Chapter 20
Chapter 20
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Boyhood ~Let's Escape~
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Ugh..."
Where am I?
The stinging pain at the back of my neck made my face scrunch up involuntarily.
"Where the hell...?"
A prison?
Dust-covered room, narrow window barred with iron grates.
It was clearly an abandoned, neglected ruin.
Kidnapped? Why me?
"Ugh..."
No, that's not right.
My mind was foggy; I couldn't think straight.
I clutched my throbbing head and slowly moved my body.
Clank—
"...I'm chained up."
I noticed the iron shackles around my ankles and hardened my expression.
"Kidnapped?"
The first thought that came to mind as I pieced things together was, Why me?
Sure, I was a branch family member of the Yeon Clan, but I wasn't important enough to ransom.
There had been the Crown Prince and all sorts of high-ranking nobles with big names; they would've been the real targets, not me.
Right, someone in a position like the Young Master...
For a moment, my thoughts turned to the Young Master. Is he okay?!
I quickly peeked toward the door.
My legs were chained, so I couldn't move far, but I could clearly hear voices from beyond the door.
{Pretty... juicy...}
{Boss... thinking...?}
{Let us... taste too...}
{No way... sells for big money...}
Most of the sound was muffled by the thick door, but I caught bits of the kidnappers' conversation outside.
So there's a boss. Bandits? Selling for big money—probably slaves.
I didn't want to jump to conclusions, but in a situation like this, you always had to assume the worst.
Slavery was illegal under imperial law, but guys pulling off something like this weren't exactly law-abiding.
I gripped my trembling chest and slowly closed my eyes.
Stay calm. You have to stay calm, Yu Seon-hwa.
First, confirm the Young Master is safe.
Before I blacked out, I was outside the banquet hall alone, so the odds are low, but just in case.
Second, figure out the kidnappers' goal. Slaves? Hostages? Ransom? I need to pin down why they took us.
If I could figure out their purpose, maybe the clan could negotiate using their influence.
Branch family or not, I'm still a child of the Yeon Clan. They won't abandon me. No, they absolutely won't.
I clenched my shaking arms and steeled my resolve.
Getting out of here comes first, though...
I looked around, but as expected, there were no tools useful for escape.
True to an old, neglected room, all I saw were stacks of wooden crates.
Was this a storage room once?
With nothing usable, I swallowed a sigh and racked my brain.
Multiple kidnappers outside the door, window blocked by bars—can't use that.
If only I'd learned some magic or martial arts, I could've at least defended myself, but that wasn't me.
Following the Young Master around meant no time for training, and now...
I swallowed the deep regret surging up—I should've at least learned sleep hypnosis or something.
Then I could've at least picked this lock.
Clank—
I lightly moved my foot to inspect the shackle.
Maybe because it was for a powerless kid.
Unlike the magically or ritually reinforced ones for martial artists, this seemed like a plain lock-and-key shackle.
Clank—
"Haa... Isn't there some way?"
No matter how I thought about it, I saw no path to escape.
After gauging the surroundings for a bit, I let out a resigned sigh.
Can't make a fuss. They might notice and come in.
Who knew what they'd do if they came in here.
I had to think of an escape without upsetting them.
Deciding to bide my time, I tucked a wooden splinter from near the old crates into my bosom and lay down, pretending to sleep.
Wait it out. Someone will come rescue me for sure.
With that tiny spark of hope, I closed my eyes amid the anxiety.
.
.
How much time has passed?
I'd lost all sense of it.
Dozing on and off, a day must've gone by, and sunlight was now streaming in from outside.
I'd been on edge waiting for my kidnappers to barge in, but they'd left me alone since I woke up.
How much longer?
"...Cold."
I sat up from the frigid stone floor and huddled in a corner of the room.
That's when it happened.
The firmly shut door slowly creaked open, revealing a man with a scruffy, unkempt look.
"......"
I instinctively drew my body in tight and shot him a wary glare.
"Heh heh heh, what a cute little thing."
He glanced at me dismissively, set down the plate in his hand, and spoke.
"Here, breakfast."
"Ugh..."
It was some watery gruel loaded with random chunks.
The stench was foul; no way it was edible.
"Anyway, eat it or don't. I'm out."
He waved a hand lazily and left. Grimacing, I turned my eyes from the plate to the window.
Endure it. I can skip one meal.
Luckily, I wasn't hungry yet.
Or more precisely, the sheer terror left no room for hunger.
At least no urge to vomit. Silver lining.
"Someone will come rescue me soon enough."
Yeah, just hold out until then.
I hugged myself tighter and buried my head.
.
.
.
The sun set.
In the meantime, the same scruffy guy came twice more with food, which I ignored just like before.
As I hugged my shivering body to preserve warmth, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the door.
{The boss sure has weird tastes, huh?}
{Outta all the noble girls, why pick the kid...}
{You know the boss likes 'em young. Probably wants a taste of nobility too.}
{Sigh, just drag her along already.}
The noisy voices stopped right at the door. Sensing danger on instinct, I jumped to my feet.
I checked the wooden splinter in my bosom, hardened my resolve, and stared at the men entering.
"......"
Three men came in.
One with a scar across his nose bridge, a bald guy, and a skinny runt.
"Whew~"
"Oho, this one's..."
"Top quality, huh?"
They leered at me with disgusting gazes.
"Wow... Nobles really are on another level."
"Nah, this girl's special."
"Yeah, checked the other captures from this haul—none like her."
The slovenly trio swallowed hard, eyeing me up and down.
"Such a shame... A few more years, and she'd fetch top dollar."
"What years? She'd pull hundreds of gold right now."
"Gasp!"
"No way the boss is using up merchandise like that?"
The skinny one asked, and the bald guy nodded.
"Hey, we hit it big this time. This is pocket change by comparison."
"True, compared to the haul."
"How much did you grab anyway?"
"Don't ask. This hideout's packed, and the others are too."
"What?! All of it?"
"Yeah."
"Whoa..."
While they talked, the other two approached me.
I sorted the info I'd gleaned while warily watching their movements.
"Who are you people?"
"We're the Brigand Group."
"Brigand Group?"
Never heard of them.
"That's right. Righteous outlaws risen to save the suffering masses."
"Righteous outlaws? Hilarious. Just thieves invading the imperial palace."
How did mere bandits even infiltrate the palace?
No, that's not important right now.
I glared at the smirking bald guy.
"What's your goal?"
"Goal?"
"You kidnapped me for a reason. Ransom?"
At that, the three burst out laughing at each other.
"Puhaha! Ransom! Yeah! Money's key!"
"Exactly! Can't argue with that!"
"Right! It's all about the ransom!"
From their reaction, it was clear ransom wasn't the goal—at least not for hostages.
"Listen, you dumb girl. You think we'd raid the palace for your ransom?"
"......"
"Hahaha! What's wrong? Not inaccurate!"
Everyone turned to the scarred guy.
"Spill it?"
"Pfft. What difference does it make if she knows?"
"Fair."
"Hey, girl."
"......"
"We're gonna sell you off as a slave from here on out. To some real scary folks, toys for life."
I bit my lip to suppress the shaking.
"Whoa, whoa, don't glare like that."
"We're just following the boss's orders."
"Eh, don't worry. You're special."
"...Special how?"
For some reason.
The skinny guy's words only amplified my unease instead of reassuring me.
"Boss took a liking to you. Won't sell you as a slave."
"You'll be his toy instead."
"Liar!"
"Haha! It's true!"
I didn't know who their boss was.
But someone bold enough to raid the palace and kidnap nobles.
Probably not right in the head.
Soon, the scarred guy, done laughing, ordered the others.
"Grab her."
"Let go!"
"Hey now! Give up nicely!"
"No!"
Swish—!
I resisted their grabby hands, whipping out the wooden splinter from my bosom.
The bald guy, caught off guard, bellowed.
"You little bitch!"
Slap—!
"......!"
My cheek burned.
Ears ringing.
Voices fading into the distance.
Only then did I realize the bald guy had slapped me.
A child's defenseless body crumpled to the floor under an adult man's force, and I could only groan wordlessly amid the pain blooming everywhere.