Chapter 30

“What?”

“How do you know how many people are up there? Did you bring any weap*ns?”

“Then what are you going to do…?”

“They brought us here for a reason. If they’re keeping us alive, it must mean we’re useful for something, right?”

The two retied the ropes around their wrists with the ones they had just managed to loosen. From the outside, it looked as if nothing had changed, but in reality, they had only pretended to be bound. They lay down, feigning unconsciousness, for a while until the door creaked open with a noisy sound.

“The show’s already started, so take these two up.”

“Both of them?”

“Yes, both. They’re both in good shape and have nice faces, so there’ll be plenty of people interested.”

Pretending to have just woken up, Lucien exchanged glances with Derkan as they were dragged away. Judging by the conversation, it seemed something like human trafficking was going on… Still, as people say, crisis is opportunity. If this was a big operation, Lucien figured he could turn it into a public achievement and grinned slyly as he was dragged off by the men.

“Strip them.”

The plain clothes Lucien wore were ripped off by a knife. He didn’t mind as they were only for disguise, but it was still uncomfortable to be exposed in front of strangers. This was a body he had prepared for Serenia, after all. Clicking his tongue, Lucien waited, pretending his hands were tied, for several hours until finally, he emerged from the darkness into a bright light.

“Today’s special items!”

With a booming introduction, dazzling lights shone down. Loud laughter and applause filled the air. It was a different atmosphere from a typical illegal slave market. Derkan squinted, scanning the darkened audience, their faces deliberately obscured.

“Ah…”

He’d thought it was a slave market, but it wasn’t. It was hard to say if that was better or worse.

It was, in fact, a kind of illegal entertainment venue. It was still a crime, as it involved selling kidnapped people without a license.

In the audience, expensive tables and chairs were arranged as in a high-class restaurant, and people in fine clothes and masks watched the stage with interest. The somber music and seductive lighting made the purpose of this place obvious.

“To celebrate our grand opening, today’s special items are not on the regular list. These products are untamed and wild, so you can enjoy your play while they’re still bound.”

‘Who gave you permission?’ Lucien silently added another crime to the list as he subtly rotated his wrists in the fake bindings. He didn’t know how long he’d been unconscious, but judging by the signal he’d sent earlier, it wouldn’t take long for the military to discover this illegal ship. He just needed to hold out for another hour or two.

Ignoring the auction prices being called out, Lucien only hoped that there weren’t any high-ranking nobles in the crowd. Nouveau riche were no problem, but nobles would bring all sorts of complications.

He didn’t care about the hot gazes or the rising bids with lecherous intent. Whoever won the bid, Lucien planned to knock them out as soon as they entered the room. The fake bindings were the perfect way to make anyone let their guard down.

As he considered cleaning up the place and then using it as an excuse to go on vacation with Serenia, Lucien’s auction price was decided.

A woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a long lace veil that concealed her face stepped up and received the rope binding Lucien. Her tight dress was deeply cut at the chest and slit up to the thigh—an outfit no one would wear to a normal party.

Lucien’s brow twitched as he almost frowned, but then he suddenly smiled. The man handing over the rope glared at Lucien and apologized to the woman.

Clicking her tongue, the woman yanked Lucien’s rope roughly. Pulled by the neck, Lucien let out a small groan. Guided by a staff member, the woman was shown to a luxurious cabin with a fine view. She sat on the lavish round bed, crossing her legs. The staff member whispered something to her after confirming Lucien, kneeling obediently on the floor, and handed her a small vial.

“Please enjoy your time, and make sure to take care of the cleanup afterward.”

Bowing, the man left, and the woman, holding the vial tightly, said nothing.

“It seems you paid quite a lot. How should I begin serving you?”

“……”

With no response from the woman, Lucien, still with his hands bound, dutifully shuffled closer on his knees.

“Why did you come in here alone, hmm?”

He propped his chin on her thigh, rubbing his cheek against her and peering up at her face under the brim of the hat with a dissatisfied look. When Lucien, grinning playfully, finally saw her face, his expression instantly went white. He jumped up, freeing his hands from the fake bindings.

“Serenia, are you… crying? Nia, please calm down.”

Lucien whipped off the wide-brimmed hat that concealed her face, revealing Serenia’s small face streaked with tears. He wanted to ask how she’d managed to follow him here and break him out, but there was no time for that. Flustered by Serenia’s tearful, resentful glare, Lucien wiped her cheeks, gently grabbed her shoulders, and, in his confusion, pulled her into his arms.

“You… you’re really terrible.”

“Nia.”

“Do you know how worried I was? And now… you want to joke around?”

Except for his shorts, Lucien had been stripped of everything before being put up for auction, so Serenia’s tears fell directly onto his bare skin as he held her. Lucien, never having received such a fierce, resentful look before, stammered as he tried to calm her down.

“You untied the ropes! Shouldn’t you have tried to escape? Why did you just follow along?”

“No, I thought it was you, so…”

“You’d just let yourself be… sold off to anyone, just like that? Service, you say…?”

Lucien wanted to smack himself for his words earlier. As her tears subsided, Serenia’s anger grew, and she began to hit Lucien’s chest and shoulders with her fists. It didn’t hurt much, but Lucien realized he’d only make things worse if this continued, so he decided to try something drastic.

“What would you have done if it wasn’t me…?”

Her tear-soaked lips were softer and warmer than usual. Tasting a faint saltiness, Lucien suppressed a smile and covered Serenia’s lips, silencing her sobs. At first, she pushed him away, but as his tongue insistently pressed forward, her resistance faded.

Sitting on the bed, Serenia’s body lost its balance with the gentle rocking of the ship, and Lucien took the chance to envelop her completely in his arms.

“How about now? Have you calmed down a little?”