CHAPTER 191: A NEW ERA

Leonard’s expression was melancholy. The more he thought about it, the more he regretted his inaction in the past.

To think that the middleman whom he had been searching for all along was someone he encountered early on by chance.

Moreover, he even allowed Maegan to die under this middleman’s eyes.

"Haha, so it was you," Darren suddenly laughed sinisterly.

"How did it feel to be deceived? To think that the so-called magnanimous and righteous Crown Prince that the people were clamoring for was actually the same person who allowed an innocent woman to die in front of him." He taunted coldly.

Having been captured and his identity exposed, Darren didn’t feel any reluctance to sneer and taunt Leonard.

When a pawn was exposed, its value was effectively over. This was a fate that Darren had long known about since he chose to commit to the mission.

He didn’t regret what he did. At the very least, his secret family would remain safe and sound due to the magic contract binding.

"Was that supposed to be an attempt to make me lose my composure?" Contrary to Darren’s expectation, Leonard didn’t lose his temper.

Instead, he gazed at Darren with an indifferent expression.

Being gazed at in such a fashion, Darren felt somewhat uncomfortable. For some reason, he felt like he had been exposed completely by those piercing eyes.

"Curtis, immediately send my order. Investigate everything about Darren, including his close relationship. I believe someone like him must have someone he cherishes." Leonard made sure his voice was loud and crisp.

He had seen such types of people before in his old world.

They were willing to risk everything. They even went above and beyond to do the impossible just for one reason: their family.

No matter how ruthless or cold a person may be, there were bound to be some people who were their greatest weakness.

Naturally, this kind of weakness would be deeply hidden and concealed from the public eye.

"Yes, Crown Prince!" Curtis seemed to realize what Leonard meant and hurriedly obliged the command. He promptly left the torture room to instruct the other Crimson Guards to send a message to the other divisions.

Meanwhile, Darren finally reacted in fear.

"I don’t have any family." He scoffed coldly.

"Hah, when did I mention the word, family?" Leonard suddenly mused.

From start to finish, he only talked about his close relationship. A lover could also be considered a close relationship, but the word family has a whole different kind of meaning.

Darren held a ghastly expression as he tried to break away the shackles.

"What do you want from me?" He asked in a desperate tone. His slip of the tongue had definitely made Leonard confirm that he indeed concealed a secret family.

Although Darren hated to admit it, Leonard’s Crimson Guards actually had the capability to investigate him from top to bottom.

The only thing that was stopping them was time. But given how the city of Velastra was technically under Leonard’s control already, it wouldn’t be long before his secret family would suffer.

That was his remaining bloodline, granted that he was no longer capable of having children after the last brutal battle from 5 years ago.

"One, reveal everything about the Slave Coop. Everyone involved must be listed." Leonard began listing everything he wanted to know.

The first thing he prioritized was the Slave Coop and the tragedy that innocent women were forced to face. The mere thought about how they were defiled repeatedly and were incapable of escaping made his blood boil.

Nobody deserved such a fate!

Sometime later, Darren came clean and revealed where he hid the information.

"Two, I want all the black materials you have gathered about the nobles in Velastra during your time in the Enchanted Oasis. Additionally, I want to know your network connection."

"Why don’t you just kill me already?"

Darren was livid. The network connection might have been broken, but he still held some control. To give them up was essentially giving up his life entirely.

"Oh, you’re dead already." Leonard’s eyes narrowed coldly.

"I won’t bother to lie, so I’ll just say this now. Wesley is already my slave. Darius is also a dead dog now. Give me one reason why you think you’re above those two, Manager Darren."

THUD!

Darren’s body turned lifeless.

He was just a manager of the Enchanted Oasis. The women he bought from the Slave Coop, who used to entertain nobles, were all planned and designed to control them.

If anything, he blamed the prince for coercing him with the laws and underground to force him to target the Crown Prince.

’This Crown Prince is totally unlike the rumors. He’s even more frightening than the other princes.’ Darren truly regretted it.

His life would have continued to be smooth if he hadn’t crossed paths with the Crown Prince.

He could have kept supporting his secret family while enjoying new women daily in the Enchanted Oasis.

One wrong move, and all was lost!

Defeated and broken mentally, Darren complied with Leonard’s demand.

"Since you cooperated well, I will honor my words. I won’t touch your secret family as long as they don’t break any laws." Leonard calmly said.

"The Crown Prince can rest assured. I have forbidden my secret family from dabbling in this type of business. They don’t even know about my actual occupation." Darren chuckled bitterly.

"Seems like you weren’t that foolish either. At the very least, this decision of yours has saved them from a life of nightmares."

Sometime later, Leonard turned around and left the torture room.

As he left, Shirley calmly retrieved a small dagger from her sleeves.

When Darren glanced at Shirley, he recognized her identity.

"The Rosalia Troupe... to think it’ll be you who will end my life."

"Quite the irony, right?" Shirley mused. "Back then, you wanted to defile me, but too bad, I got saved by Lord Wesley. What goes around comes around."

"Indeed—"

Before Darren could finish his words, Shirley had cut straight through his neck, effectively ending his life.

"Velastra will undergo a new era, but you won’t be seeing it." Shirley’s eyes glinted in a cold light. The revenge she desperately wished for had finally been fulfilled.