The Masked prince
Chapter 89: Could Evelyn Be Freed?

Chapter 89: Could Evelyn Be Freed?

"Evelyn..."

Regan shook her hand slightly when he noticed that she was not speaking at all.

Evelyn came out of her trance and looked at him with a stupefied expression on her face as she asked

"What is it?"

Regan frowned as he signed to the shop owner and said

"He is asking you something."

Evelyn looked at the shop owner and tried to remember what exactly he had asked her. A moment later, she finally answered

"Yes, I was bought from here."

The shop owner nodded his head. Though he was slightly shocked inside his heart that the prince had come to him to free a slave, he still maintained his calm. However, inside his heart, he couldn’t help but try to remember the last he freed a slave.

It might be four or perhaps five years ago. These events were very rare. Slaves were never treated like humans so why would anyone think of freeing them?

But now the prince himself was here to free this girl from slavery so he was wise enough to talk to her politely regardless of how he behaved with other slaves in the past.

However, he needed to know the answer to a few other questions.

"Can you tell me which years it was when you were sold...and what is your name?"

Evelyn was still in disbelief but answered the questions calmly.

"Eleven years ago. I was eight years old. My name is Evelyn."

The shop owner nodded his head and ordered his subordinate to bring out all the documents of the slave trade from eleven years ago.

The subordinate left to do the said job.

The shop owner then asked two other workers to bring a new and clean chair. When the chair was brought he looked at the prince and grinned in a flattering manner as he said respectfully

"Your Highness, it might take time. Why doesn’t Your Highness sit? This servant will be happy to serve Your Highness."

The Royal City was in jumbles after the war finished.

The Royal Palace was empty and there was no one to rule such a big Empire now. Although the crown prince was still alive, no one knew where actually he was. There was a high chance that Zamorin will soon come under the complete control of Alfaros.

If that happened, maybe he would be able to gain benefits if he behaved well in front of the prince today.

Thinking this, the grin on the shop owner’s face became wider.

Regan, however, didn’t sit on the chair. He continued to stand beside Evelyn. From the corner of his eyes, he would look at her in every few moments.

On the other hand, Evelyn was looking in the direction where the worker sent by the shop owner had gone to.

Could she really be freed? She wondered.

Her eyes went to the black band on her wrist and they dimmed instantly as she remembered seeing so many slaves attempting to break or open this symbol of slavery from their bodies. She had even seen people cutting their hands just so they could get the band off their wrists. However, many times such people would accidentally cut their pulse and if they were still alive, then the owner would throw them inside a room so that they would bleed to death.

In other words, no matter how desperate one was, it was impossible to stay alive after getting rid of this black band.

Once it was tied on one’s wrist, it would make one life as dark as its color was.

Then could it really be opened?

It was almost half an hour later that the worker returned. He had a thick stack of documents tied with thread in his hand which he put on the nearby desk and said to his master.

"Master, here it is."

The shop owner nodded his head and gathered the workers who could read and asked them to find the contract with the name Evelyn.

Together, five people started to work including the shop owner.

Another half an hour passed before Evelyn heard one of the workers saying

"Master, here it is!"

It was a very old document. Evelyn noticed its torn corners. The shop owner took the paper from the worker’s hands and returned to his desk where he kept it.

He read the number and said to his worker.

"Bring the key number eighty thousand ...three hundred"

"Fifty-seven..."

Evelyn whispered unconsciously before the shop owner could complete it. Her lips quivered as the memory of the day flashed in her mind when she was sold.

The sound of the click when this black band on her wrist had been enclosed suddenly seemed very fresh. As soon as it was clicked, she heard the man say

"Write the contract for slave number eighty thousand thirty hundred fifty seven."

At that time, she had not known the darkness she had been thrown into.

The worker left and this time came in a few minutes only. Approaching his master’s desk, he passed a silver-colored key to him.

The shop owner came to the other side of the desk and approached Evelyn.

When Evelyn saw the key in his hand, her green eyes which had been dimmed and hopeless were suddenly filled with hope.

"Girl, give me your wrist."

The shop owner said and Evelyn stretched her wrist out in front of him.

She saw the shop owner turning her wrist to find something and he stopped when he found a hole. Then he put the key in that hole.

Evelyn’s body stiffened slightly as she looked at the black band silently.

A dark thick band could be opened with only a silver white key that shone because of the light. How ironic it was!

However, she waited and waited.

The shop owner turned the key inside the hole.

The black band however stayed as it is.

Enclosed tightly around her wrist as if it was not ready to leave her at all.

Her stiff shoulders slumped and all hopes vanished slowly.