“When did they say the departure time was?”
“In 4 hours.”
“Let’s resolve this matter within that time.”
The Duke assessed the current personnel. Two knights brought from the Imperial Palace, four knights from the Duke’s mansion, the young Viscount Walden and the secretary, and himself – only nine people in total.
It wasn’t a small number, but there were several places where Carol might be.
“I should have called for more people.”
Given the time constraints, it was unreasonable to call for more personnel now.
Just in case, they visited Carol’s house nearby, but no one was home – her siblings seemed to have gone out.
“Do you know how to handle a sword?”
“A little.”
“I can’t use one at all.”
After Louis’s reply, the secretary spoke in a voice tinged with tears.
“Then it’s better to think of us as having only seven people.”
Louis seemed offended, but the Duke’s judgment wasn’t wrong.
After some deliberation, the Duke decided on the accompanying personnel.
“We’ll move in groups of four, three, and two.”
However, there were four places they needed to go.
“Search there, and if you judge it’s not the place, go straight to the port.”
There was still time until departure.
“Wait a moment.”
Louis stopped the Duke. His judgment was reasonable. But that was only under the assumption that she could escape.
The knights heading to the farthest location left first.
Louis spoke quietly, so only the Duke could hear.
“It might be best to catch the culprit first.”
Rationally thinking, catching the culprit was better. Wouldn’t capturing the culprit prevent future crimes?
Carol knew how to transform into a beastman, and the kidnapper wouldn’t know that fact. Using that weakness, she could easily escape.
“That’s not possible.”
“Carol will have escaped. I can’t tell you the reason, but even if she’s tied up, she can easily get out.”
The Duke rubbed his forehead at Louis’s firm words.
“You’re saying that because she’s a beastman.”
“…You knew?”
Louis was surprised by the Duke’s words. He also felt bitter, realizing they were already close enough to share such secrets.
“I also think rationally that going straight for the culprit might be better.”
“So then…”
“But what if there are other accomplices? What if she transforms into a beastman and gets caught?”
“That’s thinking too far ahead.”
“…I fear that small but real danger.”
She was too precious to even hold tightly.
“Doesn’t this seem like an impulsive act to anyone? There must be some flaws.”
“I can’t let go of even that slight possibility. If you think it’s foolish to chase that small chance rather than letting the culprit go, then do as you see fit.”
The Duke turned his back on Louis, as if feeling no need for further conversation.
“I must go to her.”
Louis also judged it better to leave rather than trying to persuade further.
“Yes.”
“Then let’s all depart now.”
Everyone moved in unison at the Duke’s command.
****
Carol crawled around the room, wondering if there was anything useful.
She thought there was nothing in the room, but a pile of straw was stacked in the corner of the wall.
And the area near the straw was extremely damp.
“Why is it so damp here?”
“Come to think of it, doesn’t it smell like oil?”
“…I wish we could see properly.”
Straw and oil. Unpleasant thoughts began to creep up.
“I’ve never seen a place without windows like this before.”
“It’s a basement.”
Bianca wouldn’t know. Basements were usually found under large houses and were mostly suitable for hiding secrets.
Being in darkness, they couldn’t tell exactly how much time had passed, but they knew it had been quite a while.
“But why are they just keeping us here and not coming?”
It was a natural question.
Instead of immediately transforming into a beastman, Carol tried to assess the situation.
‘If I escape like this, Miss Bianca and I would be safe… but Benjamin might be abused even more severely.’
The Duke would quickly notice that she had disappeared.
Until then, she had to try everything else she could do.
“Won’t they come soon?”
“Should we agree on what to say when they come down?”
Bianca and Carol’s voices were trembling like aspen leaves. But still, the two didn’t lose hope and discussed what to do.
“Sob…”
“…Benjamin? Were you awake?”
Benjamin, who had been lying still as if dead, suddenly burst into tears.
“I’m sorry, teacher. It’s because of me…!”
Benjamin apologized, sobbing.
“Benjamin, we’ll be rescued soon.”
Even as Carol tried to comfort him, Benjamin couldn’t stop crying.
“…I’m sorry.”
As Benjamin’s sobs began to quiet down, Bianca, who had been silent, asked,
“Did you hear something?”
At her question, for a moment, not even the faintest breath could be heard in the basement.
“We probably won’t be able to get out of here.”
His voice was still trembling from crying, but his words were clear.
“…”
“Ah, Father always said he would set fire to this place and kill you, and no one would know.”
“What!”
Shocked by these words, Bianca and Carol were momentarily speechless. They were first surprised that such abusive language was used towards a child, and then shocked again that he seemed like someone who might actually do such a thing.
“So he’s not even checking on us because he’s planning to kill us now?”
Bianca muttered in a bewildered voice.
Even if it was said out of fear, Benjamin’s words couldn’t be easily overlooked.
“I’m sorry.”
Benjamin apologized again. Everyone here was a victim.
“Don’t apologize, Benjamin. You’re not the one who locked us up.”
“That’s right.”
Benjamin hiccupped at Carol’s kind words.
Just as Benjamin’s crying finally stopped, a man came.
Clank.
With the sound of the basement door opening, light poured in.
“Ugh.”
The intense light made it hard to see.
Thud. Thud.
The man entered completely and the door closed. Unlike before when only his outline was visible, now the man’s figure was clearly seen, probably because he brought a lantern.
The man silently looked down at the three tied-up people.
“Hey, what were you thinking when you kidnapped us! Are you in your right mind?”
Bianca was the first to speak.
The man was looking down at the three with a relaxed expression. He was curling up the corners of his mouth in an eerily joyful manner.
“So who told you to ignore me?”
“What nonsense!”
When Bianca, unable to hold back, sneered, the man’s face changed instantly.
“Do you think the nobles and knights really care about commoner women like you? I was sincere!”
“Let’s talk after you untie us first.”
Carol spoke in a calm voice. The man lowered his head, grabbed Carol’s hair, and pulled her face up. His eyes were filled with hatred.
“I didn’t know the teacher could be so two-faced. I thought you were innocent.”
Carol gave a hollow laugh. Although she hadn’t met the Duke based on conditions, whether she considered conditions or not was irrelevant to this man.
Abandoning the possibility of smooth-talking their way out of this situation, Carol spoke scathingly.
“Regardless of who I meet, I have no intention of dating you, Mr. Bain. And if we’re talking about conditions, it seems you’re the one most concerned about them…”
“Shut up!”
The man didn’t seem to be in his right mind. Even his previously cold demeanor now seemed like a facade.
“You’ll be caught soon if you do this to us.”
At Carol’s cold voice, the man stood up without much hesitation.
“I’m leaving now, and the lantern is set to fall only after I’ve departed from the port.”
Only upon closer inspection did they notice that there was no glass around the lantern.
As if to show that he had planned well after the impulsive kidnapping, the man placed the lantern on a stand above the straw. There was straw underneath, and the smell of oil nearby.
The fire would spread in an instant. A fierce fire strong enough to burn the two of them immediately.
“Crazy bastard.”
Bianca muttered in a horrified voice, seemingly realizing the man’s intentions.
Even if the kidnapping was revealed, there would be no way to prove any harm was done.
“You came to the mansion because you were close to my child, only to meet with an unfortunate accident.”
The man spoke in a regretful voice, as if performing in a play.
While the three were dumbfounded, the man left the basement.
Carol made a quick judgment. That bastard was serious.
‘Revealing that I’m a beastman isn’t the issue here.’
Carol swallowed hard. It was the first time she would be forced to reveal it due to circumstances.
‘I haven’t even told the Duke yet.’
Carol resolved that if she could get out, she would have to tell them that she was actually a beastman.
Her eyes grew hot. But Carol didn’t show it and said,
“Could everyone please check if there’s any tiny hole or gap?”
“What?”
“I have a way to escape, that’s why.”
