She hoped he wouldn’t come.

She hoped he would come.

……She wanted to see his face once more.

* * *

In less than half a day, a detailed report on Saldat’s activities was placed on Pendlore’s desk.

He had been an apprentice with decent talent. Not outstanding, but Philip had felt sincerity in Saldat’s diligent and persistent attitude and accepted him as an apprentice.

Indeed, he had worked hard at Langfiel’s workshop. Although his learning was somewhat slow, he was an apprentice with no major faults. Until Radilt entered the workshop.

Saldat, who increasingly became lazy by passing work to Radilt, set foot in a gambling den one day after leaving work early. There, when drunk, he would boast that he would become rich and take the arrogant woman from Count Duston.

Eventually, like most gamblers, Saldat incurred a large debt and guaranteed there was a way to pay it off at once. That was the day before Radilt was kidnapped.

“A foolish and pathetic worm.”

However, the news that Saldat had fallen into gambling came as a deep concern. The fact that he had even incurred a large debt meant he had already lost the ability to control himself. In other words, there was a possibility he might harm the hostage, Radilt, unable to resist impulses and acting without thinking.

‘Even if that’s not the case…… I cannot pay a ransom to a kidnapper.’

If he yielded once, Radilt would continue to be targeted by those wanting money.

Pendlore immediately rose from his seat.

He was a homeless person hiding in the slums outside the capital. Within the capital walls, those without fixed residences were expelled or sent to shelters. Therefore, the homeless had to live in hiding like rats.

He, from the lowest class not even accepted as a member of the capital, walked through the back alley with a constant smirk. Unlike usual, he wore decent clothes, with a single ruby earring hidden deep in his pocket.

With this alone, he could escape his homeless state. Even if sold as stolen goods, it would be more than enough to buy a modest house.

As he was excited with such inflated dreams, someone’s hand roughly grabbed the back of his neck.

“Huk!”

The homeless man, buried in a life of being chased and fighting, reacted quite quickly. He kicked at his attacker, but even that leg was very easily caught.

The hand holding his leg yanked it hard, spinning the homeless man’s body and slamming him into the dirty ground. Then a booted foot strongly pressed down on the back of his neck.

“If you try any tricks, I’ll break your neck right here.”

Despite the content, it was an extremely calm voice. The homeless man instinctively felt that the man who had subdued him must have killed several people before.

“P-please spare me, my lord—”

“You’re a homeless person who stole a nobleman’s property. If I say I accidentally broke your neck while trying to recover it, I won’t receive any punishment.”

That was the position of a homeless person, unlike an ordinary, diligent citizen. If he could prove it wasn’t intentional, it would be settled with just a fine at most. The man, Pendlore Duston, continued in a low voice.

“Where is the person who gave you the letter along with the ruby earring?”

“I don’t know! I just happened to meet him in a back alley, and he said he would give me the jewel if I delivered the cloth bundle and letter……”

“Tell me the exact location and time.”

The foot pressing on his neck applied more pressure. The homeless man choked and desperately racked his brain.

“I-I heard the bell, so around 9 AM…… it was Yellow Sabo Street. There, behind the Big Horn Bull Tavern!”

“The place where you received payment after delivering the letter.”

“Also Yellow Sabo Street, kek, next to the Minsder Bridge, he said he would hide it……”

Pendlore skillfully pressed down on the homeless man’s neck. Soon, he lost consciousness from suffocation. Leaving the unconscious homeless man behind, Pendlore turned around. At the end of the alley, an ordinary black carriage without a crest was parked.

“To Yellow Sabo Street.”

After giving the brief order, Pendlore boarded the carriage. On one side of the carriage were several detailed maps of the capital stacked. He took the map marking Yellow Sabo Street and fixed it to the carriage wall with a thumbtack.

“……”

His blue-gray eyes quickly scanned the map.

According to the information gathered so far, Saldat had no accomplices. Judging from the traces at the scene and the prior situation, the kidnapping of Radilt had likely been carried out hastily without thorough planning.

In other words, Saldat probably hadn’t moved far away while leaving Radilt alone.

The tavern and the bridge. A secluded hideout not far from those two places. A triangle was drawn on the map.

“He seems to have used his brain somewhat by employing a homeless person.”

Although he had been extremely careful not to be followed, it was nearly impossible not to leave traces.

Not long after, another carriage approached Pendlore, who had arrived at Yellow Sabo Street. It was the carriage carrying butler Roil.

“I also confirmed the location from the homeless person who delivered the letter demanding Lady Brill’s ransom. It was the watermill not far from Billiedert’s Cradle and Minsder Bridge.”

Pendlore immediately looked at the map and calculated once more. The estimated location where Saldat was hiding appeared roughly.

Roil, looking at the map, clicked his tongue toward the carriage. A small black-furred hunting dog jumped out of the carriage and sat obediently. With intelligent eyes, it waited without a single false bark.

“There’s no road suitable for carriages inside here. So he must have gotten off here.”

Pendlore pointed to a part of the map. He had to carry a woman disguised as luggage and walk. Although Radilt was relatively light, he would have surely gotten off as close as possible to the hideout.

Roil took out Saldat’s work clothes and Radilt’s dress, which he had received from Philip. The small black hunting dog, sensing that its job had begun, stood up with its tail raised high.

Gurgle, an untimely sound came from her hungry stomach. From yesterday evening through this morning, and now even lunchtime had passed without a single sip of water.

Radilt curled up on the floor, holding her breath without showing any reaction. Her outer skirt was already in tatters. Under Saldat’s rough knife, even her underskirt was torn lengthwise. Between the tears, glimpses of her white thighs were visible.

“That Duston fellow has received the letter. I told him if he wants you back, he should provide a box of melted gold without identification marks.”

Saldat continued with a smirk.

“There’s a ship that can secretly transport you anywhere if you pay. I’ll get the gold at the harbor tonight and escape right away. If he tries to catch me, I won’t reveal your location even if I die.”

Then Pendlore Duston would search the vast capital while Radilt Brill starved to death. Saying this, Saldat rose from his seat again. Hearing the footsteps approaching her, Radilt shrank back. Already curled up, she hunched her shoulders and back even more.

“It’s a shame to leave without fondling those pretty br*asts.”

The flat side of the dagger brushed against Radilt’s arm with a swish. Then it cut away at her clothes with a rustling sound. Soon, her white arms and shoulders were exposed, and the cut fabric slipped down near her chest.

“Tell me, Lady Brill. How well did that Duston b*stard treat you? Huh? Did he suck these pretty br*asts with his mouth? Looking at the size of these n*pples, they must be nice to fondle.”

“……”

“Or did they grow this big because that b*stard touched them every night? Hmm?”

Radilt tried her best to turn her head away and not look at Saldat. She kept her mouth tightly shut to show no reaction. If she were to scream, cry, and beg, that fellow would only be more pleased.

So she remained silent. She stiffened her body as if she were a wooden block.

“Fine, let’s see how long you can ignore me!”

Riiiiip-

Filled with anger, Saldat tore Radilt’s clothes with his hand rather than the dagger. The fragile skirt fabric couldn’t withstand much and became a piece of cloth unable to cover her body. As even her undergarments were torn away, her exposed br*asts swayed greatly.

“Between my c*ck and that b*stard’s c*ck, which one tastes better, huh? I’ll feed you plenty up and down, so give me your review, noble lady!”

I’ll make you beg for your life while you cry loudly. Like a b*tch being taken from behind while crawling on the floor, shouting Saldat sir’s c*ck is the best! I’ll spank your as$ hard. You’ll end up swinging your hips, begging to be f*cked yourself! The filthy obscenities continued.

The cool air brushed against her fully exposed nakedness, and the excited man’s breath fell on her head. Radilt simply closed her eyes.

“After tonight, you won’t even think about that b*stard! You cheap wh*re—”

Clang.

At that moment, a small metallic sound was heard. Saldat, who had been shouting, froze momentarily. As he slowly raised his body with suspicious eyes—

Bang!

A red dot appeared on Saldat’s forehead. A single bullet had precisely entered the terrible man’s head. Radilt quickly opened her eyes and raised her head.