~Chapter 15~
“Isn’t this a good product? I went through a lot to get her. As you can see, she has some spirit, too. Be sure to pay well. She has a pretty face, soft skin, and especially—look at this hair color. If you sell her on the southern continent, you could buy a mansion with the money.”
“You’re exaggerating. The Kanker guys are rough, so a weak girl like her wouldn’t last a week. Even if you pay well, this is the best you’ll get.”
Donin searched through his clothes and tossed a bundle to Black Beard. The heavy bundle clanked as it landed in his hands. Black Beard frowned, unhappy with the weight.
“Come on, I risked my life bringing her here, and this is all I get? Even if she dies, a woman like this is still valuable as loot.”
“If you don’t like it, take her back.”
Donin reached out for the bundle again, but Black Beard quickly hid it in his clothes. Then he glanced nervously at the door.
“This time, I’ll let it go because I’m busy, but next time, pay better. You know how it is between us.”
Without waiting for Donin’s answer, Black Beard hurried out of the basement.
Now there were only a few men left, Donin, and me.
Donin kicked me with his foot.
“Mmmph! Mmmph!”
“What are you saying?”
Hey! Human trafficker. Do you know who I am? I ate with your boss—wait, that’s not right… Anyway, I’m a really important person! If you mess with me, everyone will be in trouble!
No matter how much I shouted, my words didn’t come through.
Donin frowned as if my muffled screams annoyed him.
“I don’t want to damage the goods. But if you keep making noise, I’ll have no choice. So be quiet, okay?”
He grabbed me by the back of the neck. Since I was tied up, I couldn’t balance and staggered, but he didn’t care. Donin just grinned and dragged me away.
He threw me into a room. My unsteady body landed hard on my shoulder.
“Ow! My delicate shoulder!”
I twisted on the floor from the pain.
“Stay quiet. I’ll sell you somewhere nice.”
Donin snickered and slammed the iron door shut. I heard the sound of a heavy lock clicking into place.
After making sure his footsteps faded away, I slowly pushed myself up, though my movement was awkward.
Stone floor, stone walls, a tightly shut iron door.
I was alone in a windowless room.
A few days ago, it was a monastery. Now, it’s human traffickers.
Am I really going to be sold as a slave? That’s worse than divorce or the monastery.
There was no scene like this in the original novel… If this was the original, I’d probably be running away from the monastery right about now.
“The southern guys are too rough. A weak girl like her wouldn’t last a week,”
Donin’s words echoed in my mind.
What do they even do to make someone not last a week?
Terrified, I cursed everything I could think of in my head.
My life is the worst. Every time I overcome something, another crisis comes.
It was like that in my previous life, and it’s the same now. No matter how hard I try, I just fall back into a pit. It feels like being trapped in an antlion’s den.
Can’t I just live peacefully and happily for once?
Suddenly, Etienne’s face popped into my mind.
But still, Etienne will come save me. Of course he will. I’m still the princess, after all… He has to save me, right?
I remembered how the knights didn’t help me when I was kidnapped. They’re supposed to be highly trained. Even if they were distracted, how could they not notice I was being taken? Did they leave me on purpose?
My body trembled. I clenched my fists to stop the shaking.
I couldn’t just trust Etienne to save me when I wasn’t sure he would come.
…Yeah. If he doesn’t come, I’ll escape by myself! I even got out of that awful monastery by changing the original story, so why not here? I’m Dahlia, who came back from the dead. I won’t give up.
I wiggled my hands. If I could just untie the ropes, I could do something.
But maybe kidnappers are professionals too. The ropes were tied so well, there was no way to loosen them.
If I can’t untie it, I’ll have to cut it.
I scanned the area with my eyes. I looked for the sharpest part of the uneven stone floor. Like a worm, I wriggled over.
I pressed the ropes against the sharpest stone with my cheek. It scraped my skin and left a long scratch.
“Good. It’s sharp enough to cut the rope. The problem is…”
My wrists were tied behind my back.
Whatever! I rolled onto my back. Like a girl possessed in a horror movie, I started rubbing the ropes against the stone with all my might.
But I quickly ran out of strength and flopped down.
Hah, hah…
My nose was full of harsh breath.
It takes more core strength than I thought. If I knew this, I’d have done more planks! Damn it.
Even escaping kidnappers takes core strength in this cruel world.
My body was already weak, and lately all I did was eat and sleep… I cursed my past self for not exercising, and lifted my hips again.
My stomach and butt started cramping, but it worked. Sweat beaded on my forehead.
I couldn’t slow down. There was noise outside.
Are they already here to sell me? No way…
Thousands of curses spun in my mind.
Luckily, the knot on my wrist was coming apart. My hands were scraped raw, but I didn’t care about the pain.
Almost there…!
Bang!
With a huge crash, the door swung open and a sack rolled inside.
Next to the sack, a turban fell. It wasn’t just a sack—it was Donin, bloody and battered.
I stared at the door in shock.
Through the cloud of dust, I saw a pair of spotless legs. My gaze traveled up.
His mouth was calmly closed. If his wide chest wasn’t moving with each breath, you wouldn’t know he was even breathing.
Blood dripped from his hand. The end of his sleeve, once white, was stained red.
If I saw him for the first time like this, I might have thought something ridiculous—like he was an angel of death.
No, more like a devil come to collect lost souls.
The scene felt so unreal that I forgot my situation and just stared at him.
“…Dahlia. Why…”
His voice snapped me out of it.
Right. He’s not a devil. He’s my husband who came to save me.
The moment I realized that, a wave of emotions hit me.
He really came to save me. I thought he wouldn’t, so I cursed him in my head! Even this kind of man is my husband… I’m alive! My steak-filled life has come back to me!
“Uuu… Uwaaah!”
Tears welled up and fell. I kept mumbling, even though my words couldn’t be heard.
I’m sorry for calling you just a pretty face and nothing else… I’m sorry for planning to live off you for the rest of my life while cursing you… But you still came to save me…
Etienne looked a little flustered, but I didn’t care. I just cried even harder, my face all scrunched up.
Etienne pressed his lips together.
“Uuu.”
Hurry, untie me.
When my tears slowed, I started shouting as loud as I could.
Etienne cut the ropes and lifted my legs. Every time he touched the ropes, the deep marks hurt. I groaned, and his hands paused.
It hurts, so please be gentle. I’m asking you to be careful…
“U!”
That sound, like an ape, came out of my mouth.
If you translate it, it means, “Hey Etienne, that guy is getting up! The guy you just beat is coming at you with a knife! Save me, quick!”
Donin, who I thought was dead, was coming at us with a knife.
Etienne must have understood, because he pulled me close and rolled to the side. The knife barely missed us.
“Gwak!”
Crushed under Etienne’s weight, I let out a weird frog sound.
While I was out of it, rolling on the floor, Etienne sprang to his feet like he had springs.
Donin, who attacked, looked terrified, while Etienne was just cold.
Donin came at him, swinging the knife wildly. Etienne deflected it smoothly, like water.
In an instant, the two were close. Etienne grabbed Donin’s wrist, the one holding the knife.
Crack.
A chilling sound filled the room. Donin’s face twisted in pain. The knife clattered to the floor.
Etienne’s strength was overwhelming. For a moment, he even looked like the villain.
But so what if he’s a villain? Good job, my husband.
Keep going. Breaking his wrist isn’t enough. Break his ankle, too! Make sure he can never do something like this again!
Do you know how ruthless my husband is? He once sent his wife to a monastery and made her suffer! He even stomped steak in front of starving people, and later, he’ll commit treason. You’re finished today!
While I was cheering on my ruthless husband—
Someone grabbed me by the neck from behind. Suddenly, I was being choked.
“Khk.”
I grabbed the hand at my throat, barely able to stand. As soon as I could breathe, I felt a cold touch on my neck.
Damn it. I know this feeling. I’ve felt it before.
It was a knife.
“Let go of the boss. If you want this woman back, hand him over.”
A man in black stood behind me.
When did he get behind me? Can’t he make some noise when he moves?
I looked at Etienne, pleading with all my heart. But his face didn’t change at all. The silence swept through the room. Anxiety crept up inside me.
Etienne came here to save me. Of course he’ll save me… But why do I feel so uneasy?
