GMWB 79

chapter 79

“You almost got kidnapped?”

That day, when Noah and Leto returned from work, they were stunned by the hair-raising story As told them.

Noah in particular felt his blood run cold; the world swam before his eyes.

He staggered, and Leto hurriedly grabbed him to steady him.

“Fortunately, the ice-cream shop owner reported it to the police quickly and they caught the perpetrator,” As said. He tried to reassure them that the situation had been resolved, but the worry on his face didn’t fade easily.

“Is my sister-in-law okay?” Leto asked.

“Miss is….” As hesitated.

By then Noah had finally composed himself enough to find Clare.

“Clare!”

“Sis? You’re home?”

I’m here!

Clare’s voice sounded from the bathroom — the place she’d been when she’d narrowly escaped danger.

“Look at this— the toy knife-rabbit your brother-in-law bought me!” Clare was taking an early bath.

Several rabbit heads shaped like kitchen knives floated in the tub; whenever Clare squeezed one, bubbles fizzed up.

“…….”

Noah stared at it all in stunned silence.

“She came back with ice cream all over her face and clothes,” As explained.

“So I was washing her before dinner. But she was still scared, so don’t be too harsh on her.”

“I never intended to be.” Noah said quickly.

Last time she nearly got hurt at sea because of Clare’s prank, so he’d scolded her then. This attempted kidnapping, however, was entirely the perpetrator’s fault.

“Clare acts like she knows everything and’s stubborn, but she’s still a child with immature judgment.”

“What a thing to say……” Leto, listening from outside the bathroom, was dumbfounded.

“Clare.” Noah walked over to the tub and gently cupped Clare’s wet face with his hand.

“Sis, I’m okay.” Clare smiled, guessing why Noah looked so shaken — it was her way of comforting him.

“I helped catch the bad guy!” she declared, sitting in the tub with her chin held high.

“You’re quite amazing.” Noah ruffled her hair; Clare giggled inanely.

“Sis! Come wash with me!”

“Shall I? As, you head out — I’ll finish washing her.”

“Then I’ll go get dinner ready.”

“I’ll help too, sister-in-law.” As said.

When Noah and Clare came out of the bath, the smell of something delicious greeted them — fragrant spices filled the air.

“Tonight’s paella, I guess.”

“Paella!” Clare cheered.

Dinner still needed some time; Gloria and Viss hadn’t arrived yet.

Noah asked Clare in more detail what had happened; Leto and As sat with them.

Clare calmly recounted what she’d experienced without showing much fear.

“I was playing with the other kids in the park when a strange old man was watching us from a bench.”

“Crazy bastard……” Leto muttered a curse before he realized it.

“Leto.” Noah took his hand and chided him gently. He understood how Leto felt, but asked him to watch his words around the child.

Realizing his mistake, Leto took a breath and calmed himself.

Clare continued. “At first I thought he was a bad person. At school we’re taught not to follow strangers.”

But then she admitted, with a downcast face, that getting distracted by the ice cream was her fault.

“It’s not your fault.” Noah kissed his sister-in-law’s cheek.

“Why would it be? You’re still young — anyone could be tempted by ice cream.”

“Miss and her friends did well.” As added. “In the end you got your senses back and scared the bad guy off.”

Buoyed by the adults’ reassurances, Clare went on.

“But….”

She paused, remembering what the old man had said, and looked at Noah and Leto.

“He said his grandson is in the navy.”

Leto clenched his jaw. “I’ll see that bastard dishonorably discharged.”

“You’re not a major general that can do that by yourself,” Noah hurriedly stopped him.

“You should be protecting him instead.”

Of course, Leto would have liked nothing more than to chase that criminal’s grandson off, but since Clare was safe, they needed to be reasonable.

The true bad person was the old man who’d committed the crime.

And that grandson might be another victim of his grandfather.

If it became known that the grandfather was arrested for attempted kidnapping, the grandson’s military career would naturally be ruined.

Even without Leto doing anything, the grandson might be forced to leave the service.

“And also….” Clare added.

Then she said something that made Noah’s blood run colder.

“He said he’d seen me at the wedding.”

“What?”

“He said I was his guest. He said he’d seen me dancing.”

“…….”

A terror beyond mere creepiness washed over Noah.

‘Who?’

‘Could it be someone from the Empire?’

Had they realized they were alive?

“…….” Noah hurried to steady his breathing.

The little hitch in his breath had been minute and quiet; surely no one had heard it. At least Noah believed that.

“…….” But Leto had watched Noah’s overly sensitive reaction the whole time.

“Noah….” Leto said.

“Also.” Clare cut in at that exact moment.

Although she hadn’t intended to, Leto mentally decided it was the perfect interruption. If he’d asked Noah whether he was okay, Noah would have brushed it off and said he was fine.

“That old man looked like a white lion.”

Now it was Leto’s turn to be taken aback.

“Um, sister-in-law?” Leto asked politely, even using an honorific.

“You said he looked like what?”

“A white lion! He had long white hair, a big body like this, and black sunglasses.”

Clare shivered and described how frightening he looked.

“You shouldn’t judge people by their faces and all that….” As muttered, grinding his teeth.

“But he does look the part.” Noah scolded As, but As just snorted.

“A person who endangered the miss isn’t worth any benefit of the doubt.”

If Clare hadn’t been present, As would have unleashed every curse he knew.

“When the great master and the great lord return, we’ll—!”

“Um.” Leto interjected quickly. “Excuse me, but….”

His face had gone pale; Leto looked worse than many sick people. His red eyes trembled helplessly.

“…I think I know who the kidnapper is.”

“…….”

“…….”

The father and daughter separated by bars fell silent for a moment.

Aitra, standing outside the bars, looked at her father with contempt. At this point he was less a father than an enemy.

Inside the cell, Albus couldn’t even raise his head. He couldn’t bear to meet his daughter’s glaring eyes.

“I never thought I’d see the day……” Aitra’s voice dropped low, and Albus flinched.

“To see the White Lion locked up in a cell as a kidnapper.”

“I’m innocent……” Albus protested.

“There’s nothing to feel wronged about.” Aitra snapped.

“I’m very sorry.” The police officers nearby bowed deeply and apologized.

“No — you did your duty.” Aitra said to the officers. “You won’t face any unfair punishment for this. On the contrary, you should be praised for protecting the south.”

“That’s true.” Albus nodded, though he had to clamp his mouth shut under Aitra’s fierce stare.

“First, let’s take a picture.” As if this were some memento, Aitra pulled out a camera and took photos of Albus through the bars.

“Are you really my daughter? Why are you so cruel?”

“Because I’m your daughter — I can do this to you.” A laugh escaped from Albus as he was finally released from the cell. He stretched — reaching his arms high and lifting his feet, his huge frame even more pronounced.

It was like the roar of a giant white lion.

The two left the police station in the waiting car and headed toward the Okeanus villa.

“At first I thought it was a prank call,” Aitra said, asking what had happened.

“They hadn’t come for so long I was worried. Karina woke up and asked where grandpa had gone,” Albus replied.

“Oh, my little one…!” Albus feigned tears that weren’t convincing.

“I just thought the in-laws’ girl and the kids were so cute…”

“Did you meet them?” Aitra blurted, surprised.

“Father!” Albus blurted.

“I know, I know!” Albus, afraid of the scolding, confessed his mistake.

“Don’t drop in on the in-laws without telling us!”

“Then why did you go?” Aitra demanded.

“I was walking and we were near the in-laws’ place, so I stopped by the park below. The daughter-in-law was playing with her friends….”

He’d been so taken by her innocent way of picking up trash and playing that, with the grandfatherly feeling, he’d gone over — and it turned out this way.

“…….” Aitra was speechless. No matter how you heard it, it sounded like an excuse a kidnapper would give.

“…Well, in hindsight, it did seem a bit odd,” Albus admitted.

Arriving at the villa, Aitra hesitated. Should she call Leto now to ask after the daughter-in-law? She worried not only about her but about the other children who’d been there.

“Father.” Aitra began, reluctant.

They were worried about the kids, yes, but she had something else on her mind.

“About what happened today….”

“Hm?”

Albus, exhausted, turned to her. Even a great white lion could barely handle the turmoil of the day.

“Well….” Aitra continued.

“Should we inform Captain Adbello?” she asked.

The Sharp territory was under the jurisdiction of the Adbello clan.

That meant the police report that General Okeanus had been mistaken for a kidnapper and locked up in a cell might be relayed to them.

“Ah!” Albus clutched his white hair in despair.

He realized, too late, that there was something far worse than being mistaken for a kidnapper.

“Butler.” Aitra ordered, watching him.

“Prepare the phone.”