The rhythmic sound of hooves cut through the quiet of the night.
A hooded figure rode swiftly across the open meadow, the moon hanging high above, casting a pale silver glow over the land.
The estate loomed ahead, vast and imposing against the darkness.
The rider slowed as she approached the gates.
"Halt!" one of the guards called, stepping forward.
"What is your business here at this hour?" another demanded, his hand resting near his weapon.
The figure said nothing at first.
Then, she reached up and pulled back her hood.
Dark hair spilled free as she revealed her face.
From within her cloak, she produced a badge bearing the crest of the Imperial Guards and held it out.
"I carry a report on the orders of His Grace, Duke Zepher," she said calmly.
The guards stiffened before bowing at once.
"Our apologies, Lady Vernon. We did not recognize you."
"It is no issue," she replied.
The gates opened without delay.
With a light pull of the reins, she guided her horse forward, disappearing into the estate grounds.
She dismounted near the gardens, handing the reins to a servant who quickly led the horse toward the stables.
Another servant stepped forward, guiding Lady Vernon toward Nolan's study.
Her pace was brisk, her footsteps echoing through the dimly lit halls.
What she had seen, what she had uncovered in the brothel,
it couldn't be ignored.
Not even for a day.
Her grip tightened around the ledger she carried.
The doors to Nolan's study opened.
"Good evening, Captain," she said as she entered.
Nolan glanced up briefly.
"I believe it's well past evening," he replied calmly, gesturing for her to approach. "But good evening nonetheless."
He leaned back in his chair, studying her.
"You return after days of silence, and at this hour. I assume you've found something worth reporting."
Lady Vernon stepped forward, extending the ledger.
"I found no trace of Lady Zarah's identity," she said, her voice steady, but firm. "However… what I did find is far more concerning."
Nolan raised a brow, taking the ledger.
"Concerning?" he repeated.
Then, almost as an afterthought,
"And don't trouble yourself with the matter of Zarah. I've already confirmed what I needed."
His gaze sharpened.
"And you will not speak of why you were sent there. To anyone."
"The fact that she is my niece remains a secret, for now."
Lady Vernon inclined her head.
"Yes, Captain."
Nolan flipped a page in the ledger before pausing.
"And by all means," he added dryly, "you may return to your original appearance. You look dreadful with black hair, Diana."
A faint glow shimmered around her.
Diana closed her eyes.
From the roots outward, the black faded, replaced by a deep shade of purple
.
When she opened her golden eyes again, her expression was less than pleased.
"I believe the Captain is merely irritated," she replied coolly, a faint tension settling in her jaw, "and choosing to take it out on me."
"Irritation and terrible hair choices are two different matters," Nolan replied absently, his attention already fixed on the ledger.
As he read,
his expression changed.
His grip tightened.
"…What in the name of Aelthrya…" he muttered, the words barely leaving his lips.
He looked up at Diana, disbelief flashing across his face.
"They're… selling the bodies of children," he said slowly, as if forcing himself to understand it. "To nobles… who treat them as playthings…"
His jaw clenched.
"And the older ones…" his voice dropped, turning colder, "…are sold for purposes I don't even wish to name."
Silence fell for a moment.
Diana closed her eyes briefly, steadying herself.
"It doesn't end there," she said.
"Children who don't meet their standards are sold off while still alive. The ones who die…" her fingers tightened slightly at her sides, "…most of them don't die naturally."
"The Madam beats them to death."
"The living conditions are unfit to survive in. The food is barely enough to keep them standing."
Nolan's hands trembled.
The ledger nearly slipped from his grasp.
Zarah.
His niece.
A child who should have grown up in a duchy, protected, cherished...
had endured this.
For eighteen years.
A wave of nausea hit him, sharp and sudden.
He turned his head slightly, swallowing it down.
And then,
his expression stilled.
Something colder replaced the shock.
What about the others?
The children still trapped there.
Still suffering.
Every single day.
"Has no one tried to escape?" Nolan asked.
"They have," Diana replied. "In fact… the most recent attempt, six years ago, was organized by Lady Zarah and Lady Iris, along with Lady Sterling."
Nolan's head snapped up.
"Lady Sterling?" he repeated, disbelief clear in his voice. "What was she doing there?"
"She had been kidnapped and sold," Diana said.
A brief pause followed.
"…I see."
Nolan exhaled, but his expression remained tense.
"Then if she made it out… the escape succeeded," he continued. "So why were Zarah and Lady Iris still there?"
Diana's gaze lowered slightly.
"It succeeded because of them," she said. "They were discovered. Someone betrayed the plan."
"They stayed behind… and took the punishment."
Silence.
Nolan's jaw tightened.
"…Punishment?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"Lady Zarah was whipped while made to stand on burning coals at the age of twelve," Diana said steadily. "And before that… she was punished with the whip at six. Her hands bound."
She didn't need to say more.
Nolan stood abruptly.
"How dare she?"
His voice was low, but it carried.
Something dangerous settled in his eyes.
"For years…" he muttered, more to himself than to Diana.
"For years this was allowed to continue."
He turned sharply.
"Prepare everything. We leave for the Imperial Palace at first light."
The ledger slammed shut against the desk.
"This ends now."
His voice dropped further, cold, final.
"That place will be erased."
Without another word, Nolan strode out of the study.
Diana remained where she stood for a moment before a servant approached to guide her to a guest chamber.