Chapter 182. Kidnapping, Part XVIII
Translator: Khan
Editor: Aelryinth
Shortly after his arrival, however, Marquis Oswald suddenly climbed into the carriage. "Your Excellency? What are you doing?"
"I was passing by Harrods Street, I saw this carriage and ran after it," Oswald answered, just as the carriage door opened, and Killian appeared.
"The Marquis? Have you figured something out?"
Killian's eyes lit up as he watched the Marquis of Oswald waiting in the carriage, who was supposed to be in the Imperial Castle.
"Yes, Your Highness. When Lady Anais left the castle, I followed her with Valerian, and she didn't go back to the Anais mansion, but to Harrods Street, only she didn't find the Princess Kiellini there. In a frantic manner, the cries of the lady crossed the fence. I'm here to report the situation to you, because I couldn't just attack Lady Anais without proof."
"Julietta is in the dress shop now. Fortunately, she got out of there safely."
The rumors about the Princess Kiellini were cautious, so the moves to find her were also passive. In particular, Valerian had to pay attention to others. He couldn't use the knights and was moving with only a few of his closest men.
"What, she got out of there safely? Is it also true that Prince Francis and Lady Anais kidnapped Princess Kiellini? Are you going to let it go? There's also a way to capture them and make them confess."
Oswald was angry as if he couldn't let it go, but Killian opposed it. "No, we have to think of Marquis Anais. The Anais family will be doomed if his daughter is arrested as the kidnapper of Princess Kiellini. I'm not going to leave any blemish on Julietta. I'll make her the most perfect-born Empress ever to be loved by anyone."
After Killian finished, he was about to order them back to the Imperial Castle when he heard the voice of the guard outside. "Your Highness, Count Valerian sent a man."
At Killian's glance, Ian opened the carriage door, and a knight in the uniform of Killian's Asta Palace bowed before them.
"What is it?"
"Your Highness, at the command of Count Valerian, I waited in front of the mansion that Lady Anais went to, and followed a wagon from there. The wagon stopped near the Kiellini mansion of Duke Kiellini, and it didn't seem to intend to move. When I found out where the carriage was, I was told to come here and report it to Your Highness."
Killian's face chilled at the knight's report. "Don't tell me they're trying to kidnap her again after she returns to the Kiellini mansion? If not, what's their purpose?"
It would not have been possible to do such a foolish thing in Eldira Street, where not only were imperial knights standing guard, but also the knights of each household resided.
"I can't believe that they're going to do such a stupid thing right near the imperial castle. Aren't they just there to keep a watch on the movements in the mansion?"
Killian looked up at the dress shop at Oswald's words, and ordered the driver, "Let's go right now to where the carriage is."
It was necessary to find out who was in the carriage before Julietta went back to the mansion!
-----------
"Your Highness, there's the carriage ahead." As the carriage arrived at Eldira Street and stopped, the knight of Valerian following behind was quick to report.
"Catch those in the carriage. Move as quietly as you can. Don't reveal who I am, and bring them here."
Killian opened the window as he gave the order, checked that the knight was quickly approaching the carriage, then closed the window and lowered the curtains to block the view inside.
Outside the carriage, which stood on one side of the road dividing the Imperial Castle from Eldira Street, noise arose. He heard the voice of the knight, "I brought a woman."
At the glance of Killian, Oswald opened the window with the curtains down and asked, "Speak your name."
"Themes Rabiel, the daughter of Baron Raviel. Are you from the Kiellini family? I've been waiting for you."
Oswald looked at Killian at the unexpected remark. Killian had a slight frown on his brow, and nodded as if to continue.
"Why are you waiting? Does it have anything to do with the kidnapping of Princess Kiellini today?"
Themes thought she was lucky to come here, having managed to hold on to her failing hopes, which were about to fall to the bottom. As soon as she found out that Princess Kiellini had disappeared on Harrods Street, she realized that what she had been worrying had actually happened. This incident could get her whole family killed!
If the work went well and Princess Kiellini was raped and fell into Prince Francis's hands, there would be no problem. But if Kiellini escaped unharmed and had the death-row criminal as a witness, the Anais family, and the families of herself and Eva, who had put their feet in this matter, would be destroyed.
Themes put her brain to work quickly. Once she appeased Lady Anais, who was angry with Eva for having done the wrong thing, and got a reasonable excuse out of the terrified Eva, she had gone to the Kiellini family to see what was going on in the mansion.
If Princess Kiellini returned safely to the duke's house, knights would flock to the Harrods residence to catch the man who kidnapped her. But she thought she had a chance if they didn't send troops for fear of rumors.
Themes deliberately pulled over the carriage near the Kiellini mansion and waited for someone to come out. Considering what happened today, the Kiellini's would be very alert, and she believed would see her carriage.
"Yes. I was forced to obey my superior's order, but soon I came to reflect on my sin and to plead guilty like this."
"You came here to plead guilty... open the door."
When Ian opened the door, a young man stood up.
"Kill, Killian, Your Highness..."
She only thought he was someone from the Kiellini family, but she had never dreamed that His Highness Killian and Marquis Oswald would be in the carriage. She knelt on the ground right away.
Themes knew that the Duke of Kiellini was in Tilia Territory and could not get out of there, but the Prince was here for the princess at this time. The rumors circulating in the capital must have been real. She was totally stunned, thinking she might die if she didn't stay sharp.
"You've done such a great sin, and you've come here to plead guilty, and you are asking for forgiveness? Things seem wrong, so I think you quickly changed your tune, but I don't feel like keeping you alive."
Intimidated by Killian's fierce voice, Themes trembled to reply, "Your Highness, forgive me. The powerless lower nobles like me have no power to resist the Dudley family or the Anais family. What could I have done, especially with the work related to His Highness Francis? Spare me! I'll do anything if you let me live!"
Killian's eyes glowed at the word Francis. 'Can I really beat up Francis and the Dudley family with her testimony?'
Killian thought for a moment and soon gave up on the plan. They were not the ones to fall down with just this. They would get away from it by any means they could. Only the Anais family would be endangered.
"Will you do anything?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"I hate people who have no loyalty. No matter what the superior asked you to do, you are betraying your master. How can I trust you if you betray me later?"
It was not wrong to say that, so Themes's mouth stayed shut.
As she wondered what to say, Oswald spoke softly, "Your Highness, I think the reason why she betrayed them is that she couldn't allow what they were planning today. Isn't that right, Miss?"
Themes nodded as the gorgeous blonde man who shone brightly in the dark night spoke softly with a smile. "Yes, that's right. As a woman, today's work was totally unacceptable. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had any reason to come all this way and confess my sin like this."
As Oswald said, Themes thought she had betrayed Lady Anais because she couldn't permit what she had done today.
"I see. Of course, His Highness Killian would never order you to do such a cowardly thing. So I don't think you'll betray His Highness. Isn't that right, Miss?"
"Yes, yes, sir. No, Your Highness. It will never happen. You can kill me right away if I do something bad for you."