“How on earth did you end up here?”

“Well…,”

Joy began to tell her what had happened while struggling to hold back tears.

It had happened on her way back from school.

Although her tuition fee was insufficient, with the help of a scholarship, Joy was able to attend school. Today, as always, she was studying diligently and on her way back to the orphanage.
Joy, who had chosen a shortcut from school to the orphanage, was swiftly passing through a deserted alley. That’s when someone called out to Joy.

[Stranger] Hey!

[Stranger] Yes?

A woman with long, disheveled hair was sitting weakly inside the narrow alley.

[Stranger] Could you please help me? My leg is injured, and I can’t get up…

[Stranger] Oh…
Joy hesitated for a moment at the words of the unfamiliar woman but cautiously approached. It was because she remembered Sister Superior’s words that one should always help those in need.

[Stranger] Are you from the Maris Orphanage nearby?

[Stranger] Yes, that’s right.

In response to the woman’s questioning gaze, Joy nodded and extended her hand.

[Stranger] Are you okay? Take my hand.

[Stranger] You’re a kind child. …Unfortunately.

[Stranger] …Yes? Oh…!
The woman took Joy’s outstretched hand and quickly pulled her towards herself. Then, with her other hand, she covered Joy’s mouth with a piece of cloth.

[Stranger] …Shh!

[Stranger] People aren’t easily trusted, my child. Especially orphans like you.

As Joy’s struggling body was held close, the woman whispered coldly.
The last scene that Joy remembered before losing consciousness was the woman throwing away her wig as if she were annoyed.

“…And when I woke up again, I was here.”

When she regained consciousness, bound in an unfamiliar place, it was incredibly frightening. Moreover, seeing other girls who seemed to have been abducted like her only made it worse.
One girl told everyone here would soon be sold. Startled by her words, Joy struggled to free herself from her restraints. At that moment, the girl, with a resigned expression, said,

“[Dash] Give up. You don’t have parents either, right? There’s no one in this world looking for us. Besides, it seems like even someone of high status like that person over there got captured.”

“[Dash] High status?”
Joy was startled when she saw the woman slumped in the corner. Even in the dimly lit room, her hair looked as smooth as honey, shining brightly. Joy had only seen someone with such beautiful hair once in her life.

“Could it be…?”

Joy, dragging her bound body, approached the woman. As she did, the angelic face became clearer.

“…I found the Duchess Consort has fallen.”

“Is that so…”
Aidel grimaced slightly as a sharp pain stabbed at her chest. She had anticipated it, but Joy, too, had fallen into the trap, unaware of anything.

Seeing the unfamiliar girls being captured was painful enough, but because she had a connection with her, it seemed to weigh even heavier on her heart.
Moreover, among the captured girls, Joy was the youngest. Aidel wished she could hold and comfort the small child, but in her bound state, she couldn’t do so.

Aidel looked at Joy with a sympathetic gaze and tightly clasped her bound hands.

‘At least this child…’

No matter what, she would ensure that this child would leave this place.

Aidel’s pupils shone with determination in the dim warehouse that confined her and the girls.

‘I have to stay composed.’
Aidel began to calmly reassess the situation based on what Joy had told her.

‘If Joy was captured on the way here, she must have already arrived in Maris.’

Since they were supposed to take a ship from Maris to Château de la Chalet, now only the transfer to the ship remained. If they had to board a ship, there was even less hope of escaping.

Furthermore, Aidel, as a key trading partner, would probably find it difficult to leave this place.

‘But if it’s Joy…’
With a determined heart, Aidel gazed at Joy with a calm expression.

“Joy, listen carefully.”

It was while Aidel was looking at Joy, who had fallen asleep by her side. The warehouse door, which had been closed, opened, and Dylan walked in. He tossed some food meant for distribution carelessly and was about to turn away when Aidel grabbed him.

“Is this child the one you brought here?”
Dylan glanced at the small child lying next to Aidel. She was the girl they had captured after arriving in Maris.

“It seems you have an unnecessary curiosity. Is that so?”

“Did you have to deceive even such a young child to bring her here?”

“…The child we deceived was foolish.”

Dylan, his complexion darkening at Aidel’s remark, responded irritably.
Even for Dylan, deceiving a young girl like this to capture her felt uncomfortable. Kidnapping orphans who wouldn’t be missed posed many limitations. She was a child chosen out of necessity to fill a quota within a limited time.

“This child is from the Maris Cathedral Orphanage.”

It had been confirmed before the kidnapping that she was a child left at the orphanage due to the lack of parents. They deliberately kidnapped her near the path leading to the orphanage.