Now that we knew Pavo’s location, all that was left was to rescue him.

But before that, there was one problem.

‘If they ask how I found out, I can’t answer.’

Only I, Raeyan, and Isis knew that Gretel could use her power.

Although its duration was short, the ability of clairvoyance was a threatening and powerful force to anyone.

It was the kind of power that could be an incredibly powerful weapon to those who possessed it, and a target for elimination for those who didn’t.

If it became known that the daughter of the weak Sangpan family had such a power, she would surely become the number one target for elimination.

I couldn’t expose Gretel to such danger for my own purposes.

But if I were to rescue him directly, I might be mistaken as the mastermind behind the kidnapping, and I didn’t have the combat ability to carry out a rescue.

‘I guess there’s no other way.’

I solemnly stood up and headed somewhere. Straight to Dad’s office.

I threw open the door and shouted.

“Help me, Dad!”

This is what you call the Dad card!

***

Richard looked at his daughter who had come to his office and asked seriously.

“Are you certain that Pavo Dorus is there?”

“Yes. I’m sure.”

Elodie answered resolutely with an equally serious face.

To be this confident, he was curious about the source of her information.

“How did you find out?”

At Richard’s question, Elodie hesitated for a moment, then smiled so prettily it was ridiculous and evaded the question.

“Hehe…”

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t hurt that she was hiding something even from him, her biological father.

But in the short time he had known his daughter, she had always found the right answers.

So he had no choice but to blindly believe in Elodie.

“…Alright. Let’s take troops to Toinette Street.”

If Pavo was really there, there was no time to waste. Just as Richard was about to pick up his coat to leave immediately, Elodie tugged at his sleeve.

“I want to go with you.”

“It’s dangerous.”

“I can protect myself. Please let me come with you. Please?”

If she had the magical device that Isis had given her before, she could probably block a few blind attacks.

Elodie knew that her presence might hinder the rescue.

But to find out who was behind this kidnapping, she had to see for herself. There might be clues that couldn’t be learned through someone else’s account.

Was it too much to think that Pavo Dorus was kidnapped because he had recently been her attendant?

Richard, looking at his daughter whose stubbornness was remarkable, once again declared defeat.

He thought that if he told her not to follow, she might cause other trouble behind his back.

“Alright. But… no reckless actions, Elodie.”

“Yes. Don’t worry!”

Looking at his daughter like this, Richard felt somewhat bitter.

Because it reminded him of Arcelia, who wouldn’t be satisfied until she accomplished what she said she would do.

***

The Severes forces, led by Richard, entered Toinette Street.

Not knowing where the kidnappers might be, they approached in disguise, scattered like ordinary noble groups.

“It’s that building.”

When Elodie checked with Gretel again, she said it seemed there was no one around Pavo Dorus.

But they couldn’t be completely at ease. Wasn’t it strange to just abandon a target kidnapped for a purpose?

Taking Elodie’s words into account, Richard gave orders.

“Surround the area, and only a small number should enter.”

They had to enter stealthily, as if the kidnappers realized they were surrounded, they couldn’t guarantee the hostage’s life.

“I’ll wait here.”

This time, even Elodie didn’t insist on going in together.

If the kidnapper was skilled, even Elodie’s presence could cause the hostage rescue to fail.

“Guard Elodie well.”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

After entrusting Elodie’s safety to the knight in charge of the surrounding area, Richard infiltrated the building with a small number of knights, suppressing their presence.

The building, being in the shopping district, seemed to have been used as a clothing store long ago.

It must have been quite some time since it was used, as there was no sign of human touch at all.

Based on Elodie’s words that Pavo seemed to be in the basement, some of them headed upstairs, while the rest all went to the basement.

As they went down, the characteristic musty smell of basements grew stronger.

The knight at the front, who was descending the stairs without even making a footstep sound, stopped.

There were people guarding the door entrance.

One woman and two men.

At Richard’s signal, the knights who immediately sprang out subdued them in an instant.

“Ugh-!”

“Gak!”

They immediately struck the back of their necks with the edge of their hands to knock them out, preventing any foolish actions.

The whole process took less than a minute.

If Pavo Dorus was beyond the door, there was a high possibility that there would be comrades guarding him.

The basement door opened in extreme tension.

What was beyond it was Pavo Dorus, lying alone.

A knight immediately checked Pavo’s pulse.

“He’s alive!”

They had successfully rescued Pavo Dorus.

***

While the entire building was being searched for any remaining accomplices, Pavo, who had been sleeping in a carriage parked nearby, woke up.

I, sitting in front of him, waved to Pavo, who had a bewildered look on his face.

“Hello, Pavo.”

“Wh-wh-wh-what-.”

“How’s your body? Are you okay?”

Pavo rolled his eyes around as if trying to grasp the situation. Then he noticed Dad sitting next to me and was startled.

“Y-Your Grace?!”

“There don’t seem to be any external injuries, but there might be internal ones. Are you alright?”

“Huh? Yes. I-I’m fine.”

Pavo answered, unable to meet Dad’s eyes and looking quite intimidated. He seemed uncomfortable with this situation of talking to the head of the family.

I immediately asked Pavo.

“Do you remember the face of the person who kidnapped you?”

Pavo tilted his head and asked back instead.

“I was kidnapped?”

He had been lying alone in the basement when he woke up, yet he didn’t even know he had been kidnapped.

Dad calmly asked.

“Yes. We just rescued you. Don’t you remember anything?”

“No. I just woke up from sleeping. What do you mean by kidnapping…?”

Pavo still looked confused. It didn’t seem like he was acting.

“Then what’s the last thing you remember?”

“The last thing… I was drinking at a club.”

Since he was last seen at a members-only club, this matched the information we had collected.

‘Does Pavo really not know anything?’

It was possible if he had passed out while drinking, was kidnapped, and had been asleep the whole time.

Anyway, it was fortunate that he had returned safely. What remained was to find out who was behind this kidnapping…

I had a feeling it wouldn’t be easy.

***

The Viscount Dorus, who had heard the news of Pavo’s safe return, was waiting for us in a disheveled state.

Behind him, all the vassals of Severes had gathered.

As Pavo got out of the carriage, the Viscount immediately embraced his son.

“Pavo! You troublesome boy!”

“F-Father……”

“Do you know how worried your mother was? You ungrateful child……”

Though his words were scolding his son, the Viscount’s face was overcome with emotion.

I felt a lump in my throat at the father-son reunion.

The Viscountess Dorus, who had been waiting with reddened eyes from worry, followed suit and embraced her son.

Viscount Dorus approached Dad and knelt on one knee as if swearing allegiance.

“I am grateful for Your Grace’s kindness in saving my son’s life.”

“It wasn’t my doing.”

“……Pardon?”

“Not this way, but that way.”

Huh?

The one Dad pointed to was none other than me. Suddenly singled out, I panicked and floundered.

‘N-No. I can’t be questioned about how I knew!’

Regardless, Dad credited me for this search.

“We searched the building based on Elodie’s information and found him, so wouldn’t it be right to thank Elodie?”

“Uh, well, I have a close mercenary group that I requested……”

As I hurriedly racked my brain to make up words, Viscount Dorus changed direction and knelt in front of me.

“Thank you for saving my son’s life, young lady. Dorus will forever pledge loyalty to you.”

“……!”

The vassals behind visibly stirred.

It was understandable. Viscount Dorus was the most powerful among those who, while outwardly acknowledging me, had been resisting until the end.

If I had gained Viscount Dorus’s recognition, it was tantamount to receiving recognition from all of Severes’ vassals.

Viscount Dorus pulled Pavo to kneel beside him.

“You too, thank the young lady.”

Pavo, who had woken up from drinking to find himself unexpectedly rescued, scratched the back of his head and bowed.

“Th-Thank you?”

“Properly!”

At the Viscount’s thunderous voice, Pavo mumbled and looked up at me.

In truth, there was still some resentment between us. Pavo’s expression darkened as if he too recalled our first meeting.

“Th-That time…… I’m sorry.”

To Pavo, who apologized in a voice that was almost inaudible, I asked nonchalantly.

“What? I can’t hear you.”

“……I said I’m sorry! I won’t be rude anymore.”

I didn’t think Pavo had completely reformed, but I thought this was good enough for now.

I extended my hand to Pavo. After hesitating, Pavo took my hand, and as I helped him up, I said one thing.

“I look forward to working with you.”

***

The people in the building were only the three in the basement.

They were immediately brought to Severes for interrogation, but no useful information came out.

They were mercenaries from a small to medium-sized mercenary group.

They said they had been hired by someone to guard the basement.

When they arrived, a person was already unconscious in the basement, they testified.

They didn’t know who the client was.

They just received money and carried out the mission.

That was it.

‘The rescue process was easier than I thought.’

But it wasn’t that strange.

Without Gretel’s power, we wouldn’t have known that Pavo Dorus was there, so it was natural that the surveillance was lax.

As I continued to ponder about the mastermind, Greed, unable to bear it anymore, said a word.

[Can’t you just use my power on one of the guys you caught?]

‘Once used, the cooldown is long until I can use it again.’

It didn’t seem like important information would come out even if I used Greed’s power on them.

I couldn’t waste that precious opportunity carelessly.

After much deliberation, I decided to take a gamble this time too.

I headed towards the building where Pavo had been held, leading Severes’ guards.

A knight asked curiously.

“Why are we coming back here?”

“There’s something I want to check.”

Standing in the basement where Pavo had been lying, I looked around.

It was a dirty basement with old chests piled in the corner, seemingly used as a storage room.

‘Greed. Can your power be used on this place too?’

Since it could be used on both objects and people, I wondered if it could be used on the place itself.

[No reason it can’t. It’s possible.]

Pavo was unconscious in the basement first, and the mercenaries came to guard afterwards, so if their words were true, someone who left Pavo must have existed.

If I could read the information of the place, I might be able to find traces of the mastermind.

‘I’ll use it.’

At the same time, information about the building began to appear in sentences.

[The owner is the Salr Trading Company. It was a clothing store but has not been used for 5 years now.]

At the next sentence, I was shocked.

So much that I forgot to breathe.

“Young lady, what’s wrong?”

Unable to answer the guard’s question, I was captivated by the gradually disappearing sentence.

[-Estelle stayed here.]

‘……Estelle?’