Rohan took out the merchant guild badge from his possession. The investment was substantial, and being derived from the Duke’s house, the guild badge glittered impressively, almost as if to demonstrate that money could indeed make things happen.
Seeing this, the man’s eyes shone brightly.
“Hmm, I see, that really is a guild badge… Alright then.”
Eventually, the gatekeeper hesitantly stepped aside to let them through. It was an expected reaction.
The merchant guild and slave traders had an unspoken relationship of mutual convenience. Perhaps thinking that a guild with their name attached would not adversely affect them, he was quite accommodating.
“If you’re here to buy slaves, just walk straight ahead.”
‘Disgusting.’
The fact that they so easily allowed access just because of a merchant guild badge indicated how much underhanded dealings had gone on behind the scenes. Sesenia wanted to overturn everything, but it wasn’t the right time yet. She couldn’t repeat the mistakes of the past, like letting them slip through her fingers. Eventually, these slave traders would still be here, doing the same thing.
‘I’m not some champion of justice.’
But there must be a reason why she returned to this time, and this might be part of it.
Her biggest role in returning to this period was due to the family curse, which she learned about thanks to this slave market.
“Shall we go then?”
“Yes, thank you.”
With that, the three proceeded down the long corridor. The corridor was lined with numerous rooms, but where there should have been doors, there were only bars. People were trapped inside.
Everyone looked powerless. There were young children and elderly who seemed to struggle with movement.
Sesenia felt a heaviness in her heart. She had only heard about this place, never been there except once.
It was there she met ‘that person’ and learned about the Duke’s curse. She promised to eradicate this place and prevent others from enduring such experiences, even if she couldn’t save everyone.
Sesenia, who had only issued orders from her desk, found it hard to adapt to this situation. Seeing people treated less than human, she could only bite her lip in frustration.
‘Be patient. I’m nobody to have sympathy for these people.’
Instead, seeing them only reminded her of her insignificance.
Suddenly, a man hurriedly approached her from inside.
“It’s unusual for someone so young to visit this place. What are you looking for?”
Sesenia, who hadn’t managed her expression while walking, belatedly nodded, her face devoid of any emotion.
“A man to keep me company. Someone my age would be nice.”
“A man your age is rare here…”
“Really not available?”
“Well, there’s just one, but he’s a bit… problematic. I’m not sure if I should offer him to you.”
The slave trader, who had quickly attached himself to her, hesitated as he looked at Sesenia. He appeared to be a higher-up than the gatekeeper, likely the owner of the place. His eyes surveyed Sesenia, assessing her financial capability and whether she could afford what he offered. Luckily, she seemed to pass his evaluation, as he twitched his eyebrows.
“A problem?”
“Yes, he’s a bit disobedient. We’ve had to use a magical device on him, but apart from that, there’s no major issue.”
“Show me.”
“Yes, yes.”
Sesenia’s face broke into a wide smile.
There was only one man of Sesenia’s age in this slave market, the very man she was looking for.
Originally, men rarely appear in the slave market, especially young men. Even if one wanted to use them for labor, it was cheaper to hire lower-class citizens, and young men were often rebellious and hard to manage, which made them undesirable to slave traders.
Knowing this, Sesenia specifically asked for someone her age, and as expected, there was only one.
The man she was led to was locked deep inside the prison. “Lady, it’s suspicious to go this deep!” Lizbeth clung to Sesenia’s arm, trembling as she walked.
“It’s okay, Rohan is here.”
“…The unreliable brother?”
“Yes. But he’s excellent at swordsmanship. Let’s trust him.”
“…He’ll definitely only save you if something happens…”
“If something happens, I’ll save you, Lizbeth.”
Sesenia patted her hand and followed the trader. Finally, they stopped in front of a man with black hair and golden eyes.
‘Black hair…’
The man she was looking for was supposed to have golden hair. But his hair was the same black as hers.
‘Is it someone else?’
However, the golden eyes shining even in the dark, so out of place in this environment, confirmed he was the person she was seeking. Despite the ashes that seemed to cover him, his nobility was unmistakable.
Even if scars filled his body more than dignity, he was the man she was looking for. Hair could always be changed; who changed his hair color, she didn’t know, but in that moment, she was certain.
Sesenia smiled, recalling seeing him in the past.
‘I’ve come to the right place.’
Male lead is a Destined Young Husband (Female-dominant)
One-sentence summary: Wife-master, listen to my explanation!
Li Ruantang, a young lady from a prestigious family, stumbled and fell. When she woke up, she saw a noble and beautiful young man sitting by her bedside, wiping away tears.
The young master had slightly reddened eyes, and his every move exuded charm.
The sight made Li Ruantang’s eyes hot and her heart flutter. After all, she had made a bet with the young master Meng from the neighboring family. If she couldn’t marry a husband before the end of the year, she would have to admit defeat and give up the jade she had worked so hard to obtain.
Outside the window, the flowers were in full bloom.
Rather than losing the bet, the jade, and her face, Li Ruantang calculated that it would be better to seek marriage with the young master in front of her, killing three birds with one stone.
…
Meng Jun never thought that an accident during a spring outing would lead to them rolling down a cliff and into a river, yet still survive.
Now they were trapped in an unknown village, and Meng Jun had overheard that the family who had rescued them had their own intentions.
After all, it was Li Ruantang who had lost her mind and sought marriage first. He was only trying to protect himself!
Glancing at Li Ruantang, who was listing her own merits, the young husband’s voice softened, and he blushed as he lied, “W-wife-master, Wife-master, don’t you remember me?”
The young husband’s voice was clear and handsome, coaxing Li Ruantang’s heart to be soft and sweet, and she spared no effort to protect him.
It wasn’t until they returned to the capital that Li Ruantang suddenly remembered.
When they had fallen off the cliff, in order not to implicate Wei Yunruo, whom he secretly admired, the young husband had instead pulled her, who was slightly farther away, down the cliff with him…
Short summary by Yuushi L: Initially, the male lead (ML) liked another girl, while the female lead (FL) liked the ML. Both fell off a cliff. The FL temporarily lost her memory, and the ML, fearing others might take advantage of him, claimed FL was his wife while they were staying in a village. Later, when they returned home, the FL regained her memories and remembered that the ML liked someone else, so she kept her distance from him. However, during their time living together in the countryside, the ML’s view of the FL had completely changed. From this point, his pursuit of the FL begins.
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