chapter 04
The moment I stepped outside the hideout, I immediately activated my ability.
Blood surged rapidly through my entire body, and power began to boil up from within.
In one leap, I jumped onto the roof of a three-story building.
“Ren, where should I go?”
I tapped my earring lightly with my fingers, turning it on and connecting the communication.
Soon, Ren’s voice flowed through the device.
— First, head in the 3 o’clock direction.
Ren was in charge of navigation, and I was in charge of the kidnapping.
He checked the surveillance devices he had secretly installed throughout the streets and guided me along the most suitable route.
Like some kind of navigation system.
I leapt lightly between buildings, steadily moving toward the target.
— Be careful. Investigators are stationed on your left.
“Okay.”
Avoiding people—especially investigators—I moved freely and skillfully.
At last, I arrived near the target. Standing atop a five-story inn, I looked down at him on the street.
“That’s the guy, right? Wow… even seeing him again, he’s seriously handsome.”
I couldn’t help but admire the target’s extraordinary looks for a moment.
Is he even human?
Even from afar, his face was far from ordinary.
His overall impression was somewhat inorganic, but perhaps because of his refined features, he gave off more of a statue-like aura than that of a person.
His skin was pale like plaster, while his hair was as dark as pitch black, making his beauty stand out even more.
You don’t see a man this handsome very often.
Maybe only Ren—or that damn guy—could compare.
Perhaps that man is the male lead I’ve been searching for… Kallis.
“I’ll grab him quickly. Get things ready in advance, Ren.”
— Yes, understood.
With that, I threw myself toward the target.
“Young Duke, let’s go back even now. The high nobles’ council is next week. Please?”
Nils, Dietrich’s adjutant, spoke with a troubled expression.
The high nobles’ council was a regular meeting held every quarter at the imperial palace.
In the past, the Duke of Belvedus attended personally, but in recent years, Dietrich had gone in his place.
Since many powerful figures attended, thorough preparation was essential.
The meeting is right around the corner—what if he really gets kidnapped at this rate?
His master, the young duke, had become fixated on the kidnapping incidents reported in the newspaper and had come out to Hildes Street as soon as his daily duties were finished.
His reason was utterly absurd.
He wanted to confirm once again that he was handsome—by getting kidnapped by the kidnapper famous for abducting handsome men.
Faced with Dietrich’s impulsive behavior, Nils didn’t know what to do.
The distance from the estate to Hildes Street was far enough to require a carriage ride.
He had tried to stop him the entire way, but as expected, it had no effect.
Even though he knew Dietrich wouldn’t easily change his mind, Nils couldn’t give up persuading him.
“Young Duke, the timing is not good. Please, just for today, return to the estate—”
At that moment, Dietrich, who had been wandering the streets freely, finally stopped.
Then he turned a deliberately serious gaze toward his adjutant.
“Nils, think carefully.”
“About what?”
“What is the most important thing right now?”
The most important thing.
For the young duke leading Belvedus, it should clearly have been next week’s council.
Especially since he had missed it a few times before, he absolutely had to attend this one.
But Nils knew Dietrich well.
Dietrich did not value power, wealth, or honor.
“I know you want me to say your appearance is the most important thing, but today I cannot answer that way. The nobles’ council is more important.”
Dietrich’s eyes widened at the firm reply, clearly shocked.
“Nils. What did you just say? Are you saying there’s something more important than my appearance—no, this elegant, beautiful, and unparalleled beauty of mine? Has your glasses fogged up? In this summer heat?”
Dietrich snatched Nils’ glasses and wiped them with a handkerchief. They shone brightly afterward.
“Young Duke, my glasses are fine.”
“I see… then it must be your eyesight. Well, since you look at my face every day, it’s natural your vision would deteriorate. It must be blinding. I apologize, Nils. I’ll have your declining eyesight covered as a workplace injury. I should’ve considered your situation sooner—my oversight.”
Nils let out a deep sigh. It seemed his master had no intention of backing down.
“My eyesight is fine, Young Duke.”
“Huh…”
Dietrich was momentarily speechless, shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe it.
“Then why, after seeing a face that shines like the stars in the night sky, would you say that trivial council is more important?”
Calling his own face “the stars of the night sky” wasn’t exactly normal, but Nils didn’t mind.
In his eight years as Dietrich’s adjutant, he had heard far worse.
And more importantly, everything Dietrich said was true.
If anything, it might have been modest.
That was how radiant his face was.
But to Nils, who only cared about work, that didn’t matter.
“Yes, Young Duke. My answer will not change. Even if you ask dozens of times, it will remain the same.”
Dietrich pondered seriously, then suddenly sighed as if realizing something.
“Ah, is it because you’ve been working too much? It seems your aesthetic sense has deteriorated.”
Nils sighed again.
As expected, Dietrich had no intention of leaving today.
What if he really gets kidnapped and misses the meeting…
Of course, that possibility was extremely low.
Not because he was a strong adult male.
But because the blood of Belvedus flowed through his veins.
Belvedus—the only magic swordsman family.
They possessed magical power and physical abilities beyond what ordinary humans could imagine.
And Dietrich, unsatisfied with that, had honed his skills through relentless training.
If only his personality were as good as his swordsmanship.
Unfortunately, members of the Belvedus family seemed to inherit cruel and bizarre personalities along with their talent.
Rumors even spread among the empire’s citizens that the young duke had sold his soul to the devil.
No sane person would attempt to kidnap Dietrich—and even if they tried, they would never succeed.
So this wandering is just a waste of time… He should be working instead.
Nils sighed as he looked at the carefree Dietrich.
I have to persuade him to go home somehow.
Resolving himself, he spoke again.
Or rather, he tried to.
“Young Duke—huh?”
Nils rubbed his eyes behind his glasses in shock. Then he slapped his own cheek.
It stung and swelled red, but nothing changed.
His face filled with horror.
Dietrich was gone.
“Ugh, I’m exhausted.”
Having completed the kidnapping and returned to the hideout, Vivian yawned widely as she sat in a chair.
Another successful handsome-man kidnapping today.
It would be nice if her day ended here, but unfortunately, she still had to meet the head of the Gerald Information Guild.
The Gerald Information Guild appeared several times in the original story.
It was founded by a man known as the “Master,” who controlled the underworld, and it operated secretly, accepting only a small number of clients.
Despite having few clients, booking an appointment took forever.
After deciding to kidnap Kallis, it took her half a year just to make contact with the Master.
Her request was simple:
Find out what Crown Prince Kallis looked like and where he currently was.
She wanted to stop kidnapping innocent handsome men.
Partly out of guilt—but more importantly, because of the original story.
The princess, a major supporting character, had become obsessed with finding the culprit behind these kidnapping incidents—something that didn’t happen in the original.
At this rate, the story might deviate in unexpected ways.
Fortunately, the Master had said the investigation wouldn’t take long.
So she believed the serial kidnappings would end soon.
But now, even after a full year, Vivian had gained nothing.
No matter how thoroughly the Empress hid Kallis’ existence, this is honestly disappointing.
The guild had been described as highly competent in the original.
So her disappointment was natural.
Still, there was nowhere better, so she continued to employ them.
And today was the day she would hear the investigation results.
It’s a hassle, but I have to go.
As she reluctantly stood up, Ren made her sit back down.
“I’ll go in your place today. You did the hard work, so you must be tired.”
“Huh? I feel bad… you’re tired too.”
“Then do my job instead. Watch over the captured target.”
Though he called it work, it was basically resting.
All she had to do was sit and watch the screen.
Touched by Ren’s constant consideration, Vivian felt both grateful and apologetic.
When she gave him an apologetic look, Ren smiled as if it was nothing.
But the gentle expression vanished the moment he stepped outside the hideout.
With eyes colder and drier than midwinter air, Ren walked off into the distance.
It was a side of him Vivian had never seen before.
