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 conversations 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 completely forgotten about the jasmine flower. A wave of embarrassment washed over her.

  Clenching 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 slaves as all eyes turned to her, truly noticing her for the first time.

  Among the crowd, Bradon narrowed his eyes. Something about that voice felt strangely familiar. He squinted at the girl standing on the platform, 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 neighboring village?"

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

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

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

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

  The weight of her declaration settled over the crowd. Whispers rippled through the slaves, their wariness evident.

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

  "I know many of you are wondering—are we simply your new masters? Will you continue to suffer under the chains of unjust slavery?" 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 land. 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 been left to die at sea.

  And yet, the skepticism remained.

  Ravenna Solarius.

  A name both 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 uncertainty. She knew it would take more than words to convince them.

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

  The murmurs deepened. The contradiction in her words confused them. How could someone be both cruel and compassionate?

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  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 slave, just like all of you. Under the syndicate, I had no future. I had no hope. But now?" She straightened her back, holding her chin 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 under the 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 earn their trust—but actions, over time, would.

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

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

  Marie saw the change in their expressions and pressed on.

  “Those of you who have nowhere else to go may choose to stay here in Jola and begin anew. Those 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, bracing 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 needed to understand why.

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

  A tense silence settled over the crowd. Marie swallowed hard, feeling the weight of their expectant stares.

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

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

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

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

  A murmur of understanding spread through the crowd. That was far more reasonable than the alternative.

  Then, a strong voice cut through the murmuring.

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

  Marie turned her gaze towards the speaker—Bradon.

  She recognized him immediately. He was the same man she and her father had bought firewood from back when they lived in the village. A small smile flickered across her lips despite the tense situation. It was comforting to see a familiar face.

  “That’s a very good question,” Marie said, acknowledging his concern. “The children will be provided education by the Herptian Church. Once they learn how to read and write, they can 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 continued, “they will also be taken in by the church and cared for. They will not be abandoned.”

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

  She knew they understood how expensive lotus flowers were. Engraving them for spell-breaking cost at least two gold coins per person—sometimes even more depending on the type of spell used. A simple peasant couldn’t even dream of earning that much, not 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 needed to earn enough for travel expenses—no more than 30 to 50 copper coins 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 nothing left but a burned-down village and bitter memories.”

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

  “But if you choose to stay here in Jola, 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 under the protection of the Ruthless Princess—so that no tragedy 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 Jola, we will not activate your servitude spells to force you into labor. However—” she let her gaze sweep over them, “that does not mean we will tolerate criminal behavior. If any of you break the law, force will be used.”

  With that, she stepped back.

  The murmuring intensified as the slaves turned to one another, debating, questioning, and contemplating their options. The tension in the air had not disappeared, but hope had taken root.

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