IVHMH 16

Episode 16

The year I got married, on Tirzen’s birthday, there was an incident where Roena was kidnapped.

Tirzen caught the kidnappers who had demanded a ransom.

But they were merely hired hands. They knew nothing about the identity of the person who had ordered the kidnapping.

For over ten days afterward, the kidnappers left traces of Roena scattered everywhere.

One of her shoes was found floating down the river, and parts of her clothing—stained with blood—were discovered in a market alley.

When Roena was finally found, I heard she was in a condition so horrifying that one couldn’t bear to look.

Even after receiving the ransom, the kidnappers hadn’t returned her unharmed, and since then, Roena only stayed inside the house, avoiding people.

Even after becoming a princess, Roena was extremely reluctant to meet outsiders, which gave the empress a hard time for a while.

Noticing that Roena was fond of me, the empress began inviting me to the palace more often so I could spend time with her.

Only after overcoming some of the trauma did Roena return to a more normal state, chatting with me like other girls her age.

She once complained, adorably yet pitifully, that she missed the once-in-a-lifetime chance to debut in society before becoming a princess because of the kidnapping incident.

“This time, I won’t let that happen! I’ll change everything so nothing like that ever happens again!”

I spurred my horse to run faster, heading toward the hill from which the Grand Duchy of Berato could be seen.

At the time, it was said Roena had been found in a hut located in the royal hunting grounds.

I knew I couldn’t catch the kidnappers myself, so I intended only to confirm where they were heading.

As long as we knew where they were taking Roena, finding her would be an easy task for Tirzen.

“Looks like those are the guys.”

I spotted a carriage from the Berato estate interacting with suspicious men.

They pulled a black sack out of the carriage and handed it to the men waiting.

There were six riders on horseback.

One of them took the sack and loaded it onto his horse.

“Stuffing a person into a sack like luggage… They must be punished for this!”

I followed from a distance, watching where they went.

Once I confirmed they had entered the hunting grounds, I turned my horse around.

I couldn’t follow them all the way, and doing so wouldn’t help Roena in any way.

All the servants of the Berato estate were gathered outside, waiting for Tirzen.

“When was the last time anyone saw Roena?”

At Tirzen’s icy question, heavy silence fell among the servants.

None of them could say for sure.

Finally, the head butler Brict stepped forward and spoke on their behalf.

“A maid who had gone to notify her of lunch was the first to notice.”

“Are you telling me someone vanished inside the house, and no one knew?”

His cold, cutting tone made the servants shrink back in fear.

Tirzen, who rarely showed emotion to household staff, was now consumed with rage, and they were terrified.

Clip, clop, clip, clop.

Just then, the sound of hooves echoed through the front yard.

A few guards stationed at the estate gate and a young woman crossed the courtyard on horseback.

“Isn’t that Lady Mares?”

Kaise recognized Ellicia as he watched her approach.

Though the horse wasn’t moving especially fast, her golden hair fluttered wildly in the wind.

The horse stopped directly in front of Tirzen.

“Grand Duke Berato.”

“What brings you here, Lady? I don’t have time to entertain idle visitors today. Go back.”

There wasn’t even a pretense of politeness. His dismissal was cold and direct.

At a mere gesture from Tirzen, guards stepped forward to take the reins of her horse, ready to escort her out by force.

“There’s a place I suspect may be where Lady Berato was taken.”

Ellicia’s urgent words brought everything to a halt. A strange stillness fell over the scene, as if even time had stopped.

Tirzen slowly lowered the hand that had ordered her removal.

Time began to move again.

Tirzen Berato was not someone to act recklessly, even when in a hurry.

He brought Ellicia inside and questioned her thoroughly about everything she had seen.

She reported in full about the suspicious carriage and men she had seen near the estate.

Though her heart was racing, Tirzen remained cool-headed, methodically analyzing each suspicious detail.

“You didn’t actually see Roena. How can you be sure she was in that sack?”

“At first, I didn’t think it was Lady Roena. I only suspected they were stealing something from the estate. I didn’t think it was a kidnapping until I heard she had gone missing.”

“And was it just a coincidence that you happened to be near my house?”

He even suspected Ellicia.

It was a fair suspicion—she could’ve been one of the kidnappers trying to mislead the investigation.

Ellicia had a prepared excuse.

“Remember the accident I had near the estate a while ago? Upon investigating, I found out it wasn’t just a coincidence. I came back, hoping to find clues. That’s when I happened to see them.”

“Quite the perfect timing, isn’t it?”

“This is no time to waste questioning me.”

“They headed toward the royal hunting grounds, you said?”

“I followed them from a distance to the foot of the mountain.”

Tirzen and Kaise exchanged a look.

Ellicia was betting on their knowledge of the hunting grounds from past royal hunts.

“There’s a cabin and a cave at the summit.”

“And no one would be around this time of year, so they wouldn’t risk being caught.”

With just a few words, they had correctly deduced where the kidnappers were hiding.

Tirzen was too capable to let them get away, and Ellicia felt her job was done.

“I’ll be taking my leave now.”

“You’re coming with us.”

“What?”

Ellicia, who had just started to rise, froze at Tirzen’s words.

‘What am I supposed to do there? I can’t even wield a sword.’

She would only be a burden—so why was he asking her to come?

“If you’re working with them, you’ll be useful in a crisis.”

Angered by his words, she clenched her fists. Was he treating her like a disposable pawn?

“I wouldn’t have come here at all if I were with them.”

“The best bait is always the most convincing.”

Speechless at his absurd logic, Ellicia glared at him.

“I’ll guarantee your safety. Please accompany us, Lady Mares.”

“It’s outrageous to treat someone like a criminal after they came to help!”

Kaise tried to ease the tension with kindness, but Ellicia snapped back.

“Please understand—His Grace is not the most eloquent man. He may need your help. We’d be grateful if you joined us.”

“…Ah.”

Tirzen was preparing for the worst-case scenario. He might need a woman’s care if something terrible had happened.

She hadn’t seen the fear hidden behind his stern expression.

Understanding his heart, she could no longer refuse.

A large number of people would be accompanying them. The enemy only had six, but they had more than double that.

Among them was a doctor as well.

“His Grace’s love for his sister is extraordinary. I’m sure we’ll find her quickly and everything will be fine, but better to be prepared.”

Kaise explained things gently so Ellicia wouldn’t feel out of place.

When he finished, the sound of hooves filled the air again.

They rode with the solemnity of warriors heading into battle.

The road up the mountain was well-paved up to a point.

“It’ll get rough from here. His Grace and I will take the lead. Follow carefully.”

“Yes.”

Kaise pushed his horse to ride alongside Tirzen.

Ellicia wasn’t worried—she had two guards with her.

“Do you think she’s in the cabin or the cave?”

“They won’t fear discovery yet, so probably the cabin.”

They were nearly certain Roena was in the cabin, but Tirzen still sent men to check the cave.

“When we return, you should apologize to Lady Mares. It wasn’t like you to treat someone who helped you with such suspicion.”

“Let’s wait until this is over.”

“I couldn’t see a single evil thought in her.”

“You’re too quick to trust people.”

“But you don’t really believe she’s guilty, do you?”

Even when Tirzen accused Ellicia of being in league with the kidnappers, Kaise could sense he bore no hostility.

If he had truly suspected her, he never would’ve asked her to come along.

What sounded like an order was, in truth, a request.

In the corner of the cabin, Roena was huddled, trembling with fear.

She closed her eyes and silently called out for her brother, but it brought no comfort.

The men’s lewd laughter only fueled her terror.

“Heh heh heh, she’s really cute.”

“She’s pretty—we’ll get an even bigger ransom.”

“She’s the richest girl in the Netor Empire. They’ll pay whatever we ask.”

One of the men with a twisted grin stepped closer to Roena.

“Hey there, pretty. Aren’t you bored all alone in the corner? Want big brother to keep you company?”

He brought his face close to hers.

The stench made her turn her head away.

“You think I’m a joke?”

The man grabbed the back of Roena’s head violently.

As her neck was forced backward, his face loomed over hers.