If You're Going to Sell Yourself, Sell It to Me - Chapter 47

Perhaps because it was evening, the men, who had returned with a load of food, casually sat down on the dusty ground and began eating.

They had warned Georgiana that if she made any noise, they wouldn’t hesitate to silence her. Then, they removed her gag, leaving deep marks on her cheeks from where the cloth had pressed.

“Would you like some?” Gilbert asked, looking at her sympathetically

But Georgiana quickly shook her head. Not only was she not hungry, but eating would inevitably lead to other natural reactions, and she definitely didn’t want that to happen.

“Do you think a noblewoman would eat the same food as us? You’re too soft, Gilbert.”

“Whether noble or commoner, hunger is the same for everyone.”

Another man mocked Gilbert, shaking his head.

In reality, the food Georgiana had at home was much worse than what they had brought. She rarely got to eat her fair share and often ended up drinking only broth. But this wasn’t something she could admit out loud, so she swallowed her words.

Soon, the food was gone, and the men lay down on the floor, patting their full stomachs. They had no concept of hygiene, and Georgiana silently congratulated herself for not eating or asking for water.

She knew better than anyone that a day without food or water wouldn’t cause dehydration. After all, she had been locked up without food or drink numerous times before.

“Gilbert, we’ve done a good job, so I’m going to sleep. Wake me up at dawn for the switch.”

“Got it.”

The other two soon began snoring.

Watching them, Gilbert struggled to stay awake, his head nodding several times as sleep began to take over.

To reassure him, Georgiana pretended to fall asleep, leaning back in the chair and even mimicking light snoring.

Through barely open eyes, she watched as Gilbert checked on her several times before finally crossing his arms and dozing off.

Georgiana resumed working on cutting through the ropes that bound her. She stopped whenever she saw any movement, and it wasn’t until the middle of the night that she was able to free herself. She deliberately left the rope loosely tied so that she could slip her wrists back in at any moment.

She needed to appear bound when they woke up, no matter what.

In the past, she wouldn’t have even thought of something like this, but the survival books she had been reading about the New World had broadened her thinking.

Knowing she would have to live on her own, Georgiana had sought out every book on survival she could find.

She never imagined they would come in handy in a place like this.

The door was a thick iron one, and it was clear that opening it by herself would be impossible. Even Gilbert had struggled with it earlier.

Sure, she could try to summon superhuman strength, but she suspected the men would wake up before she could even budge it.

Georgiana instinctively realized that if she was caught trying to open the door, she wouldn’t have any more chances. Instead, she removed the orange ribbon from her dress and tied it to the window frame.

The bright ribbon was certain to be noticed by anyone walking near the warehouse.

If Henry was the one searching for her, he would recognize the ribbon right away.

She desperately hoped that someone was looking for her and that they would come close enough to notice.

After placing her hope in the ribbon, she returned to her seat, pretending to still be bound, and began thinking about how she might open the door.

***

At dawn, a large ship approached the dock, moving without making a sound.

The captain clearly took great pride in the vessel, and it was justified. Its movements were smoother than even a small fishing boat.

Lockwood watched from the balcony as the ship’s steam died down, and the gangplank was lowered to the pier. Soon, the crew assigned to resupply the ship hurried off.

After placing several gentle kisses on Georgiana’s sleeping forehead, Lockwood left the cabin.

Although his appointment wasn’t until the afternoon, he had gone out early with Henry to scout the island and secure escape routes in case the Empire’s spies had followed them.

He had also made arrangements for Georgiana’s safety and looked into other ships heading to the New World, just in case something happened to him.

She had mentioned spending the early afternoon with Sarah, and Anthony, who had visited the previous day, had inquired about their meeting time, so Lockwood was confident she wouldn’t be alone.

He had stationed a guard near the ship to watch over her.

They had agreed that if no message came by sunset, the guard would assume something had gone wrong and immediately go to her side.

By the time everything was settled, it was about an hour before his meeting with Kyle.

Clad in a light summer black coat and hat, Lockwood entered a tavern marked by a pair of large Viking axes hanging above the entrance.

Though it was midday, the inside was packed with sailors and dockworkers drinking cheap alcohol. The air was thick with cigarette smoke.

“Ugh, Captain, I can’t see anything in here. If I can barely make out your handsome face, then you’ve certainly picked the right place.”

Henry coughed through the smoke but managed to make a joke.

This island was usually just a brief stopover for tourists, so people drank quickly and didn’t bother to notice who was coming and going.

There was no time to cause trouble.

As a result, crime was rare here. The island was safe, which meant there were fewer guards.

That was one of the main reasons they had chosen this place as a rendezvous point.

Lockwood and Henry took a seat in a secluded corner and ordered two beers. A large man with a scarred face soon slammed their drinks onto the table. Half the foam spilled over, but no one dared to complain to the 6.5-foot-tall server.

As Henry paid, he casually asked, “I’ve heard the salmon here is really plump. Where’s the best place to try some?”

The server, who had been about to leave, paused at the question. He gave Lockwood and Henry a suspicious look before tapping the table three times with his finger.

Henry discreetly took out the agreed amount of money and handed it to the man, pretending to give him a tip. The man quickly counted the cash with his eyes and replied gruffly.

“Try 43 Leon Street. There are plenty of good places there, but they close early, so you’d better hurry.”

Lockwood drank half his beer before standing up to leave. There was a thick, unpleasant aftertaste left in his mouth, and he wondered what had been added to the beer.

The place the server had mentioned wasn’t far.

After passing the third alley, they found the address written on the wall near a corner of the building. There was laundry hanging outside, and smoke rose from the chimney.

It was cleverly disguised to look like a regular home, with no signs of being a base of operations.

Lockwood knocked on the door, and after a moment, a familiar face appeared.

“Captain, long time no see. And you too, Henry.”

Kyle, with his light brown hair, greeted them with a cheerful grin.

He had a face that was neither handsome nor unattractive, with no particularly distinguishing features, allowing him to blend in anywhere. His natural charm made it easy for him to get along with people.

He was perfect for the job of a spy.

Kyle was ambitious, often volunteering for missions, and the higher-ups had taken notice of him.

But both Lockwood and Henry had witnessed Kyle’s cruelty on several occasions and had kept their distance from him.

Though it was rumored that he had grown up in the backstreets, Kyle occasionally revealed his inferiority complex to Lockwood, making their interactions awkward.

“No one followed you here?”

Lockwood got straight to the point.

The mission was important, but safety was always his top priority. These days, he looked out for himself even without Henry’s reminders.

“I took a fishing boat carrying sardines. No one’s been following me. The fish stench was so strong that no one came near me yesterday. I doubt I’ll be able to eat fish for a while, but thinking about taking that boat again today makes me want to die.”

“You’ve had it rough.”

“You’ve had it worse, Captain, working right under the target’s nose. Everyone was worried when they heard you’d be carrying out the mission without Juliana. You’ve brought the documents, right?”

Kyle gestured toward the bag Henry was carrying.

“We’ll need to move quickly. Things are progressing faster than we thought, and we’re running out of time.”

“Is that so? Looks like we’re in for a big battle soon.”

Kyle’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.

His casual attitude toward a fight that would cost lives bothered Lockwood, but he said nothing and stood to leave.

“Leaving already? There’s something important you need to hear. Supreme Commander Rossmann has issued an urgent order.”