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Chapter 27
“Hmm… What if we head in the complete opposite direction of the capital? Since the capital is in the south of the Empire, we could go north.”
“Then how about we leave on the day of the imperial banquet? We could sell the jewelry and dresses we wear that day and at least make a little money.”
Dino listened in on the girls’ conversation with a smirk, noting their complete lack of caution.
A few moments later, when he saw them heading into a secluded alley, his fellow gang members signaled him with subtle glances. Dino gave a slight, indifferent nod in return.
He had already taken a shortcut to the opposite end of the alley and was now waiting for them to pass by.
It was always the same routine. His men would threaten the girls with rough looks, and then it would be Dino’s turn to step in.
“Do you know those guys?”
The gang would then make their exit, as if naturally.
From there, it was easy. His good looks were more than enough to charm naive girls. These foolish ones had become his prey just as smoothly.
“Still, they definitely look like nobles. What could have happened to make them run away like this?”
On his way back to the inn after parting from them, Dino kept recalling Lucy’s troubled expression.
About a week passed, and one day, Anna came looking for him at the inn.
“Mr. Dino! Do you remember me? From a week ago…”
“Miss Anna? Of course I remember. How could I possibly forget such a beautiful lady?”
Anna blushed and smiled brightly at his words.
“Idiotic. There are still women who fall for such lame lines.”
Dino scoffed internally. The same lines his teammates had jokingly taught him to use always seemed to work on women. It was pathetic.
“You’re still planning to leave for Tyren in a week, right?”
That day, Dino bought passage to Tyren with Anna.
“Hey, Dino. Don’t you think we landed a real big catch this time? But that girl Lucy—she’s apparently super famous here in the capital.”
Two days before departure, one of Dino’s gang members approached him, talking nonstop.
“You know Baron Diallo, right? The head of the Petron Merchant Group. That scumbag is her father!”
Dino didn’t say a word and simply listened.
“They say he tried to marry her into some good noble family, but in the end, she ended up as the Duke of Ballon’s mistress.”
At last, Dino began to understand why Lucy had looked so troubled all the time.
Then came the first night aboard the ship.
Dino had no intention of comforting Lucy, who couldn’t sleep until late.
His mission was to safely escort her to Tyren. A new assignment for someone who had handled the dirtiest tasks in the organization.
His first feeling toward her had simply been pity.
“Pity? What a joke.”
Who was he to pity anyone? Dino laughed at his own pathetic thoughts.
“My lady, your hands were just starting to heal. What happened at that banquet for them to swell like this?”
That’s when he overheard Lucy talking to Anna.
“If only Baron Diallo had gotten her proper treatment from the beginning, she would’ve healed a long time ago. I know it’s late, but honestly, he’s not even human. How could a father do this to his daughter!”
Dino frowned as he listened in. It reminded him of a childhood he’d rather forget.
“We’d better hand them over soon. Apparently, Baron Diallo has mercenaries searching all over the country.”
The day they settled into their inn, one of his fellow gang members from the capital came to pressure him again.
“I’ll take care of it. You guys just stay out of it. I’ll decide what to do with them.”
Dino’s voice dropped low as he glared at the man.
“Ooh, scary. What, you falling for that Lucy girl? Honestly, she’s the prettiest one we’ve had so far.”
The gang member sneered. Dino grabbed him by the collar.
“You think I’m like you lowlifes? Just focus on finding new targets like you always do, and stay out of this.”
“Hey, Dino. Don’t forget we’ve got a stake in this too. Just because you’re the boss’s son doesn’t mean you get everything to yourself.”
The man grinned at him.
“I’ve got plans. Just stay out of it. I’ll make sure you all get your share.”
But after that conversation, Dino made up his mind.
Run away. Those girls were clawing their way out of the gutter—why couldn’t he?
“This time, I’m getting out of this damn sewer for good!”
He clenched his fists.
Dino began planning to escape with Lucy and Anna without alerting the gang.
But before he could act, a gang member knocked on his door.
“Dino, the boss wants to see you.”
“The boss?”
Dino was puzzled. The boss—his biological father and the head of the organization—had never shown any interest in him before.
“I’ll find you a job, so take the day off for now. I’ve got something to do, so go ahead and eat without me.”
That day, Dino left Lucy and Anna with a promise that he’d be back soon, then headed to the gang’s branch office.
He walked slowly past the central square and turned into a dark alley.
It was the same alley where his father had once mercilessly beaten and forced him into the criminal world.
Begging, stealing, pickpocketing. He had done every filthy job for the gang, but it had never been the life he wanted.
Abuse and neglect from his gangster father. Endless fights with his own half-brothers.
He’d ended up scraping the bottom of the organization.
But Dino had always dreamed of freedom—of escaping the sewer he was trapped in.
“You think you can run away? Ungrateful bastard, forgetting who raised you!”
He had tried to escape before. Every attempt had failed, and eventually, he gave up.
Then he met Lucy. A foolish girl flailing to escape the same sewer.
“Not even realizing that path leads to another sewer…”
Dino shoved his hands deep into his pockets and let out a bitter smile.
As he rounded the corner of the dark alley where the gang’s office was—
Whack—!
A heavy blow struck him from behind, knocking him forward.
Then came the beatings. Dino rolled over to see who was attacking him.
“You bastards!”
“This stubborn piece of—! What are you waiting for? Grab him!”
It was the gang member who had kept pressuring him to sell Lucy.
When he nodded, other thugs moved in with clubs.
Thud—!
“We’ll take care of the girls, so you just stay down for a while.”
“No….”
As his consciousness faded, Dino’s last thought was of Lucy—then everything went black.
Meanwhile…
Edwin stood by the window, arms crossed, gazing out blankly.
“Lucy, where are you? Are you safe?”
It had been weeks since Lucy disappeared.
Edwin stayed up every night, worried she might fall into danger—or worse, be targeted by assassins sent by Baron Diallo.
Then came a knock, and his aide stepped in.
“Your Highness, the assassin guild reported that they picked up Lucy Diallo’s trail. She’s headed toward Tyren.”
“Damn it! We can’t let them find her first. We’re leaving for Tyren immediately!”
Edwin abandoned the noble assembly scheduled for the next day and rushed to Tyren.
But even after arriving, he couldn’t find Lucy.
The only consolation was that the assassins hadn’t found her either.
He kept receiving updates through a spy he had planted in the assassin guild—bribed at great expense.
“Your Highness, wouldn’t it be best for Lucy’s safety if we eliminated the assassins while we can?”
Edwin shook his head.
“No. Even if we kill them all, the guild will just send more. And more importantly… it’ll be better if I appear at the moment they attack and rescue her myself. Won’t that make for a better story?”
He grinned coldly, his eyes gleaming.
