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Chapter 74
The banquet was in full swing.
Karte slipped out of the hall cautiously. The promised time was drawing near.
Walking through the dark garden was frightening. The garden was connected to the training grounds. Being forced to train there every day was already a torment, but what if she happened to run into Taiburn there?
That would be scarier than running into a ghost. Karte pouted as she walked.
“Why do I have to do things like this!”
The path leading to the servants’ entrance was long. Eventually, Karte opened the door and quietly slipped away.
It had been scary, but once it was done, she felt much better. After today, she wouldn’t have to see Lani sticking to Hider anymore.
Lani would be going to Aites, and Karte could go there as well, depending on how she played it.
This was the chance to set everything right. Karte hummed to herself as she slipped back into the banquet hall.
And through the now-open door, masked men began to enter one by one.
“All this fuss just to kidnap a single maid. How great must she be for this?”
“Shh! Who cares? What matters is the pay.”
The masked men exchanged a few words before sneaking into the duke’s mansion.
They had been told the target was an eighteen-year-old maid. They planned to search the grounds thoroughly, starting from the garden.
In the distance, they spotted a maid. She was small, with twin braids—it was obvious she was still young.
They approached carefully. She was crouched down, muttering to herself.
“You need to grow quickly. That way this sister can earn money.”
What on earth was she talking about?
When they looked closer, they realized she was facing a vegetable patch. From the smell of herbs, it seemed to be a medicinal garden.
None of them could read, nor had they ever cared about herbs, so they couldn’t tell what exactly was growing there.
One of the masked men moved his lips.
“Lani?”
At the deep, low voice, the girl jumped to her feet. She glanced around anxiously—it had to be her. The masked men grinned. They hadn’t expected things to go so easily.
They had been tense about infiltrating the Sword Master’s estate. But compared to the money they’d been promised, the job seemed ridiculously simple. They exchanged glances and nodded.
One of them pulled out a handkerchief soaked in sleeping draught and crept toward her.
“Come quietly.”
“Kyaa!”
Her small scream was swallowed up by the darkness.
The banquet that had set the whole estate on edge finally ended in success. According to Hider, many people had complimented the interior decorations.
What kind of reward would Taiburn give me? That was exciting to think about—but even more, it was satisfying to see my hard work pay off.
Humming cheerfully, I made my way down to the garden patch. Dania was probably already there. My druid friend acted as if she were the garden’s very spirit.
But something was strange.
Dania was nowhere to be seen.
“Where did she go?”
I tilted my head. Maybe she had overslept today. But she wasn’t in her quarters, or anywhere else either.
“…Dania?”
A bad feeling crept over me. I stopped searching and opened my status window.
[Name: Dania
Status: Fear. Startled. Wants to go home. Slightly hungry.]
A chill ran through my whole body. Something had happened to Dania.
I went around asking the other maids about her whereabouts. They all said they hadn’t seen her since yesterday. Since she was always with me, they assumed she was just by my side.
But Dania was not the type to disappear without a word. Which meant—
“Kidnapping…?”
My heart sank.
“Lady Ruella!”
“…Lani? What’s the matter? You’re sweating so much.”
I grabbed Ruella’s wrist tightly. My hands were trembling. Never once had I imagined something like this.
“Da–Dania’s gone.”
“What? Are you sure you’ve looked properly?”
“I’m certain! They say she hasn’t been seen since last night. She said she was going to the garden, but never came back!”
My shrill voice made Lady Ruella’s face grow grave as well.
“Tell me everything. No—where could she possibly have gone?”
“I don’t know. Couldn’t someone have taken her?”
“Why would they take Dania? Did she ever make enemies? Was she ever threatened?”
I shook my head furiously. Tears pricked my eyes.
Dania was my only friend. The thought of her being in danger felt like losing half my heart.
“Don’t cry. She’ll be all right.”
I nodded, my eyes brimming. Tears fell before I knew it. This wasn’t like when Taiburn had gone missing.
Taiburn was a Sword Master. Even among monsters, he was a transcendent being who could survive.
But Dania… she was just an ordinary girl. With her brown hair and gentle olive-green eyes, she was kind and plain.
She was innocent, her freckled cheeks endearing.
I didn’t know why or for what reason she’d been taken. But if danger came, could she withstand it?
It felt like needles stabbing my insides, my head throbbed painfully. The thought of losing Dania filled me with dread.
“…What if something happens to her, Lady Ruella?”
“Lani, my dear…”
Ruella stroked my shoulder with a startled expression.
“We must tell Lord Taiburn and ask him to order a search. If she disappeared last night, the kidnappers probably used the distraction of the banquet. With so many people around, someone must have seen something. If it really was a kidnapping, there will be some kind of message. To dare commit such a crime inside the duke’s estate, they must want something.”
She pointed out the obvious things my panic had blinded me to.
“You’re right.”
I wiped my tears away.
They must want something—that’s why they took her.
“We should also send people to check her family home, just in case.”
“That would be wise. Will you come with me to see Lord Taiburn?”
I nodded. Doing something—anything—was better than sitting still.
I clenched my fists and kept checking her status window. Dania was still alive and unharmed.
I’ll save you, Dania. No matter what.
On his way back from training, Karte froze as if he’d seen a ghost—because there stood Lani.
But hadn’t she left for Aites yesterday?
“Why the hell are you here!”
Having never learned the slightest patience, Karte shouted. Lani, who had been walking with Lady Ruella, halted.
“Are you talking to me, young master?”
“Yes, you! Why are you here!”
“…And where exactly should I be, then? I’m busy right now.”
Lani’s reply was colder than usual as she turned sharply away. Karte tried to rush after her, but she suddenly stopped and faced him again, her voice rigid.
“You just asked why I was here. What exactly did you mean by that?”
“That’s right!”
“What was your intention in saying that?”
“Well, that’s because…!”
“Don’t tell me.”
Lani bit her lip hard. Karte was terrible at hiding himself.
“Were you expecting me to be gone? For what reason?”
“Lani.”
Lady Ruella tried to hold her back, but Lani couldn’t contain herself. Her pretty face hardened with cold anger, and seeing it only stoked Karte’s fury.
“Why are you always mad at me?”
“Answer me! Why should I not be here? Why should I have disappeared?”
Lani shouted without backing down.
“Are you insane? I’m a Kartieron, and you’re just a maid!”
“Answer me!”
“I don’t know! I don’t know anything!”
Realizing he was cornered, Karte backed off.
He had spoken in a fit of anger, but admitting the truth would only hurt him. With a sharp turn, he stormed away.
Behind him, Lani’s eyes burned into his back.
