"Oh, ten thousand gold, is that even possible?"

A great mansion in Kalia, capital of the Kingdom of Trowl.

Count Briaan, the owner of the mansion, jumped to his feet, horrified.

"My, my, isn't that a daughter you could put in your eye and it wouldn't hurt. I suppose money is more important to you than your daughter?"

"Of course not, she's my only daughter. It's just that I don't have that much money right now."

"From Count Brianne, owner of the Dawn Traveling Merchants, to a mere 10,000 gold... that's a ridiculous lie."

"Well, it's not a lie. I've been investing in my latest endeavor, and I don't have the money right now. It's true. Just wait until this project is finished, and I'll find a way to get you the money you need."

The bargaining chip.

A woman with a silken, hip-length bustle and a racy red eye.

Narcia Brianne watched the commotion from where she stood a foot away from the couch.

In front of her are her parents, reunited after two years.

Her mother is bursting into tears and her father is trying to calm her down and negotiate.

It's been two years since they were traveling in a carriage, kidnapped and sold into slavery. Both of them are visibly frail, as if they haven't eaten enough to keep up with their worries about their daughter.

Narsha's heart sank a little.

"I need the money now, and if you can't pay, the deal is off."

And across from him.

A man who could be pierced with a needle and not draw a drop of blood, negotiating with a parent who has lost a child.

His own master.

Karami, aka the Slave Reaper.

Fifty thousand gold for the only daughter of an earl. I'd have to sell Count Briaan's mansion for just over 50,000 gold. There's no way she could have prepared for such an unannounced visit and such a large sum of money.

Narsha knows.

He has no intention of returning her to her family. This is just a cheap show, a way to play on people's emotions and revel in them.

Because that's what he is.

"I guess that's the end of the deal, then."

While I'm lost in thought, the negotiations seem to be coming to an end. The final words are exchanged.

If I leave here, I will never see my parents until the day I die.

I wonder if they knew that.

Her father rushes over and embraces her. She cried and cried, her arms tightening as if she would never let go.

The owner didn't stop him.

It was a last act of mercy.

"Hmph."

Narsha buried her head in her father's arms, refusing to swallow the sobs that escaped.

"...Thank God.

There were no tears in the first place. What she swallowed instead was a smile.

'I'm glad I don't have to go back.

Thank God I don't have to go back to this stuffy prison.

How uncomfortable I felt during my stay in the mansion. Two years of slavery had taught Narsha that the outside world, with its boundless freedom, was her constitution.

And.

That her place was not with her family, but with her master.

'Alas, Mother, Father, I am sorry, but my body and mind were tamed by a man long ago. Now I can't imagine life without him.'

Please don't forgive the ugly daughter who breathes a sigh of relief, unaware of her parents' feelings.

Swallowing her inaudible apology, Narsha gently patted Count Briaan on the back, trying to fulfill her last remaining daughterly duty.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness, thank goodness you are well, Narsha."

"I'm glad, but I must leave again. Thank you for giving birth to me and raising me, father."

"Where do you mean to leave? This is your home."

"Of course I must follow my master, for I am a lowly slave, not a noble lady."

"What do you mean by that?"

"What?"

Narsha raised her head at the mismatched conversation.

She wondered if her father was out of his mind with shock, but he blinked innocently, as if he didn't really know.

Beside him, his mother was staring at him with a smile she had never seen before. She wiped away a tear with her handkerchief as if it was a touching scene.

...Something is wrong. Narsha looked around, then realized her suspicion.

Her master, who had just been sitting on the couch, was nowhere in sight.

"Ah, father, where is my master?"

"Master, you don't have to call me that anymore. You're not his slave anymore."

"What do you mean I'm not a slave anymore? Boo, you obviously don't have the money, so the deal is off...."

"The man asked me for a family heirloom instead of money, and while it's certainly precious, it's nothing compared to my only daughter and the jewelry I have, so I told him to take it and get lost."

The negotiation did not fail.

It was not a lie. The shackles of slavery on your soul are gone.

She was no longer his slave.

Narsha shuddered and turned away. Outside the window, in the distance, the man who had been my master was leaving the manor with crisp steps.

Our eyes met briefly, and he smiled lightly and waved. The shape of his mouth clearly said.

-How are you? Narsha.

Narsha's complexion turned white, and the Count, oblivious to her feelings, looked at his pale-complexioned daughter wistfully, like a tragic heroine.

"Oh, you must have had a troubled heart, but don't worry, you can relax now, as much as you've been struggling... What, Narsha?"

Pushing the Count roughly away from her, Narsha clung to the window.

"Oh, no! No! Master, don't leave me! Master? Master Karami! You son of a bitch, we promised to stay together forever!"

"I, Narsha, calm down, what are you doing, she's not in a good state of mind, call a doctor, take her to her room and calm her down!"

Narsha screamed, banging on the window, but was dragged away by the unfortunate victimizers.

Narsha's desperate voice did not reach Karami. Karami's ears could only hear his snorting.

"Yoohoo~"

Karami threw the jewelry into a ball as he fled the estate with light steps. He looked at the spear in front of him and smiled in satisfaction.

[Liberation of Count Brianne's Favorite, Narsha Brianne, completed]

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Narsha Brianne, the heir to the Dawn's Journeys top. Two years ago, as she left the city to trade with another Top, her procession was attacked by a band of bandits.

The procession was cut in half, killing most of the group, and Narsha was spared due to her high status and striking appearance, but she was enslaved to a life of misery.

A favorite of the nobility and the next in line to ownership, Narsha was forced to become a prostitute and work herself to the point of mental breakdown, until she was saved by a man and returned home safely.

The story began as a tragedy, but ended as a comedy, and Narsha decided to keep the trip as a special memory that she would never forget.

In the meantime, she's glad to be a slave.

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Narsha Brianne's Emancipation is now 100%.

Reward: You will receive 5,000 PT.

You have obtained the Crimson Gem item.

Additional Reward: Increases the effectiveness of the skill [Price of Bargaining].