Chapter 223
Chapter 223
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 223
Chapter Title: The Prince's Disappearance
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Abel threw on some clothes haphazardly and got ready to head out. Glancing at the date, he saw it was still vacation time, but he'd managed to link up with the 6th circle entirely thanks to his mangy stray of a friend, His Majesty. He wanted to be the first to share the good news.
'Maybe invite him out for a drink to celebrate.'
Bang!
"...!?"
But Abel flinched in surprise the moment he opened the door.
"Your Excellency!"
"Pri-Prime Minister!"
"...Abel."
Standing right in front of his bedroom door were his attendant, a knight, and... His Majesty the mangy stray.
"...What are you all doing in front of my room?"
"Abel, are you done?"
"Your Majesty... What's going on?"
"Are you done?"
King Sedes asked with a grave expression. It seemed like something incredibly serious and urgent had come up, but he looked ready to just turn around and leave if Abel said he wasn't finished.
Abel didn't hesitate long before answering.
"I'm done."
"Help us."
"Yes."
It didn't seem like the time for bragging after all.
"The 2nd Prince has gone missing."
On the way to the 2nd Prince's Palace, Abel listened to the briefing and finally understood why King Sedes's face had been so rigidly set.
"Where's Nil... I mean, the prince's attendant?"
"He went out yesterday morning. Only a few servants knew about it."
"Ah..."
Come to think of it, he'd mentioned going out to Abel too. Something about shopping for a birthday present for the prince.
Abel feigned ignorance as he asked,
"...I see. So what do you need me to do?"
"Find the magic detection devices installed around here."
"Understood."
'The prince disappears right after Nil heads out... The timing's too suspicious.'
Abel hurried his steps even as doubts gnawed at him. If things kept going like this, Nil might get pegged as the kidnapper.
"Why were you wandering around the palace grounds at night?"
"...I-I was just doing what the young master told me to do."
But before Abel could intervene, the interrogation had already veered into strange territory.
"We're asking exactly what that attendant told you to do."
"I-I can't tell you. I'm bound by a magic contract to keep it secret."
"...What's going on?"
Abel approached the cowering pharmacist and the knight questioning him.
"Ah, Your Excellency, you're here."
"I heard the magic alarm went off."
"The alarm shut off right away. But could you verify if this pharmacist is telling the truth? He claims he can't talk because of a magic contract..."
"The contract is real. I drew it up myself."
"What? Your Excellency did it personally...?"
"He's a pharmacist His Majesty hired directly. The contract prevents him from harming the prince, so he couldn't be the one who took him."
Abel defended him like that, but he couldn't shake the oddity of it. Why mention Nil specifically while claiming secrecy due to the clause?
Just then, a shout came from behind.
"Captain! Poisonous plants found in the glass greenhouse!"
"...Poisonous plants?"
"There were unknown plants too, so we couldn't identify everything."
"Who's in charge of the greenhouse?"
"The attendant manages it himself. The prince ordered no one to enter without permission."
"...Hold on, hold everything. Don't touch anything."
The knight captain roughly rubbed his face. Traces of the attendant kept popping up everywhere, leaving him flustered. But before he could calm the confusion, another report came in.
"Captain, that attendant's study won't open. Should we break it down?"
"...Hoo."
That short sigh carried a lot of weight.
Evidence pointing to the prince's attendant as suspicious kept emerging from all sides. It was hard to believe how he'd hidden it all this long.
Yet the investigation wasn't progressing. Suspicious evidence about the attendant didn't prove he'd taken the prince.
Of course, the lack of progress had other reasons too.
"...Captain."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
"...Have you ever spoken to Nil?"
"......"
Abel realized from the knight captain's silence. The investigation's stagnation—no, the fact that the blatantly suspicious Nil hadn't been nailed as the culprit yet—was all thanks to the captain.
"...Finding the prince comes first, before the attendant."
Abel nodded in agreement.
"I think so too."
'Sorry, Your Highness.'
He vaguely recalled hearing something like that. What was he sorry for? He'd wanted to ask, but overwhelming sleepiness hit him, and he passed out. He'd ask tomorrow, he thought.
"......"
Lianus opened his eyes—or tried to. They wouldn't open easily. His body wouldn't move well; was he paralyzed? Then something cold touched the nape of his neck with a tap, startling him fully awake.
'What is this...?'
He couldn't see. Had he not opened his eyes yet, or was it too dark?
No, something seemed to be covering them. He tried to raise his hand to remove it, but it caught on something with a clunk—he couldn't pull free.
Sensation was slowly returning. Whatever his body touched was cold and hard. His limbs were numb.
'What the hell is going on?'
Lianus struggled to grasp the situation. Even he could tell this wasn't his bedroom.
He twisted, but he seemed tightly bound to something like a chair—wriggling was tough.
Lianus took slow, deep breaths.
'It's okay, it's okay. Stay calm.'
He felt his breathing quicken but brainwashed himself into thinking it was fine.
'I've played escape games with Nil tons of times. It's okay. This is just a game.'
Thinking that, he fumbled at his wrist. His fingertips caught the thread bracelet his friend had given him. He'd never imagined using it in a real situation, but maybe this was his friend's preparation.
'No, wait—this is probably a game Nil planned! That's why Sir Evan apologized!'
Of course! Sir Evan had no reason to apologize to him otherwise!
Lianus puffed up with pride at his sharpened instincts. His friend would be shocked to know he'd figured out it was a game.
Come to think of it, he'd left his thread bracelet on the nightstand because he'd fiddled with it too much and the knot came loose. The fact it was snugly tied on his wrist meant someone had retied it. Even indoor shoes were on his feet, and he was dressed in outer clothes.
'Isn't this too obvious?'
Regaining his composure, Lianus smirked, already planning to scold his soft-hearted friend.
I'll tell him straight: Of course you'd get caught like this. What kidnapper prepares escape tools, puts on your shoes, and dresses you up?
Lianus paused his fiddling with the ropes and focused on his surroundings. Nil always said to assess the situation before trying to escape.
"...just...go...ah."
"That...escape...responsibility...nya."
"Attendant...when......"
Listening carefully, faint voices filtered in. Too far to make out clearly, but hearing his friend mentioned suggested they were hires for this game.
'Definitely Nil's plan!'
Somewhat relieved, Lianus wriggled to grab the thread bracelet. The moment had come for his friend's gift to shine.
The ropes might fray it a bit, but he'd escape perfectly and earn praise. Gotta ask if there's a prize!
Lianus snapped the ropes and untied the cloth over his eyes. He was in a small shed. Light streamed through gaps in the weathered planks, dust motes dancing in the beams.
Only one exit. As he reached for the doorknob, the droning voices grew closer, words becoming audible.
"Is this really okay?"
"Ah, it's fine! You questioning the guy who ordered this?"
"I get that, but he's still the 2nd Prince..."
"He'll just keep sleeping from the sleeping incense—what's there to worry about? They said he'd be out for four days straight."
"Well, he slept through yesterday without waking too."
Footsteps approached.
Yesterday—last night? If they caught him now, would it be a fail?
Lianus hurriedly rewound the snapped ropes around the chair and his body. The sleeping incense mention suggested playing possum would work.
Once tied up, he realized he'd forgotten the blindfold.
'Uh-oh, what now?'
Footsteps were almost upon him. Moving might give him away.
Desperate, he tossed the cloth roughly near his face and squeezed his eyes shut. Moments later, the door creaked open loudly on rusty hinges.
"See? Still out cold."
"Yeah. But why's this loose?"
One man picked up the blindfold cloth.
"He wake up or something?"
The man slapped Lianus's cheek a few times. It stung like fire, tears pricking his eyes, but he held still.
"Hey, cut it out. What if you actually wake him? Probably just sleep-talking. Tie it back loosely."
"Eh, whatever."
Convinced the motionless Lianus was asleep, the man retied the blindfold sloppily and left.
Screeech—the hinges whined as the door clicked shut, footsteps fading.
Lianus didn't move right away, counting silently in his head.
'Rian, when you can't see, always move cautiously. Count slowly to ten inside your head before acting.'
1...2...3...4..., ..., 8...9...
"...Guess he really is asleep."
"...!"
The sudden voice nearly made Lianus yelp mid-count. Good thing the man had re-blindfolded him—otherwise, their eyes would've met his bulging ones.
His body tensed slightly, but the man didn't notice and left the room.
To be safe, Lianus counted another ten seconds after the footsteps vanished completely, then slowly rose.
His heart pounded like it might leap from his chest.
"Is this situation even possible?!"
Queen Helia shouted.
"How could a prince be kidnapped from inside the royal palace—without a trace, without a soul noticing!"
"Enough, that's enough, my queen."
King Sedes's eyes smoldered darkly. He'd already mobilized the knights yesterday for a search, but found no leads.
"Your Majesty, it has to be that child's doing! How else could he vanish so quietly!"
"What reason would that child have to kidnap the prince?!"
"But there's no way the prince went willingly without leaving a trace! That spirit boy went out, and the next day this happens—how can we not suspect him?!"
King Sedes ground his teeth.
'Since when have we ever treated that child like a prince!'
Bam!
Unable to hold back, Sedes slammed the desk.
"Enough! What do you propose, my queen?! Hunt down that child? Change the search target to him and suddenly things will turn up?!"
"I'll deploy the ducal house's private guards."
"What? You want to station your house's men in my palace right now?"
"Your Majesty, is this the time to quibble over that? We need to expand the search and find the prince as soon as possible!"
"......"
Sedes glared at Helia as if he could kill her.
This was all that snake woman's scheme. She'd kidnapped the 2nd Prince herself and would "find" him somewhere later, once time passed.
She'd learned his "friend" was away and taken the chance to dispose of him too.
'...Need hard evidence.'
But how?
She wouldn't kill the 2nd Prince—he'd be needed for the crown prince exam. A new boy wouldn't bend to her whims.
Still, whether he'd return unharmed was doubtful.
'If anything happens to that child...!'
Sedes clenched his fist. Maybe permitting her private guards and finding the prince quickly was better.
Once Rus was back, he'd assign more escort knights. Leaving a young knight alone to guard him was absurd from the start. Knights were human too—how could one stick to the prince 24/7?
"...Very well, I permit it."
Sedes finally set aside some authority. If the 2nd Prince returned safely, his pride could take the hit.
"...Really?"
"But you must produce meaningful results."
"Yes, I will do my utmost, Your Majesty."
Her red lips curved slyly.