Valentina - Hmm good. I do look like an innocent child. All I have to do now is change my hair and eye colour to avoid getting caught.

Valentina was already out of the dukedom and had changed her form into that of a child. She travelled back to the pub where Alexis, Artemisia and her, were supposed to meet for one last time before starting the plan.

Alexis - When are you going to return to your original form?

Valentina - Right after giving you a signal.

Alexis - Right infront of Elois Kartena?

Valentina - Yes, I can't use my magic properly in this form, so I have to return to my original form before capturing him.

Artemisia - Be careful. Don't get hurt please...

Valentina - Don't worry I'll be careful.

Alexis - We'll be praying for your safety, may the goddess keep her blessings with you.

Valentina - ( *Smiled and nodded* )

Alexis - Marchioness Athena will be joining us today, it will be easier to clear out the insects with the two of us.

Valentina - Have you already informed her about everything?

Alexis - She's my best friend and someone who ardently wishes for Artemisia and the empire's well-being so I had to inform her. Should I have not?

Valentina - No it's fine. If it's someone you can truly trust then it's ok. Afterall she's a promising knight, her presence is going to help us so there's no reason for not informing her.

Valentina - Then I should be off now.

Alexis - Yes...( *In a ghostly voice* ) Take care...

Valentina - ( *Smiled* ) I will.

•__________•.•.•.•.•.•.•__________•

Valentina reached district 8 and immediately hid herself between the other kids. They were orphans who used to beg, so even if they went missing nobody would notice that, which had made them an easy target.

After a few hours, a few men came and started luring the children into an isolated place.

Man - Oii kid what's your name?

Valentina - I-Ina ( *acting nervous* )

Man - Ina do you want to eat something good?

Valentina - yes-yes will you give me sir? I have been not eaten anything from past 2 days...pl-please give me something ( *Begging* )

Man - Then...will you follow me?

Valentina - Ye-yes.

Valentina - ( *Thinking* ) I thought they would force the children to go with them. But this man was surprisingly gentle, guess they really don't want to create a scene.

Valentina silently started following the man and reaching an isolated place, she spotted that there were more kids who were lured in along with her.

Man - ( *Suddenly screamed* ) This one was the last! Drop the net!

Instantly a net was dropped on them, trapping them all.

Man - Don't scream! If you want to live then do I say.

A child - ( *Trying to escape* ) Let us go! Who are you all?!

Man - ( *Yanked his hair* ) Listen here you worthless brat! Even if I kill you, nobody would notice. So do not even try to rebel! And be grateful that we are going to sell you, that way you will atleast be able to eat meals.

Valentina - ( *Thinking* ) Be grateful?
You seriously don't have any conscience, do you? ( *Scoffed* )

All of them were taken through a forest towards the haunted house which was located right at the entrance of the forest. All of them were taken and kept in the underground prison.
The scenes that Valentina saw there, left her in utter shock.

Valentina - This- is terrible!

The children were kept there in a terrible condition. They weren't fed properly and physically abused. Their eyes had lost any kind of life and they were lying there as if some kind of rag doll. They looked as if they no more even hoped of getting their freedom back and their bones had become visible due to extreme malnutrition.

Valentina - How different the same world is, just like it's two different worlds. On one side, there are nobles who are sitting in their warm houses, enjoying their lives while complaining for even the slightest of inconveniences, who have every privilege and power yet crave for more, who don't even hesitate to hurt people for their own gain...
While on the other side, there are such people who even don't know if they would be alive the next day, if they will have anything to eat or a place to sleep. Where they aren't even allowed to live a free life, where they have to struggle everyday to fight death...
( *Looking up* ) The world is truly unfair.

Valentina - I really want to kill all those who are involved in this. ( *Determined* ) I will definitely make them atone for their sins.

Valentina sat there for quite some time and soon night fell. The sounds of nocturnal animals roaming in the area could give a rough idea of the time. Everything was starting to seem to getting slow when suddenly Elois Kartena entered the prison through a small secret door.

Valentina - He-hes here! ( *Cautious* )

As soon as he arrived, the children were brought out of the jail and were arranged in a line. Elois came and started examining each child and his eyes held a certain gleam as if he was proud of his "collection".
Valentina felt disgusted seeing him and wanted to loose no more time in slashing his throat yet she had to control herself.

Valentina - Don't loose your sanity Valentina, you must not act on a whim wait for an opening. Do not loose your rationality else we all will be doomed.

Elois - The goods are of high quality this time. Well done, keep working like this if you want to earn more. ( *Smirk* )

Elois was looking at everyone and just as Valentina was waiting impatiently for something to distract him, he started forwarding towards her.

Elois - ( *Yanked her face* ) Her! ( *Smirked looking at her* ) Take this thing to my room.

Obeying his orders two men immediately came towards her to take her, panic struck her for a moment but she succeeded in thinking practically.

Valentina - Shit!Shit!Shit! It will be all over if I am taken!

Thus loosing no more time, Valentina immediately sent a signal to Alexis using a small ring she was wearing and right after that tore a magic scroll to return back to her original form. As soon as they got the signal, the troops immediately charged inside and terror spread through everyone.
Panic soared through the atmosphere as everyone started running here and there to either escort Elois or to fight the troops. But before Elois could be taken away, Valentina killed his escort mercenaries and captured him at once.

Valentina - Where do you think you are going you you pedophilic child trafficking trash!

He squirmed in her grasp and cursed her to let him go but with every sound he made, Valentina tightened the chains around him a bit more. Soon she spotted Alexis coming through and seeing him she threw Elois towards him after badly spraining his ankle to make sure he won't be able to run away, and went to the other side.

Valentina - I can't kill him or break his leg since he will be produced infront of his majesty and doing such a thing to a noble will be considered barbaric but spraining his ankle will do the trick.

Valentina - ( *Narrowing her eyes at him* ) Good luck running away Elois Kartena.

As soon as Elois was freed from the tight chains, he started coughing and tried to get up. But as soon as he did it, he screeched and fell back down due to the pain. Nevertheless he tried again but this time instead of being able to take a step to run away, he was pulled up by his collar by Alexis. Alexis tried to find Valentina but could only spot the end of her beautiful white hair going into a cave looking place.
He was concerned but couldn't follow her since she wouldn't like him meddling in her business mindlessly.

Alexis - May the blessings of the goddess always be with you.

Alexis' attention was brought back by Elois who was getting strangled by him but somehow managed to choke out a few words.

Alexis - ( *Shifting his attention towards Elois* ) ( *Narrowed his eyes and smirked* ) Caught you!

Elois - L-let m-m-me go y-you ba-bas-bas*ard!

Alexis - ( *Terrifying aura* ) Look at that undignified mouth of yours! Should I tear it down it first? Or should I gauge your eyes out and tear down your limbs before doing that? ( *Sadistic look* )

Alexis captured him and handed him over to the gaurds after beating him into a pulp and all of them were immediately taken towards the capital under Athena's supervision.

Alexis stayed back to search the place but still he couldn't find Valentina anywhere. After looking through the whole place, he finally reached somewhere that somewhat looked like an office and right infront of him were placed some papers which he thought probably were left there by Valentina. After coming closer, he found a note written by her proving that the papers were indeed left there by her.

Valentina's note - These are the documents that you will require to prove Elois Kartena guilty. These contain every record of his ties with this organization, the transactions and the names of the victims through the years.
Also do not try to find me, I'll be going back before you.

Alexis - ( *Sigh* )As you wish my lady.

Alexis took the papers and after looking through the room a little more, left the place after setting it on fire as ordered by Valentina.

Alexis - But why was the lady here? Did she only come here to stack up the evidence? But I was going to find them anyway...does she perhaps know some other secret that she doesn't want us to know yet? ( *Serious* )

Flashback:

While everyone else were fighting with each other, Valentina slipped out of the chaos and forwarded towards a room situated deep inside what looked like a cave.

On the way, she found a person guarding the office. Seeing her, he turned hostile and attacked her but she dodged it and getting behind him using a dagger she had, cleanly sliced his neck killing him instantly.

She entered the office and stacked up the evidence against Elois present there and kept another document with herself. After the exchange she left a few blank papers in the room which were later burned down to ashes in the intentional fire.

Valentina - ( *Keeping the document with herself* ) The empire is not ready for this news yet.

Elois, as Valentina had earlier said was just a pawn, a sacrificial piece in the game. Even though it was showed that the whole business belonged to him, there was someone else who was the real puppet master, who had been operating Elois from the behind. Elois Kartena was a powerful loyal piece who was a showpiece ready to be disposed off if required, the real person behind all this was - Feliz Sylas De Alasdor, the emperor of the Alasdor empire and the current fiancé of Valentina.
He was the real hand behind all this and one of the reasons why Alexis had died in his previous life was because he had discovered the information about the emperor's involvement and had tried to confront him.

All the perpetrators were presented infront of his majesty. Valentina remained in the shadows and obeying her orders, neither Alexis nor anyone else who was aware of the plan revealed her name in public.

Flashback :

Valentina - I have one condition

Alexis - And what that might be?

Valentina - After Elois gets caught, do not bring my name up in public as a contributor.

Alexis - But why do you want that? Won't it be beneficial for you? Earning the trust of the people of the empire is definitely going to be useful for you.

Valentina - I know but I have my reasons. So, please don't reveal my name until my marriage atleast.

Alexis - Fine if that's what you want. But I have to keep it a secret only till then right?

Valentina - Yes...but what in the devil are you planning?

Alexis - Don't worry, as you said I won't reveal any thing till that time, and I won't ever harm you so rest assured and enjoy Vaspertine duchy's gratitude.

Valentina - ( *Thinking* ) If he's planning on doing anything after I get married then that won't be much big of a problem but no matter what I can't let the emperor discover my involvement before our marriage, I can't let him become cautious, not before he passes all the rights and powers of the empress onto me on the wedding day.

Valentina - Sure if that's what you want then. ( *Smile* )

Flashback ends.

The children were returned to their families or were sent into orphanages.
And Duke Alexis along with marchioness Athena were praised for their service.
Elois kept hoping for the emperor to step in and save him, but till the end no such thing happened and eventually he was served with death sentence to close his mouth forever. As expected, any talks of marriage between Elois and Artemisia were cut off. And to take advantage of such a situation, Alexis decided to make the emperor be unable to set up any marriage between the Vaspertine duchy and any other family for atleast some time.

Private audience :

Feliz - So, why did the duke request for a private audience?

Alexis - I believe his majesty already knows the reason.

Feliz - ( *Furrowed his eyebrows* ) Do I?

Alexis - ( *Acting* )Your Majesty, it saddens my heart to infinite degree to see my little sister in such despair. Obeying his majesty's words, she had already prepared herself to be the bride of Duke Kartena, but such an unexpected situation has put her in terrible shock, that child is not even eating properly, and everytime I find her eyes red due to crying, it stings me that I've failed as a brother. ( *Clutching his coat* ) Hence even though we trust his majesty's decision, I would like to request his majesty to not set up any kind of marriage for the time being. Not until that child has recovered from this shock atleast and after such a thing happened, I want to give her the freedom to choose the one she wants to spend the rest of her life with. This is the sincere request of a brother and a loyal subject of his majesty, I hope for this decision to be respected.

Feliz - Ofcourse. It is partly my fault that I didn't check properly what had duke Kartena been doing behind my back. I thought that the duke and the young lady were absolutely made for each other and would definitely make a perfect pair which is why I pushed forward for the marriage, it was purely out of goodwill. I hope the lady soon recovers...but ( *Eyeing him* ) the duke won't still let the relationship between the imperial family and Vaspertine duchy that has existed for centuries be strained right?

Alexis - Ofcourse not your majesty. The duchy's loyalty towards the deserving monarch is indestructible.
Then I should be on my way now.

Feliz - Yes. ( *Smiled* )

Alexis left the reception room and immediately Feliz's smile faded from his face.

Feliz - Scheming bas*ard, I doubt if there's anyone who doesn't know how strong lady Vaspertine is, and he thinks that I'll believe him that such a lady is in deep shock because of a broken arranged marriage? He knows I won't, but he even knows that I've got no other choice than believing such a blatant lie. Someday I am going to destroy you Alexis Vaspertine. ( *Furious* )

•__________•.•.•.•.•.•.•__________•

After exiting the reception room :

Alexis - ( *Thinking* ) You don't really believe me? Do you? Ofcourse you know there's no way misi would be sad over some scum but do you have any other choice except believing it? Go on give any other marriage proposal and we'll immediately open our mouths that you had previously tried to get misi married to Elois. And despite our protests, you are doing it again. Then let's see if the nobles tolerate such an obvious disrespect of another noble's wishes since they will feel threatened that the emperor is curtailing their freedom, rights and wishes. Then it won't take long before we turn them against you, would it? But ofcourse you have that least bit of sense to not do such a thing. Well...I hope you do. ( *Sigh* )

•__________•.•.•.•.•.•.•__________•

Hey everyone, I really hope you liked this chapter and if you did then don't forget to leave a few words of encouragement or constructive critisism. Love you all<3

Then I'll be back with another chapter, till then byeee~.