Chapter 96
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Upon hearing the villain’s words, everyone inside the carriage was startled.
And then…
“I-I-Impo-ssible! Th-the v-villain, th-they’re trying to h-harm the l-lady!”
As Sienna stumbled through her feeble lines with her eyes tightly shut, Rebecca and I exchanged a surprised glance.
I quickly covered Sienna’s mouth and whispered, “Are you crazy, Sienna? Just stay quiet.” What a pitiful acting performance this is.
Although momentarily taken aback by the bomb Sienna threw, I regained my composure and turned to the guards outside the window, questioning them. “Hey, what on earth is happening?”
“My lady, a suspicious person has appeared. It seems they’re targeting carriages traveling along this mountain road, likely thieves.”
“What?”
“Fortunately, it seems to be only one person, so please don’t worry. We’ll handle it soon.”
“Alright. Thank you.”
Slightly concerned by the self-assured tone of the guards, I glanced briefly at the villain.
‘Is this even possible?’
It was clear that apart from the dagger, they had no other weapons. With just their own body and facing ten armed guards, how did they plan to confront them?
However, my suspicion quickly turned into astonishment.
Snap.
Crack.
The villain’s movements were beyond anything I could comprehend with my eyes.
Without even drawing their swords, the two guards at the front were struck precisely in vital points and fell unconscious.
The villain didn’t even remove the dagger from its sheath. They seemed sincere in not wanting to shed blood, instead using the blunt handle to subdue their opponents.
‘What is this?’
An otherworldly skill that incapacitated without leaving a single mark. With my mouth agape, I pressed my cheek against the window and marveled at the astonishing movements of the masked figure.
While the guards who followed closely behind the carriage managed to draw their swords at least.
‘…Is this really a human?’
Standing before the masked figure who seemed to have transcended the realm of humanity was meaningless. Like facing a child with a toy sword, they incapacitated each guard individually.
Neck, instep, temple…
Taking advantage of the gaps in their armor, they struck with precision, aiming for vital points. With just one precise strike, each guard fell, gasping for breath. It took less than a minute to subdue each person.
Gulp.
My saliva went down involuntarily. It felt like watching a meticulously choreographed fantasy martial arts movie as if it were computer-generated imagery (CG).
“Hmm, I think that takes care of everyone.”
The masked figure, who inspected the fallen guards on the ground, then proceeded to pat the rumps of the horses they rode on, one by one.
“Go up carefully.”
Just as the guards fell silently, like water flowing gently, the horses seemed unaware of what had happened. They obediently retraced their steps, returning up the path they had come down.
‘Now I understand a bit.’
I finally realized as I watched the masked figure relaxing their body with composure.
‘Lark’s blond-haired aide, Ren.’
I finally understood why the 2nd Prince, in my previous life, had wanted to eliminate him first.
Ren, who had come closer, lowered the window, and our eyes met, sending shivers down my spine. Our first encounter. My body involuntarily trembled as his crimson and sharp eyes passed over me.
A fearsome and remarkable individual. That was the first impression I had of Ren.
‘It’s ironic that someone like him, who seems invulnerable, died so easily in my previous life.’
He seemed like someone who had no vulnerabilities whatsoever.
“Heh heh heh! Princess Diollus! You’re such a beautiful young lady!”
…?
The voice that spoke loudly, as if addressing the scattered guards…
‘How sloppy!’
Ren, who had moved to the front of the carriage, gently placed the sleeping coachman on the ground and took hold of the reins.
“Heh, heh, heh!” Clumsy laughter echoed along the tranquil mountain path.
“Heh, heh, heh, heh! I’ve succeeded in kidnapping Princess Diollus! Heh, heh, heh, heh!”
Oh, so much for the talk about no vulnerabilities earlier.
‘His acting is terrible!’
***
Diollus Duchy.
Leonard, who had come out of his room for the first time in six months to greet his daughter’s return, suspected his ears.
“We apologize, Your Grace!”
“We’re ashamed, Young Duke.”
The ten guards who had been sent to Lubon since morning, with their heads pressed to the ground, sobbed and pleaded.
“What… What is this all about?” Even though he had heard the exact words several times already, Viego couldn’t believe it as he trembled with a voice filled with disbelief.
“He was an incredibly skilled individual. We simply couldn’t defeat him with our own strength. He moved so swiftly with his sword that our eyes couldn’t keep up, and by the time we regained our senses…”
“Ugh! We apologize! Please kill us!”
They spoke of encountering a villain immediately after leaving Lubon.
A single person had subdued the ten highly skilled guards of the Diollus Duchy, stolen the carriage, and fled.
“What on earth is happening?” Molga, holding the twins in her arms, murmured with a pale face as if she could collapse at any moment.
“Uh, Mom. Wh-what about Rubette? Hey, where is Rubette?” Lillia also pondered and asked.
The guard closed their eyes tightly before speaking, “Miss Rubette, one of the lady’s maids, and Secretary Sienna were in the carriage. It seems that the culprit took the entire carriage with them.”
“That’s…”
Viego, his eyes bloodshot, shouted, “That’s absurd! Ten trained individuals couldn’t handle just one person!”
“We’re ashamed, Young Duke…”
Until that moment, Leonard couldn’t fully comprehend what had happened. Or rather, he didn’t want to believe it, his instinctively rejecting the understanding of the situation.
“So, they only took the women? It’s unsettling…”
“Ricky! Can’t you be quiet!”
Taken aback by the shock, Ricky murmured absentmindedly, and Molga pinched his arm and admonished him.
Only when Ricky’s slip of the tongue reached his ears did Leonard finally understand.
“Ah, Father!”
Now he realized just how dangerous the situation was for his daughter.
Viego supported the wobbling and swaying duke’s larger body. Molga hurriedly rushed over and supported him as well.
“Are you alright?”
“Rubette. Rubette…”
“Don’t worry. Nothing will happen to her. We will release all the knights immediately to find Rubette.”
“Please, Leonard. In times like this, we must find our composure.”
“Vie…go.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Haah, hoo.” Breathing became difficult. Leonard, with a stiff and constricted chest, exhaled heavily with effort. “Rubette…”
“Nothing will happen to her. I will absolutely bring her back safely. Don’t worry.”
“…”
“Hey, please support Father back to his room.”
Upon Viego’s command, Leonard was handed over to the servants’ hands. His staggering steps continued precariously.
As he returned to his room, a voice he hadn’t heard in a long time echoed in Leonard’s mind.
“Heheh, fortunately, our daughter takes after me a bit. Viego and Victor look just like you.”
His wife, who had left without even being able to hold their beautiful daughter in her arms for a few years.
Even in her dying moments, emaciated and unrecognizable on her sickbed, she worried about their four-year-old Rubette. And yet, Leonard, caught up in the pain of their separation for so long, hadn’t been able to take care of their daughter, and now…
“Aaaahhh!!!”
The sight of Leonard screaming in front of the door made the two servants supporting him tremble.
At that moment,
[…Dad, Dad, Dad~!]
Leonard froze in place.
[Dad, can you hear me? What should I do? Maybe he’s not in the room right now.]
A tree imbued with the protection of the spirit Florinus. Only near Leonard’s room, and only audible to Leonard, Rubette’s voice could be heard.
“Go.”
Shoving aside the two servants, Leonard hastily entered his room and closed the door. Then he ran to the window. Beyond the slightly open window, a thick branch swayed.
“What are you- Where are you right now?”
[Dad! Phew, I surprised you, didn’t I? To cut to the chase, I’m perfectly fine, so don’t worry.]
“Are you in Lubon?”
[No, it’s not the tree planted in Lubon. His Highness the Crown Prince made a cute potted plant for me this time.]
…The Crown Prince!
As his name was mentioned, Leonard’s face contorted with anger.
“That damn brat!”
[…]
He had a hunch.
After receiving the marriage proposal from the imperial family, the crown prince had personally come to the ducal residence. He had claimed that it was an arbitrary decision made by the imperial family and told them not to be concerned before leaving.
‘Something seemed off when he sent such a threatening marriage proposal and then gave up so quickly.’
To go to such lengths…
“Tell me right away where he is. I’ll kill that bastard today.”
[Daddy, calm down. And please soften your tone a little for now. Even though only the two of us can hear each other’s voices…]
“…”
[The person who made this is the crown prince, so if he’s close by, um, he can hear Daddy’s voice. From the moment you said “That damn brat”, he’s been listening to everything beside me…]
“…”
[Huh? Why? It’s okay? No, it’s not. Daddy, anyway, from now on, please speak a little more gently.]
“Listen well, you son of a bitch. Bring my daughter back immediately. Before I tear you to shreds.”
Silence came as Leonard chanted quietly.
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