Rublion waited until Schmidt returned. He had said he wanted to go to the port together, but she left with only Anna, saying she didn’t know when she would be back.

The weather was strangely cloudy, and with an uneasy feeling that something was bound to happen, he couldn’t easily fall asleep.

So that’s why he decided to wait.

“What in the world…?”

Rublion asked upon discovering Schmidt being carried in the arms of a knight. Her limp form didn’t look like she was merely sleeping.

“Young master, are you awake?”

The knight who followed in behind lowered his posture as he spoke. Rublion, still holding onto the man who had once taught him how adults date, asked:

“Mother is… just sleeping, right? Nothing’s wrong, is it?”

The knight hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“There was an unfortunate incident at the port. We judged it necessary to move her to a safe place first, so we had no choice but to use force.”

Rublion’s legs weakened and he staggered. Then he suddenly realized.

“What about Anna? Why isn’t Anna here?”

“Ah…”

The knight explained what had happened at the port. Rublion eventually slumped down onto the floor.

“If something happens to Anna… No, Mother won’t think differently… I won’t think such thoughts.”

Rublion, who had staggered to his feet, asked the knight with moist eyes.

“Does Father know? About this situation.”

“We’ve sent word to the government office. So please don’t worry, young master.”

Though meant to be comforting, the words were not comforting at all. Rublion spoke as he headed for the stairs.

“I’ll stay by Mother’s side.”

As the cloth covering her head was removed, a musty and gloomy place appeared. Confirming that her hands and feet were bound as she lay sprawled on the damp floor, Anna sobbed and said:

“Pl-please save me. I didn’t do anything! Please let me go!”

The man who removed the cloth was wearing a mask, so she couldn’t recognize who it was.

“Stop making noise. You never know what I might do if you mess up.”

Anna shut her mouth tight at the kidnapper’s terrifying words. Ranson, who had been quiet, spoke instead:

“Where have you brought us?”

“Why would I tell you that?”

“Are we the only ones you’ve kidnapped?”

“My, you’re full of questions, aren’t you?”

The kidnapper took out a dagger from his chest and twirled it. Anna, startled, cried out in fright:

“I won’t ask anything! I’m sorry! Ranson, hurry and say you’re sorry too. Quick!”

Unlike the panicked Anna, Ranson was calm. Of course, he didn’t apologize either.

“What do you plan to do with us now?”

Ranson continued to ask the man who was fearlessly twirling the dagger.

The kidnapper, seemingly a bit annoyed, put the dagger back in his chest and said:

“Shut up, you bastards!”

He shouted and kicked out. Though he didn’t actually hit them, Anna’s body jerked in surprise. Ranson glanced at her from the corner of his eye and then shut his mouth tight.

Pleased that they had quieted down, the man pulled up a chair and sat down with a thump. Then he glared at them for a long while.

How much time passed like that?

The first to break the silence was the kidnapper.

“Why isn’t there any news yet?”

He got up from his seat and approached the door. When he made eye contact with his colleague guarding outside, they began to converse in an accent that was hard to understand.

“Ranson.”

Anna called him in a small voice, watching carefully.

“Those people are speaking the Eastern Empire language.”

He nodded.

“Why would Eastern Empire people bring us… The young lady is safe, right?”

“The Artenbach knights would have protected her desperately.”

“That’s right, isn’t it? Sniff… Our young lady isn’t here too, is she?”

Tears streamed down Anna’s eyes.

“What’s going to happen to us now? Are we going to die like this? Did we get caught instead when they were trying to catch the young lady? Can we escape from here?”

Ranson shook his head at Anna’s barrage of questions. Then he glanced at the kidnapper.

“I understand. I’ll be quiet.”

Anna, frightened in advance, pursed her lips. Ranson made an effort to eavesdrop on their conversation.

That’s when it happened. One of the men talking earnestly outside collapsed with a groan. Blood droplets splattered through the iron bars.

At the same time, another man let out a short scream and fell. The man inside turned pale and tried to lock the door, but he was a step too late.

“Why are there two?”

The person who entered was holding a sword. Whether he was the one who killed the Eastern Empire men or not, his blade was stained with bright red blood.

“Wh-who are you!”

The kidnapper asked. But the man mercilessly raised his sword and sliced the kidnapper’s body in half.

“Kyaaak! Uhuhuhu.”

Anna screamed and cried loudly. The knight approached her and covered her mouth with his blood-stained hand.

“Shh, my master dislikes noisy chatter.”

Anna nodded with her mouth covered. Satisfied, the knight removed his hand. Anna’s mouth area was now smeared with blood from an unknown source.

Ranson was examining the knight’s uniform. Though it was dark and hard to see clearly, what he glimpsed in that instant was an emblem of a person holding a spear.

‘Rumps.’

Until just before he left his family of his own accord, Ranson had received the basic education that nobles should learn.

Of course, he knew enough about the emblems of the great noble families, and could easily tell that the knight before his eyes was from the Silver Knights.

Meanwhile, more Silver Knights entered. They lined up on both sides as if saluting, and at the end, appearing was Countess Rumps with long silver hair that beautifully reflected the moonlight.

Anna’s mouth fell open at the appearance of such a beautiful person. Ranson didn’t hide his displeasure.

“Why are there two people here?”

At her question, a knight lowered his posture sharply and answered:

“I apologize. We will properly discipline them.”

Maybel’s gaze fell on Ranson. She tilted her head for a moment, then spoke as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“Get rid of the useless one.”

At the order, the knights all approached Ranson at once. Surprised, Anna screamed.

“Not Ranson! Please spare him.”

Maybel frowned at the dolphin-like scream. The important thing is, she was still pretty even then.

“Aah! No, Ranson!”

The knights lifted Ranson up. Anna wailed, flailing while lying down.

“Young lady, I’ll do everything you say! Please… please spare us.”

Anna’s eyes fell on the halved kidnapper. Overcome with fear, she was trembling like an aspen leaf.

“Oh my… How pitiful, you’re shaking.”

Maybel slowly approached Anna. Then she gently stepped on the head of Anna, who was lying on her side. The heel of her high heel was right in front of Anna’s eyes.

“Bear with it a little. You should die after your usefulness is over, right?”

Anna thought that Maybel’s angelic smile resembled that of a devil. She was on the verge of going crazy from the guilt of not being able to stop Ranson’s death, as well as the fear that she might involve the young lady in something terrible.

The knights dragged Ranson outside. Anna cried loudly, not even realizing that she tasted blood in her tears.

As soon as the private meeting with Baron Arche ended, Askal rode on horseback to the mansion, brushed off the butler trying to explain the situation, and went straight into Schmidt’s room.

There, he found Schmidt lying in bed with a pained expression, and Rublion clutching her hand tightly with tears welling up in his eyes.

“Father…”

Rublion burst into tears as soon as he saw Askal. The knight who followed explained the whole story, but his gaze was fixed on Schmidt.

“I’m truly sorry. The young lady insisted on going to rescue her, so I had to briefly render her unconscious. She will wake up soon.”

Askal’s legs weakened at the knight’s words.

Then he strode over to the bed. And knelt down beside Rublion.

“Thank goodness.”

He grasped Rublion’s hand that was holding Schmidt’s. Feeling the warmth of both their hands, a sigh of relief escaped involuntarily.

“How much I…”

Askal gritted his teeth. He couldn’t forgive Countess Rumps for breaking the unwritten rule of not intruding on each other’s territories.

“Father.”

Rublion, who had stopped crying by now, gently pulled his hand away. Then he stood up and said:

“Would you like to talk with me for a moment?”

Askal nodded and followed the child out.

As they went out onto the balcony together, he calmed his boiling anger as he faced the cold wind. He had sent Artenbach knights to the warehouse Baron Arche mentioned, so they should be able to rescue Anna and that artist.

“Father… You have to answer honestly, okay?”

After hesitating for a long time, Rublion slowly opened his mouth.

“This incident. It’s Countess Rumps’ doing, right?”

“Yes.”

The child’s small fist clenched.

“Is Anna dead?”

“I don’t know that yet.”

“Besides this, what other things has Countess Rumps done?”

“…”

“Tell me. Don’t hide anything.”

Rublion urged him to answer as he remained silent.

“If I’m honest, you might get hurt.”

Rublion lowered his head for a moment, then raised it. His eyes showed he was prepared to hear anything.

“I won’t get hurt. Because I have something I’m expecting.”

Askal patted Rublion’s shoulder, who was realizing his own powerlessness and despairing. As if that was the signal, the child carefully opened his mouth.

“Because I called Mother ‘Mother’… That’s why she’s in danger. Isn’t that right?”

Askal’s heart sank.

“Even now… if I cancel calling her ‘Mother’, can Mother be safe?”

Thick tears fell from Rublion’s eyes.

“Uncle, I don’t need a mother.”

It felt like his heart was being torn apart. Askal unconsciously hugged the child tightly.