Chapter 28
. Even if My Body Breaks
She was just here a moment ago. Where did she go?
Derwin quickly scanned his surroundings. But Shanelika was nowhere to be found. He had only taken his eyes off her for a brief moment, but she had slipped into the crowd—and with her small build, it was inevitable that he’d lose sight of her. Still, for her to disappear without a trace like this…
I have to find her.
His steps quickened. He searched every corner of the first floor where the performance had just taken place, as well as the restrooms and even outside the tavern. Certain now that she wasn’t on the first floor, he began scouring the other floors. But she was nowhere.
“…”
His mind went blank, and his back was damp with sweat. Derwin suddenly realized his fists were clenched tight without him knowing.
Something was wrong. A suffocating tension churned inside him. Not even on the battlefield, fighting for his life, had he ever felt like this. Every muscle in his body was tense, and his heart pounded violently, as if it weren’t his own.
What if something happened to her? What am I supposed to do? How?
It felt like the world had stopped. At the same time, the worst possible scenarios began to take shape in his mind.
I haven’t checked the basement yet.
What pulled him back from the brink of despair was the sudden memory of another part of the Laila Tavern—a place few knew about. Beneath it lay a basement where illicit trades were conducted. Everything from stolen goods to rare items, expensive contraband, and even foreign slaves were traded there.
Damn it.
Swallowing a curse, Derwin headed swiftly toward the basement. It was a place where only the men of the underworld came and went; for a young, beautiful woman, stepping inside was dangerous in itself. And Shanelika, with her strikingly foreign looks and no foreigner’s ID, could easily be treated as a slave if she wandered in.
The stairs to the basement were longer and deeper than those between the other floors. At the bottom, a large, menacing guard stood before a heavy iron door.
Before the guard could name a price, Derwin pulled something from the inner pocket of his coat and held it out.
“What’s this? We don’t take anything but mon—H-huh?!”
The guard’s eyes went wide. It was the signet of the head of the Cartel family, a national hero and honorary duke.
“Charge it to the Cartel family. Open the door.”
“Yes, sir!”
Snapping to attention, the guard shoved a massive key into the lock and turned it. Despite its appearance, the door swung open smoothly.
Derwin frowned the moment he stepped inside. The air was stiflingly warm and reeked of cigarette smoke, an odor that assaulted his nose. But none of that mattered—his only goal was to find the missing Shanelika.
The underground space was vast, with a ceiling three times higher than the floors above. Many rough-looking men milled about, some sitting in masks that hid their faces. An auction seemed to be underway.
Derwin swept the space with his eyes. Almost everyone was male; a few masked women were present, but none had hair the same color as Shanelika’s.
Where the hell is she?
Then, the crowd’s attention shifted to one side. Derwin followed their gaze. On a large stage deep in the space, a boy of about fifteen appeared, his wrists bound in chains—clearly a foreign slave.
So this is one of those illegal slave auctions I’ve only heard about.
Cold sweat trickled down his back. What if Shanelika was in the same situation?
Behind. I need to get backstage.
If she had been taken as a slave, she would be behind that stage. Derwin headed toward the passage leading there.
“You! Who are you?!”
Three muscular men blocked his path. But Derwin leaped lightly and struck the backs of their heads, knocking them unconscious.
Inside, a large space lined with cages stretched out in all directions. Rare animals were locked inside, but Derwin had no interest in them.
Knocking out several more guards along the way, he searched only for Shanelika. But, to his surprise, there were no human slaves here.
Not here? Then where?
Sweat dripped down his forehead as he darted through the sweltering basement.
“I don’t want to go! Let me go!”
A woman’s tearful voice, speaking a foreign language, came from the innermost cage. Derwin rushed toward the sound, spotting a few long strands of pink hair on the floor.
Shhhk! Shhhk!
In an instant, the tightly woven wooden bars of the cage were sliced apart.
“Who the hell are you?!”
“Don’t need to know.”
With a swipe of his dagger, Derwin carved an opening large enough for a person to pass through. He stepped inside, knocked out the man rushing at him, and looked over the people huddled in the corner.
Damn it.
The woman wasn’t Shanelika. Her hair was a light gray, much longer than Shanelika’s, and had only looked pinkish in the dim light.
About a dozen young people, all around Shanelika’s age, sat chained by the ankles. As Derwin turned to leave, he hesitated.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The chains tangled around their ankles were cut apart. Derwin gestured for them to follow him. Beyond the last cage was a door that, judging by its position, likely led straight outside.
When he opened it, fresh air rushed in—and beyond was another iron gate. Just as he had with the wooden bars, Derwin sliced through it and motioned for the captives to go. They bolted outside.
I don’t have time for this.
He still had no idea where Shanelika was, and yet he’d spent time knocking out guards and freeing prisoners. At least now he knew she wasn’t in the basement. He should get out quickly.
He was about to head upstairs to continue his search when—
“Oh? What are you doing here?”
Someone emerged from the wall opposite him.
“…Lady?”
Derwin blinked, certain he was seeing things—but it really was the woman he knew. What he’d thought was just a large carpet hanging like a decoration was actually hiding a door.
Shanelika stepped toward him, looking up—and gasped.
“Oh my, look at all that sweat! That’s not rain, right? It’s sweat?”
“…”
“What on earth happened to you?”
She started to remove her white scarf to wipe his forehead, but Derwin caught her arm before it touched him.
“You were going to wipe my—”
“Why are you here, Lady?”
The room behind that hidden door had been warm, but Derwin’s presence made the air feel as cold as a winter wind. His gaze was colder than she had ever seen it.
“Well… that’s a good question…”
Her voice shrank on its own. She knew exactly why he was upset—she had been worried about him too when she couldn’t find him.
Watching his expression, she began to babble nervously.
“So, I was curious about that dancer’s costume earlier. I asked her where she bought it, and she said she made it herself. Then she said if I was interested, she had other designs to show me. So I thought I’d follow her for just a moment to take a look…”
“So you stayed with her this whole time?”
“Yes. I thought I should come back since you’d be waiting, but she kept dressing me in different outfits and I enjoyed it. Still, I figured I should leave quickly, so I just opened a door and came out.”
“…”
“I’m sorry. It was my fault.”
Her head drooped. To Derwin, her small pink head seemed even smaller.
Why am I angry right now?
Her frame looked so small and delicate as she stood there, unharmed. The time he’d spent searching for her hadn’t been long in reality, but to him, it had felt like an eternity. In that time, he’d prayed—though he didn’t believe in any gods—that nothing bad would happen to her. If something had, he was sure he would’ve gone mad.
She’s safe. That’s all that matters.
“You stayed inside that wall space with the woman?”
“Yes. It’s a big waiting area for the dancers who performed earlier.”
“How did you get in?”
“There’s a long staircase behind the stage that leads directly there. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I thought it would only take a moment.”
She kept apologizing, and Derwin didn’t want to hear it anymore.
Though nothing had happened, he couldn’t shake the thought—would she have been safe if he hadn’t come? In a place full of muscle-bound men guarding slaves? Maybe that dancer had been stalling her on purpose to sell her.
He wanted to arrest everyone in the basement, but restrained himself. Freeing the captives would be revenge enough.
“That’s enough. Let’s go back.”
“Okay… but what is this place? It smells like animals…”
When she sensed his cold demeanor soften, Shanelika dared to ask what had been on her mind since she stepped out—the wooden cages and the distinct scent of an animal enclosure.
“We’re leaving.”
His curt reply made it clear there’d be no answer. Knowing she’d done wrong, she dropped the question.
The entire ride back to the Cartel estate, Shanelika felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. She wanted to start a conversation, but worried he might ignore her like he’d done to Stern before.
When they arrived, the butler and servants greeted them. At the entrance, Derwin spoke.
“Rest well, then.”
“Um… Your Grace, earlier, I really—”
“You’ve apologized enough. There’s no need to say it again.”
“But still—”
“This was not your fault, Lady. It was mine. No matter how crowded it was, I shouldn’t have been careless. I apologize.”
He bowed deeply.
“Oh… no. I’m the one who wandered off after saying I’d step out.”
“I’ll make sure this never happens again. So you don’t need to keep watching my mood.”
So he had noticed her constant glances.
“Then you’re okay now? I can sleep peacefully?”
“Yes. You must be tired after walking around today. Rest well.”
“I’m not tired at all! I had so much fun. You’re the one who’s exhausted—running around, covered in sweat…”
If it’s for the Lady, I’ll run until my body breaks, not just until I’m drenched in sweat.
The thought came unbidden, and Derwin was startled by it. Good thing it hadn’t slipped out.
“Goodnight, Your Grace.”
She turned away. One step, two steps, three steps… the farther she went, the more he wanted to call her back.
I don’t want to part with her.
That feeling—the “reluctance” she’d mentioned earlier in the day, the emotion that made the world sparkle—now colored his feelings for her as well.
Is that what’s happening to me, Lady?
It was a question no one could answer. Derwin stood there for a long time, watching her retreat until she became nothing more than a black dot in the distance.
