The agonizing pain deep within her soul gradually subsided, giving way to the soft comfort of the feather mattress. When Chloe opened her eyes again, the bright midday light filled the room. She saw her father sitting beside her bed, his face etched with worry and weariness.
Just as she was about to speak, Chloe, with trembling hands, clutched at his coat.
Before he could scold her, she pleaded first.
"Father, I only ask one thing of you. Promise me, don't accept any marriage proposals from the Volkov family for Clara before her coming-of-age party in six months."
Henry was stunned.
He looked at his eldest daughter, who had always been frail and obedient, now displaying such strange stubbornness.
He sighed, gently stroking her hair, "Okay, I promise you. I'll politely decline, saying Clara wants to make her own choice at the coming-of-age party. Anyway, there will be many noble families seeking her hand then, so we can choose directly later."
Chloe breathed a sigh of relief. She knew her father loved her very much; as long as he promised, that black wax-sealed letter wouldn't be sent immediately.
She needed more time to prepare, and six months was the golden time for her to change everything.
Three days later, when her parents began to loosen their supervision because her health had stabilized, Chloe acted immediately. She secretly called Clara into her room and stealthily led her younger sister out of the mansion through the secret servant's passage.
Clara was completely bewildered, but because of her absolute trust in her sister, she silently followed.
Along the way, seeing Chloe breathless from exhaustion, Clara couldn't help but worry and took her sister's hand.
"Sister, slow down. You're not well, where are we going in such a hurry?"
Chloe replied curtly, her eyes gleaming with a rare alertness: "You'll know when we get there."
The place she was taking Clara to was the underground market in the far west.
It was a chaotic, dark place specializing in auctioning extremely rare, even illegal, items. Thanks to memories from previous loops, Chloe knew every nook and cranny and how to bypass the guards without an official invitation.
The two sisters donned thick black cloaks, concealing their hair and faces.
Once settled in a secluded corner of the auction hall, Chloe turned and whispered, "Did you bring what I told you to?"
Clara timidly handed over a small velvet box: "Here."
Inside was an antique gold ring, engraved with a shield and a laurel branch, the family crest of the Adair family. This symbolizes the power and protection of the sorcerers. In this demonic place, money is sometimes worth less than a commitment from an ancient sorcerer clan.
Chloe nodded in satisfaction: "Excellent."
The auction began. Clara, witnessing the opulence and depravity of the underworld for the first time, was incredibly excited. She looked at the magic stones and rare herbs with curiosity.
However, when the slave auction began, the excitement in Clara's eyes vanished, replaced by a disgusted frown.
The slaves brought onto the stage belonged to all races, from the valiant Centaurs to the noble Elves. Some were captured for their beauty, others for their innate talents exploited by villains. But they all shared one thing in common: their eyes were dull, lifeless, and they were completely submissive like machines.
Clara shuddered, leaning close to Chloe's ear and whispering, "Sister... it's puppetry."
"Yes," Chloe replied coldly. "And it's not just ordinary puppetry. The one behind this market also uses Life Contracts. Once bought, their souls are bound to their masters, suffering a fate worse than death."
Clara dared not look any longer. She bowed her head, her small hands clutching her sister's dress. The world outside was too dangerous; how many evils and cruelty, how many had a sheltered young lady like her never seen before?
Clara asked, her voice trembling: "Why do you want to come to this terrifying place?"
"Because I want to buy a slave."
"Who?"
Chloe pointed towards the stage: "It's him!"
As soon as Chloe finished speaking, the large curtain on the stage was pulled aside. A sturdy iron cage appeared. Inside was a thin, ragged teenager, his body covered in fresh wounds layered over old scars.
In stark contrast to the listless state of the slaves before him, this teenager was in a state of extreme agitation. He showed no submission. He constantly snarled, his eyes blazing red like fire, tore at the iron bars.
Each time his skin touched the iron bars, the magic inscribed on them would flash, burning his flesh and causing acrid smoke. Yet the teenager seemed oblivious to the pain, repeatedly lunging at the cage like a cornered wild beast.
The host excitedly introduced him in a mocking tone: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the most special exhibit today! The sole and most ferocious survivor from the death arena. Don't let his small stature fool you; he tore apart ten giants with his bare hands!"
The audience gasped in astonishment. How could such a frail teenager be so tenacious?
But Chloe wasn't surprised. Her heart ached at the sight of that figure. She knew this young man better than anyone else here.
It was Alaric Volkov, the outcast son of the previous Alpha. The one with the purest Alpha blood, who should have sat on the Volkov family throne, not be chained like a dog here. The one who would later become the nightmare of the entire continent, and also the one who could protect the Adair family.
She knew that seeking him out had violated one of her three vital principles. But besides Alaric, she couldn't think of anyone else who could have killed Darius. The one who most likely murdered her in the previous cycles.
Currently, Darius was able to become an Alpha of the Volkov clan because he killed Alaric's father and forced his mother to marry him. But not long ago, he was the one who murdered his official wife to propose to Clara.
How could she let her sister marry such a heartless man?
In previous loops, Alaric was hunted by Darius to the point of being banished to the underground market, enduring years of torment there. After he returned, Darius didn't survive long after that.
However, Alaric had lost his mind, turning into a crazed monster.
If she could tame him before the wolf went completely out of control, Alaric would surely be a loyal guardian of her family.
"Clara, we will buy him at all costs," Chloe whispered, her hand gripping the family crest ring, ready for a life-or-death gamble.