The Villainous Noblewoman Is About to Be Forced into Love, Isn’t This Wrong?

"Oh my! Much appreciated." Tali smoothly caught the gold coin Liana tossed her.

Selling slaves did bring in commission, but tips like these went straight into her own pocket.

Liana was genuinely curious. What did they feel like? She reached out and touched the ears—soft, fluffy. Damn. This is addicting...

"Alright, that’s enough!" Just as Liana was about to continue, Tali stopped her.

"How much for you?" Liana asked directly.

"Apologies, Lady Liana, but I’m not for sale."

"Then let me touch them again. Your ears. And your tail." Liana still wasn’t satisfied. "I’ll pay for it."

"No can do. This was a special service only because you’re Lady Liana." A little tip was one thing, but business had to come first.

Liana didn’t believe her.

"If you like cat ears so much, why not just buy a cat-person slave?" Tali suggested.

"Aren’t they your own people? You’re really recommending them so easily?" Liana raised an eyebrow.

"As slaves, they should understand their place. Getting sold sooner might actually be better for them," Tali said nonchalantly.

"Not sure anyone would be happy to get bought by me," Liana remarked with self-awareness.

"Who knows?" Tali didn’t seem to care. "So, what kind of slave are you looking to purchase, Lady Liana?"

Liana wasn’t too sure herself. "Show me around. And make it a woman."

"I see. So, you're looking for an entertainment slave?" Tali gave her a knowing look. She had heard bits and pieces about Liana’s reputation.

"... "

Liana felt the secondhand embarrassment creep in, especially since she could feel Loraviel taking a small step back beside her.

But at this point, she could only nod. "Something like that..."

Purchasing slaves from the Saous Merchant Guild was risk-free. Each one underwent thorough investigation and magical inspections before being accepted, ensuring that there were no unforeseen circumstances.

All the slaves here were clean, and female slaves were only managed by women—giving the guild a strong reputation. Naturally, that also meant the prices were high.

What buyers did with their purchases was their business. But the Saous Merchant Guild guaranteed that before they left this place, the slaves were untouched.

Typically, slaves were chosen based on the customer’s requests. Since it was Liana’s order, Tali couldn’t refuse. Business was business, after all.

"This way, Lady Liana. A special exception for the daughter of a noble family."

Liana followed Tali into the back area of the Saous Merchant Guild, where the slaves were kept.

Chains clinked faintly as dozens of slaves turned to face them. Many were races Liana had never seen before.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

Each greeted her with perfect courtesy. They didn’t seem to care who bought them, as long as they could leave this place.

"How about these?" Tali asked.@@novelbin@@

Liana shook her head. None of them stood out to her. "I want someone strong. A slave who can protect me."

"A combat slave?" Tali considered her request and led her upstairs.

Beast warriors, mages, dwarves, elves...

They reached the end of the third floor.

Tali stopped. "It seems none of them are to your liking, Lady Liana?"

Liana actually had a few candidates in mind. But rather than deciding right away, she figured, why not see everything first?

"That’s all?"

"This is only a branch guild," Tali explained. "If you’re looking for the best of the best, I’d recommend visiting our main headquarters in Angus territory."

"What about the floor above? There’s another level, right?" Liana eyed the staircase.

"...That one."

Tali hesitated.

"What? What’s up there? Something shady?" Liana narrowed her eyes.

"Not exactly," Tali sighed after a moment. "That one was actually supposed to be sent to the main branch in a week. But since you want to see everything, I suppose I can make an exception. If you purchase her, it’ll save us the trouble."

"A slave that won’t sell?" Liana raised an eyebrow. Just what kind of slave couldn’t be sold and had to be transferred instead?

"She’s... special."

"Price isn’t an issue."

Tali’s phrasing was obviously meant to inflate the price.

But Liana wasn’t the type to worry about money.

"This isn’t about price. You’ll understand when you meet her," Tali muttered.

The top floor had only one room.

A strange setup.

"This one is... different. Actually, the word ‘slave’ might not even be the right term," Tali said as they approached.

"She came to us willingly. Paid us a large sum of money just to provide her a quiet place to stay and bring her meals."

"We checked her background, but..." Tali hesitated before ultimately shaking her head. "It’s her private matter. I can’t disclose it."

"Then how is this any different from just staying at an inn?" Liana’s curiosity was fully piqued now.

"There is a difference. We are her contractors." Tali spread her hands as if to say she wasn’t responsible for this madness. "Purchasing her requires no gold, no treasures. All you have to do is grant her one wish."

"...And what is that wish?"

Tali pushed open the door.

"Kill her."

Liana let out a small laugh.

"So that’s why you looked so hesitant."

She understood now.

She had no magic. Even killing a regular person would be difficult for her.

And someone who requested their own death clearly wasn’t normal.

But what Liana hadn’t expected was that this person...

No—this elf was far beyond ‘special.’

Long, silver hair cascaded messily down her shoulders.

From beneath the strands, pointed elf ears peeked through.

Her delicate features were flawless, as if she had stepped right out of a painting. With just one glance, she could captivate anyone.

Her devilishly seductive figure was barely hidden beneath a loose white garment, its sheer fabric incapable of concealing her allure.

Her hands were bound by chains, but her crimson-red eyes lifted slightly as she gazed at Liana.

"Are you here to kill me?"

She was breathtakingly beautiful.

And in that very moment—Liana felt something akin to suffocation.

"...Sephirena?"