Kailius’s expression turned icy cold.

“What are you talking about? Isn’t she with Clemens right now?”

“That’s, that’s what I mean…”

Gordon elaborated on all the events he witnessed beside Clemens and all the information he had received from Yan afterward.

Starting from the child showing interest in the white tiger, to the moment when the child disappeared after getting into the carriage with its window still open.

“The young master is also searching urgently, but there are just too many people…”

Kailius felt his head chilling.

“Call Sophia, have her use tracking magic immediately.”

“The young master already issued that command. However, they say that the child’s presence can’t be detected even with tracking magic. Apparently, there’s a barrier within the auction house that makes it difficult to confirm.”

As soon as Gordon finished his report, all eyes turned toward Aguile. Aguile nervously swallowed his saliva.

A man wearing black gloves, named Philren, walked up.

“Is there a barrier set up within this place?”

Before answering, Aguile felt as if his head was on fire.

The barrier was only set up in the warehouse where the children were locked up. Because valuable goods were stored there as well. Especially that two million gold white tiger.

But if this information was exposed, the situation would become uncontrollable.

“No, no… ah!”

Before Aguile could finish, he screamed. Bart came up behind Philren, who had begun his inquisition.

“Come out. Let’s start by breaking a leg; that should make you talk.”

“Heeek!”

What saved Aguile then was an unexpected voice.

“I know where that place is.”

A raggedlooking woman stepped forward from behind Gordon.

Behind the trembling woman, a knight of the Duke’s household followed.

“Sorry, I told her she couldn’t come, but she insisted.”

With a slight nod from Kailius, the knight retreated, and the anxious woman surveyed the room.

Aguile’s eyes widened at the sight of the familiar woman.

That woman had been in the warehouse where the slaves were held.

On second thought, even the clothes that the new girl wore were the same as this woman’s. That’s why he had unhesitatingly followed her.

“Th that woman! She’s drugged! My lord, to manage the slaves, they were given a drug beforehand! The amount is substantial, so she’ll be incoherent!”

“I’m not! I’m in my right mind right now!”

“How dare she lie like that!”

Kailius raised a hand, silencing everyone. Bart forcefully closed Aguile’s mouth.

“Speak.”

“I, I’ve seen the warehouse where the children are kept. The sound of crying came from the room when the door was open, but strangely stopped as soon as the door closed. As if a barrier was in place.”

“Look, it’s not scary just because it’s dark. You can even play shadow games like this.”

“We shouldn’t fight. We need to work together.”

“If you’re cold, use this to cover yourself. I’ll lend you my clothes.”

Shankez crossed his arms and carefully observed the strange little girl. She had been there for roughly an hour now.

In that time, she had never been still, bustling around the room.

Whether intentional or not, thanks to her, the children all easily followed her around.

Ah, she was not nameless. He had heard her name from Penny. It was Lill, or something like that.

“Can we really get out?”

“Can we go home?”

“So, when do we leave?”

“Yes, you can leave. I will get you out. You can all go home.”

Lill answered each child’s question while bustling around the room again. Seeing her, Shankez stood up.

“Hey.”

“?”

“Enough is enough.”

“What is?”

“Stop meddling in our affairs, got it?”
Lil sighed deeply, even though Shankez had deliberately crossed his arms to appear threatening. Her expression seemed to suggest that Shankez’s words weren’t even worth responding to.

Shankez’s temper flared at her silent turning of the head.

“Don’t ignore me!”

“Why are you the one standing there doing nothing?”

“What?”

“You said earlier that you also have a way out. So why are you just standing there?”

“I’m waiting for the right moment…!”

“Fine, then you do it your way. I’m planning to get out of here my way.”

She didn’t seem scared despite his outburst. She was almost half his height and was about the same age as that crybaby Penny, yet she seemed untroubled even when trapped in this dank and dark warehouse.

Suddenly, Shankez’s eyes fell on the clothes she was wearing. The hood she had been wearing was now draped over another child who had been complaining about the cold.

The other kids might not know, but Shankez did. He knew how luxurious the fabric of the clothes she was wearing was, and how expensive the adorned buttons and brooches must be.

And how snobbish those noble children could be.

If you so much as touched them, they’d act as if you had committed a terrible crime. One of the rules when working was to always watch your surroundings and steer clear of any ladies and lords who might suddenly appear.

“Look!”