"Ugh..."
Karina groaned as she came to her senses.
A cold chill penetrated her lower back. She sat up, her heavy body raised, and looked around.
'Where is this?'
She woke up in a shabby shack, feeling bewildered by the unfamiliar place. But soon she came to her senses. She remembered resisting the strange man who had attacked her, saying that the Grand Duke was looking for her, just before she passed out.
'This is crazy! Another kidnapping!'
The curse just came out.
'Who did this?
But Lucia and the high priest Emil immediately came to her mind.
'There's no way they would have planned something like this.'
It was immediately dismissed. The safety and security of guests while staying at the temple were entirely the responsibility of the temple.
'Even if they say I'm a nuisance to them, they won't touch me while I'm staying in the temple.'
She didn't assume that they, the faithful ones who follow the will of God, would ever do something like this. She just thought that the risk was too great because the temple might be caught in the imperial court because of this.
'If they had planned to do something like this at the temple from the beginning, they would have done it before I arrived at the temple or after I had performed the prayer and left the temple.'
Karina shook her head as if to shake off her complicated thoughts as she pondered who might have ordered her kidnapping.
'I don't know who brought me here, but I need to get out of here quickly. I don't know what will happen if I stay here.'
First of all, she thought that getting out of here was the top priority. Fortunately, her hands and feet were not tied. Karina jumped up and went to the door. She tried to open it, but the thick wooden door was locked tightly and wouldn't budge no matter how hard she pushed and pulled.
'This...!'
The same was true of the windows. Beyond the unopenable windows, dense bushes could be seen. It seemed as if water was flowing nearby, and a faint sound of water could be heard.
'Is that why you just left me alone?'
It seemed that they had judged that it would be difficult for her to escape this place alone, even without being tied up.
Karina raised her head and slowly looked around the cabin. It was dusty everywhere as if no one had lived there for a long time. The black, moldy wooden walls gave off a musty smell, and the wooden floor was old and creaked with the slightest movement. The windows, which had not been cleaned for a long time, were stained, and the window frames were covered in white dust. It was such a dirty and poor place that if you stayed there for too long, you would probably get tuberculosis and die.
Karina frowned and looked around more actively. She started searching under the table, on the shelves and drawers, behind the curtains, and even the vents in the fireplace. She started searching haphazardly to see if there was anything that could help her escape.
"Knock knock knock!"
While she was picking through all the dust she could see.
'Hmm?'
Karina found a rough wooden box deep in a drawer. It was a small wooden box, just the right size to hold various odds and ends.
'Is there something in it?'
Karina took it out and opened it. And inside she found something familiar.
"Uh?"
It contained a dirty bundle of cloth bearing the emblem of the Marquis of Milliner.
"Why is the Marquis Milliner's emblem here?"
Even the wooden box it came in was not at all luxurious looking.
'It could be a coincidence, but it's too much of a coincidence...'
It was strange. An ominous feeling came over her. Karina felt a strange feeling and took out the cloth. There were severe brown stains here and there on the cloth. When she took it out, it wasn't a cloth, but a handkerchief. The handkerchief had been curled up for a long time and was stiff.
'It looks like something's wrapped up.'
Karina carefully unfolded the handkerchief. Then. Clang.
A small clanging sound rang out as something fell at her feet. Looking down, she saw something round and shiny.
"Ring?"
Karina picked it up. It was an old-fashioned ring, a thick silver ring with a round obsidian stone. She froze as soon as she recognized the ring.
"This is..."
It was something she had never thought would be in a place like this. It was a ring that her nanny, who had cared for her like a daughter, had worn while she was alive.
"Why is the nanny's ring in a place like this?"
Karina's eyes widened in surprise and confusion. There was no way she wouldn't recognize this ring. Long ago.
'Miss Karina. When you grow up and get married, I want to give you my ring instead of late Madam. I would be happy if you accept it.'
'Of course! Do you have to give it to me? It's a promise!"
It was the ring that the nanny had wanted to give to Karina, who had no real mother, in place of her mother's ring. She remembered it clearly because it was a promise they had made when they were young and made flower rings together.
'In the past, the nanny was clearly robbed on the street and died.'
This ring was one of the things that had been stolen and could not be found. But the ring that had disappeared was here. It wasn't just the ring. There were also brooches, jewelry, hairpins, a purse, and even a name tag that said she was a servant of the Marquis that the nanny often wore. They were all familiar, so it was clear that they were the nanny's belongings.
"..."
For a moment, Karina got goosebumps. Wasn't all of this wrapped in a handkerchief with the Marquis Milliner emblem?
'Come to think of it, this handkerchief...'
Looking closely, the dirty stains here and there looked like dried blood.
'No way.'
Suddenly, a suspicion arose.
'If the nanny's death wasn't an accident...'
If it wasn't bad luck that they met a robber, but someone with bad intentions had targeted the nanny.
A chill ran down her spine. Her heart pounded at the thought that the person who had kidnapped her here might have killed the nanny. If the robber who had killed the nanny had really happened to come here, they wouldn't have left the stolen jewelry and other valuables like this.
'It makes more sense to say that they left it here for a while and forgot to deal with it.'
And as she was thinking about who might be able to do this, someone suddenly came to mind.
"Father..."
A groan-like murmur escaped her lips. Her hands trembled slightly.
'No. That can't be. There's no reason for a father to kill his nanny.'
Even though she shook her head, she couldn't shake off her suspicions. Her father, the Marquis Milliner, was a great man who would do something like this. Karina knew how cruel and mean the Marquis Milliner could be for his greed. He would not care about the means and methods for his goal. Her suspicions were confirmed by the presence of the man who appeared soon after.
Rattle rattle.
"...!"
There was a rattling sound as if someone was opening the door with a key, and then the door swung open with a click of unlocking. A man with a long scar running from the corner of his eye to the corner of his mouth entered the cabin.
“ah.”
Karina sighed as she looked at the man's scars.
'That guy is the guy who used to do dirty work behind my father's back.'
Before returning, she had seen what the Marquis was doing and had learned all sorts of dirty tricks and dark sides of the underworld, and had even procured the poison to kill Lucia. In the process, she received help from that man several times in the beginning. Karina felt her heart sink.
Aside from Karina's feelings, the man who entered the cabin was indifferent.
"Huh? You woke up earlier than I thought?"
The tone was one of surprise, but it was not at all urgent or crisis-inducing. The man glanced at the ring Karina was holding in her hand and the open wooden box before speaking.
"If you don't want to get in trouble, don't do useless things and just stay quiet."
As soon as Karina woke up, he knew that she had searched the cabin, but he was still calm. But it was definitely not an empty remark. Karina had seen the man kill people several times with the same expressionless face as now. Even now, the man was rolling the dagger he used to kill people around in his hand like a toy. However, even though she should have been afraid, her mind was calm like a gentle sleep. Her mind was also clearer and sharper than before.
Karina asked in a firm voice without any highs or lows.
"Why did you bring me here?"
"..."
The man ignored her words, not intending to respond. However, his gaze returned to her subsequent words.
"I don't know what my father said, but even if he says this, I won't do as he wishes. Go back and tell him clearly."
The man, who had been staring at her for a while, soon snorted and snickered as if he had heard a funny story.
"You don't seem stupid, but you're quite naive. You don't even know your own father. Well, can't you help it?"
"Stop being sarcastic and say what you want to say directly."
At Karina's urging, the man tapped her temple with the tip of the dagger he was holding.
"The Marquis has no interest in something as insignificant as you."
"What do you mean?"
If you say you're not interested, then why did you bring me here?
"I have other goals besides you. You're just bait."
"What? Bait?"
"I already contacted him, so if you are of any use, he will come soon."
Karina tilted her head for a moment, not knowing who he was talking about, but then suddenly realized. If the Marquis was after someone, then it was obvious who it was.
"Are you trying to use me as bait to lure His Highness the Grand Duke?"
"Bingo."
The man whistled once, saying that was the correct answer. Naturally, Karina's expression crumpled with a sigh.
"You were being silly. Do you think His Highness will come just because you arrest me?"
There was no way. She had already rejected and pushed him away several times.
'And this time, for real.'
He would have given up on her too. Jeremiah hasn't come to see her since he woke up.
'I'm sure he'll be with the Saintess.'
Karina was secretly convinced that since she had not seen the Saintess since she woke up, she must be stuck with Jeremiah.
'Lucia would have been there to treat and comfort him when he was feeling depressed.'
The accusation that he failed to prevent the Grand Duchess from being kidnapped by a stranger would also come back to the temple. So, in a situation where divorce was imminent, Jeremiah had no reason to come to her rescue. Karina raised her head, swallowing the laughter that was about to escape.
"This plan is flawed from the start. It makes no sense to use me as bait to lure His Highness the Grand Duke."
"You'll find out whether it makes sense or not when you see it. You just have to stay still."
The man who was checking the condition of the dagger's blade with his fingertips suddenly clicked his tongue.
"You should have done better. Even if you are his own children, the Marquis is a person who mercilessly disposes of those who are not worthy of their rightful place."
The man chuckled. Karina's face hardened as she listened to him.
What does that mean? It's like my father told me...
The man told her as if he was confirming the truth, as she was unable to continue talking.
"He said he would kill you if necessary."
"...!"
The shock hit her like she had been hit in the back of the head. Karina realized that the reason the man was telling her everything so easily was because he had no intention of letting her live.
"So listen carefully. If you don't want to die."
'You have no intention of saving me anyway.'
Karina bit her lower lip. He had always been a madman who enjoyed trampling on and toying with those who begged for his life, and seeing them despair. The scars stood out over his wicked smile, making him look even more vile and cruel. The fear that she might really die and the sense of crisis that she had to run away weighed on her shoulders at the same time. At that moment.
"Oh, you're coming at just the right time."
The man looked out the door and said.
Coming? Who?
If someone really came to save her, it would be David. As a member of the royal family, the Crown Prince has to protect the people of the empire. Karina looked up and stared at the figure outside the open door. The person walking alone toward the cabin with the sunset behind him was...
'Jeremiah?'
That was it.
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