Chapter 449

Chapter 449: Chapter 449

Before he could lash out at the merchant, the latter spoke up with a crafty smile.

Zach wondered how the bastard was still able to smile after hitting such a weak girl. He couldn’t help but think what the bastard had done with his consciousness.

"Although I don’t want to sell this girl to you, I might be willing to trade her with you if you want her so badly."

Zach’s expression changed instantly, and his eyes became bloodshot. No one had managed to piss him off to that extent in a while.

Zach bared his teeth and answered with a beastly growl akin to that of an awakening disaster of the apocalypse.

The merchant, though apprehensive of the sudden outburst, didn’t care as long as he could achieve his goal of bringing down the Smith family’s image in the eyes of the public.

Ther merchant knew that he was close to achieving his goal, so he continued to drive in the knife he had stabbed into Zach’s chest, twisting it further with the goal of causing agonizing pain.

"You won’t be losing out at all considering that you are only giving up one of your maids for this little one. You must have scores of them at home, right Viscount? You know I speak the truth, right? The girl I am giving you is a virgin, completely untouched in that department. I can guarantee it. I personally made sure of it." The merchant looked completely honest at this point, like a true salesman.

"Although she is a little underage...but that shouldn’t be a problem right...considering that you want her BECAUSE of her tender age..." the merchant winked knowingly towards Zach at the end.

His words and his actions gave the impression that Zach had a fetish for underage girls in front of the entire audience.

At the same time as he insulted Zach, he had the guts to ask for one of his maids, rather, the only maid with him at the time, Brittany, in exchange for the girl.

Before Zach could say anything in response, the trafficker continued his sales pitch as if he didn’t intend to stop before drawing out a reaction from Zach. He didn’t know that he was digging a hole for himself by saying all those things as Zach’s blood was raging beyond control.

"Look, I am giving away a virgin in place of a maid who has already been ravaged countless times. I am sure you must have tasted her already. Why not switch to a more novel taste and leave her to me? I will take REALLY good care of her. Believe me, I am losing money on this deal but since you are a Viscount, it is a humble gesture of goodwill from my side."

Zach had never felt so irritated in his previous life and the current one combined. He felt as if something was clawing at his insides from within his body. The feeling was so uncomfortable that Zach began to regret not agreeing to Jack’s last request.

The latter had offered to become Zach’s personal assassin in the past for all the shady things he would have to do in the future, but Zach had refused Jack as he felt no need to play such underhanded means.

But seeing that a scourge like this merchant was still roaming the world and tainting it with his evil presence made him want to go back in time to accept Jack’s offer.

At least then he wouldn’t have had to think about how to deal with the merchant without dirtying his hands as well.

Pushing the murderous thoughts crowding his mind aside, he took a rational and wholistic view of the situation and inferred that there was no way to get the little girl through the normal channel.

The salesman had the right to refuse any customer he didn’t want to entertain. Zach couldn’t call the merchant out on that.

Since the merchant had made up his mind not to sell Zach anything with respect, it was a given that staying there was a waste of Zach’s time and self-respect.

As such, Zach had no other choice but to retreat for the time being, go back home and think of another method to achieve his goal. There were other ways to get things done instead of using the head on approach.

Staying here longer would only reduce his worth in the eyes of the people and himself. There was simply no good that could come out of it.

He wanted to discuss the situation with Bruce as well.

Being more experienced, there was a certain maturity that Bruce had and Zach lacked when it came to dealing with such matters.

Maybe it was his upbringing that allowed him to act in the most appropriate manner, but Zach couldn’t help but admire this about Bruce.

Therefore, he wanted to hear Bruce’s opinion on it before making a move against the merchant. He hoped that Bruce would be able to suggest a better way of handling the situation.

"Let’s go first. It doesn’t look like he wants to sell the little girl. He is only putting a show for all the audience." said Zach.

However, Brittany was in a stupor as she remained glued to the ground with her eyes locked onto the little girl as if not intending to let her out of her sight for a single moment.

Zach patted Brittany’s back in a comforting manner, but the latter didn’t react even a little bit. She seemed lost, utterly incapable of moving as her eyes began to leak pearls of water one after the other. They streaked past her cheek before congregating on her chin before dripping on to the ground.

Seeing as Brittany hadn’t even registered what Zach said to her, he felt the need to repeat himself to her.

"Let’s go home first. I promise I will find another way to save her. But for now, we should go. There is nothing you or I can do if he doesn’t want to sell."

Brittany took a deep breath, exhaled loudly and turned her head to look into Zach’s eyes before saying, "But there is something we can do right now, master."

Zach couldn’t imagine what Brittany had in mind that she could say something like that so resolutely and while brimming with such confidence.

"What do you mean?"

"We can give him what he wants." Brittany stated in a matter-of-fact manner.

"But he asked for...for...for you in exchange." Zach protested with some hesitation as he had already figured out what the brave woman was thinking in her heart. She was thinking of sacrificing herself all over again.

But this time for a stranger, a girl she had never seen before.

Zach wondered how kind did you have to be to even think of such a thing. Brittany was willing to sacrifice herself again to a torment worse than death.

But even if Brittany was willing to agree to the trafficker’s demand, Zach wasn’t. He would sooner murder him in cold blood than let him lay his hands on Brittany.

During the time she had stayed in the Smith family, Zach had come to admire Brittany’s spirit of sacrifice and her courage despite her usually meek personality. He wouldn’t knowingly let any harm happen to her after she had already lived such a harsh life.

"Are you crazy? Even if you want to save the girl, isn’t this too much? I will never agree to such an unreasonable demand. As long as you are in the Smith family, don’t even think of doing such a worthless thing. I won’t allow it."

Zach stated his stance on the topic. He was against it, and he portrayed his thoughts as strongly as possible so that Brittany would refrain from making such a suggestion to him again.

"Even the girl thinks it is a good deal. Look at her, getting all excited to come to me. Why don’t you let her pursue her happiness?" The merchant painted Brittany’s desperation in a different light.

Zach ignored the merchant’s poisonous words as he focused fully on pulling that thought out of Brittany’s mind.

He wanted Brittany to value herself more. He wanted her to be a little selfish.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t be long before she would end up selling herself into slavery for someone else again. She was far too compassionate for her own good.

The trafficker had finally managed to find a chink in Zach’s armor that he could exploit.

"You see, being a salesman like me can be quite frustrating. It is tough when deals keep falling apart or when we encounter tough stubborn customers who are not willing to leave us even a bit of profit for our survival."

Zach couldn’t listen to the merchant spouting bullshit. He was busy comforting Brittany and urging her to forget the thoughts in her mind.

"Haah~ you leave me no choice then." There was finality in the merchant’s voice as if he had finally made a decision.

His words attracted the attention of both Zach and Brittany simultaneously. They turned towards the merchant instantly wondering what he was planning to do now.

Zach’s instincts wanted him to leave the place as he didn’t want the merchant’s actions to evoke more sympathy in Brittany, which would no doubt cause her to feel even more lost than she already felt.

"Since I can’t vent my frustrations on a proper woman, I have no choice but to use this girl. Although she doesn’t look very appealing, a poor man has got to make do with what he has rather than wishing for something he might never get."