Chapter 444

"I'm sorry, but I already have a partner," Maeve shook her head and declined politely. "Thank you for the invitation."

Tomorrow night, the palace would host a banquet to mark Tom's official return. The banquet had been prepared for nearly a month. As soon as Maeve arrived in Erancia, Tom and Loren invited her, along with her two children. Of course, the dance partner Maeve was referring to was her children, Will and Theo, who wanted to dance with her.

Arthur looked disappointed but didn't push her. He told Maeve he would attend the banquet solely to see her, then left.

Maeve returned just in time for the end of the practical course Trazir had organized for the training. The gowns she had submitted were to be showcased at the afternoon show; the top three would receive additional points in their training assessment. Everyone else had prepared for the show a month in advance, while Maeve had made her two gowns overnight. Fortunately, she had submitted them before her kidnapping; otherwise, she wouldn't have been in the show.

She arrived at the show with the others and began preparations. As Maeve arranged the gowns, someone walked past her carrying scissors and other tools, the sharp end pointed in her direction, glinting under the bright lights.

Maeve turned pale, stumbled backward, and hit the corner of the dressing table. Pain shot through her, and her eyes welled up.

"Maeve, what's wrong?" the model asked, confused.

"I feel a little dizzy," Maeve replied, clenching her fists to control her emotions. She took a deep breath and said, "It's fine. Let me take a look." The preparations proceeded quickly, and an hour passed.

The show was an auction, with many wealthy and noble VIPs in attendance. Maeve's gowns were numbered 9 and 21. As the gowns were shown, the highest bid so far was $20,000. One of Maeve's gowns was shown mid-show, the other near the end.

Unexpectedly, the first gown attracted no attention. No one raised a placard. As the model walked the runway, she seemed invisible to the VIPs.

For a moment, Maeve was stunned, watching from behind the curtain, unsure what had gone wrong. She was confident in her work, though it might not compare to the gowns others had spent a month perfecting; she refused to be dismissed or overlooked.

"Maeve, it's only the first gown. Don't be discouraged. Someone will raise a placard later," said a friendly designer. Maeve smiled. "You're right."

She calmed down and continued watching. However, her second gown also failed to attract bids. She overheard the VIPs making mocking remarks.

"She offended Princess Fiora and still dares to stay in Erancia. She's bold."

"Even if the princess is in trouble, she's still a princess. A powerless commoner like her will be dealt with sooner or later. Who would be stupid enough to buy her work?"

"Of all people, why did she have to offend Princess Fiora? Her uncle is the future crown prince, and her mother is the eldest princess. The other princesses don't dare to challenge her directly. This designer's path is narrow."

"No matter how beautiful the gown is, if you offend someone you shouldn't offend, you'll be a pile of trash. Who would offend the princess for a small designer like her?"

"Just wait. Princess Fiora will settle scores with her after her punishment. Let's not get involved."

The whispers were quiet, easily missed. After the auction, all works were sold except Maeve's two gowns.

Maeve began to doubt herself. Could it be that I had been too complacent recently, causing my ability to decline? Could it be that the gown I made was not as good as I thought?

Then, the auctioneer announced, "VIP number 6 bids for number 9, one million dollars, the first time..."

An uproar followed. "Was he crazy? The highest price was only $400,000. Who would bid a million dollars?"

Another VIP exclaimed, "Wasn't he afraid of offending the royal family? He was too bold!"

Maeve was shocked. No one raised a counter-bid. Gown number 9 sold for a million dollars. Then, the auctioneer announced, "Number 21 bids for one million dollars."

The crowd buzzed, searching for the daring bidder, but their identity remained unknown. Both gowns were bought by VIP No. 6, but the bidder didn't appear, causing much speculation.

After the show, Maeve received a letter left by VIP No. 6: "[The gown is beautiful. Don't be discouraged.]"

Tears welled in Maeve's eyes. The high bid proved her design was not as bad as she thought. Someone called for her, and she put away the letter. Behind the curtain stood Zephyr.

"Sir, why don't you spend $2 million to do something? You can't eat or wear two gowns like this. I feel sorry for your money," his assistant exclaimed. "That was $2 million! Not a thousand dollars!"

Zephyr frowned. "Why can't I wear it? Auntie likes Trazir so much. It's perfect for her. I don't even feel sorry for myself. Why do you feel sorry for me?"

"It's mainly because your price is too high," the assistant said, biting his handkerchief. "Compared to the other gowns, you overpaid by a million dollars."

"Don't you think it's worth it?" Zephyr asked.

The assistant hesitated. Zephyr's aunt usually wore far more expensive gowns, and these were much more beautiful. From an aesthetic standpoint, it was worth it. The assistant was baffled by Zephyr's sudden extravagance; he was usually frugal. He wondered at the spectacle of a typically thrifty CEO spending so much money on women's gowns.

Zephyr, however, didn't see it as a big deal. He had been worried Maeve would attempt suicide again, as she had before, and he didn't want to risk being her scapegoat.