RXN 04

Chapter 4

“Miss, what’s going to happen to us now?”

Anna looked at Roxanne with fearful eyes. But Roxanne was just as afraid of the future that awaited them, so there was nothing she could do to help.

“Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

Roxanne tried to stay calm as she held Anna’s hand and comforted her, but somehow it felt less like she was speaking to Anna and more like she was reassuring herself.

Roxanne and Anna spent the first week on the same caravel they had originally been on. But after that, they were taken down on a small island that seemed to be the pirates’ base and then transferred to a carrack disguised as a merchant ship. The carrack was smaller than a galleon but larger than a caravel. The pirates’ treatment of them was surprisingly not bad, but that was only relative to their position as hostages. From Roxanne’s perspective, it was a series of hardships and suffering she had never experienced in her entire life.

After sailing for another seven days or so, they finally arrived at Cordia, the capital of the Run Empire. The pirates, disguised as merchants, were in high spirits, looking forward to selling the goods and hostages they had plundered at sea and making a good profit before enjoying themselves thoroughly.

> *That was because the poor noble lady, who had been practically handed over to them by her uncle, was certain to sell for a higher price than any slave ever sold in the history of Cordia.*

They had seen slaves of all races brought from various countries, but no woman was as beautiful as Roxanne. Her flawlessly smooth skin and silver-tinged blonde hair were so beautiful that they felt almost unreal, like the exquisite Eastern porcelain they had once stolen from a wealthy noble’s ship. If they hadn’t seen her long eyelashes flutter over her mysterious lapis lazuli eyes, they could easily have mistaken her for a masterpiece crafted by some skilled god.

Any man who saw her would naturally be captivated and desire to possess her. Of course, the pirates were no exception. But precisely because everyone wanted her, no one could have her. Moreover, due to the conservative nature of the Run Empire, no matter how beautiful a slave was, her value diminished if she had already been touched by another man. So the pirates silently agreed that rather than causing trouble over a woman they couldn’t handle, it was better to sell her at a high price and take a large share.

> *Compared to most hostages who were locked in the storage hold below deck and treated like cargo, Roxanne was allowed to use a cabin and receive Anna’s care because the pirates were careful with her, worried that she might fall ill, die, or get damaged and lose her value.*

Cordia, surrounded by the sea on three sides, was an international trading port and a transportation hub connecting the continent, the East, and the Black Continent to the south. People realized as soon as they set foot in the market that the rumors were not exaggerated — that all the world’s rare treasures gathered in Cordia’s markets, and all the world’s beautiful women gathered in the Emperor’s harem. Upon first entering the market, one was overwhelmed by the shock of all the world’s light, sound, and smell crashing down at once. But after some time passed and one finally regained composure, one could leisurely enjoy the bargaining of merchants from all over the world.

Cordia had several large and small markets, and the largest one was as big as a decent small city. Beneath endlessly connected domed roofs, thousands of shops and thousands of workshops stood in rows. Round windows were made at the top of the domes to allow natural light. So once one’s eyes grew accustomed to the indoor scenery, it felt like stepping into a magical cave filled with dazzling and wondrous items.

The shops were grouped by the items they handled, forming alleys. There were dozens of such alleys, with small squares and fountains in between for people to rest. From carpets and cashmere, glass cups and mirrors, elegantly jewel-adorned clocks, gold and gemstones from the Black Continent, to ceramics and spices from the East — there was nothing they didn’t have. But the most popular items among noble ladies visiting the market with their slaves were perfumes imported from the northern continent, elegant hats, and expensive fur products.

On the other hand, the people who frequented the slave market at the western end of the market were mostly wealthy men. They chose slaves for various purposes. When manual labor was needed, they mainly bought Black people brought from the Black Continent. Not only male slaves but also female slaves were actively traded. Eastern women with dark, mysterious eyes or northern women with marble-white skin and golden hair were highly popular, but because they were not easy to find, they were very expensive — costing at least 200 duons.

The pirates who dragged Roxanne and Anna out of the cabin first put shackles on Anna’s hands and feet before pulling her out.

“Miss, what should we do?”

Roxanne’s heart ached at Anna’s frightened face as she kept looking back while being dragged away.

“Where are you taking Anna?”

“Don’t worry. We won’t kill her. But this isn’t the time to be worrying about others, is it? Just because you’re a noble lady doesn’t mean your situation will be any better.”

The red-bearded man sneered as usual, then nodded to his men. Two of them brought in a large birdcage shaped like a bell.

“What is this?”

Instead of answering, the red-bearded man opened the cage door and gestured with his arm for her to enter.

“Are you telling me to go into that cage?”

When Roxanne saw the red-bearded man nod with a grin, her cheeks flushed red with anger.

> *”I am not a pet. I will never go into a beast’s cage. So remove it at once.”*

Roxanne spoke arrogantly, raising her chin as if giving an order. The red-bearded man brought his face close to hers, his mouth curling into a wide grin. But unlike his smiling mouth, his eyes were not smiling at all.

“Our lady seems to be under some misconception. Does this look like a request to you?”

Startled by his eerily low tone, Roxanne stepped back without thinking, and he moved forward just as much.

“Are you going in on your own? Or should I grab you and throw you in? Just so you know, I can’t promise I’ll treat you as politely as I have so far.”

For the first time in her life, Roxanne trembled with the fear that she might be physically assaulted. Having never experienced physical violence before, it was terrifying beyond words. Frightened, Roxanne lowered her eyes and muttered in a crawling voice.

“I…”

Her voice cracked, so she paused to catch her breath before continuing.

“I’ll go in myself.”

Only then did the man’s gaze soften, and his face returned to normal.

> *”That’s the way. As expected of a noble lady, you’re clever.”*

After hesitating for a moment, Roxanne bent down and entered the cage. The door closed the moment she was inside.

*Clang!*

The red-bearded man locked the large padlock, grinned, and hung the key around his neck.

“A golden canary. Beautiful.”

After looking into the cage with a satisfied expression, the man covered it with a white cloth so people couldn’t see Roxanne. Then he put a long pole through the rings and had two pirates carry it to the western part of the market.

The market was packed with people of all races and nationalities buying and selling goods, leaving no room to step. Nevertheless, the round windows in the dome provided ventilation, so the interior was more comfortable than expected. The pirates arrived at the market just in time for the busiest hours. Following the red-bearded man’s orders, they hung the cloth-covered cage on a crossbar for everyone to see, then began selling the other slaves first.

As time passed, more and more curious people gathered, wondering what was inside the cage hidden by the white cloth. But the red-bearded man only smiled and stirred their curiosity without revealing it. Eventually, not only the people in the market but even the men spending their idle time in nearby coffee houses became curious about the identity of the hidden item in the cage.

“What on earth is inside that you’re making such a fuss?”

At someone’s grumbling voice, jeers erupted from all directions. The red-bearded man stroked his beard and deliberately dragged out his answer.

“A golden canary.”

“What? In Cordia, gold items are a dime a dozen. Are you making such a fuss over just one golden bird?”

At the grumbling rebuke, the red-bearded man gave a cheeky laugh.

“Oh come on, surely in Cordia, the queen of cities, having a mere lump of gold isn’t worth boasting about, is it?”

The gathered onlookers applauded and nodded in agreement.

“That’s right! There must be something special. Yes, show us quickly.”

“Showing you is not difficult, but only the one who pays can touch it.”

After the red-bearded man gave his warning in advance, the people grew even more curious and fidgeted as if going mad.

“Well, let us at least have a look. Who knows? I might just pay the price right now.”

“If that’s the case, I will gladly show you.”

The red-bearded man nodded and finally removed the cloth covering the cage. At that moment, the light pouring through the round window in the ceiling reflected off the surrounding jewels and wrapped around Roxanne like a halo, shining brilliantly. As if on cue, gasps of admiration burst from the crowd.

> *What stood out most was her long hair — neither gold nor silver, but shining far brighter than both. Her skin, so white it seemed transparent, was smoother than the most expensive porcelain in the market. And her lapis lazuli eyes, sparkling like a starry night sky, made onlookers fall into endless fascination.*

In an instant, the bustling market fell silent as if by magic. Since the market was established, there had never been a moment — no matter how brief — when so many people fell silent at the same time.

“I’ll buy her!”

Someone broke the silence, and from all directions, hands went up as people shouted they would pay more. The red-bearded man, smiling contentedly as the situation unfolded exactly as he had hoped, raised his hand to calm the crowd.