The Princess Has Been Kidnapped
Moreover, it wasn’t only Jeremy who sensed the shift. The servants of the Kidray mansion had begun whispering among themselves that their master seemed different lately.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever seen His Grace fret over what to wear! It took him twice as long as usual, I swear!”
“Aren’t you exaggerating? Five minutes becoming ten minutes isn’t exactly groundbreaking.”
“I’ve never seen him consider anything but ruby cufflinks before!”
“Well, there’s a first time for everything.”
“And what about the way he practically sprinted off to meet that palace maid who came from the princess’s residence? Could it be that he’s taken a liking to her?”
Amid the chatter, Baston puffed out his chest and declared with great pomp,
Thwack!
Jeremy struck the back of Baston’s head.
“Watch your tongue. Watch it carefully.”
“Tch.”
Jeremy let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. The very day they were supposed to visit the Grand Temple, donate an astronomical sum, and finalize the Duke and Duchess’s divorce proceedings, they had instead hurried to prepare for departure to the Imperial Academy.
Finalizing the divorce would mean he was no longer merely the heir—he would become the Duke in truth. Originally, he had planned to prove his suitability as successor by securing approval for a political marriage and military authority.
Yet every suitable young lady had met with some complication. On top of that, the imperial palace had been in constant uproar recently, with no moment of peace.
Even so, they could not allow Duke Leon to continue failing in his duties as head of the family. His vassals had spoken with one voice: settle the divorce quickly and install a new duke.
After much difficulty, the vassals’ opinions had aligned. It was time to conclude the Duke and Duchess’s divorce and for him to assume the position of family head.
Was meeting the princess truly more important than inheriting the ducal title? When one considered the current political climate, cultivating a close relationship with Princess Kayena did appear to be the more pressing matter.
Jeremy watched his master select his attire. Raphael had chosen a lavish silk shirt he rarely wore.
The maids’ eyes had sparkled when Raphael announced he wanted his hair styled. While his usual straight, neatly parted hair was undeniably handsome, the version with his forehead revealed was downright seductive.
They united as if they had waited their entire lives for this moment, determined to transform Raphael into the most alluring man in the capital.
Hmm. To think he’s enduring all of this.
To Jeremy, who knew how sensitive Raphael was to other people’s touch, the scene was almost surreal.
At last, Raphael reached for the familiar ruby cufflinks—then paused, glancing at the blue diamond pair he had seen earlier. Today, those seemed far more appropriate.
Until that moment, a strange anticipation had lingered. He had even entertained the childish notion of stealing her away from whatever young interloper might appear beside her at the academy.
But events refused to follow the script he had imagined. When Kayena left with a deathly pale face and not even the ghost of a smile, Raphael felt a raw, unfamiliar fury. It was fury directed at himself.
Jeremy, who had been standing silently nearby, finally spoke.
“My lord. I hesitate to say this, but…”
Jeremy glanced toward the direction the princess had vanished before continuing.
“…From what I observed, Her Highness’s reaction was entirely understandable.”
He had been waiting like a shadow at a discreet distance from their dining table and had therefore overheard their entire conversation.
Raphael looked at him with eyes heavy with exhaustion.
“Haven’t their relationship been one-sided all this time?”
The princess, lost in love, had wielded every ounce of power at her disposal to pester Raphael. Yet Raphael had shown not the slightest interest in Kayena. Everyone knew it.
“It must be difficult for Her Highness to interpret the favor you are now showing her as genuine.”
He had treated the princess like a pebble on the roadside. Kayena herself had alluded to knowing this all too well. That was precisely why she had sworn not to behave rudely toward him in the future.
Only now did Jeremy fully comprehend that his master had developed a certain interest in the princess. And only now did he realize how profoundly unskilled Raphael was at expressing emotion.
“Just as Her Highness once did, emotions cannot be understood if they remain entirely one-sided.”
Raphael realized how arrogant he had been.
Ever since her change, the princess had consistently signaled that she had organized her feelings.
She had shown it through her actions as well—avoiding contact, showing consideration, and sincerely wishing him happiness with someone else. She had behaved with remarkable maturity.
He simply hadn’t liked it. Like a spoiled child.
Raphael dragged both hands down his face in a dry wash. Shame flooded him. How long had it been since he last felt such emotions? The moment he recognized how ungentlemanly he had been, genuine embarrassment consumed him. And with it came remorse.
She had never once failed to behave like an adult. Even during that unbearably awkward dinner earlier, she had hidden her feelings and continued eating. The image haunted him.
“…I must go see Her Highness.”
The instant regret struck, he moved. He wanted to apologize to Kayena. He wanted to beg forgiveness for his own immaturity.
But… Kayena had disappeared.
Raphael’s mind cooled rapidly. When was the last time he had felt such terrible anger? It seemed he was experiencing many unfamiliar emotions today.
Soon afterward, a man was discovered naked and dead in the corner of the stables. The signs of kidnapping were unmistakable.
Raphael personally interrogated the thug he had captured earlier. He showed no mercy, handling the man with brutal efficiency to save even a second of time.
There were many ways to make a person feel pain. Raphael had been struck by barbed whips during war and had suffered poisoning. Because of that, he understood better than most what could drive a man to the brink of madness.
“Aaaargh—!”
Jeremy, standing guard nearby, reflected that it had been a long time since he last witnessed his master’s cruelty. The sight was honestly nauseating. The unique detachment Raphael possessed revealed itself most brutally in moments like these.
The thug confessed a single fact before his eyes rolled back.
“The temple… he said they were taking her to a temple…!”
“Which temple?”
“I don’t know… ugh!”
Raphael exhaled.
“I don’t understand why I must waste time like this.”
He lifted the branding iron that had been heating in the brazier. It hovered before the thug’s left eye. The man trembled violently, then seemed to remember something and cried out desperately.
“Ah, aah! I think I heard it was the southern temple. Y-yes! The south!”
Clang.
Raphael tossed the iron back into the brazier.
“Search every temple south of the capital. If it’s a temple, someone will have rented out a separate building.”
A knight spoke cautiously.
“To do that, we would need to mobilize the entire order. That requires His Grace the Duke’s authority and permission…”
Normally, Raphael had felt no dissatisfaction at remaining merely the heir. In fact, he had preferred it. But today, his circumstances grated on him.
Raphael told Jeremy,
“Contact the Grand Temple immediately.”
Because he would seize the ducal title without delay.
Olivia was under the protection of the Kidray ducal house. With a face as stiff as wax, she retraced the events. It was a strange expression—one with no tears.
“It was odd. He suddenly sent me to the library from in front of the carriage… Yes, that coachman… he seemed like a different person.”
Olivia clutched a ducal attendant and said urgently,
“Please send me back to the palace at once.”
A carriage to take her to the palace had already been urgently prepared and was arriving at the academy.
Olivia endured the journey back with restless patience. It will be all right. His Majesty is wise; Her Highness will be safe.
The moment the carriage stopped at the palace, Olivia gathered her skirts and ran. Who could immediately grasp the situation and arrange an audience with the Emperor? Spotting a familiar woman in the distance, Olivia called out as if screaming.
“Vera—!”
Vera turned to her with startled eyes. Her face hardened with some instinctive foreboding as she hurried toward Olivia.
“Olivia! What’s happened?”
Only then did Olivia’s face crumple. Her composure shattered as she spoke.
“Her Highness has been kidnapped!”
Vera looked as though she might faint.
The villainess is a marionette.