Chapter 30

The maid dared not respond, for this was not a topic she could engage in, even behind closed doors.

Lord Viscount was a stern master, and servants who disobeyed in the estate often met a grim fate, serving as food for the fishes.

Her sole duty was to attend to the young lady and ensure she did not stray beyond the estate’s boundaries.

The maid made an attempt to grab the blonde little girl’s arm, but the girl abruptly halted, delivering a resounding slap across the maid’s cheek.

“You’re nothing more than a servant. Who gave you permission to touch me?” The blonde little girl spoke with disdain.

The maid covered her stinging cheek and hung her head.

“Let me make it clear— where I go is none of your concern. You will stay here, and you’re not to breathe a word to my father, or I’ll have my brother beat you to death,” the blonde little girl snorted before briskly departing.

The maid’s face turned ashen.

She was at a loss for what to do. If the young lady were to disappear, she would surely be beaten to death at the hands of Lord Viscount.

The young lady had a volatile temper, especially the young master, who was domineering and often beat many servants to death.

Just as the maid was wrestling with her thoughts, the blonde little girl had already scampered far away.

The maid collected herself and quickly hurried in the direction the young lady had gone.

Lynn’s eyes flickered slightly.

“Hmph, finally managed to shake her off. I refuse to be wedded to an old man,” Vielvi pouted and muttered to herself, hiding behind a flower bed.

As she was about to rise, a large hand reached over from behind and covered her mouth.

“Shh, lady, please be quiet. You wouldn’t want your lovely face to get accidentally scratched, would you?” A frigid blade lightly grazed her tender cheek.

Vielvi’s face turned pallid, and her eyes darted helplessly in all directions.

But this place was too secluded, and ordinarily, there were very few visitors. She had deliberately hid here.

At this moment, Vielvi was beginning to regret her decision.

“I ask, you answer. If you take more than two seconds to ponder, my hand might accidentally tremble,” Lynn’s gentle voice resonated from behind.

“Where have all those people your father abducted disappeared to?” Lynn inquired.

“I didn’t know,” Vielvi shook her head.

“I don’t want to ask a third time,” Lynn warned.

Vielvi was on the verge of tears, but suddenly a detail flashed through her mind.

“I really didn’t know, but I have an idea where they might be hidden,” Vielvi began to speak.

“Some of the condemned prisoners from the ports were locked in the basement. If there’s a place to hide people, it’s probably there,” Vielvi said.

Basement...

Lynn squinted, it did sound like a good place to hide someone.

“Take me to the basement,” Lynn ordered. for new novels

Lynn nodded toward the distance, and Lauren, who had crawled out of the pit with his butt stuck out, also nodded to Lynn.

***

Surprisingly, the basement was located in a building near the riverbank.

Before them stretched a vast, open room.

There was a faint, indistinct sound of water splashing.

Lynn stopped in his tracks, pausing for a moment, with Lauren following from behind.

“Boss1.”

The sudden voice from behind startled Vielvi.

Lauren had arrived in the evening, unable to enter the port during the day. He had followed the scent to catch up.

Considering Lauren’s combat prowess, Lynn had also brought him along.

“Boss, can you see clearly?” Lauren asked.

“Bullshit,” Lynn retorted.

“Boss, an oil lamp.” Lauren extended a hand from beneath his tattered curtain, holding an oil lamp.

The hardships of their journey had taken their toll, leaving Lauren’s curtain attire even more weathered.

“You could have mentioned it earlier,” Lynn remarked. They had been stumbling through the dark, which was far from convenient.

From beneath the curtain, Lauren retrieved a flint lighter and helped Lynn light the oil lamp.

With the lamp in hand, Lynn surveyed the surroundings.

Vielvi stole a surreptitious glance at Lynn. His skin had always been fair, but three months of life in a lodge with no sunlight had left it even paler, his lips thin, and his features finely chiseled and handsome.

Though his first impression might not have been striking, he possessed a unique charm.

Lynn took in the sights around him. Several pillars supported the grand hall, but only half of it was solid ground— the other half was a turbulent body of water.

Dark waves crashed against the slate floor of the hall. On the ceiling, two exceptionally long chains hung from the rafters, descending into the water.

The chains swayed slightly, disturbed by something beneath.

A dark tangle of water plants emerged from the water’s surface.

Splash——

The rusted chain swayed, and a cyan hand rested on the stone edge of the shore.

Upon witnessing this scene, Vielvi let out a scream and attempted to hide behind Lynn.

“I thought who could it be, turns out it’s my dear niece,” a cyan face surfaced from the water. The mass of water plants became damp hair clinging to the face. As the figure grinned, it revealed a mouthful of sharp teeth.

Lynn observed the figure, narrowing his eyes, recalling what Big Goldtooth had mentioned about water demons.

He did bear a resemblance.

The water demon crawled out of the water, and once he stood up, Lynn realized he exceeded two meters in height. Chains were fastened around his ankles.

“My lovely niece, have you missed me? Have you finally decided to come visit Uncle?” The water demon’s arms were elongated, almost reaching his knees. He tilted his head, his face displaying madness.

——

TL/N: Lauren had been addressing Lynn as Master (主人) prior, suddenly now he changed to Boss (老大), perhaps starting to get closer and feeling more comfortable around Lynn? ↩︎

T/L Bonus: Unofficial illustration of the water demon.

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