NEFARIOUS

15 / 열 다섯

  A few minutes before the thin haired woman bristled a laugh, Hye had blended between soldiers to recieve a better view of the criminals.

  Jae was controlling a soldier into dressing him as a palace guard, while he became the soldier who escorted him toward Kwang Gyeong. The boy seemed to take their bait, yelling angrily at the old man for his terrible lies.

  Hye had glanced at the horde of criminals who stood on the very edge of the hall. This time, they seemed to be paying attention at the crucial scene unfolding before them.

  The long-haired woman lifted her eyebrows upward, while the slave woman merely grinned. She needed to note those criminals identity, and looked for another exit.

  Certainly, the pathway where they had come from was meant to be an entrance to go inside into the underground hall, not to leave from beneath.

  No one even recognized Hye lurking between shadows of men and under the flickering of underground light. She took advantage to it. At a respectful distance, Hye glanced at the crowd of criminals.

  Her gaze became clearer. The hazing of prisoners clothed in white garments formed into men and women who stood with chained hands behind their back. A strangled breath caught in her throat.

  Amidst the criminals, a short man gazed around his surrounding in almost absolute stillness in a way that terrified her. His soulless eyes wandered through the crowd, watching them with indesicive intention.

  At the precise moment her gaze fell on him, she knew he was none other than the Serpent, leader of a notorious gang called the Bronze Thorns. If Hye remembered correctly, Jung-Hee had worked with them in the past. He must have known well enough about its members and associations.

  The most iconic slave woman ought to be Razorteeth, then. Because no other slave- save for her- worked for the gang.

  She gave a moment to flick her gaze over the criminals once again, and took notes of the other seven gang members in her mind.

  Knowing Jung-Hee well enough, she did not have to stomach the fully detailed features of the criminals, and immediately strode to the northern part of underground hall to find an exit.

  Clear and loud voices of the controlled old man echoed through the hall, "There's no lies, my lord!" She let his voice drowned deeper in her mind, along the following words uttered by him.

 The old man did not need her attention, Eun Jae could take care of his part all by himself. She trusted him enough.

 Now, sliding between the soldiers, Hye scanned over the northern wall for any indication of an exit. There were various torchlights hanging on the wall, giving her more light to find a similiar series of jail bars.

 But here, hiding between warrior men on the right part of the underground hall, she found nothing that fulfilled her. Only an endless, damp wall met her gaze.

 Squinting at the painful darkness, Hye strode silently into the right side more, while she kept all of her senses on watch.

 The soldiers she passed by barely gave attention to her presence, she hoped they did not hear her searching for an exit.

 The Gods listened to her silent prayers. Hye caught a glimpse of glinting jail bars not afar from her, calling her name.

 With sedate movements, she approached the bar, and stopped by its side. Three guards posted near the bar door, they did not acknowledge her presence when she peeked, staring ahead fearfully in firm position.