“…What is this vulgar letter supposed to be?”
Deidre frowned prettily as she read the note her father had handed her, pinching it between her fingertips as though it were something filthy.
“I have not been abducted.”
“…Yes. I can see that now.”
Seeing his daughter standing there perfectly safe, Luke finally recovered his composure and nodded.
Deidre had a delicate, fragile air about her. But Luke had taught her martial arts.
Before she was even old enough to form memories, there had been an attempt to kidnap a royal princess. Luke had dealt with the culprit personally, in a fit of rage. From that day on, he had resolved that his daughter would learn how to protect herself.
Deidre was the child his goddess-like wife had given him. Luke intended to protect her with his life. But he was not omnipotent, and he could not remain at her side every moment of every day.
So he taught her self-defense, carefully ensuring she did not develop excessive muscle, only what was necessary. If she truly wished it, she could easily throw a newly enlisted soldier to the ground. There was no chance that some common ruffian could abduct her.
“Besides,” Deidre continued calmly, “doesn’t this letter strike you as strange?”
“…It does. If the purpose were ransom, they would normally include further instructions after ‘prepare the money.’”
Luke took the letter back from his daughter, who had already demoted it to trash, and read it again.
He would not hesitate to pay a hundred gold coins for Deidre. But there was no indication of where to bring the ransom. Kidnappers typically pressed their advantage while the victim’s family was still panicking. Telling them to prepare money and then offering no next step made no sense.
“…Even if you are safe, I cannot forgive someone for using your name to issue a threat. We must inform Camilla as well.”
“Yes. Mother should be in the garden.”
“The garden? I did not see her when I tied the horse.”
The moment those words left his mouth, Luke and Deidre looked at one another.
Whatever suspicion had formed, father and daughter had clearly reached the same conclusion.
Meanwhile,
“It appears I was abducted due to a case of mistaken identity.”
When Camilla explained, the young man holding the wooden sword twitched his nose.
She had nearly been assaulted by two men and rescued by this youth. At first, he had looked every bit the shining hero who saved a captive lady. The instant he had seen Camilla properly, however, his expression had gone completely flat.
“…This is not how it was supposed to go.”
“Well, I am—”
“Be quiet, woman.” He snapped sharply. “You two, come here. You, stay where you are.”
Cutting Camilla off mid-sentence, the young man barked orders at the others and stomped out of the room. The thin man and the round man hurried after him, leaving Camilla alone.
She swallowed.
(What are they doing outside? Should I try to listen?)
She did not need to move closer.
“…You idiots! This is not what I ordered!”
The young man’s furious shout echoed clearly through the walls. Judging by his appearance, he was likely the son of a wealthy household, but this place did not have the thick walls of a noble estate. Speaking at his usual volume made everything perfectly audible.
“I told you to kidnap Deidre, age sixteen! Her hair and eye color are nothing like what I described!”
“S-sorry. I forgot the colors.”
“And you think that excuses mistaking that older woman for Deidre? I told you she was a delicate, lovely princess!”
“I mean, I thought that lady was pretty cute myself…”
The round man’s pitiful remark made Camilla feel a tiny, traitorous spark of relief.
“In any case, everything is ruined! I even sent the threat letter…”
(A threat letter?)
Camilla barely managed to keep from gasping aloud. She strained to think.
So the three of them were accomplices. They had intended to abduct Deidre. Most likely, the plan was for Deidre to be attacked, then for that young man to swoop in and rescue her, earning her affection.
The threat letter must have been meant to alert Luke of his daughter’s danger, only for the young man to appear first, saving her and earning Luke’s goodwill as well.
(But Deidre said she would be at the estate all day.)
Luke was away, but Deidre herself was home. The letter’s lie would be immediately obvious. All that remained was for someone to notice Camilla’s absence from the garden and reason that she had been taken by mistake.
“W-what should we do? Kill her?”
“I don’t wanna. Seems cruel.”
The thin man sounded panicked, while the round man appeared oddly attached to Camilla. Then the young man cut in sharply.
“Fools! This is why you are incapable of even a simple kidnapping. Listen—”
His voice gradually dropped, and Camilla could no longer hear what he said.
Just as she finally felt steady enough to try standing, the door opened.
The young man did not bother to disguise his irritation. He snorted and looked down at her.
“Listen carefully, woman. There is no point pretending anymore. I orchestrated this abduction.”
“What…?”
Camilla had suspected as much, but she still put on a show of surprise. The reaction pleased him immensely.
“Hmph. Still, killing you would be a waste.”
“….”
“These idiots grabbed the wrong person, but you are clearly no mere servant. A servant could not wear such a fine dress. And you were in the earl’s garden, were you not? That garden was built for his wife. Lower servants are not permitted there.”
This was the first time Camilla had learned that fact, and her eyes widened slightly. He misinterpreted her reaction and pointed smugly.
“I have deduced the truth. You are not a simple servant.”
“….”
“You are Lady Deidre’s maid, are you not?”
“That is incorrect.”
Camilla answered at once, but he merely smirked.
“Do not bother resisting. A maid might wear dresses passed down by her mistress. She could enter the lady’s garden. Your age fits as well. There is no doubt.”
Behind him, the two men applauded.
“As expected of you, sir!”
“Brilliant deduction!”
Camilla had no energy left to object.
“Therefore,” the young man continued grandly, “I will make you an offer. I will spare your life.”
“…What offer?”
“I will return you safely to the estate. In exchange, you will help arrange my relationship with Lady Deidre.”
He pointed at Camilla’s chest as he declared it.
“I am the nephew of Viscount Mason. I have known Lady Deidre since childhood, yet I have never become the most important man in her life. But if you, her maid, speak on my behalf, she will surely turn her eyes to me.”
There were many things Camilla wanted to say. That a viscount’s nephew was hardly impressive. That Deidre’s most important person was her father. That none of this made sense.
But her thoughts were too tangled.
(At this point, pretending to agree may be the safest option.)
“…If I do as you ask, will you return me to my husband?”
“So you are married. Very well. I will see you returned safely.”
Behind him, the round man muttered mournfully, “A husband already…”
(If I can just get outside, then—)
Camilla lifted her head, seizing the opportunity.
And then—
The door burst open once more.
