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Chapter 27
The Children Have Been Kidnapped (1)
Normally, I wouldn’t have let guys like this go so easily, but what can I do? Right now, I’m just a squishy, mochi-like little kid.
It seemed wiser for my safety to just give them some money and send them on their way.
I spoke in resignation.
“I’ll give you everything in the bag, so just let us go.”
I figured it’d be fine to pay the carriage fare once we arrived. I nodded at Jake, signaling for him to quickly hand over the bag.
But Jake didn’t budge.
“Step aside! We’re from Arcades. If you don’t want to die, back off immediately.”
“…What? Arca…des?”
The big man flinched, his eyes twitching nervously.
Was he scared because we said we’re from Arcades? No, it wasn’t just fear. It was more than that.
Idiots like them who act recklessly out of ignorance often get themselves killed, but something about this felt off.
“That’s right. I’m the second son of the Duke of Arcades. So all of you, back off!”
Jake shouted again, thinking his bluff had worked. As expected, even as a child, Arcades had a different presence.
His voice was so loud and commanding that even I felt like I should back off. Pushing aside my uneasy feeling, I looked at the group with a proud expression.
But at the same time, the gang leader’s gaze shifted oddly as he looked at us. That was when a sudden intuition hit me—something was wrong.
“Are you really from Arcades?”
The large man asked with a cold smile, like he was made of steel.
“Yes.”
Jake answered bravely.
“Whoa! Boss, he says it’s true. Didn’t we just hit the jackpot?”
“Yeah. An unexpected prize.”
The exchange between the boss and his underling was ridiculous. Were they planning to kidnap us? To extort money?
Did they really think they could kidnap a son of the Arcades and live to tell the tale?
That thought wasn’t good for anyone—neither them nor us.
“What nonsense are you spouting? You crazy b*****s.”
“Ohhh? Sounds like she understood we’re talking about kidnapping them.”
“Idiots. Got guts, huh? But you know what happens when your liver swells? You die.”
Even neighborhood thugs need to have some fear, or it’s a recipe for disaster. But these guys seemed like their livers had already burst out of their bodies.
They looked stupid but had sinister intentions—very dangerous types.
I had been trained as a soldier to stay composed in dangerous situations, but what about Jake?
***
Dalton realized the children were missing only after Ludia and Jake had already taken the carriage and left the area.
He searched the nearby toy store and the surrounding area, but when he couldn’t find the children, he immediately sent a knight to the duke’s estate to report it.
Kaizen, who had drunk again the night before and got up late, initially didn’t think much of the news.
“The children are missing? What do you mean?”
“The young lady and Second Master Jake, who had gone to the Brinton store… have disappeared.”
Warren, the aide, repeated himself. Though he was deeply troubled, it was his duty to explain the situation clearly to his lord.
But Kaizen still hadn’t fully grasped the seriousness.
“So, what exactly happened? Explain properly.”
“The second young master said he was going into the store alone and told the others not to follow. The young lady said she would follow him anyway. The knights were standing outside the door when…”
Warren relayed the situation just as Sir Dalton sent had reported it. Kaizen, who had initially dismissed it as a minor issue, finally realized it was serious.
“What nonsense is this…”
His low voice trembled at the end.
How could something like this happen in a duke’s—or rather, a grand duke’s—household? He thought the fire inside him had long burned out, but it suddenly flared up again.
That flame caused Kaizen to waver.
Dalton had confirmed with a woman inside that the children had exited through a back door in the corner.
That meant they had left the store of their own accord.
Why they did so could be figured out later.
“For now, send out all available knights to find the children!”
They might’ve just wanted to play by themselves. But the fact that they were nowhere to be found after searching the area meant something could have gone wrong.
Even if nothing had happened, leaving the kids alone was dangerous.
Realizing that, Kaizen’s chest tightened, and he felt like something was dropping out from under his feet.
He couldn’t just leave it to the knights. Then he noticed his own state—no jacket, not even fully dressed—and shut his eyes in frustration.
If anything happened to the children, no matter what anyone said, it would be his fault. There was no time to waste.
“Warren, bring me my dress uniform!”
Warren had been Kaizen’s aide since his youth. The man he knew had completely changed after the duchess’s death.
Before that, he had been a born warrior, nearly cruel in his cold efficiency on the battlefield.
But after her death, he drowned in alcohol and rarely had a clear mind. He hadn’t worn his full formal uniform even once since.
Not even when the emperor visited, he had only worn the bare minimum of formalwear.
Now, he was asking for the family’s crested, gold-trimmed formal uniform.
With that unusual order, Warren felt it instinctively.
If the children were safe, the duke might finally change.
But if anything happened to them, the duke would collapse beyond recovery.
Warren’s gut filled with both hope and dread. With a heavy heart, he brought out the duke’s uniform.
The cream-colored uniform hung loosely on Kaizen’s now-thin frame, making him look slightly awkward. But still, in uniform, he appeared dignified once again.
As soon as he finished dressing, the door opened, and Rikael and Lucas entered.
While buttoning his sleeves, Kaizen glanced at Rikael. His son’s expression was dark. Lucas’s face was visibly gloomy as well.
“What’s wrong?”
Rikael hesitated. Ever since hearing that Jake and Ludia had disappeared, he had felt guilty.
It seemed silly that such a small thing had made them run away, but he knew he bore some responsibility.
“It’s because of the wooden sword…”
Rikael hesitated, and Lucas stepped in.
“It wasn’t a big deal. The young lady asked the young master for his wooden sword, so he gave it to her, and then she gave it to the second young master. When he saw that, he said a few words.”
“What did he say?”
Kaizen asked calmly.
“He said, if he wanted it, he should’ve asked directly. Why take something that was given to the young lady? It was a fair comment, since the young master gave it to her.”
Lucas answered again, and Rikael quietly listened.
Lucas didn’t mention that he had criticized Rikael for getting what he wanted by hiding behind a girl.
That omission felt like a lie to Rikael, so he couldn’t stay silent.
“Actually…”
“That’s enough. Finding the children is more important now. We must leave immediately.”
Kaizen cut off his son and moved forward.
He thought finding the children was the top priority and was about to leave when a firm voice came from behind.
“I’ll go with you.”
Kaizen stopped and turned to look at his son.
Rikael’s resolve was clear. He clearly felt responsible.
“No.”
When Lucas had stepped in to defend Rikael, Kaizen sensed there was more to it.
But he didn’t want to press the issue.
Whatever had happened, he couldn’t blame the disappearance entirely on Rikael.
Strictly speaking, everything that happened in this household was his responsibility. He had been drunk and negligent, failing to watch over the children properly.
Thinking about it, he realized how shameful he had been.
“You and Lucas stay here and guard the estate. Remember, while I’m gone, you are the master of this house. And most of all, if the children return, you must let me know immediately.”
Rikael silently bowed his head.
It had been a long time since he’d seen his father like this. Since his mother’s death, this was the first time he’d seen him wear his full formal uniform.
