Chapter 17

***

Mathias was furious with Joel’s admonition.

“No! That casino is safe! It’s a well-run place, and only people with certain identities are allowed in. Do you think I would take my sister to a dangerous place?”

“It’s probably only safe for you.”

“…!”

Mathias’s lips clenched at Lysian’s brief remark.

“For god’s sake!”

Mathias was angry out of habit. But, he thought to himself, Joel and Lysian weren’t wrong.

He indeed took Lestia out and did the things he liked by his own standards.

Mathias was a wizard, a noble of Verchester. That’s why, when he was born, he never once encountered anything that threatened him. Because of this, he never even considered the criteria of an “ordinary person”.

It was the first time he had someone around him that he had to take care of. Such a weak and small being.

He thought of Lestia as nothing more than a pet puppy. It was so foolish, and he regretted it tremendously.

She was his own sister, recognized by the Lord of the family, Gerard Verchester.

If anyone had bad intentions against the Verchesters, Lestia would be a worthy enough hostage to target.

So no matter how safe the place was, she shouldn’t have been left alone……….

How lonely and scary it must have been for that little thing to be kidnapped by someone.

Mathias was extremely angry just thinking about it.

“Yes. It’s my fault….That’s right.”

Mathias grasped his hands so tightly that blood streaks appeared on the backs of his hands, and then he said quickly as if he had made up his mind.

“I’m going to find out who kidnapped Liti and for what purpose, and I’m going to kill them all.”

Mathias’s purple eyes glowed with madness in the moonlight of the night sky.

He was no longer the immature older brother he had been just a moment ago in front of his little sister.

“It’s been a long time since the idiot said something right.”

Lysian agreed with Mathias.

“Yes. Mathias. You were wrong…and the worst thing is still that you let Lestia get kidnapped.”

Joel ruffled his hair, which was neatly put together with his long, thin fingers.

He managed to maintain a sense of normalcy, but he was still very angry.

Suddenly, he wondered why he was so angry. Was he overly absorbed in his attempt to pretend to love Lestia?

No, he was right to be annoyed because this was not only a threat to Lestia, but also a challenge to Verchester.

“Joel, Mathias…Revenge would be nice, but before we do that, we also need to be prepared for something like this to never happen again.”

Lysian said softly, looking at the door of Lestia’s room.

“There’s no way that girl can defend herself.”

Mathias and Joel fell silent, as if agreeing with that statement. As Lysian had said, their sister was not a wizard.

Even though she can read grimoires, she has only just become aware of her abilities.

“For that reason, normally ordinary nobles keep escorts with them.”

Halo, the butler who had been waiting quietly like a piece of furniture in front of Lestia’s room, quietly bowed down and advised.

“Escorts?”

“Yes, have a competent knight to protect Young Lady at all times. I think she needs it.”

At Halo’s words, Mathias smiled and raised his hand as if he had been serious.

“Huh? Then I’ll do it! I’ll be Liti’s escort!”

But he was immediately met with sharp glances from Joel and Lysian.

They gave him a look that said, “You’re no longer qualified.”

Mathias ended up swallowing and had to put his hands down quietly.

“‘I think the escorts should be Verhester knights. We’ll be away a lot…. I think it would be better to choose one that can always be around.”

Joel looked of assurance at Lysian as if he agreed.

“Lysian, who would be a good choice? You train the knights every day, you should know who is capable.”

Lysian crossed his arms and twisted his lips into a neat smile.

“Are there any knights in Berchester that are not competent?”

Joel nodded, satisfied with the answer.

“Yes, I’ll contact oldest brother.”

“Yes. It’s been a while since we have seen each other.”

Mathias spoke happily, and Lysian immediately scoffed at the remark.

“A while? It must be the first time.”

That ended the dialogue between the brothers.

The three Verchesters, who had just been kicked out of their sister’s room in harmony, were scattered with only one goal in mind.

Halo, the butler, bowed deeply toward them with a gentle smile on his face and saw them off.

In all the years he had watched over the Verchester’s brothers, this was the first time he had ever seen them move as one.

* * *

Lysian quickly called in the knights.

It was a dark and deep night as everyone went to sleep.

However, without a single word of complaint, the knights of Verchester lined up in a row in the training hall, armed as if they were about to go into battle.

They were cautious and stern, just like the rumors said that their appearance was the strongest in the empire.

Lysian looked at them with serious eyes and commanded.

“Fight! From now on, the three winners of the battle will be entrusted with guarding Lestia.”

The knights all shouted in unison.

“Yes! Are you sure?”

“To be the young lady’s escort? Wow! I’ve been wanting to do that!”

“And I suppose this means I’ll be the knight for the precious Princess of Verchester!”

Everything began to go at once. The knights set fire to the darkened training hall and played out a tournament of superiority until dawn.

“I’ll be the young lady’s escort!”

“Hahaha! With that kind of ability? That’s outrageous!”

“If not me, who will it be?”

The sharply forged swords clashed endlessly. They were only trying to become Lestia’s escort.

However, Lestia was completely unaware of the series of events taking place at the Verchester mansion, and under Dora’s care, she had medicine applied to her wounds and fell into a fitful sleep.

Today was such a busy day that she fell asleep without thinking.

** *

And the next morning.

As soon as Lestia finished her breakfast, she saw all kinds of cotton candy drinks without knowing why.

There were all kinds of fluffy cotton candy on top of colorful drinks.

“Dora?”

“Yes. Young lady, this is lemon flavored, this is melon flavored, this is chocolate flavored, and this is strawberry flavored cotton candy drink. If there are any other flavors you would like, please let me know.”

“What….What is this?”

Dora smiled and said to Lestia, blinking her eyes.

“Master Mathias said you can have it as much as you want.”

“Oh.”

Apparently, he was concerned that Lestia had said she felt bad for leaving the cotton candy drink he bought her at the casino.

She couldn’t turn her back on that sincerity, and Lestia ended up having to drink as much as she could until she was too full to eat.

It was a little difficult, but it was a happy feeling that kind of made a corner of her heart swoon.

****

“…… That’s why I couldn’t bring her here.”

Eric was sitting at an angle on a sofa in the garden of the Crown Prince’s Palace, taking a plain white velvet cloth and wiping his ornamental sword.

The sword was so gaudily decorated that it looked vulgar beyond glamorous, and it glowed with a glossy, five-colored light.

“I even prepared the birdcage myself.”

Then, with a very disappointed look on his face, he looked at a corner of the garden.

There was a large birdcage made of silver. It was as overly decorated as the ornate sword in Eric’s hand.

Originally, he was going to put his pet birds there. Along with Lestia Verchester. (*this guy’s sick.)

And he wanted to mock Gerard Verchester’s bewilderment at hearing the news of his sister’s disappearance.

He wanted to make he feel incompetent, unable to leave the party held by the royal family to look for his sister.

“Tsk. I was planning on decorating it with colorful pets because she has white hair. So that her appearance will jump out at you.”

However, the whole plan went down the drain.

“Your incompetence has ruined my plans.”

The Crown Prince rose from his seat. He then swung his sword ruthlessly in anger at the chamberlain who was kneeling down in front of him.

The chamberlain spat out his apologies incessantly and endured the violence.

“I’m…… sorry, Your Highness!”

Fortunately, the ornamental black blade had not been erected, so the attendant was able to keep his life. His whole body was covered in wounds, though, and the blood was dripping down.

Eric huffed, as if his anger had not subsided.

“I don’t understand. How in the world could it be so difficult to grab a single child?”

“That……there’s no opportunity. She didn’t come out of the Verchester mansion.…….and it’s so secure that you can’t even infiltrate it.”

“So you should have taken her when she was out. You had your chance!”

The Crown Prince lifted his sword again and the attendant shuddered. But at the same time, Eric’s eyes lit up as if he had come up with something.

“No, it’s not impossible.”

Clink!

The bloody ornamental sword fell to the floor.

“If she doesn’t come out, why don’t we make her come out?”

As if he had never been angry, Eric returned to the couch with a giggle, sat down arrogantly, and said,

“We can use that garbage to our advantage.”

“Because if it’s garbage…”

“Yes. Make sure you don’t make mistakes this time.”

“Yes …… yes! I understand!”

As if the chamberlain understood the Crown Prince’s words, he rose from his seat and moved agilely, forgetting his pain.

Eric regarded his servants’ lives as if they were flies. In order to be safe, they had to carry out the Crown Prince’s orders as soon as they were given.

The chamberlain immediately got on a carriage and rode outside the Imperial Palace to make contact with a man.

A middle-aged man in shabby clothes appeared before the chamberlain, wiggling and bowing flatly.

“What brings you here again? Hehe.”

“I have something for you to do..”

“Yes! Sir! Please speak!”

“Your niece.”

“Yes, is there anything more you want to know about her?”

The man the chamberlain went to visit at the behest of the Crown Prince was Lestia’s uncle.