For some reason,
after leaving Serena alone,
Lucien Vale couldn't shake the uneasy feeling pressing against his chest.
But when he returned with the candied hawthorn
and saw Serena sitting there obediently,
quiet and flawless like a porcelain doll,
he finally let out a long breath of relief.
He knew it—
his little sister was far too sweet and sensible
to get into trouble.
With a bright grin, he walked over and held out the treat.
"Here—your candied hawthorn."
"Thank you, Lucien,"
Serena replied softly.
Her single, soft thank-you
sent another rush of sweetness straight into Lucien Vale's chest.
He didn't even notice that the bowl of mala soup in front of Serena
hadn't been touched once.
"I don't really feel like eating anymore.
Why don't we head inside?"
"No problem.
Whatever you want."
They entered the department store together.
Rows of bright merchandise filled the space—
colorful, ordinary, perfectly mundane.
Anyone looking from the outside
would never suspect what lay hidden below.
Lucien led her through the aisles,
avoiding the crowds with practiced ease,
until they reached a secluded door
tucked away from sight.
The moment the scanner detected movement,
the hidden door slid open with a mechanical hiss.
Behind it stood a row of middle-aged men
dressed in dark green work uniforms—
faces hard, expressions sharp,
their presence radiating the kind of violence
that came from long familiarity with danger.
"Please present your admission tickets."
The man at the front spoke without emotion—
no deference, no disdain,
just the flat tone of someone who had repeated the line a thousand times.
"Give them to me, little sister,"
Lucien Vale said quickly.
Showing her the tickets earlier was one thing,
but handing them directly to these intimidating guards?
Absolutely not.
He didn't want her to feel even the slightest fear.
He reached out protectively,
ready to shield her from everything—
completely unaware
that the real danger wasn't standing in front of them…
but standing beside him.
Just as Lucien expected,
the moment Serena handed him the two admission tickets,
she shrank back slightly
and slipped behind him—
as if genuinely frightened by the rough-looking guards.
"Don't worry.
Your third brother's here."
Lucien reached back and gently patted her head,
trying to comfort her.
But as he glanced down at the tickets in his hand,
a frown tugged at his brows.
Strange.
These didn't look exactly like the ones he had shown her earlier.
Something felt… off.
But he had no time to think.
The guards were already growing impatient,
their expressions tightening.
So Lucien quickly stepped forward
and handed the tickets over.
The guard inspected the tickets,
found nothing amiss,
and gestured for them to pass.
The two of them walked down a long, narrow corridor
before reaching the true entrance
to the first basement level of the black market.
Here—
everything was different from the bright, bustling mall above.
The décor was swallowed in darkness.
Metal, concrete, shadow.
Even though it was daytime outside,
this place was suffocatingly dim,
thick with an oppressive atmosphere
that pressed down on the senses.
"Don't be scared,"
Lucien Vale whispered gently beside her.
"The entrance area is always like this.
It gets more lively once we move forward."
Just as Lucien Vale had said,
a few steps deeper and the world transformed completely.
The oppressive darkness gave way to a dazzling marketplace—
brilliant lights, shifting silhouettes,
luxury wrapped in secrecy.
It looked less like an underground black market
and more like an elite nightclub hidden from the world—
decadent, glamorous,
yet carrying an unmistakable edge of danger.
Guards in the same green uniforms as before patrolled the area,
weapons visible at their sides,
maintaining order among the chaos.
There were official vendor stalls,
independent sellers with makeshift booths,
and dominating the center of the hall
was a massive auction platform.
A thick crowd had gathered around it,
buzzing with anticipation—
clearly, something valuable
was about to go up for bid.
"Come on!
Let's go check it out,"
Lucien said, practically vibrating with excitement.
The last time he'd come,
he hadn't been lucky enough to witness an auction opening.
No one knew what would be auctioned,
but whatever it was,
it had to be something extraordinary.
Those who qualified to enter the black market
were either wealthy, powerful—
or both.
Throwing around money like water
was nothing unusual here.
Since the seats near the auction platform
required advance reservation,
Lucien Vale and Serena
could only stand among the surrounding crowd.
At first,
everyone's attention was locked on the auction stage,
so they ignored the two unfamiliar faces.
But once the siblings squeezed deeper into the mass of people,
their presence began to attract attention—
the wrong kind of attention.
Several gazes drifted toward them,
predatory, assessing,
as if weighing the value of fresh prey.
The handsome young man and the beautiful girl beside him
were striking enough to draw attention on looks alone—
but unfamiliar faces always raised suspicion in a place like this.
People began whispering.
Some wondered if they belonged to a minor family.
Others speculated they might have slipped in
on someone else's credentials.
But the eyes fixed on Serena
grew far more dangerous.
Some gazes were bold,
undressing her from a distance,
crude intentions written plainly across their faces.
A number of men were already calculating,
excitement flickering in their eyes.
If she had come here hoping to cling to power or wealth,
they wouldn't mind "giving her a chance."
The girl's beauty was too pure, too tempting—
the kind that made darker desires stir.
"Well, well…
which family's young master and miss are playing here today?"
a man drawled lazily,
his tone dripping with provocation.
"Or maybe you two came here for a little lovers' getaway, hmm?
Hahaha…"
None of them dared to make a move yet—
not until they figured out exactly who these two were.
So their words remained outwardly polite,
but their eyes…
held not a trace of respect.
Lucien Vale's expression darkened instantly.
He stepped forward without hesitation,
shielding Serena completely behind him.
"I suggest you all mind your own business."
His tone was sharp,
devoid of the slightest courtesy.
The last time Lucien Vale had come here,
he'd been accompanied by his trusted friend.
There hadn't been many people around,
and that friend seemed to have strong backing from some big figure.
Because of that, the black market staff had treated them politely.
The atmosphere was good,
transactions smooth,
and Lucien had picked out a few items he liked
before being safely escorted back home.
What he saw then
was the prettiest face the black market could present.
If he had known
how deep the waters here truly ran,
he would never—
absolutely never—
have brought his little sister.
He had no idea who these people around them were.
But one thing was certain:
he recognized almost none of them…
and they definitely didn't recognize him.
Judging by their demeanor,
many were powerful figures from other provinces—
not the kind one should casually provoke.
Or worse…
they might be people from the underworld.
The thought made Lucien Vale's expression darken even further.
He had wondered before why this place was called a black market.
Now, seeing the way these men looked at them—
the hostility, the hunger, the amusement—
he understood all too well.
They needed to leave.
Immediately.
Before something happened.
Lucien grabbed Serena's hand at once
and began forcing their way back through the crowd,
pushing past the onlookers
toward the direction they had come from.