Chapter 38

A few days later, Erion, the most resourceful among the knights who had been persistently investigating, found something suspicious.

“The nobles who got swindled by Overhen all have children of similar ages.”

“Why does that matter?”

Bram leaned one thick arm against the table, but when his eyes met Agnes’s, he straightened up immediately.

“Ahem, my apologies.”

Seeing how he behaved when among the knights made Agnes suppress a laugh. She shook her head, letting him know it was fine.

Meanwhile, Erion, bold as ever, snickered until Pavel stepped on his foot with a bright smile.

Erion groaned but managed to continue.

“All those families have recently hired playmates for their children. But when I compared the timing, it matched almost exactly with when they purchased those so-called forgeries.”

Agnes covered her mouth in shock.

“You mean they didn’t hire those playmates, but bought them?”

“Yes. That’s what I think. And I heard they all treat the children harshly.”

“That’s nothing new. Nobles never treat commoners as people anyway.”

Daren muttered that carelessly, earning a jab in the ribs from Pavel. He hissed in pain, rubbing his side, then glanced nervously toward Dylan and Agnes.

Dylan sighed and tapped the table with his fingers, clearly displeased.

“Could you all be a little more composed? Lady Everchen is present.”

“I don’t mind. You’re all doing this for me, and I’m grateful.”

Agnes waved her hand and looked back at Erion.

“I think you might be right. Since His Majesty abolished slavery, it has become fashionable for noble children’s playmates to be dressed up beautifully. It’s a way to show off their wealth and gain favor with the Emperor.”

Of course, not all nobles treated their playmates like dolls. Some still acted as they had during the days of slavery, cruel and entitled.

But for every noble they had investigated to act the same way was unusual.

And if there was one thing the nobles of the capital were known for, it was their obsession with trends.

Especially when those trends were set by the Emperor himself.

Any noble who refused to follow the Emperor’s lead would certainly draw attention.

Agnes pieced together everything the knights had discovered so far, and one chilling thought came to her mind.

“Count Overhen isn’t selling forged art. He’s selling slaves.”

“A black-market slave trader.”

Dylan’s brows furrowed.

“That is one of the practices His Majesty most wishes to abolish. If we expose him, Count Overhen will face severe punishment. The temple has long opposed slavery as well, so the trial will not favor him.”

“If he truly is a slave trader, shouldn’t we storm his base immediately?”

Daren, usually calm and thoughtful, spoke up in frustration. He clearly despised slavery. Agnes felt the same way. The idea of children being sold like property made her chest tighten.

Fortunately, Dylan did not ignore their urgency.

“If we have justification, we can act freely. Erion, among those you investigated, who seemed the easiest to persuade?”

“Baron Levien. He looked extremely nervous even while speaking to me. I think I could make him talk.”

“Then do it. Use whatever method you must.”

Erion thumped his fist to his chest and answered with confidence. “Yes, my lord!”

Seeing the worry flash across Agnes’s face, Pavel smiled brightly to reassure her.

“Don’t worry, my lady. Erion’s persuasion skills are second to none.”

“He’s good at persuasion, but also good at threats and torture…”

Daren had said it innocently, but Pavel quickly stepped on his foot again to shut him up.

Daren winced, bowed his head, and muttered an apology to Agnes.

From that exchange, Agnes could tell the knights saw her as an innocent noblewoman who knew little about the world.

And honestly, she couldn’t deny it. Her knowledge of reality was probably only a fraction of what these men had seen.

* * *

Less than twenty-four hours later, Erion returned with a triumphant grin.

“My lord, Baron Levien confessed. He said he feared divine punishment. Very devout, that one. Here, I brought his written confession.”

Agnes was surprised by the speed, though Dylan looked entirely unsurprised.

It was the first time Agnes truly saw the knights’ serious side beneath their easygoing behavior.

Dylan skimmed the confession, then handed it to Bram.

“Deliver this to His Majesty and request permission to investigate.”

“At once, my lord.”

“Gather the knights. We’ll depart as soon as the approval comes.”

After giving his orders, Dylan approached Agnes and gently took her hand. He lifted it to his lips and kissed the back of it.

His warm breath brushed her skin softly before fading away.

“You’ll soon have what you’ve been waiting for.”

She tried to tell herself it was just his polite manners as her fiancé, yet her heart thudded hard in her chest. She was certain it wasn’t her fault.

It was his face. His impossibly perfect, art-like face.

Agnes laughed quietly at her own foolish thought and nodded.

“I’ll be waiting.”

* * *

The elite knights of Vasteron set out for the old Overhen townhouse as soon as they received the Emperor’s approval.

The heavy chains across the front gate made it clear the place had been closed for years.

There was surely a back entrance somewhere, but Dylan didn’t hesitate.

“Break the chains and open it.”

His steady voice carried the determination to uncover everything Rickman had hidden.

The sound of chains breaking echoed sharply through the eerie, deserted property.

Moments later, the doors swung open.

There were guards inside, though they were useless. Having seen no visitors or intruders for years, they had grown lazy, drinking through the day until they fell asleep.

The knights entered without resistance.

A guard dog leapt up and barked furiously, but even that posed no real problem.

Worried the others might kick the poor creature, Pavel slipped a leash around its neck and tied it gently in a corner before joining the search.

“There’s a basement here! I can hear children crying inside!”

The words made everyone freeze.

It was a horrifying situation. Dylan’s brow furrowed deeply as he strode forward with long, purposeful steps.

The air near the basement entrance reeked of damp stone and decay, but he didn’t hesitate.

Neither did the knights who stood ready to guard him.

They all knew Dylan was no pampered noble.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they saw about ten children locked inside an iron cage.

They weren’t filthy, likely cleaned up for display to buyers, but all of them were thin and frightened.

Dylan gestured to his men. The knights smashed the cage open and began freeing the children one by one.

Even so, the corridor stretched on, and his unease remained.

Agnes had said Rickman often used secret passages.

But if this was merely a holding site for slaves, why would he come here himself?

Wouldn’t it have been easier to delegate and only show his face for critical meetings?

When Dylan reached the end of the corridor, he found the first clue that might answer that question.