The conservation lamp burned hot and impartial, its stark light bleaching the color from everything but the evidence itself.
[Ding!]
Event: Pre-Sale Review Initiated
Status:
- Survival Probability: 45% → 48% (Δ +3%)
- Auction Timer: 00:28:00
Sub-Objectives:
A) Capture micro-evidence photo (+4%)
B) File Condition Report addendum (+5%)
"For the record: examination under 5000K LED primary, fiber optic sidelight at forty-five degrees," Elara dictated, her voice calm. The junior registrar, a woman named Anya, typed swiftly into a secured tablet, her hands betraying a slight tremor. Under the powerful loupe, the blood-jade bangle revealed its secret: a distinct, crescent-shaped pool of intense red pigment clinging to the interior of the drill hole. It was dye, stubbornly settled where age and wear should have created a different kind of patina.
"Section 12.C of the standard consignment agreement," Elara continued, not taking her eyes off the bangle, "mandates good-faith disclosure of any condition questions. Filing a pre-sale addendum to the condition report isn't an accusation; it's an insurance policy for Valerian House. It protects against a post-sale challenge that could cost far more than a moment's embarrassment."
A new shadow fell across the illuminated workspace, long and cool.
Adrian Vale had entered the verification room silently. He stood just outside the circle of light, a silhouette of charcoal suit and impeccable posture. "Certainty is a luxury in our business, Ms. Vance," he said, his voice devoid of warmth. It was the cool, precise tone of a man who dealt in facts, not feelings. "You are staking what remains of your reputation on a pigment pool and some tool marks. Are you certain?"
[Ding!]
Event: Male Lead Interaction (On Site)
Status:
- Attention: 18/100 → 21/100 (Δ +3)
- Survival Probability: 48% → 47% (Δ −1%)
Note: Prolonged scrutiny increases risk.
Elara finally looked up, meeting his glacial gaze. "I am certain enough to sign my name to a formal addendum stating the observed anomalies. Is Valerian House certain enough to risk its reputation on their absence?"
Before he could answer, a sharp voice cut from the doorway. "This is an unacceptable obstruction." A man in a severely cut suit, the consignor's lawyer, stood there, his face tight with anger. "You are libeling a seven-figure lot based on the word of a… compromised individual. Delay Lot 7, and our client will sue for defamation and contractual interference."
Anya the registrar flinched, her finger pausing over the 'submit' button for the digital addendum. The weight of the threat was palpable.
[Thrum…]
Side Flag: Registrar Signature Required
Timer: 00:30:00
Penalty on Failure: Survival −6%
"The addendum is a factual record of observation, not a conclusion," Elara said, her voice steady, aimed at Anya. "Your signature protects the house. His threats protect only his client's potential profit."
Adrian Vale watched the exchange, his expression unreadable. He did not intervene, a silent arbiter waiting for proof to tip the scales.
"Anya," Elara pressed gently. "The photo. Log it now."
Swallowing hard, Anya used the official camera tethered to the tablet. The click of the shutter was unnaturally loud. The macro-image flashed on the screen: an unmistakable, brilliantly red stain deep inside the jade.
[Ding!]
Event: Evidence Capture — Micro Dye Bleed
Status:
- Survival Probability: 47% → 50% (Δ +3%)
Note: Sub-Objective A achieved.
But the victory was fragile. Elara's eyes flicked to a security monitor showing the prep area. A uniformed attendant, one she didn't recognize, was carefully adjusting the velvet-lined tray that held Lot 7. His body blocked the camera's direct view, but his sleeve brushed against the item label: L7. He wasn't just cleaning; he was positioning. For what?
[Thrum…]
Warning: Lot 7 On-Stage Imminent
Timer: 00:15:00
Penalty on Failure: Survival −5%
The gavel was drawing near. Anya's finger still hovered over the signature field. The legal threat hung in the air. And on the monitor, the tray holding her fate was being subtly, deliberately maneuvered by unseen hands. The evidence was captured, but it was worthless if it wasn't official, and it would be disastrous if the item it described was switched for a cleaner fake before it even reached the stage.