“Wh-What is this?”

Having snatched what the target was holding, I stared at it blankly in bewilderment.

Ren seemed equally perplexed as he hesitantly answered.

“……It’s a morning star.”

“M-Morning star? W-Why is it named that?”

I rolled my eyes while looking down at the object with such a refreshing name.

The metal ball covered in sharp spikes looked dangerous at first glance.

One could say that if anyone were to be hit by it, they’d all equally meet their end.

‘Ah, could it mean it’ll turn anyone into a morning star in the sky?’

It was a rather plausible hypothesis, even to myself, but I prayed it wasn’t true.

“……Could it be that I’ve kidnapped a dangerous person?”

“I’d like to say no, but I can’t be certain.”

I despaired at Ren’s confirming words.

‘Why are things like this these days? It hasn’t even been a day since I sent Dietrich away.’

Still, the one fortunate thing was that this man would definitely be weaker than Dietrich.

After all, no one is as strong as Dietrich except the female lead Ludovica and the awakened Callys.

If an unexpected situation arises, I could somehow resolve it by using my ability.

‘But come to think of it, isn’t this actually good?’

An ordinary person wouldn’t have a reason to buy such a weapon, but the person I’m looking for is even the male lead of a tragic novel.

Moreover, he’s a man who has just escaped harsh abuse and is experiencing the outside world for the first time.

In such a situation, it’s entirely possible that he’d go to buy a weapon as soon as he gets out.

He’d definitely need at least one means to protect himself.

‘Right after escaping, he wouldn’t know how to use his shadow yet, so a weapon would naturally be necessary.’

In the original story, Callys was born with the ability to manipulate his own shadow.

And this was truly an unfair ability.

From powerful combat strength to eavesdropping and all sorts of miscellaneous tasks.

The shadow ability was incredibly versatile, but most importantly, it was the symbol of the emperor.

This was because the founding emperor of the Agrian Empire had used this power in the empire’s founding legend.

People believed that those who possessed the shadow ability were emperor candidates chosen by heaven.

Thanks to this, all imperial family members born with this power actually became emperors amidst fervent public support.

Of course, since manifestation wasn’t easy, such cases of becoming emperor could be counted on one hand throughout the empire’s long history.

The important thing was that having the shadow ability made it easier to become emperor.

That’s why the empress had kidnapped Callys.

If she could get her hands on that power, it would be child’s play for the person she supported to become emperor.

However, Callys himself knew nothing about his power.

It was because of the restraints he had been wearing while confined in the empress’s palace.

The restraints, imbued with the power of an ancient demon, were so effective that they left lingering effects for quite some time even after being removed.

That’s why it took nearly a month after his escape for Callys to finally become aware of his power.

‘And that’s the very day Vivian dies in the original story.’

Unlike the beginning when he was helplessly kidnapped without any power, on that particular day, Callys sensed a peculiar power swirling within him.

The power gradually swelled inside his body, and eventually went berserk.

In his unstable mental state, he was consumed by the power, and when he regained consciousness, he had killed Vivian who had kidnapped him and left the place.

In that moment of confusion after his first murder, he fatefully encounters the female lead, Ludovica.

As I recalled the detailed description from the original story, chills ran down my spine.

‘Let’s not worry too much since I’m already somewhat aware of Callys’s abilities, unlike in the original story.’

I strongly believe he won’t come to kill me since I’ve kept him confined so kindly, but…

Even if he does come to kill me, I can respond. No, I should be able to respond. …… I can, right?

My confidence was gradually fading, but I soon shook my head to rid myself of these idle thoughts.

I shouldn’t be intimidated like this from the start.

The important point is that there’s a good chance this target could be Callys.

With red eyes and black hair, his appearance is suitable for a tragic novel’s male protagonist.

‘It’s a bit concerning that the female lead Ludovica also had red eyes, but…..’

There have been occasional novels where the male and female leads have the same eye color, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

‘I think my friend was also considering black hair and red eyes.’

I began to observe the new target with fire in my eyes.

Sending such an intense gaze that it could pierce through the orb showing the inside of the room where he was confined.

But then…

“What’s this?”

The morning star that I had clearly taken away was somehow in the target’s hand.

Looking more closely, it seemed slightly different.

The iron mace, which should definitely be a metal weapon, was strangely sticky and red.

‘That’s odd. Why does this situation feel so familiar?’

As I observed the target with a blank expression, I soon had no choice but to realize the true nature of this sense of déjà vu.

Boom!

The target swung the blood-red mace towards the door. With an explosive sound, the door crumbled with a crash.

‘Ah, please no.’

A situation almost identical to when I first kidnapped Dietrich.

The target’s face that felt strangely familiar. And eyes the same color as the original story’s female lead.

‘Please don’t tell me I’ve kidnapped the female lead.’

I prayed desperately for a moment, but it was too late for my prayers to be answered now.

Although she generally wasn’t one to show much emotion, Ludovica couldn’t hide her bewilderment.

Being kidnapped without realizing was one thing, but what was this luxurious room all about?

‘Is this how they kidnap people these days?’

Ludovica was a princess of House Belvedere.

In other words, she was one of the wealthiest people in the empire.

While many envied her, there were just as many who sought to steal her wealth.

Because of this, she had been kidnapped once or twice when she was young, before she became strong.

Every time she was confined for about 30 minutes, Dietrich would come to rescue her, so she had no major trauma, but she remembered those incidents clearly.

And in those memories, she had never been confined in a place like this.

Being imprisoned in such a luxurious room? This was truly absurd.

Ludovica examined the interior of the room she was trapped in with disbelief.

A bed wide enough to lie across, with bedding that seemed to consider the season.

The pillow appeared new, plump with stuffing, and a reading lamp was placed beside the bed.

The walls were filled with books, and whether the kidnapper was meticulous or not, they were neatly categorized by genre.

Ludovica eventually opened a door in the corner of the room.

It was a bathroom, and the large bathtub was gleaming as if it had been thoroughly cleaned.

The tub was even filled with steaming water.

Next to it was even a temperature control device.

A device that only wealthy nobles could afford, as it used magic stones for fuel.

She wondered why such a thing was here.

“Is this a wealthy kidnapper?”

Ludovica found this situation utterly perplexing.

Isn’t kidnapping usually done for money?

But no matter how she thought about it, this kidnapping didn’t seem to be for financial gain.

If not for money… then what was the purpose?

As questions continued to arise, Ludovica closed her eyes and fell into deep contemplation.

‘Is it because I’m a Belvedere?’

But she was currently disguised.

Her signature blonde hair was covered with a black wig, and even her clothes were shabby.

It seemed unlikely that she had been kidnapped because someone recognized her identity.

She considered various other reasons, but none were sufficient to explain this situation.

The more she pondered, the further she seemed to fall into a labyrinth of questions rather than finding answers.

But then.

Suddenly, Dietrich’s words flashed through her mind like lightning.

“They said they kidnapped me because I was handsome. Then they kept me in a nice place for a whole month and let me rest well.”

Yes, Dietrich had definitely said that. That he was kidnapped because he was handsome.

This meant there was a possibility that her own kidnapping was also an expression of affection.

Ludovica looked around once more.

The situation aligned with what Dietrich had described.

After thinking thousands, tens of thousands of times, she could only interpret it as the kidnapper having feelings for her.

Finally reaching a conclusion, Ludovica raised one corner of her mouth crookedly.

“What an interesting situation…”

She knew it was an outrageous idea, but now none of that mattered.

To dare kidnap Ludovica Belvedere and make her ponder like this.

It was truly an audacious act.

She had been feeling bored with her daily life recently, but now her interest was piqued.

Ludovica wanted to confirm the kidnapper’s true intentions right away.

“If my thoughts are correct, I’ll let them live, but if not…”

A kidnapper’s life wouldn’t matter much either way.

Her thoughts were finally organized. All that remained was action.

Zing.

Red magical power, sticky like blood, gathered in Ludovica’s hand.

She condensed the magic while recalling the shape of the morning star she had bought at the weapon shop.

In an instant, a mace made of eerie magical power grew in her hand.

Though it was her first time wielding such a weapon, Ludovica swung the mace skillfully.

The metal ball swung threateningly, receiving strong centrifugal force along the chain.

Finally, she swung the mace forcefully towards the door.

Boom.

With a thunderous sound, the door collapsed.

She wanted to see the face of the kidnapper who had committed such an audacious act as soon as possible.