If You're Going to Sell Yourself, Sell It to Me - Chapter 49

Late at night, the area around the Mayfield remained as bright as day.

Sailors carrying torches were combing through the surroundings. One of the first-class passengers had gone missing, and a witness claimed to have seen her near the square by the dock. Since the only ship that had left the island carried a load of sardines, they were certain she hadn’t left the island.

“Juliana!”

“Where are you?”

The search perimeter was widening, but it was as if she had disappeared into the earth or flown into the sky—there was no trace of her.

They had to find her before the ship set sail the next morning, but it was starting to feel hopeless.

The passengers on board, who had heard the news, were also in low spirits. The captain, who had been proud of ensuring the safety of such important guests on this voyage, wore the heaviest expression of all.

Out of curiosity, people stayed in the ballroom late into the night, waiting for further news.

“They said this island was safe, but that doesn’t seem to be the case, does it?”

“The kidnappers probably just want money. If they get paid, I’m sure they’ll release her.”

“But what if it’s not about money? What if Lady Juliana is as beautiful as they say? What if something awful happens to her?”

“Ugh, that’s terrible to think about.”

Those who were already displeased with Lockwood’s closeness to Edmund and those who were jealous of Georgiana’s appearance began to voice their opinions.

“Everyone, please be careful with your words. No matter what happens, what matters is that she returns safely. Talking like that won’t help,” Isabella interjected, silencing the room.

People glanced at Edmund, who was standing near his daughter, and quickly quieted, not wanting to upset him.

“She might not have been kidnapped. She could be sleeping somewhere else,” Ruenda speculated, scanning the room.

“Well, maybe they had a marital spat.”

“Whether she was kidnapped or ran away, it’s a bit of a nuisance. This wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t been wandering around alone.”

“You’re right. No matter how rural her background is, she shouldn’t be walking around without a maid.”

“Tsk, that’s why background matters.”

Some of the old nobles openly showed their displeasure. They were tired of the unnecessary commotion.

“Let’s wait until she returns before discussing this further,” Ruenda said as the group began to disperse back to their cabins.

As the crowd thinned, Ruenda quietly followed behind Isabella. Once they reached the end of a hallway where no one could hear them, Ruenda whispered, “We won’t get caught, right? I’m so nervous.”

“Even if we are, we can just deny it. No one saw our faces, and money doesn’t have names on it,” Isabella said, lifting her chin defiantly.

“She shouldn’t have been so arrogant. How dare she look down on us?”

“Exactly. She has no right to even look at people like us. She’s from the countryside.”

“It’s not like we told them to kill her. We just had them lock her up, so don’t worry. Once they pay her ransom, she’ll probably catch the next ship.”

The plan wasn’t to harm her, just to scare her. They had even given the men extra money to ensure that things wouldn’t get too rough.

Isabella just wanted to have Lockwood all to herself, at least until Georgiana caught the next ship.

Lockwood was the most handsome man Isabella had ever seen. Not even the princes she had seen at the imperial palace could compare.

Unlike other men, who lacked muscles, his delicate face was contrasted by his strong, muscular body. His broad shoulders were in a different league altogether.

From the moment she first laid eyes on him, she couldn’t bear how he ignored her.

It wasn’t until a few days later that she learned from Anthony that he had a wife, but by then, Isabella had already set her sights on him.

When Juliana finally appeared in the ballroom, Isabella’s jealousy exploded.

Unlike her own striking red hair and vibrant looks, Lockwood’s wife was as pale and delicate as a porcelain doll, evoking a desire to protect her. Throughout the meal, Lockwood’s eyes never left Juliana, and he even left before finishing his dinner.

If his wife had been of higher rank or wealthier, Isabella might have given up. But the fact that she was from a poor, rural background made it impossible for Isabella to let it go.

It infuriated her that she had lost to a woman of such lowly origins.

She had tried to get closer to Lockwood by approaching his wife, but that cat-like woman rarely left her cabin.

Even when Isabella graciously offered to spend time with her, she was flatly refused.

In her 22 years of life, the only things that hadn’t gone Isabella’s way were Lockwood and his wife.

She never imagined the situation would escalate to this extent.

She wasn’t a particularly meticulous person.

She just wanted to keep Georgiana out of the way for a while. So as soon as they arrived on the island, she had gone to an information broker who seemed new and hired some low-lifes to do the job.

They looked incompetent enough, and since she had paid them extra, she was confident they wouldn’t be too rough.

Even if they got caught, she could simply deny any involvement. There was someone else who would take the blame for her.

Isabella looked at Ruenda, who was nodding nervously in agreement.

***

Meanwhile, Henry and Lockwood had returned to the tavern from earlier. When it came to gathering information, there was no place better.

“Are there any people on this island capable of kidnapping someone?”

“There aren’t any that bold,” the informant shook his head. This was such a quiet island that even minor incidents caused a stir. He couldn’t think of anyone who would commit such a crime.

“Let me ask you differently. Who here seems like they’re in need of money? And where can we find any thugs? I’ll make it worth your while if you can tell me.”

Lockwood slid a hefty purse across the table.

The informant thought for a moment before listing several names.

A few thugs who extorted money from merchants, some guys who liked to steal a bit here and there, and a group who had arrived on the island a few months ago after being chased out of their previous territory. He even threw in a few jabs about the new information brokers who had recently set up shop near his own business, taking away his customers.

As far as the informant was concerned, those new brokers were just as bad as the thugs, and since Lockwood looked furious, it seemed right to point them out.

After jotting down the names, Lockwood and Henry rushed outside.

They couldn’t waste any more time. They had no idea what might happen to Georgiana if they delayed.

Their first stop was a small office labeled “Merchants’ Association.”

“Who are you?”

The moment they opened the door, several rough-looking men glared at them. They looked like exactly the type who would kidnap Georgiana a hundred times over.

“Have you seen a woman? Blonde hair, green eyes, small frame.”

“We see women all the time. If she’s blonde, we’d be more than happy to—ugh!”

The man who made a crude joke was immediately sent flying into the wall by Lockwood’s punch. The impact caused a shelf to shake, and the books on it toppled onto his head.

“Wh-what’s going on?”

The leader of the group jumped up from his chair, his face pale.

“Just answer the question. This is your last chance.”

“I don’t know! Even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you! What are you all waiting for?”

At the leader’s signal, more than five men attacked them at once.

But none of them stood a chance against seasoned soldiers who had fought on the battlefield for years. Within minutes, the office was filled with bodies piled up like dried fish.

“We really don’t know anything! We only extort money from merchants. We don’t mess with civilians!” The leader, now sporting a purple bruise over his eye, knelt and pleaded.

“Is that true?”

“Yes!”

“If anyone around here is capable of kidnapping a noblewoman, it’s the pirates. They might try to sell her on another island.”

The leader, quick-witted enough to realize that he needed to shift the blame, pointed fingers at the so-called pirates. He sometimes drank with them but knew he had to save himself now.

The informant’s words and this testimony matched. Lockwood warned the thugs to stop extorting merchants and headed toward the port.

Could it really be the pirates?

A door adorned with a small skull symbol was easily kicked down by Lockwood.

The men inside looked even rougher than those at the merchants’ association, with coarser skin and sharper expressions.

Henry, already knowing how things would go, knocked out the first man who tried to approach him with a punch.

These pirates even pulled out knives, but soon found themselves in the same state as the thugs from the merchants’ office.

The men who were now kneeling on the ground, watching Lockwood warily, began to confess their misdeeds.

“What are you looking for? If it’s the nets we stole, we sold those off long ago. And the fishing rods are broken, we were using them ourselves.”

“I’m not here for that.”

“Then what are you after?”

Though it seemed like another dead end, Lockwood clung to a sliver of hope as he asked his next question.

“I’m looking for a woman. Blonde, small, green eyes. Everyone’s pointing the finger at you.”

“We swear we’ve never even seen a blonde woman! We don’t even get to see women around here.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

“We’re always hanging out with men. There’s even a rumor we’re into each other. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, that’s true,” they all nodded in agreement.

They seemed so pathetic that it was hard to believe they were lying. So where could she be?

“Do you know anyone who might be responsible for kidnapping a woman?”

“The guys at the merchants’ association—”

“I’ve already been there.”

“……”

“Captain, it doesn’t look like they’re involved. Let’s not waste time here. We should check the next place.”

As Henry spoke, one of the pirates suddenly grabbed Lockwood’s sleeve in desperation.

“I just remembered something! I saw some guys who are always broke buying a bunch of food this evening. Something’s definitely off.”

“Who are they?”

“They’re a group who arrived on the island a few months ago. I’m pretty sure they’re fugitives from another place.”

Lockwood was certain this lead was the right one.

“Show me where they are. Now.”