girl."

Then he snorted. "But you’re far too rude. Disturbing an old man while he’s sleeping."

Zora lifted her brows slightly, amusement flickering in her eyes. From his tone alone, she could tell he wasn’t truly angry.

"Elder," she replied calmly, "sleeping during work hours seems even more inappropriate, doesn’t it?"

The old man’s expression stiffened for a split second. He coughed dryly. "Nonsense. This old man was merely resting his eyes. Who said I was asleep?"

"But you just said I disturbed your sleep," Zora pointed out.

The old man pretended not to hear her, waving a hand impatiently. "Alright, alright. What is it you want to sell? Let me take a look. Though I must warn you, it may be too late to make today’s auction."

Without another word, Zora took out a white porcelain bottle from her storage pouch and placed it on the table.

The old man’s eyes immediately lit up. Most valuable potions were stored in porcelain bottles like this, rather than glass vials.

He uncorked it.

A rich medicinal fragrance instantly spread through the room.

His pupils shrank at realization. "This is... Bone Cleansing Potion?" His voice rose despite himself.

Bone Cleansing Potion. A second-grade potion with the effect of cleansing marrow and removing impurities from the body. As its name suggests, it refines one’s physique, improves affinity with spiritual energy, and significantly accelerates cultivation speed.

It is the same one Philip got as a reward.

The current one Zora produced wasn’t a high grade, yet its value was extraordinary.

In the entire Elysia Empire, there was only one alchemist capable of refining it.

Because of that, Bone Cleansing Potions were rarely seen. Even one was enough to make cultivators fight tooth and nail for it.

And now—

The old man stared at the table as Zora placed two more porcelain bottles on it.

Three bottles.

Three Bone Cleansing Potions.

His breath hitched. There was no need to think. The moment these potions entered the auction, they would become the unquestionable finale.

"Are these really Bone Cleansing Potions?" As the old man asked for confirmation, Zora nodded slightly. "Elder has sharp eyes."