“Master, please have a little more.”
Jane pushed the bowl that had been handed over to Ben.
Ben, who had become emaciated over the past few days, smiled slightly as he looked down at the bowl with several pieces of meat floating on top of the dried soup.
"Yes. You eat it.”
"But...”
“You have to eat a lot. There's still a long way to go...”
His eyes became faint. Wood, who had been devouring food next to him, sighed.
It's not that he doesn't know how a father feels after losing a child, but no matter how much he thought about it, he wasn't worried about Dorothea.
'I think she's already entered the family and is controlling everyone and making noises.'
Just look at the way he treated Aiden.
A man with a beard covering his face, a large body, a booming voice, and the unique rough movements of a sword wielder would have been something that any child would have been reluctant to see and be afraid of.
'There is no way that a child who got slapped on the cheek from the first day she met an uncle like that would be depressed anywhere.'
To be honest, Wood couldn't even understand why they went so far as to kidnap her.
Is that person worthy of being kidnapped and taken somewhere?
How clever a small thing can be, and how bad its intentions are.
It was obvious that Aiden, who had taken her, was going through a lot of trouble right now.
But he couldn't say something like that in front of her father, who had just lost his child and was heartbroken, so he just put his head down on the table and focused on eating.
“If you’re going to leave both of them, give it to me.”
Jane's eyes widened when Wood said that he would even dispose of the leftover food.
But he also had something to say.
Isn't it Wood himself who is carrying young Jane on his back and carrying thr luggage along the long road?
“It will be okay for her. To be honest, doesn’t she have a monster uncle?”
Aiden Highclere, a beast of war.
Why didn't he think of it from the beginning?
Aiden was already famous as a teenager due to his excellent spear skills and natural strength.
There was no way Wood, who had once served in the military, was unaware of his reputation.
“He already loves your child, but he's not the kind of person to let something happen to his niece. Rather, by now he would have something luxurious for his niece..."
At Wood's words, Ben's eyes regained some vitality.
Although it is a bit of a headache to know whether he can bring his daughter back or not, he can rest assured that she is safe.
Just as Ben's heart was about to lighten up a little, a crunching noise was heard from behind.
“Oh my, that person is doing that again.”
“What a nuisance you have been for several days.”
Several regulars at the inn clicked their tongues and frowned.
The smell of alcohol was wafting from the man who came tumbling down the stairs with his heavy body.
A man with half his face covered by a beard cried quietly.
“What about our poor Thea? What can I do when I lose that child?”
“...”
Ben turned white at the familiar name.
Aiden Highclere was sitting there, reeking of alcohol and wailing loudly.
The attendants around him were trying to comfort him, but he seemed to be struggling.
He could hear the guests at the table next to him whispering.
“How on earth did he lose his niece”
“From what I heard, there was a gang fight here a few days ago. I think someone took the child while he was fighting with the people he was arguing with.”
“Oh, indeed. If you don’t know the culprit, it will be difficult to find him.”
Jane, whose face turned pale, began to cry.
Aiden Highclere lost Dorothea.
Ben, who had been sitting blankly, suddenly got up and, staggering, walked precariously towards Aiden.
Where did his slim, skinny body get such strength?
He grabbed the giant by the collar and cried out.
“What have you done to my daughter! Where on earth is Thea right now?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know.”
Ben closed his eyes tightly as he looked at Aiden crying.
Wood realized that things were really getting serious and stood up.
At least, he was relaxed because he thought it wouldn't be dangerous if Dorothea was by Aiden's side. If Dorothea wasn't in his arms now, where on earth was she?
"Just remember. You owe me. It is a deep and heavy debt that must be repaid beyond life. So you shouldn’t complain even if I use you as my leg.”
When the little girl said that, pulling his clothes with her bony hands, Wood Dever nodded as if he was possessed by something.
Whenever he came face to face with eyes swirling with deep, dark energy, he was overcome by the urge to kneel down and look up at her.
And now.
For the first time, a deep anxiety and fear that he could not even understand engulfed him.
The first place Wood visited after calming Ben and Jane was the mercenary request center.
The receptionist, who was looking at the counter with a bored expression, rested her chin and asked in a business-like manner.
“Please tell us about the request and the client.”
“The client is Ben Everly. The request is to find the whereabouts of his kidnapped daughter.”
When Wood held out a portrait of the missing Dorothea, the receptionist accepted it with an uneasy look on her face.
“You know, but if a child has been kidnapped and his or her whereabouts are unknown, it must be difficult to find. Of course, the task of finding the child itself is difficult. The basic upfront fee is also expensive.”
“...”
"And... It would be difficult to expect very good results.”
Wood sighed and nodded at the advice given as if he were being kind to others.
As the receptionist said, he knew that there was a higher chance that the request would not be of much help.
He just opened his hands as if grasping at straws.
Since he had a water supplier, there was no problem in spending money.
It is said that some of the attendants went to the family, so if the funds that can be mobilized increase, it will increase, not decrease.
“Here’s the advance fee. If there is even a clue as to the child’s whereabouts, I will pay more.”
He hurriedly took all the gold leaf and jewels from Aiden's clothes, and the pockets were quite bulging.
The receptionist who checked the items opened her eyes wide and swallowed her saliva.
“This is a high-quality gem. So much of this...?”
“Just look for the child. Then you’ll probably get something extra.”
Wood, who was speaking in a bitter tone, paused while casually looking at the bulletin board.
Among the list of missing people, a very familiar name caught his eye.
Ben Everly.
“What have you done to my daughter! Where on earth is Thea right now?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know.”
Ben closed his eyes tightly as he looked at Aiden crying.
Wood realized that things were really getting serious and stood up.
At least, he was relaxed because he thought it wouldn't be dangerous if Dorothea was by Aiden's side. If Dorothea wasn't in his arms now, where on earth was she?
"Just remember. You owe me. It is a deep and heavy debt that must be repaid beyond life. So you shouldn’t complain even if I use you as my leg.”
When the little girl said that, pulling his clothes with her bony hands, Wood Dever nodded as if he was possessed by something.
Whenever he came face to face with eyes swirling with deep, dark energy, he was overcome by the urge to kneel down and look up at her.
And now.
For the first time, a deep anxiety and fear that he could not even understand engulfed him.
***
The first place Wood visited after calming Ben and Jane was the mercenary request center.
The receptionist, who was looking at the counter with a bored expression, rested her chin and asked in a business-like manner.
“Please tell us about the request and the client.”
“The client is Ben Everly. The request is to find the whereabouts of his kidnapped daughter.”
When Wood held out a portrait of the missing Dorothea, the receptionist accepted it with an uneasy look on her face.
“You know, but if a child has been kidnapped and his or her whereabouts are unknown, it must be difficult to find. Of course, the task of finding the child itself is difficult. The basic upfront fee is also expensive.”
“...”
"And... It would be difficult to expect very good results.”
Wood sighed and nodded at the advice given as if he were being kind to others.
As the receptionist said, he knew that there was a higher chance that the request would not be of much help.
He just opened his hands as if grasping at straws.
Since he had a water supplier, there was no problem in spending money.
It is said that some of the attendants went to the family, so if the funds that can be mobilized increase, it will increase, not decrease.
“Here’s the advance fee. If there is even a clue as to the child’s whereabouts, I will pay more.”
He hurriedly took all the gold leaf and jewels from Aiden's clothes, and the pockets were quite bulging.
The receptionist who checked the items opened her eyes wide and swallowed her saliva.
“This is a high-quality gem. So much of this...?”
“Just look for the child. Then you’ll probably get something extra.”
Wood, who was speaking in a bitter tone, paused while casually looking at the bulletin board.
Among the list of missing people, a very familiar name caught his eye.
Ben Everly.
The name of Ben, now his companion and Dorothea's father, was at the very top.
Moreover, there were five stars attached to the haphazardly drawn portrait, as if the wanted sum was very high.
“Who is looking for interest?”
When Wood pointed to Ben with a slightly embarrassed look, the receptionist shrugged his shoulders in annoyance.
“He is someone who has placed a high reward on the Highclere family. Thanks to this, it seems like the mercenaries are searching around here and there relying on that one portrait, but they say no one knows his whereabouts yet.”
“...”
Judging by the poor quality of the portrait, there was no way the mercenaries carrying it would be able to recognize Ben.
Wood cleared his throat and asked again.
“Why are you looking for him?”
“You still don’t know this. Wasn't it true that in the past, after the youngest daughter of Highclare, whom the Marquis had been cherishing so much, fell in love with a merchant and ran away? The connection was lost at that time, but it seems the Marquis has found her biological granddaughter.”
“...!”
“No matter how strict the Marquis was, I think his daughter, who went first, caught his eye. They are looking for someone to officially accept his granddaughter, who is no different from thr family’s bastard, and to bring his son-in-law as well.”
Wood looked at Ben Everly's name and the reward money written next to it with a puzzled look on his face.
How on earth did Dorothea, who had been kidnapped again, arrive at the Marquis on her own?
She even defeated the stubborn Marquis and received official recognition as his granddaughter?
Moreover, the Marquis even acknowledged Ben Avery as his son-in-law and announced that he would bring him into the mansion?
'What did you do?'
Rather than feeling relieved that she was safe, he wondered what on earth Dorothea had done.
Most likely, she did something incomprehensible, in a way he couldn't understand.
'I'm glad you're safe. Fortunately...'
Wood, who was staring at the portrait with a complicated face, soon turned his head and asked bluntly.
“So, how much is the reward?”
It was news that Jane would be overjoyed to hear.
***
As soon as Wood heard the news, he got up and went to the request center with Ben.
The employee, who was dumbfounded by the statement, ‘This is Ben Avery,’ quickly contacted headquarters and went through the verification process.
A message came from the Marquis saying they would send someone, but Ben refused.
The reason was that he wanted to go and see with his own eyes that the child was safe rather than waiting anxiously for people to come pick him up.
Thanks to this, Wood received the bounty that had been placed on Ben and used part of the money to rent a luxury carriage.
Unlike Ben, who had a complicated face in the moving carriage, Aiden was very excited.
“Our Thea is smart too!”
“Our young lady is amazing.”
“She can find her way home alone!”
Even when he was a junkie who drank alcohol all day and night, Aiden looked difficult to look at, but after regaining his energy, it was just as annoying.
As Wood looked outside, he saw a long line of carriages in the distance.
Accordingly, the speed of the carriage, which had been running smoothly, gradually slowed down and eventually began to crawl.
“The area is very crowded today, so it will take some time.”
When the coachman carefully explained the situation, Ben nodded as if it was okay.
He saw a line of carriages waiting to go to the mansion in front.
“But what brought you all together like this?”
“Well, the Marqis of Highclere is announcing his new granddaughter.”
As the coachman spoke, the eyes of those in the carriage turned to him.
“It’s because relatives and people from close families from all over came together with gifts to celebrate it.”
“...”
Come to think of it, each carriage had a large luggage compartment attached or was carrying a chest.
It seemed like they were the only carriage heading to the Marquis empty-handed.
“Well, shouldn’t we buy something and take it with us?”
Only then did Ben realize that he was visiting his wife's parents' house for the first time, and he became restless and spoke.
Aiden, seeing him so nervous, chuckled.
“Isn’t all the money my brother-in-law has from rewards from our family? It would be great to buy a gift with that.”
“...”
He knew he was just a human being.
As soon as he heard that Dorothea had safely arrived at the Marquis's mansion, Aiden came to his senses and recognized Ben as his brother-in-law.
Not only that, but he treated Ben in a very friendly manner.
'He's also shameless about being a kidnapper.'
If Ben hadn't run away with the child and lost it in the first place, things wouldn't have turned out this way.
“By the way. Don’t we need to wait in line?”
Jane, who had been sitting still, opened her eyes and asked.
Puzzling gazes gathered towards the girl.
“Others are guests, but we are family. Isn’t this your home too?”
“...!”
Aiden, with wide eyes, nodded.
"Right. This was our house. I was wandering around so much that I forgot about it.”
He hurriedly opened the carriage door and ran towards the guard standing guard in front of the main gate.
“Hey, here I am!”
***
“Please wait a moment. The Marquis is out of town for a while due to work. Let’s bring the young lady.”
The group waited anxiously for Dorothea in the reception room where they were guided.
After a while, the door opened on both sides, and a skinny girl wearing a luxurious dress was seen walking through it.
Dorothea, who still showed signs of illness, but whose mood had changed as if she had received someone's loving care, approached the group at a slow pace.
One step at a time.
Every time the lost child approached, Ben couldn't bear to go out to meet her and just stood there blankly.
It was amazing that she didn't collapse because her legs became weak.
Dorothea looked at her father, whose eyes were getting moist as he looked at her.
The group that marched all the way here, willing to sleep in the open for several days, all looked guilty.
Dorothea reunited for the first time since being kidnapped, tilted her head and opened her mouth.
"Dad?"
“Yes, Thea. I’m here.”
In just a few days, the child was wearing neat clothes and her hair was neatly done, and her eyes were wide open.
Dorothea immediately stretched out her hand and hugged Ben.
Ben's shoulders were shaking with emotion and relief as he held the child.
“Dad, don’t cry.”
While the girl was placating her father in an adult manner, the Marquis's knights approached the remaining party with ferocious faces.
Wood was wary of his surroundings, unable to hide his instinctive tension.
“Jane, stand behind me.”
Although he accepted Dorothea, can the Marquis, who loved his youngest daughter so much, truly accept Ben?
Moreover, they were like a lump next to Ben.
Considering their public reputation, it would be better for them not to be by Dorothea's side.
It was at that time that Wood, who was very nervous, put his hand on the sword.
The knights gathered around and pointed their swords at Aiden.
“Huh?”
Aiden, who was waiting his turn to hug his niece, looked at the sword pointed at him with a dumbfounded expression.
“The Marquis ordered you to be taken away and imprisoned in the dungeon.”
“Hey, over there. I haven't even hugged Thea yet...”
“This is the Marquis’ order.”
"No. This can't be happening! I can’t do this without even being able to hug my niece, whom I haven’t seen in a while!! Dorothea, Thea!”
Aiden, who was tightly bound and taken away by the knights, repeatedly cried out for Dorothea in a sorrowful voice.
Dorothea, who was in Ben's arms, raised her head brightly and waved at Aiden, who was being dragged away.
"Bye."
As Wood, confused by the skit that took place in the blink of an eye, rolled his eyes, the chamberlain approached and bowed his head politely.
“There is water for washing. Please go.”
He didn't know what it was, but the Marquess of Highclere didn't look that ordinary either.
“You mean you can’t fake blood...?”
Wood, who was standing blankly, shook his head and muttered.
He had an ominous feeling that his life here would be very eventful.
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