"Ivy, look! It's a foreigner from C Country!" the blonde-haired girl next to Estelle exclaimed, gripping Estelle's hand with excitement.
Estelle deftly sidestepped the grip, but her eyes widened in surprise when she caught sight of the girl on the stage.
It was Evelyn, the girl she had encountered outside the convenience store just yesterday.
She had been captured and was now being auctioned off.
In Citadel, a town known for its shady dealings, a pretty girl could fetch around $500.
Estelle furrowed her brow deeply, realizing the girl hadn’t heeded her warning and had stubbornly continued her search for her boyfriend.
Evelyn came to on the stage, her eyes widening in fear as she registered the crowd of onlookers who encircled her like wolves. She tried to flee, but then realized she was clad only in a bikini, and quickly wrapped her arms around herself.
The auctioneer began to call out the starting bid.
Evelyn looked bewildered and lost, until her eyes found a familiar figure in the crowd. Her face lit up with joy, "Lynn, you're here?"
Chains bound her feet to the cage on the ground, making escape impossible. In her desperation, she stumbled and fell hard to the floor, her cries piercing the air, "Lynn, it's me, Evelyn! I came for you!"
Estelle followed her gaze to a man in a crisply white shirt, who was blending into the crowd. His handsome features was marred by a frown of torment as he heard Evelyn’s cry and then turned to leave.
Evelyn's eyes bulged, "Lynn, come back!"
"I'm Evelyn, don't go!"
"Save me!"
"Don't leave me!"
Evelyn collapsed to the ground, her sobs of despair drowned out by the raucous laughter around her.
Estelle suddenly noticed an unmistakable red birthmark on Evelyn's exposed back. She remembered her grandfather's words, about the granddaughter her master had lost.
Evelyn was about the same age as that missing girl!
Estelle didn’t care for his chatter and was about to end the call when a glass of brandy appeared before her, held out from behind.
She spun around, and under the flickering lights, she locked eyes with Lambert's deep brown gaze.
Estelle gasped, "What are you doing here?"
Lambert's lips curved into a sly smile, "I could ask you the same, dear Rella. Weren't you off to bed? And what's with this get-up?"
His eyes roamed over Estelle's maid outfit, "Though, I must admit, you look stunning in this dress!"
Estelle paused, then coolly explained, "I couldn't sleep. As for the outfit, it just seemed to fit the vibe around here."
Lambert feigned enlightenment, "Ah, so this is what you like!"
Suddenly, a roar of cheers erupted from the stage area. Estelle turned to see Evelyn being claimed by a tall man in the crowd.
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