Let's Kidnap The Male Lead! (19 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 15
“Do you even know what this is?”
Snatching the object from my target’s hand, I stared at it in utter bewilderment.
Len, equally flustered, hesitated before replying.
“…It’s a morning star.”
“A m-morning star? Why on earth is it called that?”
I rolled my eyes while looking down at the item bearing such a ridiculously cheerful name.
The iron ball studded all over with sharp spikes looked undeniably dangerous at first glance.
One hit from it, and anyone—regardless of who they were—would likely be sent straight to the afterlife.
‘Ah, could it possibly mean “turning anyone into the morning star in the sky”?’
Even to myself, it sounded like a plausible theory—but I desperately hoped it wasn’t true.
“…Could I have accidentally kidnapped someone dangerous?”
“I’d prefer otherwise, but I can’t say for certain.”
Len’s grim confirmation left me utterly despondent.
‘Seriously, why is this happening to me lately? It hasn’t even been a full day since I sent Dietrich.’
Still, there was one small comfort: this man was surely weaker than Dietrich.
After all, only the female lead Ludovica and the awakened Calis rivaled Dietrich in strength.
If anything unexpected happened, I could always rely on my own abilities to handle it somehow.
‘But now that I think about it… isn’t this actually a good thing?’
An ordinary person wouldn’t buy a weapon like this, but the person I was searching for was, after all, the male lead of a tragic story.
He’d just escaped severe abuse and was experiencing the outside world for the first time.
In that situation, it was entirely plausible he’d immediately go buy a weapon upon stepping outside.
He’d absolutely need some means to protect himself.
‘Right after his escape, he wouldn’t even know how to use his Shadow powers yet, so a weapon would be essential.’
In the original story, Calis was born with the innate ability to control his shadow.
And honestly, it was an absurdly overpowered skill.
Exceptional combat prowess, eavesdropping, and even various menial tasks—it was incredibly versatile.
But more importantly, it was literally the symbol of the Emperor.
According to the founding myth of the Agrion Empire, the first emperor had wielded this very power.
Thus, anyone possessing the Shadow ability was believed to be heaven-chosen to become emperor.
Indeed, every imperial family member born with this power had ascended to the throne amid fervent public support.
Of course, because the ability rarely manifested, only a handful of emperors in the empire’s long history had achieved the throne this way.
The key point was this: possessing the Shadow ability made becoming emperor significantly easier.
That was precisely why the Empress had kidnapped Calis.
If she could gain control over that power, making her chosen candidate emperor would be effortless.
Yet Calis himself had absolutely no knowledge of his own power.
This was due to the restraints he’d worn while imprisoned in the Empress’s palace.
Forged with the power of an ancient demon, those restraints were so potent that their lingering effects persisted long after removal.
Thus, it wasn’t until a full month after his escape that Calis finally began to grasp his own ability.
‘And that day was exactly when Vivian died in the original story.’
Unlike his initial, powerless abduction, on that day Calis sensed an unusual force swirling within him.
The power grew steadily inside his body until it eventually spiraled out of control.
In his unstable mental state, he was consumed by the force—and when he finally regained his senses, he’d already killed Vivian, his kidnapper, and fled the scene.
In the very moment he was overwhelmed by confusion after committing his first murder, he fatedly encountered the female lead, Ludovica.
Recalling the original story’s vivid descriptions sent chills crawling down my spine.
‘Unlike in the original, I already have a decent grasp of Calis’s abilities, so I shouldn’t worry too much.’
I firmly believed that, having imprisoned him so gently, he wouldn’t come after me to kill me… but still…
Even if he did try to kill me, I could handle it. No—I would be able to handle it… right?
My confidence steadily dwindled, but I quickly shook off these distracting thoughts, shaking my head side to side.
I couldn’t afford to lose heart this early.
The crucial point was that there was a fair chance this target was indeed Calis.
His red eyes and black hair perfectly matched the typical tragic male lead’s appearance.
‘Though it’s a bit concerning that the female lead, Ludovica, also has red eyes…’
But some novels did feature male and female leads with matching eye colors, so it probably wasn’t an issue.
‘My friend even mentioned considering a black-haired, red-eyed character, if I recall.’
With renewed focus, I began intensely observing my new target.
My gaze was so sharp it felt as if I could bore a hole straight through the scrying orb showing the room where he was confined.
But then…
“What the…?”
The morning star I’d clearly taken was somehow back in the target’s hand.
Looking closer, it also seemed slightly different.
The iron weapon—definitely a mace—was oddly coated in a thick, sticky red hue.
‘This feels strangely familiar…’
As I stared blankly at the target, I quickly realized the source of my déjà vu.
Kwoooom!
Swinging the blood-red mace toward the door, the target shattered it with a thunderous crash.
‘Oh, please…’
This was nearly identical to the situation when I’d first kidnapped Dietrich.
The target’s oddly familiar face, plus those eyes matching the original story’s female lead…
‘Please tell me I didn’t accidentally kidnap the female lead.’
I prayed desperately in that instant—but by now, my plea stood no chance of being answered.
[This is the timeline separator]Though usually reserved in expressing emotions, Ludovica couldn’t hide her bewilderment.
Being kidnapped without even realizing it was one thing—but what on earth was this luxurious room?
‘Do kidnappings work like this nowadays?’
Ludovica was Princess Ruby Belvedus.
In other words, she was among the wealthiest individuals in the entire empire.
While many envied her wealth, just as many sought to steal it.
Consequently, before she grew strong enough to defend herself, she’d been kidnapped a couple of times as a child.
Each time, Dietrich arrived to rescue her within about thirty minutes, so she’d never developed serious trauma—but she remembered those incidents vividly.
And in none of those memories had she ever been confined in a place like this.
Being imprisoned in such a lavish room was utterly absurd.
Ludovica skeptically surveyed the interior of her prison.
The bed was wide enough to lie across horizontally, topped with bedding clearly chosen for the season.
The pillows looked brand-new, plump and full, and a reading lamp sat neatly beside the bed.
The walls were lined with books, meticulously organized by genre—as if the kidnapper were unusually meticulous—and the whole setup looked impeccably tidy.
Ludovica soon opened the door in the corner of the room.
It led to a bathroom so spotless the large bathtub gleamed.
Steam gently rose from the tub, which was already filled with hot water.
Even a temperature control device was installed beside it.
Such a device, powered by mana crystals, was something only the wealthiest nobles could afford.
Why on earth would such a luxury be here?
“Could my kidnapper be rich?”
Ludovica found the whole situation utterly baffling.
Kidnapping was typically done for money, wasn’t it?
But no matter how she thought about it, this kidnapping didn’t seem motivated by money at all.
If it wasn’t about money… then what was the purpose?
Lost in these unanswered questions, Ludovica closed her eyes and sank deep into thought.
‘Is it because I’m a Belvedus?’
But she was currently in disguise.
Her signature golden hair was hidden beneath a black wig, and even her clothes were shabby.
There was no way anyone could have recognized and kidnapped her on purpose.
She considered several other possibilities, but none could adequately explain this bizarre situation.
The more she pondered, the deeper she sank into confusion, with no resolution in sight.
Then, in that moment,
Dietrich’s words suddenly flashed through her mind like lightning.
〈“They said they kidnapped me because I was handsome. Then they kept me in comfort for a whole month, letting me rest properly.”〉
Yes—that’s exactly what Dietrich had said: he’d been kidnapped because of his good looks.
Meaning there was a real possibility her own abduction was also an expression of affection.
Ludovica looked around once more.
Everything aligned perfectly with what Dietrich had described.
After pondering it thousands, tens of thousands of times, there was only one plausible interpretation: her kidnapper harbored feelings for her.
Finally reaching this conclusion, Ludovica quirked one corner of her mouth into a crooked smile.
“How amusing…”
She knew her reasoning was absurd—but at this point, she no longer cared.
To dare kidnap Ludovica Belvedus and leave her tangled in such thoughts—
it was undeniably a delightfully cheeky act.
Lately bored by her monotonous routine, she was finally feeling intrigued again.
Ludovica now burned with desire to uncover her kidnapper’s true intentions.
“If my guess is right, I’ll spare you. But if not…”
A mere kidnapper meant nothing—killing them would be no loss.
Her thoughts finally settled. All that remained was action.
Chiiing.
Thick, viscous red mana—resembling blood—gathered in Ludovica’s hand.
Recalling the morning star she’d bought at the weapon shop, she condensed her mana.
Instantly, a sinister mace forged of dark mana materialized in her grasp.
Though unfamiliar with this weapon, Ludovica swung it skillfully, letting it whirl through the air.
The spiked iron ball swung menacingly at the end of its chain, propelled by strong centrifugal force.
Finally, she swung the mace powerfully toward the door.
Kwoooom.
With a deafening crash, the door collapsed inward.
She couldn’t wait even a second longer to see the face of the audacious kidnapper who’d pulled off such a cheeky stunt.
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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