Chapter 32
“Wha—what is this…?!”
“I tried to stop my father, Your Grace, but in the end… I intended to keep silent for his sake, but I realized that would be wrong and came to tell the truth.”
“You—you! What are you talking about! I never…!”
With every word Kana spoke, Oset’s face turned first chalk-white, then a sickly blue.
The Grand Duke stepped past the elders sprawled on the floor and stopped before Kana, who knelt with tears of contrition.
“Is this the truth?”
“How could I lie before Your Grace? I have committed the sin of denouncing my own father, but I thought the safety of the young lady, your heir, was far more important…”
“And Danae—where is she now?”
“My father recently fell deep into gambling and ran up huge debts. To pay them off… he sold the young lady to a slave dealer.”
“Kana!”
Oset shook violently as he looked at his daughter, who spoke the truth with a stricken face.
“How could you!”
“I’m sorry, Father. But it wasn’t right. I have been unfilial, but I chose what was right, so please understand.”
“Nonsense! This is all your—!”
“Lucas.”
The Grand Duke frowned at Oset’s frantic outburst and called for Lucas.
Without needing further orders, Lucas understood and dragged the struggling man out.
“You wretch! Do you still call yourself my daughter? Selling your own father to save yourself!”
Oset’s furious shouts faded as he was taken away, and silence once again filled the council chamber.
His reaction was clearly not an act.
That alone proved Kana’s words were true.
The Grand Duke turned to Kana, who was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief, and asked the key question.
“Where is Danae?”
“I heard he dealt with the slave traders in Camden. They sell children off to other continents.”
“Camden…”
If they pushed Ashinov’s trained horses at full speed, it was less than an hour away.
“Your fate will be decided after we find Danae.”
Sheathing his sword, the Grand Duke strode out of the hall.
As he passed, Kana bowed deeply. No one else noticed the faint smile playing on her lips.
I used the chaos among the slave traders to whisper to Miri.
“Now’s our chance.”
“What?”
“A chance to escape.”
“Escape?”
“Yeah. They’re too busy fighting each other to notice if one of us slips away.”
Miri frowned as she finally understood.
“You want me to escape alone? What about you?”
“If we both run it’ll draw attention. I still need to stay here.”
“Liar. You just want me to get away safely, don’t you?”
“No, why would I lie? I don’t want to be a slave either.”
Honestly, those guys don’t have the strength to sell me as a slave anyway.
I meant it, but Miri still looked unconvinced.
Woo-ooong—!
Just then a ship’s horn sounded from not far off.
The slave traders stopped brawling, startled by the noise.
Well, so much for running now.
“Damn! The ship’s already here?”
“What do we do?”
“What do you think! Get them in the crates, fast!”
The boss barked orders, and his men scrambled clumsily.
Plenty of openings in that frantic rush.
Tsk tsk, and they think they can run an illegal slave trade like this.
I watched them coolly, ready to break their noses with magic if needed.
“Boss! Boss!”
While I focused on their movements, a scrawny man burst in, face pale.
“N-now—!”
“I know, the ship’s here. Just a little longer—”
Apparently fed up, the boss grabbed me by the scruff of the neck himself.
Ugh, can’t breathe.
“N-no, that’s not it! Outside—ack!”
The skinny man never finished.
A heavy blow from behind sent him clutching his head as he collapsed.
Behind his fallen body appeared a very familiar face.
“Hey, kid, you here?”
Baratheon, eyes blazing, scanned the room until he saw me in the boss’s grip and ground his teeth.
“You. Let her go. Now.”
“Hah, and why would I? One man barging in doesn’t scare me.”
Mmm. You really should be scared—even if he’s alone.
I gave the boss a pitying look.
Baratheon wasn’t alone anyway.
“Young lady!”
Hedin and the Mist Knights poured in behind him, and behind them loomed the Grand Duke himself, radiating a dark aura.
Only then did the boss realize he was outmatched. He hastily set me down.
“Oh dear, sirs, I didn’t know she was such a distinguished young lady. My apologies!”
He untied the ropes binding me and forced a servile smile.
His men, momentarily stunned, quickly followed his lead.
“Oh my, our young lady!”
“Such lovely clothes all dirtied!”
Two of them fussed over me, straightening my crumpled dress and carefully brushing off the dust.
Their frantic fawning only made the air grow colder.
“Hedin.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“This began with your negligence. You will clean it up.”
“…Thank you for allowing me to make amends.”
Hedin bit his lip and bowed deeply.
The Grand Duke barely acknowledged him.
He stepped forward and lifted me into one arm.
His eyes swept over me, brow furrowing.
“You’re hurt.”
Huh? I am?
Startled, I checked and found a small scrape on my arm from when I’d fallen earlier.
Okay, technically I’m hurt—but it’s not that serious.
“Were you frightened? You’re so quiet.”
Perhaps worried by my silence, the Grand Duke asked gently.
“N-no, not at all—”
Wait, that sounds too fearless.
A thirteen-year-old acting that brave would be odd.
“I was so scared…”
I clutched his collar and let my voice tremble.
But instead of drawing sympathy, the room only grew colder.
Was that too mild? Should I cry harder?
While I debated, my eyes met Miri’s.
Her look clearly said, Weren’t you the one who said you weren’t scared?
I quickly averted my gaze and buried my face in the Grand Duke’s chest.
“S-so scary… really scary…”
Back home, a whole group of doctors rushed toward me the moment we arrived.
Why five doctors…?
All I had was a tiny scrape.
They bustled around, examining me thoroughly.
“Hair?”
“Intact.”
“Mouth?”
“No issues.”
“Fingers and toes?”
“All ten, accounted for.”
…Why even check that?
Only after inspecting every unnecessary detail did they leave, satisfied.
They of course cleaned and dressed the obvious scrape on my arm.
Even after all that, Marina still watched me with worried eyes.
“Young lady, you’re truly all right?”
“You saw the doctors count my toes. I’m fine.”
“Still… you went through something so terrible…”
Honestly, it hadn’t been that terrible.
If anything, it was the slave traders who had a rough time.
I didn’t know what Hedin and Baratheon planned for them, but judging from the mood earlier, they wouldn’t get off easy.
“Hey.”
“Danae.”
While Marina fussed, Sise and Lucas appeared.
