Luna

"Tch, get out of my way."

"I'm sorry." The little girl murmured, stepping aside quickly, her eyes downcast.

The man looked at her with disgust, his breath reeking of alcohol. "How annoying," he muttered, raising his beer bottle with a smirk.

The bottle struck her head with a sickening thud, blood trickling down her forehead. "I'm sorry," she repeated, standing still, not daring to flinch despite the pain.

The man's smirk faded into irritation. He raised his hand and delivered a swift punch, sending the girl sprawling to the floor. "That's what you get for talking back to me." He spat on her before staggering towards the kitchen.

"You, you wasted our money on gambling again, didn't you!?" Her mother's voice was shrill with anger.

"Huh? Our money? It's MY money, bitch! I can do whatever I want with it!"

"This marriage has been a mistake!" she screamed back.

"You tell me! If only you'd listened and gotten rid of her when she was still in the womb, I would be a successful man by now!"

The girl's heart ached at the familiar, bitter exchange. Why were her parents together if they hated each other so much? Was it because of her? Was she the mistake that made their life so hard?

---

Winter had arrived, and it was the worst time of the year for Luna, a little girl living in a shabby house that could barely keep out the wind.

"...Cold," she whispered, hugging herself. Her clothes were thin, and made of cheap, itchy material that irritated her skin. But the biting cold and discomfort were not her biggest struggles.

"You sit there and hold it in! You won't die from not eating for a day or two. Drink some water or something," her father barked.

Hunger gnawed at her insides. With winter, her father couldn't find work, and money was scarce. It made sense that her parents got to eat while she went hungry. Her father worked, and her mother cooked and cleaned. But Luna...she was just a burden.

And so, she fell asleep hugging her stomach.

Hopefully, winter will end soon.

---

It felt like a dream.

"Now now, don't eat too fast. You'll choke."

"Haha, look at our daughter! She's eating so lively."

For the past few days, her parents have been treating her like they never were.

 She received three meals a day, clean clothes, and the rare luxury of daily baths. Luna didn't understand what had caused this sudden change, but she didn't hate it. She wondered how long this would last. Would it be like this forever? She hoped so.

Knock Knock

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. She froze, flinching slightly. 'Is it the debt collector again?' she wondered.

"Ah, so they finally come!"

"Right, right. Come on, dear, let's meet our guest."

Her mother pulled her arm so enthusiastically that it almost hurt.

Her mom and dad have never been so happy before, she wonders.

'So it's not the debt collector?'

When the door opened, a middle-aged man in the fanciest clothes she had ever seen stood there. His head was almost bald, and his belly bulged from his uniform. Two escorts in imposing armor stood beside him, armor far superior to that of the village guards.

"Lord Thaddeus, welcome to our humble house!"

"We have been waiting for you, my lord! Please, come in!"

The man called Thaddeus lit a cigar, his eyes locking onto Luna with unsettling interest.

He reached out and caressed her face. "Look at me in the eyes, child."

She flinches and stares at her parents as if screaming for help.

"Listen to Lord Thaddeus, you silly kid."

"Yes, yes. The sooner this ends, the better!"

His mom and dad, still smiling like they were before... perhaps more.

She chose to trust their words and stared back at Thaddeus.

"...How strange."

Realizing the skeptical looks on Thaddeus' face, the parents immediately became worried.

Their faces are uncomfortable, begging for the deal to not get canceled.

"I-is there anything not to your liking, my lord?" The wife asks.

Thaddeus went silent for a while, keeping his eyes on the girl's gaze for a few more seconds before answering.

"Everything's fine. We will take her from here."

The confused look of the girl is visible. Her face turned pale, desperately tried to find her parents' eyes to calm herself.

Alas, what she finds is only their greedy gaze looking at the man who just bought her.

Ah... so she's been sold.

This explains why their behavior changed in the last few days. They made sure not to get her sick so her value did not go down.

Her face paled as she stared at the ground.

"S-so, Lord... about the payment," her father stammered.

Thaddeus threw a pouch to the ground, and her parents scrambled to catch it, like dogs fighting over scraps. "Ohhh!!! Thank you, thank you so much, my lord!!!"

"We're leaving."

One of Thaddeus's escorts grabbed her arm, pulling her away. Luna took one last look at her parents, who were too busy counting gold coins to even glance back at her.

She didn't bother to cry for help, she knew it was pointless.

"My lord, is it right to spend so much for this thing?"

"... Forget it. Just keep walking."

"Yes, sir."

---

"SHE'S GONE!!! FIND HER, RIGHT NOW!!!"

Thaddeus's shout echoed through the night of the camp as everyone frantically moved in search of the girl.

"YOU UTTER FAILURE!!! DOES ALL OF YOU CAN'T EVEN PUT A LITERAL CHILD IN PLACE???"

In the woods covered with the dark of the sky, where moonlight barely could reach, the girl ran.

She's running, and running, and running.

But to where?

The shouts and footsteps behind her were closing in.

She no longer had a home, no place to go.

She's afraid.

*Thud*

"Ugh-"

Stumbling upon pebbles, she fell to the ground, her eyes taking a deep look towards the moon.

Why?

Why all of this happened to her?

Why did no one help her?

A flash of memories returned to her when she thought about that.

The laughing faces of her mom and dad, staring at the gold they were given.

...

'Is it gold?'

Is that all the reason?

Because they're not rich?

Because she's not rich she suffers through all this?

'If only I had gold, would things be different?'

Emotions start flooding in.

Sadness, despair, but most of all,

Anger.

'Just because they wanted gold??? THEY SOLD ME OFF???'

The footsteps around the forest kept getting louder and louder.

"Keep searching, she can't get too far yet!"

...

Luna stood up, rage burning in her eyes. 'Then so be it... If gold is that important.'

She would take every single one of them.

She would never feel this helpless again.

Not anymore.

With eyes glowing in silver light, under the moon, she made a promise.

---

"My lady, is it wise to set out at night?" one of the caravan guards asked,

"Perhaps it is better to wait until morning," another suggested.

"The faster this is done, the better. We will camp when it's truly dark, but not right now."

Viscountess Leticia, with a dozen of her guards, is currently delivering the thief to Duskwood.

"Very well, my lady."

"Still, my lady, was the cage really necessary?"

Glancing at the heavily fortified wooden box, secured with chains on all sides.

"If the rumors about how sneaky the thief is true, then all this is the minimum. Do not underestimate her just because she's a child."

Leticia knows, as much as it pains her heart, she cannot let her conscience get in the way.

She has learned something from the past, if your heart is weak, you'll only get taken advantage of.

Emotion must be discarded for proficient results. That was how she always operated, and she wasn't about to abandon it now.

Transporting a thief as notorious as Robin through normal means was far too risky. Robin had evaded capture while stealing numerous precious goods and magical items over the last five years—it cannot be luck.

The girl knew exactly what she was doing.

"Faster! I want to cover as much ground as possible before midnight!" Leticia commanded.

"Understood, my lady. Men, fasten your horses!"

NIEEGGHH

The guards lashed their reins, urging the horses to full speed.

---

Thaddeus stood before his room mirror, a figure bowing deeply. "Looks like things are going well, Thaddeus," came the voice from the mirror.

"It is all due to the lord's effort. This servant has barely done anything,"

"Haha, let's see... as for your reward, I can take Matilda's back with me."

Thaddeus's eyes widened at the name. "R-really, my lord?" he stammered.

"Indeed, this is a reward for your devotion."

"T-thank you so much, my lord! This servant is eternally grateful to you!!" Thaddeus exclaimed and went to prostrate on the floor.

That devil of a wench finally will be sent away, he will have his peaceful life back!

"Of course, if you screw this up, the consequences wouldn't be light."

"This one wouldn't disappoint, my lord!! Please rest easy as if it is done!!"

Blip

The mirror went dark, leaving Thaddeus staring at his reflection. A sickly middle-aged man, gaunt and haunted by dark circles under his eyes, skin as pale as an undead. But now, his eyes gleamed with excitement, a golden opportunity within his grasp.

All those torturous days would be over soon!

"Hahahaha!!! Oh, Leticia, I truly thank you for your generosity! I promise I will make good use of your daughter's death!"

Knock Knock

"Who is it?"

"It is I, my lord."

"Ahh, come in!"

The door creaked open, revealing a man dressed in a butler's suit.

"I expect to hear good news from you!" Thaddeus states spreading his arms joyously.

"Sir, Viscountess Leticia's visit has been confirmed. She will be here in a couple of nights."

"What wonder! With this, all the pieces have been set!" He laughed with glee and spun around the room ecstatically. "Come, this occurrence needs a celebration, and you shall accompany me!"

As they went to a hidden trapdoor beneath the floor of his room. The smell of blood already wafted even before they descended.

In the dungeon beneath, people were chained to the walls, their bodies covered in lash marks and slash wounds.

Slaves.

With the rise of the new king, slavery had been declared illegal for almost fifteen years. The previous ruler, notorious for keeping multiple slaves, had been overthrown and killed by his own son.

"That righteous bastard, even remembering his face makes me sick!" He spat.

The new king's reforms meant Thaddeus could no longer openly enslave others. Instead, he had to conduct his business behind the scenes, hiding from prying eyes in constant paranoia.

Thaddeus grabbed the whip with a cruel smile and stepped into one of the rooms where a couple was chained to the walls. The flickering torchlight cast a view on their bruised and battered bodies.

"These pathetic wretches," Thaddeus spat, bringing the whip down with a vicious crack.

The woman was not even able to scream, for her body was already too numb to even feel pain.

"Do you know why you're here?" he asked, raising the whip high. "You're here because you're worthless!" Thaddeus lashed them again and again, each strike harder than the previous one.

"Tch, this one can't scream anymore," He grumbled with annoyed eyes. "Butler, heal them up!"

All of a sudden, a voice echoed from behind him, startling him into dropping his whip.

"Well, I'm glad to see you in good spirits, Baron Thaddeus."

Thaddeus immediately went silent, cold sweat washing over him as he turned to face the newcomer.

"M-m-my lady, what brings you here to this... dirty place?"

A woman who appeared no older than her early twenties, anyone who took a look at her would think she was just your average girl in the city. There was nothing particularly outstanding about her appearance—save for one thing: her angelic smile.

"Why? Is it so wrong for me to greet a friend?"

"N-no, of course not! Whatever your desire, my lady!"

A punishment sent for his failure to retrieve the eye his lord seeks.

Mathilda, the Martyr.

"I see you're still enjoying your... hobbies," she said, her voice lilting sweetly. "Such dedication to your craft, Thaddeus."

Mathilda walked slowly around the room, her fingers trailing along the chains and walls as she inspected his work.

"It almost makes me want to do it myself," She mused. "What do you think, Thaddeus?"

Thaddeus gulped, his heart pounding non-stop. "T-then, I will prepare the best goods for—"

"Oh, you don't have to trouble yourself! Don't we already have one obedient pig in front of me?" Her eyes lit and smile widened.

"M-my lady, please, I... I only wish to serve."

Mathilda took a step closer, "Good. Because I will be watching you very closely. Make sure you don't disappoint the lord, Thaddeus. There won't be a second chance."

"U-understood."