Chapter 122 - Young Duchess of the Ice Golem

Emma:

The other girls and I exchanged glances, huddling together.

"It's okay, he won't attack you," said a girl as she walked past the ice wolf.

She came closer, swiftly cutting through the ropes and removing our gags with a knife. Her movements were precise, quick, yet careful enough not to hurt us. I could tell by her clothes that she wasn't just anyone.

"A noble? Did you come to help us?" I asked.

She smiled.

"Of course, you are my people," she said as she freed us.

"Go ahead, our soldiers are coming in, and they will take care of you. First, we’ll need you to confirm the identity of a man, then you'll be taken somewhere safe, and we’ll find your families."

Hearing those words, I burst into tears, but they were tears of relief. I ran to her and hugged her.

"Thank you," I said, holding her tightly.

"It's alright," she replied, returning the embrace.

"I'll just need to get some clothes for a few of you first," she added as she stood up and left.

"Come with me, but be careful; part of the hallway collapsed," she said, leading the other girls out.

I looked toward the hole in the ground and suddenly collapsed.

What happened?

My legs started shaking, and fear crept in.

"You can’t look! He told me it causes fear," the girl said.

"He?"

"Miss?" a voice called in the background as she walked toward the others.

As I was about to stand up, I heard a noise and looked toward the hole.

"Ah!" I screamed, seeing the bandit leader again.

"Help!" I cried, calling out for the girl.

"Who freed you, bitch?" the bandit leader grabbed me.

Help!

'Woof!' the wolf, still in the room, barked.

"Damn it!" the bandit leader cursed, and I was released.

"Shit! I need to get out of here with this bitch!"

I ran away, and the girl passed by me.

"A wolf!" he shouted from the room.

'Grrrr...'

"A golem? A fucking ice golem!"

'Grrrr...'

"Attack!" the girl commanded.

"You’re dead!"

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I watched as the wolf pinned the man to the ground by his neck, its cold, icy gaze reflecting the severity of the situation. The girl approached, her eyes sharp.

"If you try anything, he’ll crush your neck," she said with an undeniable authority in her voice.

The man struggled, but the ice wolf tightened its grip, panic flooding his face.

"Okay! Please! Mercy!" he screamed, desperation dripping from his words.

I felt a chill run down my spine as a boy stepped out of the shadows, his calm stride contrasting with the terror that surrounded us.

"Mercy?" he asked, his voice laced with such coldness that it made me shiver. "What about the families who refused to give up their daughters? Did you show them any mercy?" He stepped closer to the fallen bandit, each word a condemnation.

Curled up and half-naked, I felt a wave of shame for being in this situation before him. The boy was handsome, and despite the horror surrounding us, the discomfort of being seen like this grew stronger.

"We need to leave someone alive, and he's the only one left," the girl said, breaking the heavy silence.

The boy clicked his tongue, turning his attention to me. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice now gentler.

"Yes... thank you so much," I replied, still embarrassed by my situation.

"Stop staring at her!" the girl snapped, pinching his arm, making me let out a small nervous smile.

"I wasn't looking at her like that!" he protested, trying to escape the awkwardness.

"Then why were you looking?"

"I just wanted to see if she was okay," he mumbled, clearly trying to avoid further trouble.

The girl sighed in annoyance. "I'm going to tell Cylla..." she murmured.

"Hey! That's not fair!" he retorted, almost in desperation.

The sound of heavy footsteps approached, and I froze in fear as armed soldiers entered the room. But the girl stepped forward.

"Don't worry, they're with us," she said with a reassuring nod, easing my fears.

The soldiers approached, and one of them made a formal salute.

"Lady Chloe and Lord Nathan!" he announced. "Sifu has arrived with the man."

"Finally!" the boy responded, his tone lighter. He glanced at me again and stepped forward.

"Get her something to cover up," he said before moving away.

Then, he paused for a moment and snapped his fingers. The sound of metal shifting made me look toward a hole where a sword floated into the air and into his hand. He grabbed the blade naturally, stored it in his bracelet, and left without another word.

I stood there, still in shock, until a soldier handed me a cloak. I quickly covered myself, feeling a small sense of relief at last.

The crowd parted as an old foreign man in blue robes appeared, dragging a man at his mercy. The man was nearly naked, beaten, and burned, his body covered in wounds. The most horrifying detail was the place where his eye should have been—now filled with a wooden stake driven deep into his socket. I was stunned by the sight, my stomach turning in pure horror.

"I need your final confirmation!" the old man shouted, throwing the man to the ground before me. His eyes, as well as the girl's beside him, were fixed on me.

"Is this the man who came to evaluate you?" the old man asked, awaiting my response while the soldiers watched me expectantly.

I was terrified, but I knew I had to answer. "Am I supposed to confirm his identity?" I asked, hesitating.

"Yes. Better get closer and check his face," the girl said.

With my heart pounding, I slowly approached the man, whose expression of fear grew as I neared. When I finally saw his barely recognizable face, my body froze. It was him—the man who came to appraise the price of each of us for sale. Despite his pitiful state, I recognized him.

"It's him," I said in a near whisper. "He's the man who came... to give me a price... to be sold."

The man began to sob, clutching at my legs in desperation. "No! Please!" he begged, but his plea was quickly silenced by the old man.

"Quiet!" the old man barked, pulling him back and dragging him closer to the girl.

"Give your sentence, princess. What is his punishment?" the old man asked coldly.

Without hesitation, the girl gripped the man's face tightly and responded, "Death!"

The man's terrified scream echoed, but it was soon silenced as his head began to freeze. Ice spread quickly, and with a soft 'bam,' his head shattered into frozen fragments. The girl had crushed his frozen skull. His life was over, and I watched the entire scene unfold, horrified.

These people are dangerous.

I swallowed hard in fear.

"The maids gathered good information," the girl said, her tone cold and unaffected.

"They're working hard. There have been many incidents lately. It was good you left one alive. Nathan doesn't usually leave survivors. We'll take the bandit, and the maids will extract everything he knows," the old man replied, glancing at the bandit leader.

The bandit, seeing the state of the slaver's body, collapsed to the ground, sobbing. "Please! I'll tell you everything! There's no need to torture me, I'll tell you whatever you want!" he begged, utterly terrified.

"You will tell us everything, but only after we're sure you're cooperating. Take him to the torture chambers," the girl ordered.

Soldiers appeared, dragging the weeping bandit leader away, while the old man spoke again. "Lady Chloe, you'd better hurry. You need to prepare for your journey to the Royal Capital."

Still in shock, I felt the girl's eyes turn to me. She noticed my confusion and stepped closer, her tone softening. "Don't worry, you'll be reunited with your family soon. You're with the Evenhart family now."

The Evenhart...? My heart raced, struggling to process everything that had just happened.