Chapter 66
While working as errand runners for the slave traders, the only reason the Kennises had never been caught and could keep up their reputation as a “devout married couple” was because they were masters of cutting ties.
If they ever found themselves in danger of being exposed, they erased every trace that could link them to anything. They were quick-witted — if a deal seemed suspicious, no matter how high the pay, they flatly refused.
Despite the dirty business they were in, the Kennises were extremely cautious.
For two years, they had filled their coffers by selling off the weak and helpless.
But they knew they couldn’t keep doing it forever.
They firmly believed that one day, they’d be caught — so before that happened, they planned to “cut the tail” and escape to another country.
“Wow, that cliff’s huge. You’d be smashed to pieces if you fell.”
“Don’t say weird stuff. What about the informant — not here yet?”
“That’s strange. Those guys were always on time to the minute. Maybe they’re trembling because the cliff’s too high.”
Ash and Charlotte had assumed the Kennises would stay overnight in Alexia Village and leave after sunrise, but unfortunately, their prediction was completely wrong.
The Kennises were actually delighted to see the sky thick with clouds that day.
The darker it was, the better it was for buying and selling people.
So they had no reason to rest in Alexia.
The cliff road not far from the village was already the designated meeting point with their informant.
“He’ll show up if we wait. Let’s get out for a bit — my back’s killing me after sitting for hours.”
Beth stretched stiff muscles as soon as she stepped out of the carriage.
“Yeah, yeah. Oh, right — what about Aria?”
“Ah, forgot. Better take her out.”
Even after leaving Nostri, Tilla still called the girl by her name, Aria —
but Beth didn’t.
She treated her like a forgotten piece of luggage.
Returning to the carriage, Beth ran her fingers along the edge of the seat until a click sounded — a hidden latch released.
Unlike a normal carriage, the seats weren’t padded with fabric; they were bare planks of wood. That wasn’t because the carriage was cheap — it was because the Kennises had modified it for kidnapping children. The seat compartment could hide two small bodies inside.
“Let’s see… dead or alive?”
As soon as they escaped Nostri, their first move had been to bind Aria’s arms and legs with rope and lock her under the seat.
Beth, who often sold information on kidnapped children, felt no guilt doing it herself.
Beth yanked Aria out roughly by the collar of her dress.
“Well, look at that.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I thought she’d cry or scream, but she’s just… fine?”
Usually, kids in this situation cried, begged, or fought back.
Beth had already raised her hand to scare her —
but Aria didn’t even flinch.
Even after being dragged out by the neck, she was eerily calm.
So calm that even “professional” Beth was momentarily unsettled.
Aria, with her gemlike blue eyes narrowed, glared up at Beth with a defiance that no child her age should’ve had.
From experience, Beth could tell—
“You’ve been locked up before, haven’t you?”
“……”
“That naive Lady Barvel told us you were abused and abandoned.”
Locked in a wardrobe?
Thrown in a cellar?
Either way, fear was natural in such situations.
But Aria showed none.
She acted like a child born and raised in confinement.
It wasn’t a normal reaction.
Looking into those strangely luminous blue eyes, Beth felt a chill crawl up her spine.
“…What the hell is she?”
“Honey, if you’ve checked her, leave her alone. What if she runs?”
“Run where? Her limbs are tied. One wrong step and she’ll fall right off the cliff.”
But her unease didn’t last long. After all, Aria was just a five-year-old child.
Or so Beth thought—
until Aria suddenly bit her hand.
“Ack!”
Beth screamed in pain and flung Aria away.
The girl hit the wooden seat with a thud, but didn’t cry.
Instead, she pressed herself against the corner.
“That little brat’s crazy!”
In Nostri, the girl had giggled when someone merely patted her head —
Beth had thought she was just naive.
Maybe they’d taken the wrong kid after all.
Such a wild one would be hard to sell.
Tilla, who’d been anxiously waiting for the informant, came running at the sound of the scream.
When he saw Beth’s bitten hand, his face went pale.
“I want my mom!” Aria screamed.
“Mom? Don’t be ridiculous. You’re not even blood!”
“No! She is my mom! She’s really my mom!”
Tears finally streamed down Aria’s face as she shouted again.
“She’s the mom I’ve been looking for!”
“What nonsense are you spouting, you little brat!”
“Witch! Demon! Monster!”
Unable to contain her anger, Beth shoved aside even Tilla’s attempt to stop her and grabbed Aria’s hair —
the same silky hair Charlotte had lovingly brushed every day.
“You little— you’ll learn your lesson!”
This time, she wasn’t just trying to scare her — she truly meant to hit her.
But just then—
Clatter!
A carriage suddenly rolled up and stopped in front of theirs.
It was an old cargo wagon.
Beth and Tilla immediately recognized the man on the driver’s seat —
a man with a huge diagonal scar across his face.
It was Rubin, the slave trader’s chief informant they were supposed to meet.
“Tsk!”
Seeing that Rubin was fifteen minutes late, Beth clicked her tongue loudly.
She threw Aria roughly back into the carriage and stormed out.
“What took you so long? Last time we were late, you made such a fuss—!”
Her shrill voice echoed across the cliff—
and then abruptly stopped.
Rubin had slapped her across the face.
Blood welled on her split lip.
Enraged, Beth clawed his cheek in return.
“You bastard! You just hit me!”
Just as she was about to strike again, something silver flashed before her eyes—
a dagger pointed right beneath her chin.
“The crazy ones here are you two.”
“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?!”
Rubin spat blood on the ground and turned to Tilla with a twisted grin.
“Was it Jamil? Or Jamil? That priest brother of yours sure can’t keep his mouth shut.”
“What…?”
“Your little brother confessed everything. That you two embezzled funds together.”
Tilla froze.
Jamil… confessed?
“He even admitted you sold orphanage kids’ info while pretending to be errand men.”
“…!”
“Judging by that pale face, I guess you didn’t know.”
Rubin chuckled and tossed something at their feet — a wanted poster.
Tilla crawled forward and picked it up, trembling.
Every crime they’d committed was written in black and white.
“Thanks to that, our whole network’s on alert now.”
He flicked the dagger threateningly.
Beth finally realized Rubin wasn’t here for business.
“W-wait. Calm down, we can fix this—”
“Fix it? You’ve been wanted for days. We even know you hid in Nostri. What’s your plan now? Confess? Or fake it and flee abroad?”
“No, really— we’ll figure something out!”
But Beth already knew there was no way out.
Their crimes guaranteed life imprisonment underground—
if they were lucky enough to live.
And yet Rubin clearly meant to kill them right there.
Beth’s mind raced, desperate for a way out.
“You two aren’t exactly tight-lipped. Once caught, you’d spill everything — maybe even our hideouts.”
The blade pressed closer, grazing her skin.
“Shame to lose decent errand runners… but there’s always more trash to replace you.”
They said people grow cleverest right before death.
And just like that, an idea flashed through Beth’s mind.
It was a long shot — but better than dying like this.
“W-wait!” she cried.
“What now?”
“A trade! Spare us, and we’ll give you something valuable. Free of charge!”
Rubin, intrigued by her sudden plea, lowered the dagger slightly.
“I’m not planning to spare you, but fine. Let’s hear it.”
“See that carriage? There’s a child inside.”
Beth glanced meaningfully at the scar marring Rubin’s face.
“Ronan Blanche. You still remember that name, right?”
“…Why the hell are you saying that name in front of me? Do you have a death wish?”
Rubin instantly seized her by the throat.
Ronan Blanche — the man who’d carved that hideous scar on his face.
“Ronan Blanche’s daughter. Charlotte Blanche’s… real daughter! She’s in that carriage right now!”
It was a lie.
Aria wasn’t her real daughter — not even related.
But if it drew Rubin’s attention away, it might work.
And Aria looked so much like Charlotte that even a skeptic would believe it.
“What? She never even married! How could she—”
“It’s true! Go see for yourself! White hair, blue eyes — she’s identical!”
Rubin’s hatred for Ronan ran so deep that he despised even the man’s memory.
If Aria resembled Charlotte, he’d see her as part of that hated bloodline.
Still suspicious, he moved toward the carriage.
Beth seized the moment and whispered to Tilla—
“Honey.”
“Y-yeah?”
“Push that bastard over. I’ll grab the dagger.”
“What if we get hurt?”
“Would you rather die doing nothing? Move!”
Meanwhile, Rubin yanked open the carriage door—
and before they could act—
A small, black shape leapt out.
“Aaaaagh!”
Rubin flailed wildly, trying to tear it off his face.
“Wh-what is that?”
“A… a rat?”
A black rat — like a lump of ash — was biting his face.
But it wasn’t alone.
Hundreds more came swarming up the cliff, screeching and piling onto him.
In seconds, Rubin disappeared beneath the mass of rats—
and fell screaming into the abyss.
The Kennises could only stare, frozen in horror.
But it wasn’t over.
“Haa… haa…”
From behind came a beast’s growl — low, wet, and chilling.
Cold breath brushed their necks.
They turned—and collapsed to the ground.
A black wolf stood there, its eyes burning crimson.
When its drool — or was it blood? — hit the ground, the earth sizzled and corroded.
It was no ordinary beast.
It was a monster.
