Anastasia looked at the young lady, whose face was covered in tears. She could tell that the girl was beautiful, and sending her to become a prostitute would indeed make a lot of money.
"How much does your family still owe?" Anastasia asked.
"A hundred silver coins," the lady answered.
Anastasia frowned upon hearing this. That was a lot of money. When she was in the Duke’s mansion, she only received twenty pieces of silver a month. Even that amount would be reduced by Leah at will.
"I know this is a large sum to buy a servant, but I promise to serve you loyally for the rest of my life. I will even give my life for yours. I don’t want to be a prostitute," the young lady begged. Newest update provıded by Nov3lFɪre.ɴet
"Sir, if I pay the money the girl owes, can I have her?" Anastasia asked the men. Although the amount was high; after all, buying a servant in this region would not cost more than thirty pieces of silver she pitied the girl.
"We are not stealing," one of the men said. They were not direct employees of the merchant who loaned money to the farmers but rather workers under a worker to the merchant, who owned an inn that was secretly a pleasure house. The man had seen the young lady before and, noticing her beauty, had schemed against her family. The physician treating her father had been bribed to scam them out of their money, leading them into debt. It was all a ploy to take their daughter away under the guise of repaying a loan.
"What do you mean you are not selling? I am not a servant! My family only owes you money. If I pay it back, you have no right over me," the young lady shouted.
This was a public street, and a few villagers were watching. Indeed, the girl was a citizen of the kingdom, not a slave. While the men could take her away if she failed to repay her debt, they had no right to refuse payment and still take her.
The two men felt frustrated. They had not expected this turn of events. They could not take her by force now that money had been offered. However, their boss would punish them if they let her go, after all, he had been scheming for a long time to have this girl work in his establishment.
"Young lady, we advise you to stop meddling in other people’s business. Our master is Steward Gray. He works for Lord Williams, the Earl of Everstead," one of the men said in a low voice, threatening her. He assumed Anastasia was the daughter of a wealthy merchant at most. No true noble would allow their daughter to walk the streets without covering her face.
Upon hearing this, the young lady became frightened. Lord Williams controlled this entire region, and anyone with even a little influence had to respect him. She felt incredibly unlucky.
Anastasia frowned. She did not want to reveal her identity on the street, besides, even if she did, no one might believe her. Still, she was determined to save the girl. She found it disgusting how nobles used their status to oppress commoners, recalling her own suffering in the Duke’s residence.
"Then, I would like to speak to your master. I never negotiate with servants," Anastasia said in a calm voice. Yet, there was an undeniable authority in her tone.
"You—" The man who had threatened her earlier wanted to ask who she thought she was, but seeing her guards ready to draw their swords, he knew he could not fight them. He shut his mouth. In any case, this little girl was overestimating herself. He would simply let his master deal with her. Moreover, if they continued this conversation in public, unpleasant rumors might start spreading. Every noble family cared greatly about their reputation.
The group left together, and the young lady began to have hope. The incident had not drawn much attention, as only a few people had witnessed it, and it was soon forgotten.
Anastasia allowed the men to lead her to Steward Gray. She also instructed one of her guards to gather information about him. The guard left to make inquiries.
A quarter of an hour later, Anastasia was sitting opposite Steward Gray.
"Young lady, I advise you to leave, and I will pretend this morning’s incident never happened," Steward Gray said. He had received a report from his men and did not see Anastasia as a threat.
Anastasia smiled. She had once been looked down upon by a steward, but that was in the past. She had read extensively and understood the structure of the kingdom. She was no longer afraid. Instead of speaking, she simply turned to the guard beside her and signaled him.
"Steward Gray, it is against the law to kidnap a citizen of Nixel. My lady is willing to pay what is owed. If you have any objections, we can report this to the authorities," the guard said.
"You dare to threaten me in my own territory? If you die here, no one will miss you," Steward Gray snarled, angered that his plans had been ruined.
"Is this how Lord Williams rules over Everstead?" the guard questioned.
"You—" Steward Gray was furious but was also a smart man. He could tell that this woman was not afraid of his master. He began to wonder about her identity.
"Let me introduce my lady. She is the daughter of Duke Thompson of Gater," the guard declared. Anastasia had chosen not to reveal her identity as a princess, fearing that if the attackers were truly after her, revealing herself now would make it easier for them to track her in the future.
Upon hearing this, Steward Gray suddenly felt afraid. He was just a lowly steward, and even his master would not dare offend a duke. However, he was also skeptical; why would the daughter of a duke be walking the streets like a commoner?
"My lady does not have time to waste. Here is a hundred pieces of silver. You will release the young lady to us. Here is another fifty pieces of silver... we require one of your caravans. It will be returned to you in one month," the guard said, unfazed by the steward’s reaction.
Steward Gray was stunned. These people had come here to take someone from him, and now they even wanted to borrow his caravan. He could not help but suspect that they planned to do something illegal and shift the blame onto him.