Chapter 218 - Operation: Run and Escape (3)

A day prior.

Calixander was walking around along with Carlos and Christopher, they were in disguise today. Along with them is the man who is named 'Peter'. He has to come along with them as he is the one who only knows what the kidnappers looked like. He said that they mostly see them around this area, either inside one of the alleyways talking or roaming around looking for their next target.

Their father didn't come with them, he was left behind the palace preparing and such. When Diana, Yulli, and Daisy, Alexandra's maids along with the other maids and servants of the palace who are close to her learned that the princess was kidnapped, they were enraged. They were so angry that they started to take some brooms and mops out as if they were doing a protest while threatening to find the kidnappers and beat the hell out of them for taking their princess away.

Diana was the angriest one of them all though she tried to remain calm about it. However…

[Flashback to what happened]

The sharp sound of something being hit was heard.

Diana was standing in front of Carlos whose hands were clenched while Diana's hands were suspended in the air. His head was turned to the side and there was a red mark on his cheek. Diana's hand that was suspended in the air fell to her sides and she clenched her fists.

She gave Carlos one big and harsh slap in front of everyone, in front of the other servants and front of the prince along with his personal knight. Then she glared at him, tears threatened to come out of her eyes. Carlos though just stood still in his position, not moving as if the harsh slap Diana gave her didn't affect him at all. The stinging pain in his cheek, his nails digging deep into the palm of his skin, the clenching feeling in his chest, the pounding and aching pain in his head. Despite all of that, he felt numb and the sound of the back of Diana's hand hitting his cheek was ringing inside his ears.

What Diana said to him was firm and stern, spitting her words out like poison on her tongue. Her glare is as sharp as a sword and as cold as ice. It sent a chill down Carlos's spine and even if he opened his mouth to say anything, nothing would come out. It was like something as restricting him from speaking. This was the first time that he saw Diana really angry because of his carelessness, because of what happened to the princess.

"I am disappointed, Carlos."

One sentence composed of 4 simple words and 21 letters but it stabbed his heart and pride as a knight multiple times, wounding him but he kept his composure. It was true. Even he was disappointed at himself because letting all of this happen. He deserves that slap, he deserves more because of what happened. He wants to speak but he doesn't know what to say in this situation.

Then Diana sucked in a breath before letting it out slowly, calming herself down. She spoke once again, her voice cold and serious. The gentle look on her face was gone and anger was written all over it. She was emitting this menacing aura as she spoke, it was silent as everybody was watching them.

"If you don't bring back the young miss, I won't hesitate in doing what could have happened to the young miss back then when she was still a newborn."

In short, she isn't going to hesitate to take his life because of this.

--

Carlos let out a sigh as he recalled that memory which only happened yesterday. Even if Diana didn't slap him and told him that, he is still going to do it anyway. He can't even sleep thinking about the princess' safety and what she might be doing but the emperor told them that he had someone follow Alexandra around so they may be accompanying her.

That was a relief but that doesn't mean that he could relax and take it easy. He needs to take back the young miss no matter what happens, if he is going to take somebody else's wife or sacrifice himself to do that, he won't hesitate. He already devoted his life to her, to serve her and obey her every command. Even though he is working under the emperor, his master, and the one he is serving was the princess.

The loyalty of a knight, indeed.

Alexandra is really lucky to have a knight like him even though she would always trip into dangerous situations and endanger her life just because he wasn't looking for a moment. However, he failed once again. I shouldn't let my emotions get into this, my topmost priority and task are to save the princess that's why we're here walking around and looking for the kidnappers that Peter could recognize.

"Wait, I see one right there. They are talking with a… kid! We gotta hurry before they take him!" Peter suddenly started running into this one direction where there are two people, they are females who looked like they are in their mid-20s. Peter was right, they were talking with a kid and they were about to lead him into an alleyway. Calixander could feel a small trace of mana coming from them and he also hurried.

"Excuse me," Calixander called out to them when they were near and the two females who were holding the child looked at their direction. They have this expression that was saying, 'Crap, did we get caught?' or something like that. "I-Is this child yours? We were going to help him look for his parents, are you his parents?" One of them spoke in a nervous tone of voice as they forced a smile on their face.

"No, but…" Calixander looked at both of the knights behind him and nodded as if he was giving them a signal.

"Our father would like to see you," Was what he said before Carlos and Christopher went around them, grabbing hold of their hands and turning them around to press them against the wall.

"W-Wait, what did we do wrong? We didn't do anything!"

"You're one of the kidnappers, aren't you? You were planning on taking that child away instead of helping them."

"Crap, I thought we wouldn't get caught. Melinda, you liar!"

"Why are you blaming me?!"

"Christopher, Carlos, take them to the palace. Peter and I will go around and help this child look for its parents."

Calixander said in a stern voice and the two just nodded as a response before they disappeared and vanished into thin air. It's much easier if they just teleport but the amount of mana that will be used is high. However, they need to do that. They were rushing and they don't know what is currently happening to Alexandra.

What if the princess was already sold? What if she was currently being beaten up by the kidnappers right now? What if she is crying and suffering? What if they wouldn't be able to see her anymore because they were late in saving her?

That's why they couldn't just waste time and sit around while doing nothing. The princess's life is at stake here.

--

Back to the current time in Alexandra's side.

Once she heard the sound of a click coming from her collar as she twisted the key in her hand, her face brightened and she couldn't help but smile. The collar became loose on her neck and she could move her neck freely now without feeling that metal against the skin of her neck. She successfully removed it and placed it down the ground, still holding the set of keys. However, she heard a voice coming from the other side of the room. It sounded unfamiliar and cold, ringing inside her ears.

"Oh, it seems like a rat made its way to my office."

The smile on her face was immediately wiped off as her eyes widened and she lifted her head to look at the direction where the voice came from. Her heart was beating fast and a chill was sent down her spine, she cursed inside her head multiple times as her breath hitched in her throat. Her blue orbs met deep and dark ones. It was a man, he has long dark hair that was tied in a low ponytail, and there was a cold smile on his lips. A dangerous and angry glint seen on his dark eyes. Just by his aura and demeanor, Alexandra could tell that this person was the boss and now she was caught by him.

Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn.

What should I do? I found the keys, I removed my collar, should I fight? I can't afford myself getting captured by this man but I can't fight him either, he looks like he is strong when it comes to magic. I can sense it, she thought to herself as she started to panic and scream inside her head. What about Harrison? Did he also gets caught or what? He never told me that the boss is going to return early? God, I am so dead.

"Here I was wondering what happened to the guards patrolling around. All of them were on the ground, unconscious. There was even one in the bathroom. To think that a kid like you would be able to slip past through them, you must be really strong," The man started to walk towards her direction as he closed and locked the door behind him while Alexandra stood up from her position, slowly. She hid her hand behind her and looked at the man.

"Are you working with someone? It's impossible for you to do all of this, the guards outside my office are pretty strong ones and are fast runners. If you are working with someone and they are letting the guards chase them, they would fail. They are adults, you are kids. The strength and stamina of kids are nothing compared to us."

Alexandra just remained silent and watched him slowly approach her and took a few steps back. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her lips were pursed into a thin line, her heart was still beating fast, and there was this clenching feeling in her stomach.

"So, playtime is over, Hand over the keys right now, little girl. If you would, I won't hurt you. I won't punish your friends," The cold and sadistic smile on the man's lips only remained as he stood in front of her. Alexandra could only let out a sigh before she decided to hold out her hand.

"I guess I have no choice then, I don't want them to be punished," She said as she slowly held out her hand which was holding the keys. The man's smile grew wider and he became calm, his guard wasn't raised anymore.

"Right, that's a good girl," He said.

"Is what were you expecting me to say?" She asked and withdrew her hand with the keys, startling the man, and took out her other hand.

"Fireball."

She threw the fireball at his face and it was fairly easy as he was close to him however, the man easily avoided and took a step back. "Really, being free from that collar is the best," She said and chanted another spell once again.

"Cast and befall.

Pierce your enemies.

My arro—"

But as she was chanting it, the man suddenly threw something in her direction making her dodge it and stop chanting. The man disappeared from her sight then later appeared near, in front of her face. Alexandra was startled and the man was about to give her a punch on the stomach however, she was quick enough to dodge it but she tripped because she lost balance. Don't they show any mercy to kids like me?

She was now on the ground, her feet aching in pain as she twisted her ankle when she tripped. God, what great timing, she thought to herself as she hissed in pain. The man stood in front of her and decided to grab a handful of hair and pull her up but…

He removed the wig attached to her head instead, showing her true hair color. The man stared at her, shocked because of what he saw.

"Your majesty, Princess Alexandra?"

Alexandra just looked up and glared at him. Now, my disguise is gone, they know that I am a princess. They would probably sell me first. What a li—

As she was lost in her thoughts, a loud knock was heard on the door and a voice was heard outside.

"Boss! Danger, the guards patrolling around the area are unconscious! A few kids were able to escape from their rooms!"

"I know, I saw it and one of those kids is in front of me right now."

"And there are also ships approaching us!"

"What?!"

Alexandra took advantage of this time and decided to heal her twisted ankle before she slowly stood up from the ground. The man who was called boss' has their gaze taken away from her. He was still holding the wig on his hands. I used way too much mana, I don't know if I could use any more spells, she thought to herself as she stood up slowly and decided to put all of her strength to her newly healed leg and kicked the crotch of the man pretty hard.

The man's eyes widened and his hands made its way to the part where she kicked real hard and he fell to the ground. "I apologize but I really have to do that," She said before she kneeled in front of him and grabbed a handful of hair as she lifted his head and gave him a headbutt real hard that it knocked him out. Alexandra felt dizzy after she did that but she endured the pain. So much for escaping, she thought to herself as she eased the pain on her forehead by gently rubbing it.

She then took a step outside the office, still holding the keys in her hands. "Boss?"

"I am not your boss," She said and summoned a fireball in her hands before she shoots it to the man's face and knocked him out. I must head outside, she thought to herself as she recalled what the man said.

--"And there are also ships approaching us!"

Does that mean we're in the middle of a sea?