Chapter 38

“Was it when I was seven? I was kidnapped along with my eldest brother.”

Charlotte, holding a twig in her hand, rolled a stone on the ground back and forth. The winter night in the mountains was harsh, but thanks to Erhen’s magic, the cave was filled with warmth.

Charlotte sat crouched against one wall of the cave, Erhen’s coat draped over her shoulders, while Erhen sat beside her.

Traveling at night was dangerous for many reasons. They had decided to rest for the night in the cave and move at dawn.

The word “kidnap” made Erhen furrow his brow.

“What happened to the bastards who kidnapped you back then?”

“Why? Are you planning to avenge me, Duke?”

“If you want me to.”

Charlotte chuckled at Erhen’s confident reply.

“That was over ten years ago. They’re either in prison or dead by now, so don’t worry about it.”

“I see. Then go on with your story.”

“Alright. But don’t interrupt me again. You’re ruining the mood.”

Charlotte said with a smile.

Unlike earlier, when she had been crying uncontrollably, Charlotte was now back to her usual self. Seeing this, Erhen gave a small, relieved smile.

“Even now, but especially back then, Sonne was a large organization. And we were just kids. So there were a lot of people targeting us.”

“Your parents must have been very worried.”

“Yes. That’s why they assigned us a lot of escorts, didn’t let us go out to play, and made sure we came straight home after school.”

“Hm.”

Erhen nodded in agreement.

“That’s why I could tell earlier. I became certain when they used guns even though you were with me.”

“Hm.”

“Anyway, when I was young, I got so tired of doing the same thing every day that I planned with my school friends to escape our escorts and sneak away.”

“That sounds like something you’d do. Then what happened?”

Erhen’s playful tone was intended to lighten Charlotte’s mood, but it also carried a hint of sincerity. Charlotte, aware of this, gave him a sidelong glance but continued her story.

“Well, we were having a great time running away and playing, but then we were caught by some strange men—kidnappers, to be exact.”

Even though it was a past event, hearing about the danger Charlotte had faced made Erhen uneasy. However, he didn’t show it and listened intently to her story.

“But then Richard somehow found out and stood in front of the kidnappers, shouting, ‘Take me instead of my little sister!’ It was hilarious.”

“The Earl of Essen must have had a strong sense of responsibility toward his siblings even back then.”

“No, he was just being foolish! Did he think the kidnappers would bow and say, ‘Yes, young master, as you command’? We both ended up getting caught.”

Charlotte continued to roll the stone with the twig.

“And you know what was really evil about those guys? They decided to demand separate ransoms for the two of us and locked us up in different places!”

“……”

“Not long after, we were rescued by the escorts our parents sent, who took down the kidnappers. But I guess the shock of that incident left me unable to stay alone in confined spaces.”

Charlotte used this explanation to justify her earlier state of panic.

It was a cleverly disguised half-truth. Erhen saw through her excuse but chose not to point it out. Instead, he nodded and said,

“I didn’t know that and left you alone.”

“No, the situation was what it was. Besides, you made it bright and safe for me before you left! I was just startled earlier, but under normal circumstances, I would’ve been fine.”

Charlotte smiled bashfully.

As the tension from the exhausting day eased, drowsiness began to creep over her. She tried to fight it off by blinking hard and pinching her cheeks, but it wasn’t easy.

Still, she murmured, wondering what could have happened, given that Sonne had grown so much stronger and her siblings were now adults, making it harder for anyone to threaten them. Soon, she started nodding off.

“And now, with a handsome Duke by my side….”

I’m not scared at all.

She swallowed the last part of her sentence and rested her head on Erhen’s shoulder.

The quiet cave was soon filled with the sound of her soft breathing.

As he wrapped his arm around Charlotte’s shoulder, Erhen adjusted his position so she could rest more comfortably.

He closed his eyes to take a brief rest himself. But strangely, he couldn’t fall asleep for a long time. A very long time.

***

Erhen stood up and said,

“I’ll go check the situation outside.”

“Alright.”

Charlotte nodded.

There had been no contact from Philip throughout the night. Even though the makeshift magical tool should have worked, if something had gone wrong, the only option would be to move with Charlotte to a nearby village.

Stepping out of the barrier, Erhen closed his eyes and scanned the area for any signs of movement.

Five individuals. Fewer than yesterday.

“Argh!”

A man closest to Erhen let out a muffled cry as he was subdued.

Erhen quickly approached the man and examined him. Unlike the pursuers he had killed the previous day, this man wore a neat uniform.

Looking at the oval-shaped brooch on the uniform, Erhen said,

“Sonne?”

“Yes, yes! I’ve come to escort you and Viscountess Lintz, Your Grace.”

The man stammered in a hurry.

“Proof?”

“You can check with the magical tool in my pocket. Sir Philip and the Duke’s escort team are also waiting nearby.”

The man’s words were true.

Not long after, Lucas, Philip, Ras, and dozens of escorts appeared.

As soon as Lucas climbed the mountain path and saw Erhen, he ran straight to him, skipping any formalities, and shouted urgently,

“Where’s Lotte? Where is Charlotte?”

His face was haggard, a clear sign of a sleepless night spent worrying about his sister.

Erhen silently observed Lucas for a moment before snapping his fingers.

The illusion barrier dissolved, revealing Charlotte, who had been anxiously waiting behind it.

As the barrier completely disappeared, Charlotte and Lucas ran toward each other.

“Brother!”

“Charlotte!”

Standing in front of his sister, Lucas frantically examined her, turning her around to check for any injuries.

Seeing only minor scratches from branches, Lucas pulled Charlotte into a tight embrace.

In her brother’s arms, Charlotte finally felt safe and began to cry uncontrollably.

“Are you alright, Your Grace?”

Erhen’s gaze, which had been fixed on the reunited siblings, shifted to Philip.

“I’m sorry for the delay.”

“It’s fine.”

Philip, too, looked exhausted, clearly having had no sleep. Nevertheless, he stood upright and began to report in detail.

“As the Viscountess suspected, this attack was indeed targeted at her.”

Hearing this confirmation, Erhen’s brow furrowed slightly.

“It was orchestrated by a mercenary guild from the underworld, holding a grudge against Sir Lucas’s security company.”

“Then why was Charlotte the target?”

“Well, it’s the kind of dirty tactic those in the shadows use. Kidnap someone as leverage to get what they want.”

Erhen’s expression darkened further.

The remnants of Rufus’s reign, filled with indulgence and neglect, still lingered in places like this.

Despite Michael’s efforts over the past year, individuals who had thrived under the tyrant’s rule occasionally resurfaced.

“What’s the current situation?”

“Most of the key culprits were dealt with overnight. The King’s assistance was instrumental.”

A message had been sent.

Since his coronation, Michael had taken special care to ensure the safety of the people of Rohadin.

Unlike typical coups that relied on sudden military force to overthrow the ruler, Michael had prepared for the rebellion over a long period. During the two-month war with the Emperor’s forces, he had worked to minimize harm to innocent citizens.

Such a king would see the gunfire at the train station as a direct challenge to his authority.

“Your Grace.”

As Philip reported to Erhen, Lucas, having finished reuniting with Charlotte, approached.

Though still visibly tired, Lucas’s demeanor was now calm. He bowed deeply.

“Thank you for protecting Viscountess Lintz.”

Erhen nodded, saying, “It was nothing,” and Lucas straightened up.

The successor of Sonne continued,

“As you may have already heard from Sir Philip, Sonne will take appropriate measures to compensate for its role in this incident.”

“There’s no need. Protecting Viscountess Lintz is my duty.”

Erhen spoke as if Charlotte’s safety was a matter of course.

After finishing his sentence, Erhen’s gaze shifted beyond Lucas.

Following Erhen’s line of sight, Lucas turned to look as well.