Chapter 3

Evelyn quickly put on a shocked expression, her shoulders trembling slightly.  

“H-how did he look?”  

“I don’t know. He was wearing a mask. He was quite tall and had black hair.”  

Seth was definitely silver-haired. For a moment, she wondered if it was someone else, but there was also the possibility that he had changed his hair color. If he was wearing a mask, it meant he was hiding his identity.  

It would be dangerous to suddenly stand up and say, ‘Oh, yes, that’s my lover. Let’s go!’ A well-bred noble young lady would never say something like that.  

Pretending to cry, Evelyn covered her face with her hands.  

“How could he come all the way here… Please, tell him to go back. I can’t let him see me in such a miserable state.”  

The trader, completely taken in by her act, dropped his suspicious gaze and clicked his tongue.  

“Damn it, so it’s true!”  

He began yelling at Evelyn, trying to get more information about Seth. Evelyn, however, kept her lips tightly shut and shook her head. In truth, she couldn’t tell him anything even if she wanted to—she didn’t know much herself.  

Eventually, the trader gave up on interrogating her and dragged her out of the cage.  

Her legs, weakened from three days without food, wobbled like those of a newborn giraffe.  

Evelyn didn’t bother trying to hold herself up and simply collapsed.  

“Oh dear, I’m so hungry I have no strength.”  

“You, you wretched girl!”  

She sprawled on the ground like a sloth. The trader, who had been cursing her, eventually stormed out and returned with a bowl of soup.  

“There’s no time, so eat quickly!”  

After starving for so long, the smell of the soup made her nearly lose her mind.  

She wanted to lift the bowl and gulp it down, but she forced herself to pick up the spoon and eat slowly.  

“If I drink it all at once, I might upset my stomach.”  

It wasn’t because Seth’s words had gotten to her or anything. Her body was precious, and she had to take care of it herself.  

Ignoring the trader stomping his feet impatiently beside her, Evelyn carefully chewed the soup, which had no solid ingredients. Her stomach, shrunken from hunger, felt full after just half a bowl.  

“If you’re done eating, wash up, now!”  

Dragging herself to her feet, Evelyn headed toward where the trader pointed. The water in the tub was murky and didn’t look clean, with grime floating on the surface.  

When she dipped a finger into it, it felt icy and slippery. It seemed to be mixed with seawater.  

“What are you hesitating for? Wash up already!”  

The trader looked like he wanted to shove her into the tub right away.  

But with a nobleman here to rescue her, he couldn’t lay a hand on her. Evelyn boldly spoke up.  

“The water’s cold.”  

“What did you say?”  

“The water is cold.”  

Evelyn had always preferred warm water, even in the middle of summer. The trader ground his teeth in frustration, glaring at her.  

However, Evelyn wasn’t the one in a hurry. After a short wait, a warm bath was prepared for her. Thanks to that, she was able to enjoy a very satisfying bath.  

After washing thoroughly and changing into new clothes, Evelyn was taken to another location. Unlike the storage room where she had been confined, this was a luxuriously decorated cabin.  

“You’re later than I expected.”  

A husky voice greeted her.  

Instead of the owner of the voice, Evelyn first noticed four men dressed in black. Their faces were hidden under deep hoods, but their presence was overwhelming.  

The trader had brought along two subordinates, but compared to the men in black, they looked like mere porters.  

Seth, leaning against a sofa, was flanked by the men in black. As the trader had said, his hair was now black, and he wore a silver half-mask.  

The tightly fitted black clothes enhanced his intimidating aura. The design, devoid of luxurious fabrics or embellishments, ironically highlighted his noble status.  

The neatly shaped lips visible beneath the mask curved into a smile.  

“You must have a reason for keeping me waiting.”  

The slave trader, pale as a sheet, dropped to his knees.  

“M-my apologies. The sudden situation delayed our preparations…”  

Evelyn, who had been planning to act out a romantic reunion with the man who came to save his lover, froze.  

Why was this suddenly turning into a mafia boss scenario? She couldn’t keep up with this shift.  

At that moment, Seth’s gaze turned to her. Realizing she had to somehow get through this situation, Evelyn shouted loudly.  

“Darling!”  

The men standing behind Seth flinched. Evelyn sent a desperate look toward Seth.  

‘You said you were my lover. Play along somehow.’  

Seth caught on quickly. He stood up as if he had just noticed her, spreading his arms wide.  

“Eve, come here.”  

Eve? What was that? 

Evelyn didn’t have time to complain. She ran toward him, pretending to be overjoyed at reuniting with her lover.  

But the trader, who was lying flat on the ground, suddenly yanked the chain connected to her ankle.  

“Ah!”  

Evelyn fell forward, hitting her knees hard on the floor. The pain was sharp enough to bring tears to her eyes.  

The trader, gripping the chain tightly, grinned slyly.  

“This woman is still my slave. You must pay the proper price to take her.”  

“How much do you want?”  

Seth’s voice dropped a pitch. Even Evelyn felt a chill run down her spine, but the trader remained defiant.  

“At least 2,000 gold. If I put her up for auction, I’d get more, but I’m offering a special deal.”  

The price was absurd. When the trader had bought her, he likely hadn’t spent even 20 gold coins.  

“I’ll give you 5,000 gold. Bring the slave documents immediately.”  

Seth’s words stunned Evelyn. The Gran family’s annual living expenses didn’t even amount to 500 gold. And now her ransom was set at 5,000 gold?  

While Evelyn was in shock, the trader beamed and pulled out the slave documents from his pocket.  

“Here they are.”  

Seth gestured to one of his subordinates. The man stepped forward, took the documents, and handed over a small pouch.  

“There are 50 platinum coins. Verify it.”  

“Th-thank you!”  

The trader hurriedly accepted the pouch and checked its contents. Evelyn glared at him, her insides boiling.  

At that moment, a shadow loomed over her. Before she realized it, Seth was crouching in front of her.  

His large hand broke the shackle around her ankle. The metal shattered like a brittle cracker, pieces scattering across the floor.  

“Huh?”  

Wasn’t that made of iron? 

Evelyn stared blankly at the fragments on the ground. A gloved hand reached out in front of her. Startled, she looked up to see Seth smiling.  

“Come on, get up.”  

Without thinking, Evelyn took his hand and stood. She wobbled slightly due to her high heels, and his firm arm supported her waist. He whispered in a low voice.  

“Are you hurt from the fall?”  

“I-I’m fine.”  

“That’s a relief. Here’s a gift.”  

Seth handed her a rolled-up parchment. It was her slave document.  

Evelyn, unsure of how to react, blinked at it.  

Seth placed it in her hand.  

“There’s no poison on it.”  

Evelyn clutched the parchment tightly. Her eyes stung, and her throat felt hot. If she let her guard down even a little, she felt like she might cry. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she handed the parchment back to him.  

“Hold onto this for now. It feels wrong to take it without doing anything in return.”  

Seth, looking slightly puzzled, smiled and accepted it. Evelyn cracked her knuckles and asked,  

“So, who’s the person with the information?”  

Seth pointed to the slave trader. 

What an unbreakable connection they had!  

Evelyn approached the trader with a spring in her step. The man, who had been happily counting his money, looked up in confusion.  

“May God bless our country, you bastard!”  

Evelyn struck the man between his legs with all her might. The high heels he had forced her to wear made a dull thud.  

The trader couldn’t even scream and collapsed to the side with a loud thump. Evelyn shouted ‘Quick quick, slow!’ as she enthusiastically kicked him.  

“What the hell, is this crazy woman insane?!”  

The trader’s subordinate, enraged, rushed toward her.  

But when Seth looked at him and said, ‘Stop,’ 

he froze in place as if turned to stone.  

“Do you have a problem with her hitting him?”  

“No, it’s just that…”  

“Think of how much she must have suffered being dragged here. I hope you’ll understand.”  

Though he phrased it as a request for understanding, it was, in truth, a command.  

After hesitating for a moment, the man quietly stepped back and knelt down. His companion, after glancing around nervously, followed suit.  

Meanwhile, Evelyn, who had been fervently beating the trader, finally grew tired. She looked at one of Seth’s subordinates with a pitiful expression and said,  

“Excuse me, could you help me beat him up a little?”  

The man she pointed at looked flustered and glanced at Seth. When Seth nodded, he reluctantly approached and started kicking the trader.  

The trader, curled up like a ball, let out a groan. Evelyn didn’t stop until the trader was completely out of commission, and only then did she feel satisfied.  

“That’s enough now. Thank you.”  

The man, who had been looking at her as if she were some kind of rare animal, stepped back.  

Evelyn untied the decorative ribbon around her waist and tightly bound the trader’s arms and legs. The trader could only groan in pain and didn’t even try to struggle.  

As Seth watched her actions, he asked,  

“Do you always have to beat people up to get information out of them?”  

“No, this was just revenge. He starved me for three days.”  

Food was an important matter. Never starve a Korean again.  

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”  

Seth, staring at her intently, nodded his head.