“Now, this product is a rare silver-haired boy! He has the same mysterious hair color as the Grand Duke of Aizen from over the Bator Mountains. He is also quite the beauty, so beautiful that there are even talks about whether he is the Grand Duke’s hidden younger brother.”

The host laughed frivolously and induced the aristocrats in the audience to respond.

Most of the participants wore masks, their identities barely recognizable, but some faces were distinguishable, one of which was the Marquis of Florence, who was twisting his mouth in displeasure.

Rodelia, who was hiding behind a large pillar in the corner of the hall and watching the auction scene, let out a sigh mixed with anger.

“You’re insane.”

Cerdian, who misunderstood the sigh, grumbled. He then glanced at Rodelia and whispered as if he were making an excuse.

“No. That’s not true.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“It’s true that my hair color is unique, but it’s not a color that doesn’t exist at all, and it’s sometimes seen on people from the northeast. Maybe that boy…….”

“I know that. There was someone like that among the envoys.”

Rodelia, who was staring at the host seemingly ready to kill him, responded indifferently as if she didn’t care. Then she asked in a slightly urging voice.

“Anyway, do we not have reinforcements?”

“……We’re not going out there.”

Realizing that he had mistakenly assumed on his own, Cerdian let out an empty laugh, regained his composure then answered. Rodelia stared at him with a look asking what he meant.

“We just have to hide here until the whole situation is over. It’s about time for them to arrive.”

At that moment, the sound of banging and breaking the door stung her ears. The people in the hall, at a loss of what to do at the sudden disturbance, rushed to find the emergency exit where Rodelia had entered.

“What, why is the exit blocked?”

“Have they gone mad? Why would they block this place!”

All of the exits had already been blocked, so they were in a situation where they were forced to get caught. Meanwhile, the door that had been almost ripped off from the wall fell to the floor with a bang, making a huge noise.

White dust rose in the surroundings, and Kane’s loud voice rang.

“I’ve received information that there were rebels here…….”

But it was only for a short moment. As the dust dispersed, his vision cleared up and he slowly blurred his words.

A young handsome boy in handcuffs was on a big stage, people who appeared to be noblemen in masks, and a bewildered-looking host. It was obviously a slave auction house.

“What the hell is this!”

Kane’s angry voice made his guards start to panic, blocking the entrance with great force. The captain of the Knights Guard, who was observing the situation, carefully opened his mouth.

“I think it’s a slave auction, Your Majesty.”

“Do you think I’m doing this because I don’t know that?”

This was an utter disaster. He made a big commotion about seizing the rebel forces in order to plunge Cerdian’s reputation to the bottom. Thanks to that, the people of the capital who could not sleep this morning came to watch.

Kane looked around, clutching his head.

As expected, it only took a moment for rumors to spread. Citizens who were buzzing behind the Knights Guard criticized with fire in their eyes.

“What? A slave auction……? No, this was not the place where the rebels gathered, but the place where the slave auctions were held! Oh my God, there are still people who do such terrible things?”

“I’m glad this has been revealed now, well. Look Your Majesty, it isn’t!”

It seemed that for the sake of the public’s opinion, he would have to turn the slave traders upside down on a large scale. He never expected that the thing he had overlooked to appease the aristocrats would come back to him as a sharp edged sword.

Kane sighed.

“Arrest everyone involved and don’t let anyone get away!”

As soon as his order was issued, the Knights Guard began to move in unison.

Rodelia, who looked at the scene with a startled face, muttered in a trembling voice. It was because she could roughly guess what happened the moment she heard the word ‘rebels’.

Perhaps Kane’s mind had been shaken by the rumors about her and the Cerdian which in turn blurred his judgment upon receipt of the shocking news of a rebellion.

But even so, that simply was not enough for him to make a move. Unless, the rumored party who was going to rebel, was Cerdian.

“Don’t tell me…”

Rodelia stared at Cerdian with shocked eyes.

“Because it’s always better to be certain.”

It was a completely unexpected development.

Who would risk their life to reveal the truth about the slave trade using Kane? This was something only Cerdian could come up with.

In the center, the irritated voices of the nobles and the sounds of the bustling voices of the residents of the capital intermingled. Things seemed to be getting bigger.

Taking advantage of the confusion, she heard a guard walking to where they are.

Rodelia clung even more to Cerdian and drew a short breath in her shock. In a much lowered voice she whispered faintly.

“Be quiet.”

“I think we’ll get caught.”

It was his nonchalant voice that responded.

“Still…….!”

Rodelia quickly reached out and covered Cerdian’s mouth.

“It means I will protect you.”

Cerdian said jokingly as he avoided her hand lightly. Her hand holding the hem of her dress tightened as she felt his breath close by.

“Do you really believe so?”

The sound of footsteps came closer and closer.

As Rodelia, who was impatient, nodded slowly, he who continued to look relaxed, casually knocked the guard unconscious.

The faint sound of falling was heard but even that was buried in the disturbance.

“I guess so.”

Cerdian smiled and whispered foxily, leaving the dumbstruck Rodelia behind.

***

“Cerdian…You bast*rd!”

Kane’s voice, filled with embarrassment and anger, reverberated in the office.

His face flushed red, he glowered at Ferna, who was bowing his head in front of him, as if he was going to kill him.

“How dare you put me in trouble by giving me such information?”

Kane threw everything on the desk at him. There was a dull sound and a deep wound opened on Ferna’s forehead.

The dark red blood obscured his view, but Ferna could not protest. It was truly due to him that this situation happened.

Kane snapped at him, but even after that he couldn’t control his anger for a while and drew in rough breaths.

“I apologize…….”

Kane scoffed at Ferna’s apology and aggressively ruffled his neat hair.

“I never imagined that Grand Duke Aizen would be able to make such a plan.”

“Why would that j*rk and the slave trade…….”

Normally, he would have been a little more cautious, but the source of the trouble was that he was on edge due to the rumors about Rodelia and Cerdian. It was an impulsive decision.

Now that he thought about it, it was absolutely ridiculous and absurd.

Cerdian plotting a rebellion.

If he had been greedy for the throne, he would have been deprived of his position a long time ago. Cerdian was in a position where he could do so without doing anything so petty.

‘The throne belonged to the Aizen family from the start…….’

Kane’s dark eyebrows scowled.

That was the reason he was so wary of Cerdian. He was afraid that everything would be taken away.

If he hadn’t been poisoned, he would never have gotten involved with the Grand Duke of Aizen.

Now that it has happened, he regrets it. Kane sent the palace guards out, and the people watched them.

He thought that Cerdian had planted an assassin in the Concielle Tavern, but instead of the Grand Duke’s army, the slave auction that he had condoned was being held.

Therefore the emperor, who was prepared even though he knew that it would turn the high-ranking nobles against him, wiped out the slave trade. It will be known that way externally.

“Get out. Your punishment will be decided later.”

Kane, who could not hide his mixed feelings, gave Ferna a short order to leave.

***

<You dare collude with the Grand Duke of Aizen and trick this father? I believe such scandalous rumors are not true. Don’t let your father down any more. Considering my daughter’s position, I won’t tell His Majesty now, but there won’t be another time. Remember this well.>

She could imagine how angry the Marquis of Florence was because of the ink smeared everywhere. She knew he [Marquis] wouldn’t tell him [Kane] that she was involved anyway, but she couldn’t help but feel scared at the thought of facing him.

Rodelia sighed and crumpled the letter and threw it into the trash bin. It’s a relief that they won’t be able to meet right away. She walked towards the window and looked down at the quiet imperial palace.

The palace, which was swept by a storm, was noisier than ever. Unfortunately, instead of the Countess Cullen, the centerpiece of the slave trade, other families covered up their sins one after another.

Of course, she didn’t expect the nobles to pay for all their sins. But…

For now, the slave trade that had been buried in the dark was revealed and it was fortunate enough to have a few aristocrats punished.

‘Is the influence of the aristocracy that much stronger?….’

Rodelia’s face clouded with anxiety.

Fortunately, the existence of slave traders spread openly among the residents of the capital due to the Knights Guard. As such, Kane’s reputation had solidified.

With the public’s opinion in mind, Kane would not let illegal things like slavery prevail again for the time being.

“Fortunately, the Marquis of Florence is unlikely to be punished either. This was his first participation in the auction, and his hard work has been taken into account.….”

Viscountess Cohen told Rodelia who had been reviewing slavery-related documents all morning.

But it didn’t reach her. It was only Cerdian’s last words that kept coming to mind.

[His Majesty’s judgment seems to have dulled. Perhaps it’s because he was poisoned.]