East Caswell Castle

I have prepared a special treat for you at Magros Epic, a beautiful place with exquisite food, drinks, and women, which I am sure will be to your taste. Brock said, a smile creeping up his face as he noticed her soured expression on hearing those words.

She was not very good at concealing her emotions. She was like an open book.

But he did not mind her not having a crafty mind like him.

That was his forte.

He prefers her innocence untouched while he does the dirty games to protect her.

Jess could feel the bile rising from the pit of her stomach but forced it down her throat. She needed to control herself until she figured out a way out of this situation.

She had thought that Mr. Edmud was creepy and a dog who chases after women with no self-restraint, but she never thought she would find men who were much viler than Mr. Edmud.

Sensing her discomfort about the topic and trying to ease her mind, Brock placed his hands on her lap to calm her nerves so that she did not throw up.

She was not used to this world where men treated women as toys whose only use was to satisfy their lusts.

She was glad when she heard him say they should head to Magros Epic for a celebratory toast. Jess thought it was a perfect opportunity to escape the clutches of these men without drawing attention to herself as she knew the place like the back of her hand.

She would have to get rid of the gown for something simple if she were to escape. It was one of the reasons she was hesitant to wear this gown.

It was too grand and made her stand out among the crowd. She would have preferred something simple. Something that would allow her to blend with the crowd without being noticed.

Since we have made progress with our partnership, allow me to treat you in appreciation of the offer granted to me, he said as he raised a glass of wine to toast.

The men also raised their glasses to toast but did not drink the wine.

Where did the wine come from? Jess was in her world and did not notice when the door creaked open, nor did she know when the maid brought a tray full of wine glasses to serve the men.

Jess was surprised to see a glass of wine on a stool by her side.

How did this get here? She thought.

I know you find me attractive and cannot stop gawking at me, but you must pay close attention to your environment, sweetheart, Brock whispered in her ear.

What nonsense was he saying now? She would never gawk at a criminal and a traitor.

What was there to gawk at with his face covered by the golden mask he wore? Jess thought but kept mute before saying something that might anger him and make her escape harder.

You can continue to drool on me. I do not mind, Brock teased.

I was not gawking at you, she said in a whisper. Brock could see the look of defiance in her eyes. Brock cocked his head in amusement.

Do not be shy, honey. I tend to have that effect on people, he teased her.

Her mouth hung open in surprise at his words. How could he twist her words in such a way to suit his evil narrative?

If he thought she liked him for one bit, he would be in shock because James was the only man she would ever love.

I heard that the crown prince would grace this year’s annual ball.

Since we have come from our own country, we would like to extend our greetings to him on behalf of our king. One of the men who wore silver masks said, interrupting their little chat.

They were trying to be inconspicuous in their shady dealings. It would be suspicious that high-ranking officials from the Northern Kingdom visited the Zaza Kingdom on the crown prince’s birthday without attending the ball.

The reason why the meeting coincided with the celebrations was to have an opportunity to mask the true intention of their visits.

Brock’s lips twitched, and his lips pulled up into a smile on hearing the words of these men. His eyes narrowed while watching the men like a hawk.

From the information gathered by Walker Lane, it was the code used among themselves to signal that it was time to inspect the gold field in East Caswell.

The crown prince does not enjoy such festivities. He spends his time in taverns and prefers the company of wholes rather than welcoming respectable men such as yourselves.

It is possible to run into him at Magros Epic, as it is his favorite place to hang out whenever he visits this part of town, said Brock.

The place has been sealed off because of the celebration on the instruction of the crown prince and will not be open to the general public until after the ball. It is a perfect place to celebrate while still basking in the atmosphere of the festivity, explained Brock.

Walker Lane would be proud to have seen him deliver such lies smoothly. The men seemed to have swallowed his words without suspicion as they nodded in agreement to his words.

How do we get access? Since it is not open to the general public? One of the men asked.

I have my ways. I am not an elder of this great kingdom without connection, said Brock softly.

Jess was confused by what he meant by that because the crown prince was a regular customer. She knew it was a blatant lie but wondered why the man should lie to these men who were his partners in crime by speaking ill of the crown prince.

She had never met the prince, but her father spoke highly of him and his dedication to the military and his subjects. He was nothing like what this man was describing, far from it.

Unknown to Jess, Brock was not talking about Magros Epic in a literal sense but speaking in metaphor about the gold field located in East Caswell.

The men seemed more at ease with every outrageous word against the crown prince.

They knew they could bank on Elder James’s dislike for the crown prince to their advantage.

But Brock was not new to the game of words and knew just the right words to say to get these men to walk into the trap he had set for them.