Damian and Eilika reached the carriage where Maurice was waiting in the shadows, his hand already on the door handle. The five boys huddled together, trembling as they were ushered toward the vehicle.

"You will go back with the children," Damian said, turning to Eilika.

"Are you not coming along?" Eilika’s brows furrowed in immediate concern. Her hands remained protectively on the shoulders of the two smallest boys, anchoring them to her side.

"Maurice will accompany you. I have business that remains unfinished," Damian stated. "We shall talk later."

Eilika hesitated, her heart sinking, but she knew better than to argue in the middle of a district. She helped the children climb into the cramped but safe interior of the carriage before pulling herself up.

Once inside, she reached for the small curtain on the window, pulling it back just enough to see Damian. He was standing close to Maurice, his expression grim and lethal. Their eyes met for a fleeting second before she drew the curtain shut.

"Are you certain you wish to return there alone, Your Grace?" Maurice asked in a low voice, his eyes scanning the perimeter for threats.

"Yes," Damian nodded. He leaned in closer, his voice a barely audible thread of steel. "Ensure they reach the cottage safely. And do not tell the Duchess where I have gone." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Maurice bowed his head solemnly. He climbed onto the driver’s bench beside the chauffeur, and with a sharp whistle, the carriage rattled into motion, disappearing soon.

Damian adjusted the brim of his newly acquired hat, pulling it low to shroud his features in shadow. Avoiding the main entrance, he circled to the rear of the blackened brick building, slipping into a backyard choked with the debris.

The air here was stagnant, heavy with the stench of rot emanating from piles of waterlogged trash and decaying wooden planks.

He tested the handle of the back door; it yielded open with a groan. Stepping inside, Damian found himself in a narrow corridor. The muffled cries and harsh shouts of the market were replaced by an eerie silence.

Damian pressed his back against a cold stone pillar as the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the stairwell. He held his breath until the sounds faded into the shadows. Seeing the coast was clear, he descended the stairs, where the oppressive silence finally broke.

Peering down the weathered balustrade, Damian’s gaze locked onto the creepy man standing in the middle of the room, deep in conversation with a stranger whom he didn’t recognize.

Damian kept his eyes and ears attentive, tracking every movement around him. When the scarred man, the one who had dared to look at Eilika with such vile, began moving, Damian followed him.

Heading to the left wing of the building on the first floor, he found it strange that not a single kid could be seen there. He kept walking until he heard the voice of the same man shouting at a servant.

"Who are you to feed those girls? Let them starve for a day! This food doesn’t come free," the man spat.

Damian’s knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists. He remained quiet until the man turned his back and lumbered toward a darker, more isolated corner of the wing.

It was the opening the Duke had been waiting for.

Damian moved silently. The man sensed a shift in the air, a presence behind him, but before he could even begin to turn, Damian’s hand shot out, clamping firmly over the man’s mouth. Simultaneously, the cold tip of the dagger pressed through the man’s tunic, pricking the skin of his spine.

"Don’t make a noise," Damian hissed into the man’s ear. "And keep walking until I ask you to stop. One sound, and I’ll ensure you never draw breath again."

The man’s eyes widened in fear, the arrogance he had displayed earlier vanishing instantly. He quietly walked ahead when Damian saw a half-opened door. He kicked it open and pushed the man inside before drawing the dagger straight into his heart.

"This is for looking at my wife wrongfully and also for hurting the kids!" Damian said, his hand remained clamped on the man’s mouth. He watched the man die and put the dagger back into the scabbard before walking out.

~~~~

Eilika helped the children descend from the carriage one by one. Once they were all standing on the cottage’s grounds, she offered a small, encouraging smile. "Let’s go inside. You must all be starving, right?"

Maurice stepped forward, shutting the carriage door with a heavy thud. He looked at the boys, struck by how small and fragile they appeared. Their heads remained bowed, their gazes fixed on the gravel beneath their feet as if they expected a blow to fall at any moment.

"Madam," the eldest among them spoke up, his voice trembling. "We will work first. We must work before we are given food."

The words hit Eilika, realizing the harsh world they had just escaped. "None of you have to work," she said firmly, her tone softening as she reached out to guide them.

The boys glanced at one another, their eyes wide with confusion and a flicker of hope they were clearly afraid to trust. They didn’t say another word as they followed the Duchess.

Once they were inside the cottage, the butler of the house bowed to her.

"Your Grace! Who are these kids?"

"The Duke and I’ll explain this to you later. First, can you please arrange a room for them? Help them in bath and also give them these new clothes that Maurice and I brought." Eilika glanced at the Duke’s bodyguard who stepped forward and handed the cloth bag with dresses inside.

"Is Roman awake?"

"Not yet, Your Grace. He’s still sleeping in the room," the butler replied.

Eilika was relieved to hear that. She turned to the boys and said, "We will have meals together once you all finish up bathing and change into these neat clothes."

"Yes, Madam." The five boys spoke in unison.