Chapter 35

✿✿✿

After the talk with Marquis Treve, I separately called Lady Treve to talk.

“What do you think of His Majesty, Lady Treve?”

I carefully asked.

It would have been like a dream to become a concubine of the emperor because Lady Linoa had always admired him, but it was difficult to grasp the intention of Lady Treve.

However, Lady Treve was shy, only blushing her cheeks, and rarely tried to open her mouth.

“I’m not sure……………”

I swallowed down my saliva.

“You don’t like him?”

No matter how big my nose is, it was also uncomfortable to force an unwanted marriage.

“I don’t know…………”

Lady Treve covered her face with a handkerchief as if she could no longer speak.

No matter how much I questioned her, it seemed impossible to get a proper answer.

I decided to change my strategy.

“Do you like children, Lady Treve?”

If I ask a lot, won’t I be able to get any information?

“Yes, I love them.”

Fortunately, Lady Treve answered meekly, blushing her cheeks.

“Ha ha. Kids, they’re cute.”

I gave a soulless retort and rolled my head furiously.

“What do you think of the Emperor and his child?”

When Lady Treve was silent, I began to pour out my words with anxiety.

“I’m sure his children will be very pretty because he’s so handsome. A child with his dark hair and fresh green eyes, wouldn’t that be lovely?”

Only then did Lady Treve slowly begin to shake her head.

“Yes……………….it would be very pretty.”

I clapped my hands.

“As expected, Lady is looking forward to becoming a concubine.”

Despite my insistence, Lady Treve just sat still for a while without answering back.

By the time my mouth was dry, the lady slowly opened her mouth.

“Yes…………………………………………”……… I’m looking forward to it.”

Lady Treve, whose cheeks have been red since earlier, turned red like a red beet.

Seeing her shyly burying her face on her handkerchief again, it not empty words.

“Huh………….”

I laughed for a moment because I was stunned.

It seems that there are not a few victims who suffered from Cardan’s charm.

“Phew…………………..”

I clicked my tongue inside.

It’s all a shell.

But do I have to take care of other people’s lives? My life is on the verge of getting bogged down.

As long as I’ve done enough.

I smiled broadly as I rolled my eyes.

“Then I’ll set the date for your entrance as soon as possible.”

“Well………….”

Lady Treve managed to open her mouth and whisper softly.

“Is there a problem?””

Don’t tell me, you’re backing out now?

“What if your Majesty is disappointed again?”

With that said, Lady Treve rolled up her beloved handkerchief.

“Keuk… I’d like to be a woman to His Majesty’s liking……….”

“Hoho…”

I laughed again in vain.

Lady Treve was so sincere to the emperor.

“Don’t worry about that.”

Cardan’s demands at the Cabinet meeting were clear.

“Find the concubine that’s like a human being.”‘

“I will invite the best etiquette teachers to help you become a woman of His Majesty’s liking.”

When I spoke with confidence, Marquis Treve Young-ae smiled.

“Please do me a favor.”

Anyone could tell that she was in love.

For a moment, I had an instinct to grab the lady’s shoulder and shake her, but instead, I clenched my fist and smiled formally.

“Leave it to me.”

✿✿✿

“This way.”

A few days later, the Marquis Treve guided me in a much more polite manner than before.

I entered a small theater through a secret door hidden in the back alley of the slum.

Her face was covered with a mask and she wore a blond and colorful wig to hide her identity.

Like me, the building was filled with people who settled down with masks covering their faces.

It was not possible to specify who was who, but in terms of luxurious clothes, they must all be aristocrats.

The Marquis Treve led me to a secret second-floor box seat, not a floor on the first floor.

“You can watch here.”

The Marquis Treve took me to a comfortable seat decorated with velvet cushions.

Immediately the waiter came up with a simple drink and refreshment, but I waved my hand.

It was not a situation to eat or drink anything at ease.

Soon the auctioneer brought out an adult man and began shouting in a lively voice.

“Look at these strong limbs. It’s perfect for farming. If you look at the teeth, you can see how young and healthy they are. It starts with 50 rues.”

It was unpleasant to hear, but I had no choice but to remain silent.

My purpose was to close this market itself, not to be kicked out of this market while trying to save one or two recklessly.

But as the auction progressed, my resolution slowly began to falter.

“No, I don’t want to!”

This is because a woman was dragged out with a terrified look as the next slave. It was a face that looked young, and it seemed that she had just passed adulthood.

“Let go of me!”

She struggled desperately.

But it wasn’t enough to shake off the burly man holding her arm firmly.

“Let me go!”

“Argh!”

She bit the man’s hand with all her might and the man momentarily lost her arm.

Not missing the opportunity, she ran right out.

“What a bugger!”

But the very next moment, she was dragged away by a man.

“No! Let go of me! Let go of me!”

I had to clench my fist to avoid jumping up from my seat at the cry of a woman in pain.

At that time, there was a terrible sound of hitting as if a bone was crushed behind the stage.

And the very next moment someone ran out and knocked the man down with a punch.

“Brother!”

A sense of relief crossed the woman’s face.

I ended up jumping out of my seat.

Sir Ethan…?’

For a moment I couldn’t believe my eyes.

It was none other than Sir Ethan who was stirring the stage.

Lord Ethan, who knocked down three or four men at once, strode toward the auctioneer.

The auctioneer, who tripped over his feet while stepping back, began to squeal like a pig in the throat.

“Argh! Where’s the security? Get more guards!”

Sir Ethan grabbed the auctioneer by the collar and lifted him into the air.

The more the auctioneer struggled, the more blue his face turned.

He seemed to be on the verge of passing out, but it did not seem to come into Sir Ethan’s eyes.

“You promised. You’ll take me instead, and you’ll let Catherine go.”

Sir Ethan shuddered like he was chewing each word.

“Let go of Catherine, as promised.”

Meanwhile, the auctioneer shook his head weakly.

“Let me go!”

Lord Ethan clenched his fist so hard that his veins popped out on the back of his hand.

“Get him!”

Just before the auctioneer was out of breath, guards flocked to the stage.

A group of fifteen men came at Lord Ethan.

At first, the number of soldiers who were lightly ostracized by the guards increased out of control, and they were eventually trapped and thrown on the ground.

While being dragged out, Sir Ethan wriggled desperately.

However, as soon as he passed by Catherine, who was lost in tears, Lord Ethan eventually collapsed.

“That’s not what you promised, damn it!”

Just before being dragged out, the last cry was like the howling of an animal.

The auctioneer grinned as if nothing had happened and proceeded with the auction again.

“See how powerful he is? If you train them well, they’ll do anything.”

If it weren’t for the reddish marks on his neck, he was so brazen that I’ll believe it was all a dream.

The auctioneer raised her arm, still dripping with tears.

“Well, shall we start the auction again? It starts at 10th base.”

My hand gripped the armrest turned white.

I can’t show my weak side here.

If the Duke of Baloa in the world were to be shaken by this, he would surely be suspicious.

But when I saw him dragged helplessly, I stood up helplessly.

It wasn’t just sympathy. It seemed necessary to investigate how Sir Ethan, who was working for the Empress, came to flow into this place.

Clap, clap, clap.

I began to clap slowly.

As if to end a great show and pay tribute.

All eyes were on me in an instant.

No matter how much I wear a wig and mask that covers my characteristic gray hair, there will definitely be people who notice that I am the duke when I speak out.

But what if the Duke of Baloa saves a slave out of sympathy?

Nothing could be better than to scratch the power of the duke.

But I opened my mouth without hesitation.

“That’s the most interesting sight I’ve seen lately.”

I twisted my lips slightly under the mask.

The way I speak seemed to be becoming similar to Cardan’s, but his unlucky way of speaking suited this situation perfectly.

“It’s been boring, but I had a lot of fun.”

The theater began to stir.

“I’m sorry to hear about your poor family, even though you’re a slave

“It’s cruel, to say it’s funny.”

“Isn’t that the Duke of Baloa?”

“Wow, no blood, no tears.”

“Shh, keep your voice down.”

All right, I’ve kept my vile image well.

Now we can just get the two out of here, right?

“That brother and sister.”

I pointed to the woman on the stage with an arrogant gesture, as if I were bothered to lift the paddle.

“I’ll buy them for 100 rues.”