In the palace, inside White Night's room, Angelie and a group of attendants were gathered.
"Your Majesty, please look here."
An attendant pointed to a black mark on the mahogany floor. The mark was circular with a radius of about one meter, the size of a standard teleportation array.
"Look at this mark; doesn't it look like the mark of a magic circle?"
"Indeed it does." Angelie nodded. "Can you analyze what kind of array this is?"
"The preliminary judgment is a teleportation array. The magic materials scattered on the array's traces have also been collected and are being analyzed."
"Mm, tell them to speed up..."
Angelie's expression was somewhat melancholy. If the array mark in White Night's room really was a teleportation array, it meant White Night had already left the palace.
She stroked her forehead, and an indescribable complex emotion surged into her heart.
Why, White Night, why did you run away?
Didn't we agree to always be together? Didn't you say you would stay with me forever?
But why did you leave without saying goodbye?
Clearly I care about you so much, clearly we are destined to be together.
But why, why did you leave without a word?
Angelie's gaze gradually became sharp. She didn't believe her White Night would leave her.
Right, someone must have bewitched White Night. It must be so, otherwise how could White Night leave her?
It's definitely like that; someone must have bewitched White Night!
Abominable fellow, to dare to lay hands on my beloved White Night, I will absolutely not let you go!
Right, the White Night who was so easily led away also needs to be punished. How about not allowing him out of the palace ever again... No, I'll just build a palace for White Night and keep him inside; Little Bai Ye will definitely be very happy.
White Night, my Little Bai Ye, I will definitely find you!!!
..."This humble one knows only this much."
After pouring out all the information he had, the man still respectfully held the gold coins.
Until the girl said it was okay, he didn't dare put the gold coins into his pocket.
"I see."
White Night's voice was still soft, but her beautiful face was already cold as ice, and a cold light flickered in her eyes.
The new law abolishing slavery had been promulgated for so many years, yet there were still nobles in this Royal Capital who dared to engage in the slave trade!
It seemed that within this Royal Capital, not everyone feared Angelie on the throne!
"Fearless fellows, it seems I need to let them know who the master of this country really is..."
White Night turned her head and looked at the silhouette of the palace not far away.
Angelie must be searching the entire palace for her right now, but she had things she wanted to do and couldn't go back at this time.
"Sigh~"
White Night sighed, took out pen, paper, and an envelope from the spatial ring on her right ring finger, and casually wrote a letter.
She put the letter in the envelope, sealed it with wax, and then took out her seal and pressed it into the wax.
"In two days, give this letter to the Knight Commander in charge of the Royal Capital's defenses. You can't see the Queen, but seeing the Knight Commander is relatively easy. Once he receives this letter, he will naturally know who to pass it to."
White Night then casually laid out ten silver coins.
"This is your reward."
"This!"
The middle-aged man took the envelope and couldn't help but cry out in surprise when he saw the mark on the wax seal.
The mark on the wax was none other than the emblem of the Black Night Knights!
Not an ordinary knight, but a Black Knight!
If it were just an ordinary knight in charge of the capital's defense, the two wouldn't have been so surprised. There were many ordinary knights, and even the breakfast stall owner knew a few knight friends.
But Black Knights were different. The Black Knights belonging to the Black Night Knights were all battle-hardened warriors. Not only were their achievements outstanding, but their status and position were also different from ordinary knights.
One must know that even the lowest-ranking Black Knight held a title of nobility, their status much higher than commoners like them.
"To think you are a Lord Black Knight!"
The breakfast stall owner and the middle-aged man almost knelt on the ground, but White Night raised her hand to stop them.
"How could we dare to take a Lord Black Knight's money!"
The middle-aged man held the gold and silver coins and respectfully tried to return them to White Night.
"To serve a Lord Black Knight is our honor!"
The man's words contained elements of fear and flattery, but they weren't entirely false.
For the residents of the Holy Radiance Empire, the Black Night Knights were indeed like idols.
Their glorious battle records went without saying. Every time they returned in triumph, receiving cheers and applause from the crowd, their heroic figures covered in black armor from man to horse were deeply etched into the hearts of the empire's residents.
To these ordinary people, the Black Night Knights were the epitome of the Holy Radiance Empire's great strength, and the Black Knights were the foundation that maintained their peaceful lives.
Under such circumstances, the middle-aged man was naturally willing to work for a Black Knight.
"Spare me the pleasantries and keep the money. But remember, the letter must be delivered in two days, understood?"
"This humble one understands!"
"If you can deliver the letter, it might even be an opportunity for you to rise in the world. Grasp it well."
"Yes!"
After arranging these matters, White Night left the breakfast stall. According to her original plan, she should have left the city today.
But now it seemed she would be delayed by a day; she had to personally see the place where the nobles were selling slaves! Night gradually deepened in the Royal Capital, and the lights of thousands of homes faded into silence, but for a certain flower street in the south of the capital, the day had just begun.
"Baron Rake, you said there would be fun tonight. Don't tell me you just brought me to a pleasure house?"
While waving off the prostitutes and madams who kept crowding around him, Baron Geli complained to Baron Li Ke beside him.
Geli had a mental aversion to filth; this street was full of prostitutes shouting "Come play, mister!" and thick with the stench of cheap face powder. If Li Ke hadn't dragged him here, he never would have come.
"Relax, Baron Geli, when have I ever tricked you?"
Li Ke gave him a reassuring smile, signalling that he need only follow.
"If you're playing me today, I'll tell your wife you came to the Flower Street!"
Li Ke merely smiled at Geli's threat.
"Trust me, you won't do that."
Though he couldn't fathom Li Ke's confidence, Geli had known him long enough to know he was reliable, so he chose to trust him for now and followed along.
Li Ke led Geli through a series of turns and finally entered a brothel.
"In the end it's still a brothel, and a shabby one at that!"
Geli covered his nose with a handkerchief, disgusted by the odor inside.
You can judge a brothel by its perfume: the higher-class the establishment, the more they're willing to spend on quality cosmetics for the girls.
From the powdery smell, this place was clearly low-grade, even inferior.
Several brothels they'd just passed were better than this one.
"Baron Geli, don't be fooled by appearances. It looks Li Ke a brothel, but in fact it's an auction house."
"An auction house? On Flower Street?"
Geli frowned, as if something had occurred to him.
"Baron Li Ke, I suppose the 'merchandise' inside must be rather extraordinary."
"Extraordinary? If you can buy even one item, it'll have you dreaming about it for days."
Geli's eyes darted; he seemed to grasp Li Ke's meaning.
"Baron Li Ke, I'm suddenly rather eager—please lead the way."
"Haha, Baron Geli, I knew we were kindred spirits."
Baron Li Ke skirted past the prostitutes and brought Baron Geli to a corner of the brothel's back alley.
There was a hidden door; behind it lay a dim corridor.
"Wow, this isn't something you'd find in a brothel."
"Exactly what I've been saying—this place is far from ordinary."
By the faint candlelight on the walls, the two walked down the corridor.
At the end stood a heavy iron door with no handle, only a small slit blocked by an iron plate; it didn't look Li Ke it could be pushed open.
Bang—bang-bang-bang—bang.
Li Ke knocked in a specific pattern. Soon there was a reply, but the door didn't open; only the slit did.
"Who are you?"
"We're here for the auction."
"This is not an auction house!"
Slam! The slit shut again.
"Are you sure this is the right place?"
Geli looked at Li Ke in puzzlement.
"Relax, this is standard procedure."
Bang—bang—bang.
He knocked again, and after a moment the slit reopened.
Before the person inside could speak, Li Ke tossed in two silver coins.
Oddly, without a word exchanged, the lock clicked open.
With a grating metallic screech, the iron door finally swung wide.
"So many twists and turns."
Geli grumbled; Li Ke could only shrug.
"Can't be helped. If we're caught, it's loss of title at best, execution at worst—naturally they're cautious."
Chatting, the two stepped inside.
Unlike the gloomy corridor, beyond the door was a luxurious hall.
In the center stood a platform, with rows of seats before it.
They had arrived late; the seats were already filled with people awaiting the auction.
"That's an earl—and even a marquis!"
Geli was startled. Though most wore masks, he could still recognize a few.
The empire's nobility had five ranks: duke, marquis, earl, viscount, baron.
To find even a marquis here meant the backing was greater than he'd imagined.
"Shh!"
Li Ke quickly hushed him and handed him a mask.
"Once inside, don't pry into identities—risk offending the wrong person."
"Fair enough."
They donned their masks, found two empty seats, and waited.
"Gentlemen, and ladies… though I doubt there are any ladies present."
After a wait, the auction began. The host on the platform worked to warm up the crowd before the bidding started.
"I'm sure none of you brought your wives."
The host certainly had a silver tongue.
In just a few sentences he had everyone laughing; as an emcee he was top-notch.
"Well, enough chatter—you didn't come to hear a man tell jokes."
He clapped, and the black curtain behind the stage slowly rose.
"As you all know, there's only one 'item' tonight—but I guarantee you won't leave disappointed."
As the curtain lifted, the audience finally saw the "merchandise."
Inside a cage stood a girl with dishevelled hair, wearing tattered white cloth that barely covered her essentials.
Besides the tantalizing glimpses of skin, her beauty was even more striking.
The girl had eyes as blue as the sea, skin as fair as if bathed in milk, and delicate, refined features—so fragile she looked as though a breeze could break her.
Now, locked in a cage, the girl's eyes were lifeless, as though she had already accepted her fate, a resignation that only deepened her air of sorrow. Yet the more broken she seemed, the stronger the urge to ravage her became.
She must look heartbreakingly beautiful when she cries.
Gulp.
Below the stage came the soft sound of swallowed saliva. Many couldn't help imagining how wonderful it would feel to pull her into their arms.
"Honored guests, please observe: she is tonight's 'merchandise'—a slave girl!"
Years ago, slaves were commonplace; landlords, merchants, even nobles all kept them.
But ever since Queen Angelie ascended the throne and abolished slavery, freeing the workforce, slaves could no longer appear openly… at least not in the lands surrounding the capital, where royal authority reigned absolute.
Though slavery was gone on paper, the nobles adjusted; hiring laborers cost much the same, even if those laborers weren't their property.
Yet one loss many nobles found intolerable: the absence of female slaves.
Under the new laws, owning, capturing, trading, or abusing slaves—of either sex—was forbidden.
Nobles could no longer do as they wished with slave women; no matter how lowly the girl's origins, any act against her will was a crime.
They could no longer vent their twisted desires on helpless women as they once had.
Openly impossible, yes—but desire always finds a way. This auction house existed to serve such cravings.
Though it dealt in slaves, almost all were female, supplied exclusively for the capital's elite.
Because the laws were harsh, only a handful of girls could be offered, yet scarcity drove the price ever higher.
"Host, I have a question—this girl, is she…"
The noble below left the sentence unfinished, but everyone understood.
"Sir, and honored audience, I can assure you: this girl is a virgin!"
"What!"
The declaration sent a shock wave through the room.
A beauty Li Ke that—and still untouched?
If true, her value would more than triple.
Most slave girls were trained by their sellers; virginity was out of the question. Even a stunning girl would top out at one-hundred-fifty gold coins.
This one, however, combined breathtaking looks with innocence—a temptation the nobles found irresistible.
The host smiled at their reaction.
"Enough talk—let the bidding begin! Opening price: two hundred gold coins!"
"Two hundred and ten!"
The moment the words left his mouth, a paddle shot up. Yet even that frantic bid would not secure the coveted prize for a mere two-hundred-ten.
"Two hundred thirty!"
"Two fifty—she's mine!"
"Hah, only a fool stops at two-fifty! Two hundred eighty!"
Watching the frantic contest, the host grinned; another fat profit was assured.
The smooth-talking man on the platform was not merely the auctioneer but the organizer of the entire event—his name was Li Ke.
He had already staged more than a dozen such sales, amassing wealth and connections.
"A few more deals, then I'll head home and buy myself a title—maybe even a noble rank."
Li Ke had his future mapped: once rich enough, he would return home, purchase a title, and live out his days in comfort, leaving this trade behind.
But first, he would squeeze out a few more fortunes.
"Four hundred sixty gold!"
While he mused, the bidding had neared five hundred—an astronomical sum; he had never sold a slave for so much.
"Four hundred sixty going once… anyone higher?"
At that price, the room fell silent; the figure had surpassed their limits.
Higher offers were possible, but for a single slave girl, the risk outweighed the reward.
"Four-sixty first call… four-sixty second… no further bids?"
Li Ke scanned the crowd—no takers.
"Very well—four hundred sixty, third and—"
"Wait!"
Just as the gavel began to fall, a voice cut through the hall.
He turned; the speaker was no noble, but a Silver-haired Girl standing by the door.
"I can offer more."