Predatory Marriage

Predatory Marriage — Chapter 77. Valuable Kurkan (2)

Translator: Atlas / Editor: Eyljee

“Haha, I like this.” He laughed at Leah’s words. Even then, as he lowered his wine glass, his eyes never left her. The female Kurkan slave by his side moved immediately to fill the glass.

The slave trader brought the cup to his lips, sipping as he looked at Leah. He could not deduce anything simply by looking at the mask that hid her face and the black robe she donned, thus he could only look at the bare skin of her hand.

“Your confidence is quite overwhelming,” he then asked. “Do you think your own slaves are that good?”

“They are good enough to change the course of this auction.”

It wasn’t a lie because the King of Kurkans was present, but the slave trader laughed at Leah’s seemingly ridiculous statement and responded, “I’ll show you anything you want, but since what I have is pretty confidential, I can’t show it to many others.” He pushed aside the female Kurkan slave who was sitting next to him. “It will be fine if it’s just the two of us. Then you can check.”

“That doesn’t sound bad,” Leah nonchalantly responded while nodding her head.

The slave trader immediately stood up and gestured to Leah.

“Follow me.”

He opened a door, and Leah followed him closely. She knew she wasn’t alone, so she tried to be as quick as possible.

The hallway to the back door was very different from the one Leah had initially used to enter the meeting room. It had bright lights, and there was a thick carpet covering the floor. It was a corridor that connected the meeting room with the auction house.

The slave trader stopped in front of a large iron door and took out a key.

Clack!

After unlocking the lock, he opened the door abruptly. The trader exaggeratedly extended his arms, pretending to act as a gentleman escorting her.

When Leah entered, the door closed behind her. The atmosphere inside repulsed her more than she expected. The disgust she felt inside could not be explained.

A little Kurkan girl was curled up on a huge bed covered with soft quilts. Her extremities were small and thin. It was clear that she had not yet reached puberty. She had large, heavy wives pressing on her premature bones.

As soon as the slave trader entered the room, the Kurkan girl stood up, her empty expression transformed into an expression of fear. She shuddered, fleeing to the corner of the room.

The slave trader put his arm around Leah’s shoulders. “As you know, young Kurkan girls are the most expensive. So, what do you think of this? Are you satisfied?” he asked with satisfaction. It was clear how proud he was of his piece.

He brought his body closer to Leah, close enough that she could feel his rough breath.

“Only the two of us are here. Before you go, why don’t you take all this off? From the moment you started talking, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of face I might find behind such a beautiful voice…!”

There was no need to keep listening to the avalanche of dirt coming out of the slave trader’s filthy mouth. Leah knew that her protector must have followed her.

She said his name.

“Ishakan.”

The slave trader suddenly began to tremble, exhaling deeply. The next instant, a loud thud echoed throughout the room. The heavy body of the trader collapsed on the floor. A jet of hot liquid came out of his body, staining the carpet a deep dark red.

A solid arm surrounded Leah’s waist from behind. Ishakan passed his face to the side of her neck.

“You’re trying my patience, right?” he whispered. Beneath his relaxed tone, there was a latent rage, slowly rising. “I almost killed them all, Leah.”

***

The auction house of the eight slave traders was soon filled with potential buyers. They piled up like clouds gathering in a gigantic storm.

Estia’s position in the center of the continent gave it its status as the epicenter of the slave trade. However, the kingdom had announced its intentions to take drastic measures against this practice, which prompted today’s attendees to come with their pockets full, aware that this event could be considered as the last slave auction in these territories.

In response to the expectations of the guests, the slave traders brought their best products for exhibit, and had proudly prepared for this special occasion. Many rumors had spread throughout the royal capital. People spoke of the high quality products that would be featured, and coveted slaves that would be on the exhibit.

Because of this, the auction was filled to capacity with visitors, hiding in the basement of a large mansion. Despite the remote location, which was on the outskirts of the city’s capital, there was no empty seat anywhere.

The eager guests enjoyed the alcohol and food that had been served to them as they quietly waited for the auction to begin. Even as they talked among themselves, discussing the barbarian slaves to be sold, they could not help but turn their gaze to the thick curtain that covered the stage. Impatient for the great revelation, they were all attentive, curious to know when the curtain would finally rise.

The audience was excited. However, the time designated for the start of the auction had already passed, and the curtains had not yet moved an inch. Normally, if there was a delay in the procedure,there would be an announcement to calm the guests’ concerns.

However, no announcement was made.