Chapter 12 The Little Beggar

As the errand girl, Darya was asked to do things here and there. Until then, three carriages arrived coming from another direction. A group of people in commoner clothes came to them as the two groups greeted each other. A mature man with golden hair seemed to be their leader. He was tall and by the way he talked, he seemed to be a noble in disguise.

“Hey, kid, get the wine!” Her boss called for her and commanded her. Darya nodded and got the wine. She served it as she felt many eyes looking at her direction.

“You got an interesting girl out there.” The man with golden hair spoke, while intently looking at her. Darya felt uncomfortable with this, so she decided to leave but then her boss suddenly grabbed her hand, making her stop midways. “Do you like young girls? I will sell her to you, one thousand gold as price.”

Darya’s eyes expanded as fear travelled throughout her body. She did not expect to have heard such a thing in real life. When she was an Emperor, she revolved with formal communication but hearing this, it is disgustingly alarming.

“This girl hasn’t been touched and is very diligent. You can have her as a maid or… you know, a bed warmer.” Her boss had a silly smile on his lips while looking at the man with golden hair, having high expectations that he could sell.

Darya was disgusted and tried pulling her hand off but the body she was in was very weak. She wanted to speak so bad but could not speak well because of her tongue. She looked at the man with golden hair, looking pitiful, and signalled him by shaking her head. However, her hope shattered upon seeing the curving of the golden haired man’s lips.

“Alright, I will buy her for a thousand of gold.”

No! This is bad! How can she execute her mission? If she goes to another group, the Largoth Imperial knights will have a problem in their strategy!

“That is a good decision, my lord! Please take her as you please!” Her boss cheered as he laughed loud and drank more wine. He then pushed Darya towards the man with golden hair.

She bumped into the man’s body but when she was about to go away, hands were wrapped around her waist. Her eyes went wide when his hands travelled to her hips and then to her back. Her body trembled in disgust.

“This should be worth five-hundred gold, man. She is slim and dirty.” The man who’s holding her laughed.

“My lord, she is yours forever. You can make her gain weight when she is with you. I can assure you that that girl will be a beauty when she grows up.”

“Ha, that’s a good idea!”

Darya was taken to another carriage and was alone there while the others talked. There were two guards looking out for her as she was told to change her clothes inside the carriage. Her body was trembling in disgust. It felt like her back was still being touched by that man. She wanted to cry to such disgusting indecency however she should not look weak. She is an Emperor and she will get through this!

She waited in the carriage until the man with golden hair went inside as he closed the curtains. He sat opposite her as she looked away because of his intent to stare. “I have no intention of touching you, little girl.”

Darya’s eyes expanded as she turned her head to meet the man’s eyes. He had a gentle smile on his lips as if it was genuine. “I feel bad to have done such a thing a while ago. Please understand that I had to do it for show.” He explained as he leaned his back to the seat. “Good thing I have seen you there. Those people will be no good for you.”

She looked down, feeling guilty of cursing him in her mind, earlier. She misjudged him. “Are you not capable of speaking?” She nodded. “Oh, but good thing you can understand me.”

The carriage started moving, making her panic upon remembering the Largoth Imperial knights. Worried, she went to open the curtains to open the door, only to be stopped by the man by grabbing her hand.

“Do you plan on killing yourself?” The man scowled. “Those men were hired to be baits in the Hapra forest.” The man stopped her, thinking that the child wants to go back to the mercenary group.

Darya was shocked upon realizing what the plan was. Is this man the one who hired the mercenary to go to Hapra forest? And to fool the Largoth knights? “They will be eaten by wild boars, later. You should thank me for saving you out there.”

Darya’s hands trembled as she felt more troubled that the Largoth knights will be exterminated once they follow the mercenary group! Those Largoth knights will— She decided to stay calm and just sat there silently, clenching her fist. She needs to know this man’s plan. She needs to help the Largoth knights before everything will be too late.

“Do you know that there will be a war between the Largoth Empire and Corstan Kingdom?” The man suddenly spoke.

Darya pretended to not know anything to hear more about it. So, the man continued, “The Emperor of Largoth was planning on conquering our kingdom after finding out that one of our towns was blessed with clean water. Five years ago, when Emperor Esteban crowned his son to be the next Emperor, some of the Largoth towns suffered from drought.”

Darya paled upon hearing the news that it has actually been five years since Crown Prince Lorenzo became the Emperor. What happened to Esteban? How many years did he lead the Empire? Is he still alive?

“Many Largoth people immigrated to the Corstan Kingdom. It angered the Largoth Emperor that his people were starting to leave his Empire…” Hearing this man’s explanation, Darya could not believe that the Empire her family built for many generations, had come to its ruin. She could not believe that those things she had done had gone astray and her people started rebelling against the Empire because of the current administration.

The man felt bored that he could not hear any response from the child, obviously knowing that the child was mute.“I have talked too much. What is your name?”

Darya came back to her senses when the man suddenly asked for her name. She looked at him and shook her head as she did not know what her name was.

“You have not gotten a name yet? Then I will give you the name… Daneris. I am Reginald, by the way.” The man reached out his hand to her but before she could even touch his hand, their carriage suddenly stopped as they heard a commotion outside.

“A wild boar has attacked the first carriage! Protect the Crown Prince at all costs!”