PHATFO 59

~Chapter 59~

I had already guessed there was an inside accomplice in the mansion helping Viola.

‘Otherwise, how could she have picked the perfect time to come into my room when I wasn’t there?’

Most likely, Viola had been working with one of the servants who managed the back door.

I didn’t know how to get out of the mansion, but she did. I didn’t know how to avoid Armin’s watchful eyes, but she probably did.

In that case, I might as well use her.

‘And she even brought me a free carriage and driver.’

Smack—!

“What… what is this?”

When Viola collapsed, the driver noticed the commotion inside and immediately tried to slow the carriage.

“Don’t turn around. Grab the reins again.”

I pointed an ice blade at the driver’s neck. I had made it earlier when I secretly untied my ropes without Viola seeing.

“Unless you want to die here.”

“!”

It seemed he valued his life more than loyalty to Viola. He started driving again, and I kept the ice blade floating right at his neck the entire time.

Since he was part of the plan to kidnap me with Viola, I needed this kind of precaution.

After running for a long while, the carriage began to slow down, then stopped.

In the distance, I could see a tent reinforced heavily with magic stones. At this late, shady hour, it certainly wasn’t for some circus show—so most likely…

“That must be the auction house.”

“Y-yes, ma’am.”

While the carriage moved, I hadn’t just been sitting idle.

Knowing Viola planned to sell me as a slave, I had tied her up tightly and put a sack over her head.

Maybe it was because of the magic blade near his neck, but the driver’s attitude was now far more polite.

“What happens now?”

“If you wait, someone will come from the auction house…”

“The slave trader who’s going to buy me.”

“Y-yes…”

And just as he said, a fat man appeared in the distance, holding a smoking cigar in one hand.

I didn’t know how things worked here. If I acted clumsily, I’d be suspected immediately.

‘Not that it matters.’

I had someone here who knew this place well.

I shifted the blade from the driver’s neck to point at his back.

“Do well.”

Maybe my short words were more intimidating, because he nodded silently.

The slave trader soon arrived.

“Why park the carriage in a place like this?”

The grumbling voice was familiar enough that I turned my head before I realized it.

‘That man…’

I almost jumped to my feet.

He was the one who sold Armin to the Rohilton family—and the one who set the Rohilton mansion ablaze.

‘He hasn’t been caught yet?’

He had often visited the Rohilton mansion, so naturally I had seen him many times.

Would he recognize me? Even the possibility made my vision blur and my heart pound.

“So this is the fine young lady who’s supposed to go inside?”

The driver stayed calm, trading words with the slave trader just as I told him to. He was doing well.

Then the slave trader noticed me, tossed aside his cigar, and grinned.

“Well, well. I suppose that crumpled package in the back must be it?”

I silently pressed myself against the carriage wall and pushed Viola toward him.

I thought speaking might risk giving myself away, and it seemed I gave the impression of a “noble lady who didn’t want to talk to commoners.”

“So picky… Well, fine. We just do what we’re paid to do.”

Without trouble, the slave trader hoisted Viola over his shoulder. She stirred, maybe waking up, but couldn’t escape his grip.

“This one must have had terrible luck. What did she do to make you add the condition to sell her overseas?”

The way he kept glancing at me made me uneasy. I wondered if he had guessed something.

I jerked my chin at the driver, and he understood immediately.

“Stop breathing your stinky breath here. The lady doesn’t like it.”

“Oh, did I catch your pickiness? Fine, I’m going. Let’s meet again sometime?”

Thankfully, the slave trader left quickly, humming some tune as he went.

Since he didn’t look back after going into the auction tent, it seemed he didn’t know Viola well.

‘That means I have time to escape.’

“Uh… Mage, ma’am? Could you untie me now? I did everything you told me.”

I had almost forgotten the driver was still there.

“Oh.”

I nodded as if agreeing, and when he smiled faintly in relief—

Smack—!

A stone flew from somewhere far away and hit the back of his head. Just like Viola, his eyes rolled back and he fainted.

I had never planned to let him go. He had abandoned Viola the moment I threatened him—so if I freed him here, he’d surely betray me next.

I had brought Viola to the slave auction not out of revenge, but to confuse anyone who might be tracking me.

‘I hope they’ll think I was sold at the auction and taken overseas.’

If not, oh well.

‘Now I just have to deal with the driver and leave.’

Unfortunately, I couldn’t use magic to move someone still showing signs of life—it had to be done by hand.

And I didn’t like the idea of killing him.

‘Heavy…’

I was struggling to drag the driver out when—

“Not very strong, are you, mage?”

A voice came from beside me.

A woman with a longsword was standing there. I had no idea when she had appeared.

‘She’s skilled at hiding her presence. I’ll have to be careful.’

“You don’t seem to belong here.”

“….”

“And you don’t look like someone brought here as a slave. So what are you doing here?”

“Do I have to answer that?”

“Of course not. But…”

She kicked the driver’s body off to the side like it was nothing—the problem that had taken me twenty minutes to move—and raised her sword toward the front.

“If you’re with them, that’d be a shame.”

“I’m not sure what you mean, but I—”

Then—

“There she is!”

“She’s the one who freed us!”

From all sides, people with weapons came rushing in. Roughly a hundred or more—a huge crowd.

“Well, we’ve been found.”

Even in that overwhelming situation, the woman looked calm.

“Where did you take the slaves?”

“Tell us and we’ll give you a clean death!”

I didn’t need to confirm to know what was going on. Just as my head started to ache—

“You’d better be ready! My friend the mage is with me!”

The woman slung an arm over my shoulder like we were close.

“Who’s your friend—”

“They won’t believe anything you say anyway. Might as well be in the same boat.”

“…This is ridiculous.”

I wanted to run, but the carriage was firmly tied and would slow me down.

And more people were arriving from every direction. There was no way to outrun them all. Running blindly would just get us surrounded.

From the way they were charging, I could tell—arguing wouldn’t work.

“If you can’t take on a hundred, I’ll kill you myself.”

I clenched my fists and began creating blade after blade of ice.

Seeing the floating shards lined up, the woman smirked.

“Don’t worry. I’m plenty capable. Just give me some support from the back!”

She shouted brightly, then raised her sword high.

The emperor’s bedchamber was the most private place in the imperial palace, a place absolutely forbidden to intrude upon—yet because of the emperor’s policy of rewarding talent, it was open to a select few.

And right now, that bedchamber was—

“Count Eblain.”

—being invaded by one of those select few, Aisha Eblain.