Marie took a deep breath, steeling herself, before raising her voice over the murmuring crowd.

  “Hello, everyone.”

  But her voice barely carried past the first few rows. The crowd remained restless, their versations drowning her out. Panic surged in her chest. Had she already failed?

  Sensing her unease, Alice—standing beside her—gently patted her back. She slipped a small jasmine flower into Marie’s palm and whispered, “Deep breaths. Don’t be so stiff.”

  Marie blinked, realizing she had pletely fotten about the jasmine flower. A wave of embarrassment washed over her.

  g the flower between her fingers, she crushed it. A faint golden shimmer spread through the air as the spell activated. She took another deep breath before calling out once more, this time with a newfound force behind her voice.

  “H-HELLO, EVERYONE!”

  This time, her words boomed across the courtyard, carrying all the way to the farthest reaches of the gathered crowd. A hush fell over the sves as all eyes turo her, truly notig her for the first time.

  Among the crowd, Bradon narrowed his eyes. Something about that voice felt strangely familiar. He squi the girl standing oform, her face just distant enough to be unclear.

  Beside him, his son Samuel suddenly pointed, his brows furrowing. "Father, isn't that the girl from our neighb vilge?"

  Bradon’s wife, Camilia, gasped softly as she, the young woman. "Yes! I remember her now! She used to live aloh her father, didn’t she? They would visit our vilge every other week to buy firewood."

  Bradon’s eyes widened in realization. It all clicked into pce. "Oh! That lovely little dy… But what is she doing here?"

  Before anyone could voiother thought, Marie’s voice rang out once more, firm and clear.

  "I am Marie Leon! The Disciple of the Esteemed Princess Ravenna Sorius—Duchess of Jo Dukedom!"

  The weight of her decratioled over the crowd. Whispers rippled through the sves, their wariness evident.

  Marie didn’t waver. She knew what they were thinking—the same doubts that had pgued her once.

  "I know many of you are w—are we simply your new masters? Will you tio suffer uhe s of unjust svery?" Marie let the question hang in the air before answering, her voice firm. "The answer is NO!"

  A stunned silence followed.

  "Princess Ravenna has made a choice—a choice most nobles would never make. She chose not to sink the ships that carried you here, even though your so-called ‘masters’ attacked this nd. She could have destroyed everything, let you all drown alongside them, but she didn’t. She spared you!"

  Murmurs spread through the crowd. What she said was true—the pirates and syndicate members had been swiftly captured, yet their ships had not been sunken, nor had they beeo die at sea.

  Ahe skepticism remained.

  Ravenna Sorius.

  A h feared and respected. Stories of her ruthlessness and unshakable authority had spread across the empire. Many still believed this was a trick—that she would find another way to exploit them.

  Marie felt their uainty. She k would take more than words to vihem.

  "Yes! My master is ruthless and blunt. That much is true!" She paused for a moment, brag herself before tinuing. "But… she also cares about her people, even if she has a strange way of showing it."

  The murmurs deepehe tradi in her words fused them. How could someoh cruel and passionate?

  Marie took a steadying breath.

  "What I mean is—she is FAIR."

  She raised her hand, gesturing to herself.

  "Look at me! I was once a sve, just like all of you. Uhe syndicate, I had no future. I had no hope. But now?" She straightened her back, holding her high. "Now, I stand before you as the disciple of a Duchess."

  Her words struck like a hammer against the walls of doubt surrounding the crowd.

  "I am living proof that you will not be exploited like you were uhe syndicate. You will not be left to rot or sold off like cattle!"

  Marie took a step forward, her voice steady and resolute.

  “You have a future here. A choice.”

  She let her gaze sweep across the gathered crowd, taking in the mix of skepticism, hope, and fear on their faces. She knew her words alone wouldn’t be enough to earrust—but as, over time, would.

  Taking a deep breath, she tinued, “In the ing days, we will be acquiring enough lotus flowers to break all of your servitude spells.”

  A wave of relief rippled through the former sves. For the first time siheir capture, they dared to hope. Whispers of astonishment spread among them. Could it really be true? Would they finally be free?

  Marie saw the ge in their expressions and pressed on.

  “Those of you who have nowhere else to go may choose to stay here in Jo and begihose who wish to return home will be free to do so.”

  Excited murmurs rose among the crowd, but Marie raised a hand, signaling for silence.

  “However—”

  The crowd instantly hushed, brag themselves for the catch.

  Marie hesitated for a brief moment, but she knew she had to be transparent. This was not going to be easy, and they o uand why.

  “We won’t be breaking everyone’s servitude spells immediately.”

  A tense siletled over the crowd. Marie swallowed hard, feeling the weight of their expet stares.

  “As you may already know, lotus flowers are incredibly expensive. Purchasing enough to free all of you at once would p enormous burden on the dukedom.”

  The relieved expressions from earlier faltered, repced by looks of and disappoi. Some lowered their heads, as if hope had been dangled before them, only to be cruelly snatched away.

  Marie ched her fists. She had to reassure them before their fears took hold again.

  “But don’t worry!” she said quickly, her voice rising with vi. “Those of you who are able to work will only o do so long enough to earn your travel expenses before we break your servitude spell.”

  A murmur of uanding spread through the crowd. That was far more reasohaernative.

  Then, a strong voice cut through the murmuring.

  “What about those who ’t work? The children? The elderly?”

  Marie turned her gaze towards the speaker—Bradon.

  She reized him immediately. He was the same man she and her father had bought firewood from back when they lived in the vilge. A small smile flickered across her lips despite the teuation. It was f to see a familiar face.

  “That’s a very good question,” Marie said, aowledging his . “The children will be provided education by the Herptian Church. Ohey learn how to read and write, they decide for themselves whether they wish to stay or leave.”

  She paused before adding, “If a child has family elsewhere in the empire, we will arrange safe passage for them. They will be escorted by our men to their guardians after their servitude spell is lifted.”

  A sigh of relief spread through the crowd. That was more than fair.

  “As for the elderly,” Marie tinued, “they will also be taken in by the churd cared for. They will not be abandoned.”

  Bradon gave a slow nod, seemingly satisfied with the response. Around him, others whispered among themselves, sidering Marie’s words.

  She khey uood how expeus flowers were. Engraving them for spell-breaking cost at least two gold s per person—sometimes even more depending oype of spell used. A simple peasant couldn’t even dream of earning that muot when the average monthly wage was between five to ten silver.

  But Marie had given them a way out.

  Instead of buying their freedom, they only o earn enough for travel expenses—no more than 30 to 50 copper s for a ship ticket. That was something they could achieve in just a month or two.

  Marie let that sink in before she delivered her final words.

  “Most of you have lost your homes… just like I did. For many of you, there is nothi but a burned-down vilge and bitter memories.”

  Her voice softened, but there was an unshakable strength in her words.

  “But if you choose to stay here in Jo, you will have a roof over your head. You will have food to fill your bellies. And, most importantly, you will have safety.”

  She straightened her back, her voice clear and unwavering.

  “You will live uhe prote of the Ruthless Princess—so that nedy like this ever happens to you again.”

  A hushed silence followed. The weight of her words hung heavy in the air.

  Then, Marie gave a deep bow.

  “Thank you for listening.”

  She lifted her head and delivered one final statement.

  “While you stay in Jo, we will not activate your servitude spells to force you into bor. However—” she let her gaze sweep over them, “that does not mean we will tolerate criminal behavior. If any of you break the w, force will be used.”

  With that, she stepped back.

  The murmuring intensified as the sves turo one another, debating, questioning, and pting their options. The tension in the air had not disappeared, but hope had taken root.

  Marie took o look at them before following the other representatives of the Princess as they left, allowing the people time to decide their own futures.

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