Chapter 28
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: How Dare They Touch Our Little Eppie
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“Kyaaah!”
A frantic scream echoed from the direction of the mansion's entrance.
Thud thud thud!
Heavy footsteps pounded through the corridor.
Then someone, bleeding profusely, burst through the door to Ronas's bedroom as if smashing it open.
“My lord!! This is bad!!”
It was Head Maid Masha.
The one who had gone with Alina to buy grapefruit tarts.
Masha's appearance was wretched.
Her hair was disheveled, and her white apron was torn and soaked in red blood.
She had been stabbed in the stomach.
“......!”
The Eisen Baron's hand froze as he was about to lay Ronas down in the bedroom.
He reflexively tossed Ronas onto the bed and rushed to Masha.
“What happened! Blood... are you hurt?”
“No... ah... that's not the important part...!”
The head maid wailed, gasping for breath.
“A-Alina, Miss Alina...!”
The moment that name was spoken, the air in the mansion turned to ice.
All color drained from the Eisen Baron's face.
“Alina? Where's Alina! Didn't she go out to buy tarts?!”
“At the tart shop... suddenly, thugs in black masks burst in...”
The head maid collapsed to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
“They... they kidnapped Miss Alina and dragged her into a carriage!!”
Kidnapped.
The moment that word seared into their minds, the mansion erupted into pandemonium.
“Emergency! Sound the alarm!”
“Assemble the guards!”
Shouts rang out in the corridor, accompanied by the sound of knights rushing about.
I stood by the bedroom door, trying to piece together the situation.
Kidnapped? Alina's been kidnapped?
My mind was a whirlwind.
No matter how deeply I rummaged through the original story's memories, there was no episode of the Eisen Baron's daughter Alina being kidnapped.
In the original, Alina was barely a footnote, mentioned once or twice in passing conversations between Eisen and Ronas.
Even that was only after Eisen died in Kairun's place, amplifying Kairun's guilt.
No matter how much the story twisted with Kara's pregnancy or us staying here... does that lead to Alina's kidnapping?
The cause and effect didn't add up.
Did someone hold a grudge against the Eisen Baron?
Or was it for money?
Then it hit me—a thought that had flickered while waiting for dinner.
The starting point of the original novel The Illegitimate's Snowflower Path, chapter 1.
And the opening scene of that chapter 1.
It began with the heroine, Elisicia, already kidnapped.
So if Alina had been kidnapped now...
A case of mistaken identity?
The culprits mistook Alina for Princess Elisicia, or it was a smokescreen for abducting the princess, or some tangled mess.
The reason didn't matter.
What did was that a child right in front of me—our sweet little girl who adored Eppie—was in danger.
How dare they...!
My body moved before my mind could catch up.
I snatched my axe, First Snow Fang, from the wall.
The moment its hefty haft settled in my grip, my reason cooled to ice.
Shing!
At the same time, a sharp metallic ring came from under the bed.
It was Kara.
She had already retrieved her sword and her mother's, Frostwind, from their hiding spot beneath the bed.
“What do you two think you're doing?!”
The Eisen Baron, his face pale, tried to stop us.
“Miss Kara needs rest! Stay out of it! This is my daughter's problem. I'll handle it!”
“Dear, you rest. I'll go.”
I blocked Kara's path as well.
“You're still in the early stages. You need to take care. I'll bring Alina back for sure...”
“Move.”
Kara cut me off.
She lifted her head.
“......”
The playful, loving face of my usual wife was gone.
Sapphire eyes sunk cold and still.
It was the icy warrior's gaze she had shown long ago on the battlefield against the Blood Fang Tribe, severing the enemy chief's neck.
“How dare they touch my little sister?”
She growled low like a wolf.
“Whoever they are... I won't let them live...!”
The ferocious killing intent pouring from Kara overwhelmed even the Eisen Baron—and me—for a moment.
The stability of a pregnant woman.
Nothing like that showed in Kara's eyes now.
Only rage at those who had harmed her family burned there.
That was when it happened.
Spring!
Ronas, sprawled on the bed like a corpse, shot up like a coiled spring.
Reflexes hard to believe from someone who had just been unconscious.
“...What did you just say?”
Ronas's hollow eyes flashed as he asked.
Disheveled hair.
Wrinkled shirt.
Dark circles down to his jaw.
He looked every bit the overtime zombie.
But that gaze was far from the irritation of wrestling paperwork.
Cold reason.
And chilling killing intent.
“Alina... has been kidnapped?”
“Ronas!”
The Eisen Baron called to his son.
Their eyes met.
No sign of the usual bickering son and nagging father.
“Ronas. Seal off the checkpoints on the outskirts of the territory right now. Don't let a single rat slip through.”
“Understood.”
Ronas buttoned his shirt collar and replied instantly.
“I'll notify the checkpoints and dispatch Knight Squad 2. Father, please check around the tart shop for witnesses.”
“Right. We'll mobilize the entire family intelligence network.”
The two men threw on their coats in a single flourish and strode out, heels clicking sharply.
No hesitation. No panic.
Perfectly mechanical coordination in a crisis.
They too were nobles and administrators upholding the harsh Northern Grand Duchy.
“Let's go!”
Kara gripped her sword and headed for the entrance.
I blocked her path once more.
“Kara, calm down. You're...”
“I know! I'm pregnant!”
Kara stared straight into my eyes and shouted.
“I'll be careful. I won't push myself. But... Alina's like a little sister to me.”
Light reflected in her sapphire eyes.
“That tiny girl... she's probably trembling in fear right now... how can I just sit here?!”
I felt her sincerity.
But as her husband—and soon-to-be father—I couldn't send her into harm's way.
Forcing her to stay would leave her wracked with guilt forever.
I found a compromise.
“Alright. Let's go.”
“Really?”
“But on one condition. No intense combat.”
I gripped Kara's shoulders and implored her earnestly.
“If you insist on going... guard the Baron.”
“Guard the Baron?”
“Yes. The Eisen Baron and Ronas may seem calm, but their hearts are in turmoil. And they'll be heading into crowds for the investigation. Someone needs to watch their backs.”
The Eisen family had escort knights, of course.
But this gave Kara a role, keeping her out of frontline fighting while stationed safely in the rear—my little ploy.
And the justification was solid.
“If you protect the Baron, he can focus on directing the search. That's the fastest way to find Alina.”
“......”
Kara bit her lip, pondering, then nodded.
“...Okay. Sorry, I got too worked up. I'll do as you say.”
Kara adjusted her sword grip, regaining her composure.
The cool-headedness of mother and warrior had returned.
“Let's go.”
We grabbed our weapons and dashed out to the front courtyard.
The Eisen Baron and Ronas had already assembled the guards and were forming search parties.
Torches flickered wildly.
“Report! No anomalies on the eastern highway or south gate!”
“Northern forest path search team, departing!”
Amid the urgent reports, the Eisen Baron unrolled a map.
“If it were them, they wouldn't head for the main roads with checkpoints. They know Eisen Guard's security setup.”
The Baron's finger pointed to a spot on the map.
“Then the forest paths. But those are rough; a carriage would be slow...”
“They know a prepared back route.”
I interjected.
“Kidnappers would have secured an escape path. Probably an abandoned mine or smugglers' route.”
“Makes sense.”
“And I'll move separately.”
“Separately?”
“Trust the Winter Claw Tribe's mobility. I can run through forests or rough terrain like flat ground. Have the other teams take the standard routes, and I'll cover the gaps or unexpected paths they might miss.”
“But... alone is dangerous.”
“Alone means faster and stealthier. And...”
I grinned and hoisted First Snow Fang.
“With this guy, no worries.”
The Eisen Baron hesitated at my confident demeanor, then nodded.
“Very well. I trust your skills, Barg. Please... be careful.”
The Eisen Baron pulled a signal flare from his pocket and handed it to me.
“Barg. I'm sorry to burden a distinguished guest like you with this.”
“I'm going to be a dad too, you know.”
“...Thank you, Barg.”
I pocketed the flare.
Then I turned to Kara beside me.
“Kara, you'll stay by the Baron's side. In case of ambushes.”
“Ah, Miss Kara?”
The Eisen Baron looked puzzled but caught my intent from my gaze.
He nodded and regarded Kara.
“Reliable. I leave my back to you, Miss Kara.”
“Don't worry. I won't let a single bug get near you.”
Kara replied with grim resolve, her speech a bit rougher.
Roles assigned.
“Barg too... please be careful. And above all... our Alina...”
The Eisen Baron's voice trembled.
I slung my axe over my shoulder and flashed a grin.
“Don't worry. They'll pay dearly for touching our little Eppie sis.”
Roles assigned.
I turned, glaring into the darkened forest.
Mobility's just an excuse.
The real reason I wanted to move alone was something else.
Something only I knew.
The secret route the kidnappers used in chapter 1 of the original novel The Illegitimate's Snowflower Path, and their hideout.
This was info only I had.
Spilling it casually would raise suspicions and be hard to explain.
Best to go myself and wipe them out—fastest and surest.
Wait for me, you rats.
The thrill of an impending hunt made my stiffened muscles thrum.
I slung my axe on my back and bolted toward the darkened forest.
The night air stabbed my lungs.
My legs didn't stop.
I loved this sensation.
They weren't after Alina. They targeted Princess Elisicia.
My mind screamed it.
If the original memories held true, those kidnapping Elisicia at this time were likely professional contractors hired by the imperial family or rival factions.
And Elisicia was a bastard child.
The imperial family would have kept her status airtight.
The thugs wouldn't know the princess's face, or they'd go by vague descriptions.
Even if Alina explains she's not the princess, they won't release her until they confirm.
Worse case...
They might silence her to cover their tracks.
No time.
My pace quickened.
In the forests skirting Eisen Guard.
I unleashed the tracking skills honed hunting in Norheim, scouring the woods.
Crushed grass.
Dug-up earth.
Faint carriage wheel marks.
But my mind raced even busier, piecing together the puzzle.
Why Alina as the target?
Mistaken identity or not, a baron's daughter wouldn't stand out enough to confuse with the princess.
Besides, Alina and Elisicia were quite different in build and features, so why...
Does Alina have protagonist potential...?
I sorted my tangled thoughts amid such idle notions.
But my eyes gleamed sharp, reflecting the moonlight.