Marco, the youngest among them, suddenly clung to Lil’s back. Startled, Lil staggered for a moment under the weight of the child who had just jumped on her.

“Marco, you’ll startle people doing that. I’m fine, but you shouldn’t do that to others.”

Gently shaking off the child, Lil crouched down again and sank deep into thought. Watching her, Shankez narrowed his eyes.

‘She didn’t steal those clothes, did she?’

It was such an absurd thought, yet she didn’t seem like any noblewoman he had ever met. Filled with suspicion, he scrutinized every move she made until she suddenly looked up.

Their eyes met, and Shankez quickly turned his head.

“What are you looking at? Got something to say?”

“What could a little thing like you possibly have to worry about?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“…”

Shankez thought the same. It was none of his business. But he also kept wondering on another level.

Could this noble girl really help them escape?

‘Just use anything to get out.’

Even if it was a noble he despised, if he could use her, he would. The old saying went, “Any port in a storm.”

Coughing lightly to clear his throat, Shankez subtly moved closer to Lil.

“So what exactly are you doing here? If you’re a guest, shouldn’t you be sitting comfortably in a chair, watching us being auctioned off?”

“How many times do I have to say it? I didn’t know this place sells people, and now I’m going to help everyone get out.”
“……Said a girl four years younger than me.” For a moment, Shanks, who had been overpowered by Lil’s momentum, tilted his head and furrowed his brows.

‘How does she not talk like she’s four years old?’

As Shanks scratched the back of his head, he thought. At first, he didn’t realize it, but after exchanging a few words, it felt like he was talking to someone his own age.

‘Is this how all nobles are?’

“So you’re going to ask your parents for help? Is that why you’re hiding here? To let your parents find this place and reveal its true nature?”

“No.”

“Then? You’re going to get us out of here alone? How?”

“Can you be quiet for a moment? I’m already thinking.”

Lil snapped lightly. Despite furrowing his brows, Shanks remained in his seat.

Following Lil’s newly quiet gaze, he shifted his own. Lil was staring hard at an empty cage.

No, on closer inspection, it seemed she was looking at the lock hanging on the cage.

Soon Lil started fiddling with the lock, sighing deeply.

Shanks realized what Lil was pondering over.

“Hey, step aside.”

Shanks nudged Lil to the side and pulled out a bent piece of wire from his pocket.

“What are you doing?”

“Aren’t you trying to open this?”

Shanks repeatedly inserted and removed the wire into the lock, bending it as he went.

As Lil watched his extraordinary actions, holding her breath, the other kids also started gathering around.

“Bro, what are you doing?”

“Shh, quiet.”

Shanks pressed his ear close to the lock and focused on the sound. At his single word, all the kids shut their mouths and concentrated on his actions.

Soon a crisp sound rang out. The lock had loosened, making all the previous worries irrelevant.

“Done, see?”

“Did you just open the lock with a wire?”

“You tell me.”

Shanks responded nonchalantly. The astonished girl stuttered as she asked,

“You, is your name Shanks?”

“How did you know?”
Did the others tell you? The girl was visibly touched as she nodded briefly.

Her gaze made him slightly uncomfortable. Shankez scratched his face awkwardly and changed the subject.

“So what are you planning to do by unlocking this empty cage?”

“You’re Shankez? That’s amazing.”

He had asked about the cage, but she gave an irrelevant answer. At this, Shankez squinted his eyes slightly.

‘Does she know me?’

Just as Shankez was about to question Lily again, a noisy sound came from outside the door.

“Here… hurry…!”

He wasn’t the only one who heard the noise. All the children suddenly tensed up.

Shankez was the first to snap out of it, quickly turning his head toward the door.

Simultaneously, the door burst open.

“Here, it’s here!”

A woman ran to the front of the second warehouse and stopped at the door.

Upon her words, Kailius swung the door wide open. Inside, there was only an unlocked empty cage.

“See, see for yourself. Didn’t I tell you? All the slaves I was going to handle were adults!”

Agile, who had been dispirited all the way here, shouted quickly. The woman who had been imprisoned as a slave spoke desperately.

“Don’t lie! I heard you were capturing children too! I heard their cries!”

“That wretched woman! How can she make such unbelievable claims in a safe place like this?”

“Master!”
Philen, who had been searching elsewhere, urgently called out to Kailius. What Philen found was a dark navy child’s hood.

“Your Grace! Please! I swear I did not touch the children! So, please, have mercy on me—urk!”

While speaking, Agile felt suffocated and his consciousness became faint. His entire field of vision was plunged into darkness before returning to light.

Regaining consciousness, he opened his eyes amidst agony.

At that moment, Agile realized. The Duke before him was gripping his throat, poised to snap it in an instant.

“Speak.”

The chilling words pierced his ears.

“Where did you hide them?”