69. The Boy Met by Chance

“Your Highness!!!”

Sasha, Joanna, and even Berser all called out to Larael at the same time.

“Wait, stop.”

Larael halted and spoke in a firm voice to the men dragging the boy away. Berser had never heard Larael sound so angry before.

At her words, the four men dragging the boy all turned to look at Larael. The oldest-looking man among them roughly let go of the boy’s arm and approached Larael. The boy staggered, unable to withstand the force.

“Mind your own business and go on your way.”

It was obvious at a glance that she was a woman of high status. Goos, angered by being stopped, had intended to teach this meddler a lesson, but he flinched at Larael’s cold gaze. Still, he wasn’t the type to be easily intimidated.

As Goos approached Larael, Berser stepped in front of her.

“Do you know who you’re approaching? Step back immediately. That’s a warning.”

At Berser’s threatening words, Goos stopped in his tracks and took a step back. He hesitated for a moment, then suddenly let out a foolish laugh.

“Hehehe. If you stopped us because we’re dragging this boy away, you’re greatly mistaken. Hehehe.”

His laughter echoed between Larael and himself. Larael had never felt so disgusted by the sound of someone’s laughter before.

If one could judge a villain by their laugh, she thought, this man was surely one.

“What misunderstanding? Explain.”

Larael’s voice was icy. Goos swallowed hard before answering.

“This boy was working for our merchant group, but he was caught stealing things repeatedly. We were just taking him to the guards. Does that make sense now?”

Larael leaned to look past his shoulder at the boy. His face was covered in dust, but his black eyes shone brightly.

When the boy met Larael’s gaze, he twisted in the men’s grip and shouted to her.

“That’s a lie!! It’s a lie!!”

At the boy’s desperate cry, Larael looked back at Goos.

“Are you going to believe a thief’s words? It’s ridiculous that I even have to explain myself. We’ll be on our way now.”

“How much are the goods this boy supposedly stole worth?”

Goos, silent and shifty-eyed at Larael’s question, finally spoke.

“They were all very expensive items…”

“Tell me how much. I’ll pay for it.”

Goos’s eyes widened as he quickly scanned Larael’s dress and jewelry. They looked expensive at a glance. He turned to look at his companions, who were waiting for his decision.

He then slowly shifted his gaze to the boy, who was glaring at him with fierce eyes. Goos quickly calculated whether it was more profitable to take the boy away or take the money and let him go. The calculation didn’t take long.

“Fifty gold coins.”

He named his price.

“You bastard!!!”

Berser’s eyes flashed as he drew his sword, ready to strike Goos down on the spot, but Larael stopped him.

“Berser, stop. Don’t be rash. Fifty gold coins, is that right? Sasha, give him the gold.”

Sasha sighed and took out her pouch. As she counted the coins, she turned to Larael in dismay.

“My lady, there are only thirty gold coins.”

“I—I’ll give you a special discount on the price.”

Goos, his eyes greedy for the gold Sasha had produced, quickly waved his hand.

He had to grab the gold before this naïve, chivalrous noble lady changed her mind. Even if they sold that ragged boy to a slave trader, ten gold coins would be a lot.

Larael nodded to Sasha. With a grimace, Sasha handed the pouch to Goos.

He took it with both hands, turned, and went back to where the boy and the other three men were standing. After whispering something to his companions, he grabbed the boy by the scruff of his neck and dragged him to Larael.

“The lady has paid off his debt, so do as you wish with him. We’ll be going now.”

Goos pushed the boy in front of Larael with a satisfied look. The boy collapsed weakly at her feet.

Goos, glancing nervously at Berser’s sword, slowly backed away, then quickly disappeared with his group.

Berser wanted to chase after them, but without Larael’s command, he could only watch them leave with a frustrated expression.

“What’s your name?”

Larael asked the boy as he got to his feet.

“My mother used to call me her joy, so she called me Joy. But I’ve had so many names since then, I couldn’t even tell you all of them.”

“Then I’ll call you Joy.”

Joy stopped brushing the dirt off his clothes and looked at Larael with wary eyes.

He had only said that his mother used to call him that, not that she could. Joy sighed deeply and resumed dusting off his clothes.

“Whatever, it doesn’t matter.”

At the boy’s insolent attitude and tone, Sasha pursed her lips and stepped forward, but Larael stopped her.

“Joy, I paid the gold for you, so I have the right to know the truth about why those men were dragging you away.”

“I said it was a lie earlier, but actually, what they said is true. Those men work for slave traders. I started there as an errand boy, not knowing what kind of place it was. But I found out they were keeping kids to sell to slave traders. Most of the kids are either sold by their parents or are street urchins. So I helped two kids who were about to be sold escape.”

“Slaves?”

Larael frowned at the word. She knew she shouldn’t have let those men go so easily.

“To them, I’m a thief who set free the kids they call ‘goods.’”

Anger welled up in Larael’s chest. Slave trading was illegal in the Kazel Empire. It might still happen in the shadows, but this was the first time she’d heard of actual slaves being traded.

“Joy, do you remember where you worked?”

“I do, but even if you go now, they’ll be gone. They said they’d sell me to cover the lost goods before moving on.”

“Sasha, give the remaining gold to Joy.”

What Sasha had given Goos wasn’t all the gold. Goos had been fooled by Sasha’s sly act. Sasha took out a different pouch from earlier and handed it to Joy. He looked back and forth between Sasha, the pouch, and Larael.

“Take it.”

Sasha shook the pouch and spoke with an unwilling look. Joy reluctantly accepted it. It was quite heavy.

“It’s a reward for helping the other kids. I hope you keep doing the right thing. If you become not just your mother’s joy, but the joy of many people, she’ll be very proud of you.”

Larael approached Joy and brushed the dirt from his hair herself. For the first time, he understood what it meant for a person to shine. What else could you call the person standing before him if not a goddess? Joy froze at her touch, staring up at her in a daze.

He memorized her glossy silver hair, her unflinching red eyes, her snow-white skin, and her red lips.

“Berser, follow them now.”

“Yes.”

Berser answered shortly and quickly ran off in the direction the men had disappeared.

“Joy. Do you have anywhere to go?”

“No.”

Joy replied, fiddling with the pouch of gold.

“If you don’t have anywhere to go, or if you need a job…”

“Your Highness!!!”