The winner's curse

The slave fairs and auctions were a legal and profitable business for the Rubins crown so they spread in the slums to attract buyers and more than anything; commodity.

They had predilections for poor people and beasts brought from other countries creating a varied market that in the eyes of their people was very common. People walked hurriedly and very cautiously to avoid pickpockets and kidnappers, known as Markers.

These had the same authority as the royal guards and the police. They were positioned in certain areas and corners of the city to find the perfect product for sale, so it was not uncommon to see them take young people and children who went to work or walked unsuspecting.

No one could argue with them as they would be taken to dungeons with a fate worse than death by being tortured daily. The fed up of the underprivileged was incessant in the face of such abuses, so much so that the majority saved money to pay the fine to leave the country or directly fled with the risk of being caught or killed.

Sunday decided to go with her father to one of the auctions to find more fortune. Walking they came to a building with a sign that indicated the level of product to be auctioned according to the established hours and the price of admission to said show.

They paid popular prices and went up to the third floor to participate. The anger was growing on Sunday, so much so that Cedric seemed to know her better than anyone. When she bent her head and held it with one hand to tap the fingers of the other hand against her armrest, he knew that sooner or later someone would end up losing more than their reputation.

What Cedric did not know was that the anger expressed by her daughter was due to another more serious matter.

Before Nora died, she came to Rubins for work and ended up being caught by the Markers on the false charge of robbery. That accusation was the start of her last level of hell.

It cost her not only her freedom but her life, her murderer being the one who bought her at the auction. The second prince Derek of Rubins paid for her to present it to her sister and Nora's sworn enemy, Princess Charlotte.

Derek discovered her tattoo when he asked to be bathed her and left naked to test the product before anyone else and when he saw her he fell in love with Nora at first sight.

He preferred to buy another slave for his sister and take Nora to her personal estate so he could have her all to himself. He wanted to show himself as her savior, giving her gifts and trying to pamper her, but for Nora, he was an unscrupulous mangy dog ​​who pretended to be nice to get what he wanted.

Being a polyglot, she understood perfectly when the priest who accompanied Derek explained in another language the meaning of the tattoo and the level of sacred power that the wearer had, it was only necessary to put the heart of the saint on his side to be the one who would rule over this earth instead of his brother.

In the end it was always power that they sought when they crossed her path. Nora and Sunday witnessed the horrors of what the monster disguised as a prince was capable of and they were soon looking for a way out. But Derek cultivated an unhealthy obsession with Nora and wanted her to love him at all costs, to the point that her jealousy led him to outrage her and beat her savagely.

Infatuated with the fact that it was Nora's fault, he left her alone and as best she could, she got up from the ground. Taking advantage of Derek's absence, Sunday helped her escape through a secret passage, but she couldn't get away from it and she ended up getting riddled.

Today was the day she would turn the Rubins' worst enemies on her side using her wallet. Jasper Philips was holding his briefcase just like Roy Xander as they looked ahead at the people who were being bought to be used as toys or slaves, when suddenly, the person they were waiting for came out.

A little beast boy whose horns were ripped off stood as he could on stage. He was malnourished and with a lost gaze he stood still for a moment until he fell to the ground due to lack of balance.

The taunts were noisy and the auctioneer cut the price three times to 80 nevas since he had been in the cage for a long time without anyone buying it. Nobody really wanted a faulty, low-quality product that he would end up dying on leaving.

Cedric raised the pallet to buy it offering 95 nevas. Shoppers would look at the family wearing bizarre and ridiculous clothes to laugh at how stupid they were to buy something useless.

The auctioneer showed excitement as he finally got rid of the boy and continued with the auction. Every time he left a slave in deplorable conditions, Cedric bought it with 15 or 20 nevas above the list price, buying up to 10 slaves in an hour.

When there was nothing left to see, they went down to look for their merchandise with the auctioneer. He led them through the cage area showing them the next slaves to be auctioned for the week and when they arrived in front of the boy, Sunday did her part of it.

-Dad! I want more! Buy me more toys! If it is not enough for you, let's use my money-

- Which of all these toys do you want me to buy from you? -

The auctioneer thought that the girl was one more spoiled of the lot and he could not stop making a joke.

-You know, little girl, why don't you take all the slaves and I'll give you a discount? -

-You really mean it?! How much for everything? -

-It will be 150k nevas with everything and a discount- the auctioneer looked in an unpleasant way at the girl who seemed excited by the absurd offer.

-Mmm ... deal done. Then sign the papers to make it official! - Sunday took out of a small red bag several papers and arranged them on the table along with a glass fountain pen.

Cedric couldn't help laughing and tried to distract the auctioneer.

-My daughter is very imaginative, so much so that she prepares documents to look important. If it weren't too much of a hassle, would she sign up to play along?- Cedric nudged him and winked.

-Of course- the auctioneer signed, without first reading what was put in front of him

When he finished signing, Roy produced three stamps and took the pen to stamp the mark of the local court, the Rubins Supreme Court, and the Pontiac family. The auctioneer did not understand what was happening and when Cedric patted him on the shoulder to tell him the truth after the matter, he was perplexed and angry.

-First of all, let me introduce you to the notary public and justice of the peace, Roy Xander who has just legalized our contract. Thank you very much for giving us all and at a good price.-

-You are a son of bitch, you used your daughter to rip me off! But I swear to you that they will not get out of Rubins alive! -The auctioneer was about to raise the alarm when he heard something that paralyzed him with fear

-What a pretty girl! She looks like the daughter of lord Gary ... oh my god, she does not look like, she is the daughter of lord hahaha- Sunday put her hands on her mouth to laugh like crazy in front of the cage of a girl who lay faint

-I wonder what the lord will say when he finds out that his right hand in the auction center was the one who kidnapped his daughter to use as a sex doll and then put her up for sale- the vicious look that Sunday expressed, indicated to him that he was lost

-No ... you ... what are you?! - The auctioneer was terrified to see the girl approaching him with the keys to the cages in her hand

-I think you owe an explanation to Lord Gary- Cedric replied when he saw that his escorts of him were holding the auctioneer

To finish complicating the auctioneer's life of him, the young woman was removed from the cage to be assisted at the same time that one of the escorts took off his hood to make himself known.

-Anna ... why you? -

-My ... my lord, can I explain ...-

The winner's curse

It is a phenomenon in which the winner of an auction or tender ends up offering a higher bid than the real value of the good that is awarded. In this way, whoever wins the bid ends up losing money.