Chapter 06

"What do you want just so you could help me save my people?" Staring back at him, Eliana refused to think that she wouldn't be able to convince him.

Eliana have several things to take care and think of and time was running out. Ten days and more than a day already passed since the herald sent by the Duke left the castle to convey their reply.

The man almost smirked after she finished speaking. It looked as if he found her word funny and Eliana frowned at him.

What was so funny?

But Eliana still couldn't help but find her way to stare at his lips forming a smirk. Damn it.

Was she charmed so badly that her mind was losing it?

"Milady, you are asking a humble merchant to save a castle as huge as Ashbourne Castle. That is quite impossible even with the manpower that I possess as you are probably have been already informed." He reached up to unbutton the top button of his shirt and added with a sigh, "And besides, what would I get from helping you stop the Duke anyway? I am a merchant, milady. Not a good Samaritan."

There it was. Eliana couldn't stop myself grinning at that. This was a chance for me to convince him. The man was startled to see her eyes glowing and looking at him like she had just found a treasure chest full of jewelry and gold inside a cave.

His last sentence brought her back to life. Of course, how could Eliana forget that he was not an ordinary person living within the walls of our castle. He was a passing merchant who decided to live there. He could easily pack his things up and leave while the war was still a few days far from happening.

But he didn't…

He must have something he wanted.

But what was it?

From his clothes, Eliana could assume that it was made of fine quality fabric, the gemstones attached to his shirt and doublets and long coat no doubt costed him a fortune. But he wore it like it was nothing than an accessory. The guild was also decorated and furnished with things comparable or might be more than what could be found inside the castle.

This man might not need her to pay with money. He needed something else.

Suddenly, her eyes stared at him in a new light. An insane idea formed inside her head and Eliana knew she's getting in trouble by going with it.

But if she hesitate longer, who knows if she could get a chance like again?

"Then… would you do it for a price?" Eliana asked him.

…

When we left the guild. Eliana watched on as her maid stomped her feet while and made tiny stones flew upward while she pouted angrily.

"Daisy… I know what you're thinking. But everything is said and done now." Eliana told the little maid who needed to be pacified.

"No, milady." Daisy stopped stomping her feet against the loose gravel under her feet and turned around to look at her lady, "You can still go back there and tell him that you won't need his help! Milady, you are going to be the death of your father if he knows what you did just now!"

Eliana sighed. But the maid wasn't wrong. Her father would definitely bury himself alive or preferably, bury someone else alive to ease the anger he will feel once he wakes up from his sleep. Thinking about this, a smile slipped on her lips before freezing.

Daisy was right. What really possessed her to say those words back there? Did she really just proposed to a man? She even told him that in exchange for his service and protection, she would marry him.

But thinking about it again…

Eliana stopped walking and found herself a poor trunk of a tree minding its own business and started to bang her head against it.

How embarrassing that was. To actually propose to a stranger she barely knew and only met today, how insane was she to do that?

Remembering the surprised look on his face after Eliana told him what he would get from using his manpower and service to protect the castle, she wished she could find a bunny hole where she could get lost there forever.

"Milady…" Daisy worriedly looked at her. Stopping before her and asked, "Why don't we just surrender?"

As soon as Eliana heard her, she couldn't stop herself from stop banging her head against the tree and frowned at her.

Eliana's voice was harsh as she said, "Surrender, you say? Do you even know what will happen to us if we do surrender? Do you know what the Duke did to those who surrendered to him?"

Daisy trembled under lady's gaze and shook her head. This was one of the few times Eliana scolded her and this time, she couldn't let it pass her.

Just thinking of surrendering to the Duke gave her nightmares. The rumors the people of Ashbourne have heard from the people who visited our land was just small amount of his cruel ways. As the Lady of Ashbourne Castle, Eliana personally met some victims of the war and victims of Duke Bradbury.

Eliana could still remember that one time when a young boy bumped into their carriage and asked for help. His skin was bloody and full of cuts and bruises. Such a tiny body, Eliana couldn't imagine how painful it was for him. And before she could even get to his side and help him, the soldier accompanying me in the carriage announced the child dead.

"You might not believe me, Daisy. But I will tell you why I won't surrender." Eliana faced her and blinked away the unshed tears of her memories of the past. "We will experience a far worse fate than death."

If she could she would've already surrenders to Duke Bradbury if only Eliana didn't know what he'll do once she surrender.

Over the past two years, the Duke had been invading several regions and castles in the name of the Empire. And every time he arrived at a certain place where it needed to be invaded, he would use his forces to drive them to the deepest end of earth. Those who fought back were killed in the battle, while those who surrendered didn't even get the life they expected to receive after their surrender.

The people who surrendered were all turned into slaves of the Empire. They were treated like animals about to be killed and served hot on a plate. The old and sickly were sent to their early deaths, while the young and healthy were all put to service. But women had it rough. It didn't matter if they were widowed, married, or young, they were all sent to any man who wanted to taste them.

And if she ended up marrying to the Duke...

Eliana shuddered at the thought and the nauseous feeling clawed through her throat. Just imagining it was too much for her. What more if it were her reality.

"Milady, your eyes…" Eliana felt Daisy's hand reaching and squeezing her hand, snapping Eliana out of her stupor.

Knowing what Daisy was talking about, Eliana tried to calm her already frenzied nerves, but it just won't go down.

Her father said her eyes were beautiful especially when it turns into tortoise green and reminded him of the forest. But Eliana never got to see her eyes in the mirror when it changed colors from brown to emerald.

If it were shown that her eyes could change colors whenever her emotions was in turmoil, Eliana don't know what would happen to her. That's why, barely a handful knew of her eyes. Excluding my father and Eliana, only Daisy and Fabios ever saw it.