CHAPTER 61: NOZEL MADNESS

Viviene fell silent, continuing to stare firmly at Gideon. The man walked toward her and asked her to help with the tour of this place. She refused sharply.

Gideon turned to the side, seeing two sweet little girls, ages seven and ten, clinging tightly to their mother. Both of their faces looked frightened at Gideon’s arrival.

Even so, they knew nothing about noble politics. It would be highly unethical and inhumane if Gideon forced his will to kill the two girls, even though they were clearly Nozel and Viviene’s children.

"All right, I’ll do it myself later," Gideon said, opening the door and entering the house.

The first thing Gideon saw was luxury. That was right. Paintings, jewelry, expensive furniture, and the like filled the place, and it all made Gideon sick.

Noelle and Silva came closer to Gideon, not knowing what to do.

"There is much work to be done," Gideon said, arms crossed as he let out a sigh.

"Noelle. Go and bring one of the maids to the village chief’s house. Tell him I am inviting him here," Gideon ordered.

"Yes, Lord Gideon."

"Silva. You and another maid gather all the luxury items in the entire house without exception. Store them in an empty room for auction later," Gideon added.

"I understand, Lord Gideon."

Viviene came back toward Gideon, gripping the man’s hand tightly. But Gideon tried to pull away, glaring at her in an intimidating way.

"What are you doing?!" Viviene shouted.

Gideon stared at her in silence, then turned to look at the two girls hiding behind their mother. He crouched down with a smile, greeting them and trying to get to know them.

"Sheilla."

"Isabella."

"Sheilla and Isabella. Those are good names," Gideon praised.

"I’m Gideon, a friend of your father’s. I need to speak with your mother for a bit, it won’t take long. Is that all right?" Gideon asked gently.

Viviene still glared at Gideon, though his attitude showed tenderness toward her daughters. Seeing that, Viviene sighed and gave in. She decided to follow what Gideon wanted.

"Go play in the backyard. I’ll come later," Viviene said.

At first the two girls refused, but after Viviene reassured them, they agreed. Several maids went with them to play outside.

Now, there was nothing to interrupt the conversation Viviene was about to have with Gideon. She had to admit something: Nozel was ugly, fat, and foul-smelling, a typical low-class man. Yet somehow he had married the beautiful Viviene and had two beautiful daughters.

That truly puzzled Gideon.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Viviene asked, looking at Gideon with half resentment.

"They’re gone. Tell me, do you really love Nozel?" Gideon asked.

"All the women in Rockvalley know that a man as vile as Nozel cannot be loved. Disgusting? Yes."

"You are quite blunt. I thought you would be angry," Gideon replied.

"Enough with the small talk. What do you want?" Viviene asked.

Gideon took a slow breath, drawing out the SIG M17 pistol that had been holstered all this time, switching off the safety. Viviene glanced briefly at what Gideon was doing.

"Are you going to kill me the way you killed Macer?" Viviene asked.

"That depends on your attitude."

"Show me where the slaves are kept," Gideon ordered firmly.

Viviene gasped at Gideon’s demand. She knew Nozel always enslaved women for his own pleasure. Viviene disliked it because it degraded women’s dignity. But Nozel’s stubbornness was hard for her to overcome.

She knew where the slaves were hidden. She was willing to help Gideon, as long as he did not kill her with that weapon.

The two of them walked to one of the iron doors on the first floor. A door that connected directly to the lower floor of Nozel’s manor.

When it opened, there was only the light of burning torches and stairs leading downward.

Gideon narrowed his eyes while covering his nose. The stench of urine and rot was like feces. He truly wondered why Nozel used them, when Viviene herself was far better than the slaves.

"Do you not sleep with Nozel?" Gideon asked, irritated.

"I will not allow a man who sleeps with them to touch me," Viviene said firmly.

"Hmm... a good principle."

Viviene took a torch and helped Gideon descend to the lower floor. The deeper they went down the stairs, the clearer the cries, screams, and suffering of the slaves became. Gideon saw the darkest side of the dark ages.

When they reached a wide room, Gideon’s eyes widened in shock. His mouth dropped open and he instinctively stepped back, filled with shock, anger, and disgust.

There were fifteen female sex slaves in total, three of them pregnant. They sat on the cold basement floor, unclothed, their hair messy, their bodies filthy and wounded. Gideon looked to the side and clearly saw rotting food left there for days.

For a normal person, nothing in that filthy room was edible.

"Did you not try to stop his madness? This is insane, completely insane!" Gideon shouted.

"Nozel is stubborn. I have advised him several times, but he would not listen."

"Then, where did he get these women?" Gideon asked.

Viviene fell silent for a moment, not knowing what to say to Gideon. She knew where they came from, but she was unsure if Gideon would accept the truth about them.

"They are... the people of Rockvalley."

"WHAT?!" Gideon shouted in shock.

Nozel was a fool! No wonder the villagers were angry at him.

"Nozel hired them as maids, but those who could not do their work became sex slaves."

"Sometimes, he also used the maids to sleep with."

"ENOUGH!"

"This is insane. They must go home."

"Do their families know about them?" Gideon asked.

Viviene shook her head. Not a single maid was allowed to visit her family. Nor were the families allowed to visit them. That made their families completely unaware of their daughters’ conditions.

Gideon acted quickly, taking the handcuff keys from Viviene and stepping into the room. The light slowly lit up their faces and eyes, and it was not Nozel standing before them, but Gideon.

"M-Master? Who are you?" one of the slaves asked.

"I am your master now."

"Then let us satisfy you," one of them whispered.

Gideon gently refused, looking at her face with a pitying, empathetic smile. He could not let this madness continue. They had to be freed.

"Stop. Just because I am your master does not mean I will act like that bastard Nozel!" Gideon said firmly.

He unlocked the chains one by one, freeing them. Viviene was stunned, moved by Gideon’s kindness. Nozel had never done such a thing; he had only ever used them as tools.

What Gideon showed was something different to Viviene, of course something far better. Her perception of Gideon began to shift, from hatred and fear that he would kill her, to admiration and respect for his decision to free the slaves.

"Viviene."

"Hey, Viviene?"

"Viviene? Are you listening to me?"

The woman jumped in surprise, snapping out of her thoughts, and saw Gideon standing as he helped a heavily pregnant woman. She quickly turned and looked at Gideon, asking him.

"Yes? Did you call me?" Viviene asked.

"I did. Can you call the maids here? Help me get them all out. They need to bathe and be given proper clothing."

"O-Of course."

Gideon carefully led the pregnant woman up the stairs until they reached the first floor of the basement. Viviene carried out his request, 15 maids came and helped cover the bodies of the sex slaves.

Some of the slaves were friends of the maids, others were their sisters. Gideon’s decision to free them from the dungeon was deeply cherished by them all.

"Take them to wash and clean up. Dress them in proper clothes."

"Yes. Thank you, Lord Gideon," several of the maids said, their eyes teary with emotion.

One by one, they left the place as ordered by their master. Viviene softly patted Gideon’s shoulder, making the man turn reflexively.

"Why are you doing this?" Viviene asked.

"Why? Because they are human, not sex tools. They have the right to be free. They have the right to be happy. They have the right to choose their own path in life," Gideon answered seriously.

"Even if we are nobles, we do not have the right to rule over someone else’s life. A person’s life belongs to them."

"The same goes for you."

"For me?" Viviene asked.

"Just because you are Nozel’s wife does not mean you have to die like him."

Those words struck Viviene’s heart and ego, making her realize that there were other men, other nobles, who had wisdom and thoughts far better than anything she had ever imagined before.

With Gideon’s leadership, she felt certain Rockvalley and the other villages would prosper.

"Alright then. Can you help me with one more thing?" Gideon asked.

"What is it?" Viviene asked, her face flushing as Gideon looked at her.

"Help me gather all of Nozel’s wealth."

"I plan to solve the problems of the four villages with money."