Chapter 10
When Kite was a child, his mother had wanted him to behave that way.
She treated him like a beautiful doll.
His mother, Saraen, wanted the son she had given birth to to become Emperor, so she constantly pushed him into the spotlight and tried to make influential people notice him.
His own wishes were never considered.
Even so…
Until he was old enough to understand, he had loved her simply because she was his mother.
Kite did everything he could to earn Saraen’s approval.
By the time he realized how wrong everything was…
It was already too late.
His only older brother, Kali, the first heir to the throne, had already come to hate him.
After Saraen died from illness, Kite was left completely alone.
Kali treated him with merciless cruelty.
He sent the still-young Kite away to the northern frontier.
There, he was forced to fight savage barbarians and terrifying monsters.
Not a single day passed without his life being in danger.
Until he eventually met Seren…
He fought alone.
Day after day.
He spent his youth on brutal battlefields.
The endless fighting left him with chronic insomnia…
And an inability to trust people.
Yet despite everything…
Kite continued to achieve accomplishments that no one could deny.
No one had expected such a small, fragile-looking prince to survive.
No one knew he possessed extraordinary talent with the sword.
Kali tried to hide Kite’s achievements as much as possible.
But it wasn’t easy.
The Empire valued military strength above all else.
Naturally…
Many military officers began admiring Kite.
When he first realized that, he found it troublesome.
He had no desire to gather supporters and earn even more of Kali’s hatred.
Back then…
Kali had seemed overwhelmingly powerful.
Kite honestly believed his brother could kill him at any time.
But I was wrong.
Although Kali had been born first and became Crown Prince…
He was actually a weak man.
He distrusted everyone around him.
He couldn’t even trust his own son.
Afraid that his young son, Leonhardt, might steal the throne from him one day…
He spread false rumors about the child.
Then locked him away.
Did someone like that really deserve my fear?
The moment Kite asked himself that question…
He began to change.
He actively gathered allies.
He built his own power.
And just as he finally decided to move against Kali…
His brother died.
While hunting on horseback…
Kali fell from his horse.
It was a ridiculous accident.
But no one believed it.
Everyone assumed Kite had murdered the Emperor in order to seize power.
They believed he would soon return to the capital and claim the throne himself.
But…
He never did.
“I have no desire for a seat like that.”
Even now…
Kite clearly remembered all those who had desperately coveted the imperial throne.
Instead…
He placed his imprisoned young nephew Leonhardt upon the throne…
And became his guardian.
After that…
He lived exactly as people believed he did.
Sometimes he even exaggerated his violent behavior…
Simply so everyone would continue believing he was unfit to become Emperor.
That didn’t mean he solved everything through violence.
His mother had given him exceptional beauty.
He might as well make use of it.
Looking at the maid, Kite put on a lonely, pitiful expression.
Immediately…
The frightened squirrel-like maid, who had been backing away nonstop…
Stopped moving.
Beauty worked everywhere.
***
I’m in trouble…
For the first time in her life…
Evelyn discovered something about herself.
She was completely helpless against beautiful people who looked vulnerable.
She knew perfectly well everything Kite had done.
Yet…
The body that had been retreating suddenly froze.
How can someone possibly look like that?
His smooth forehead.
Eyes as deep and calm as a lake.
A perfectly shaped nose.
Soft reddish lips.
“…I’m hungry.”
The dejected voice made her heart skip a beat.
A handsome man like that… saying he’s hungry…
Her reason desperately shouted at her to stay alert.
Her heart refused to listen.
Little by little…
Evelyn stepped closer.
“…You won’t hit me, right?”
“I don’t hit weak people.”
By a Swordmaster’s standards…
Almost everyone in the world is weak.
Then she suddenly remembered the nobleman’s broken leg.
“To be precise…”
“I don’t attack people who haven’t learned to fight.”
Only then did Evelyn finally relax.
She took another cautious step forward.
“You really won’t hurt me?”
“I won’t.”
Kite smiled gently.
As if telling her she could trust him.
Like a mouse lured toward cheese inside a trap…
Evelyn slowly approached him.
Eventually…
She reached the food trolley.
That very instantā
Kite’s hand shot forward.
He grabbed the hem of her clothes and pulled.
Her body lurched toward him.
Startled…
Evelyn instantly drew the hidden dagger she had been carrying.
With one quick motion…
She sliced through the part of her clothing he was holding.
Then rolled backward across the floor…
Creating distance between them.
When she finally looked around…
She realized she was standing by the doorway again.
“…I thought you said you were a maid.”
Kite laughed in disbelief.
“I am.”
“And maids move like that?”
“My grandfather taught me self-defense.”
“…You call that self-defense?”
She had just moved like a knight who had trained for years.
There was no way Kite could believe her.
“It is self-defense.”
“My grandfather always said…”
“‘With skills like this, you couldn’t even beat the neighborhood thugs.'”
“…What kind of neighborhood did you grow up in?”
“…Far out on the frontier.”
Evelyn answered honestly.
Kite didn’t believe a single word.
***
She dodged an attack from a Swordmaster…
And she’s telling me she couldn’t even beat ordinary street thugs?
Kite couldn’t make sense of it.
More than anything…
He became curious about her grandfather.
Just what kind of man raises his granddaughter like that?
“A frontier where the thugs are that strong?”
“At that point…”
“Shouldn’t they stop calling themselves thugs?”
“…Anyway.”
“I guess I can’t help serve your meal anymore.”
The maid wasn’t stuttering anymore.
Seeing that…
A slight chill ran down Kite’s spine.
“What’s your name?”
“Mary.”
“That’s a dog’s name.”
It was obviously fake.
But she clearly had no intention of revealing her real name.
Considering she had kidnapped the Empire’s Grand Duke…
That was only natural.
The maid politely bowed.
Then closed the door and disappeared.
Only the tray of food remained.
Kite picked up the drink first.
He took a cautious sip.
Swordmasters had pushed their bodies to the absolute limit.
That made them naturally resistant to poison.
On top of that…
Kite had specifically trained to resist poisons.
That confidence was why he drank it without hesitation.
“…It’s good.”
There was nothing suspicious in the drink.
It simply tasted excellent.
Cold.
Sweet.
Slightly bitter.
Exactly to his liking.
“…What did she put in this?”
The stew had cooled somewhat.
Even so…
It had been simmered perfectly.
Together with the bread…
It tasted wonderful.
At the very least…
She clearly wasn’t trying to starve him to death.
After finishing the meal, Kite slowly looked around the room again.
Strange.
For a room meant to imprison a Swordmaster…
The atmosphere felt oddly comfortable.
The metal bed was firmly bolted to the floor.
That much suited a prison.
Everything else…
Didn’t.
The mattress was soft.
The blankets were clean and comfortable.
They were a warm pale yellow color.
Delicate lace decorated the edges.
The pillows matched.
A short distance away stood a bookshelf.
It held dozens of books.
It almost felt as though someone wanted him to stay entertained during a long imprisonment.
Even the small bathroom attached to the room had been kept spotless.
Soap and various toiletries had all been thoughtfully prepared.
At that moment…
A thought crossed Kite’s mind.
Perhaps…
The reason I was kidnapped isn’t what I originally assumed.
***
Seren stared grimly at the clock hanging on the wall.
Kite had said he was only going to question an information broker.
Yet half a day had already passed…
And he still hadn’t returned.
Seren had even searched the surrounding area.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of him.
“Don’t you think you’re worrying too much?”
Alex asked casually.
Lersen immediately glared at him.
“Lord Kite has countless enemies.”
“There’s nothing strange about the Vice-Captain being worried.”
“But is there anyone stronger than Lord Kite?”
“There are two other Swordmasters.”
“Sure.”
“But one of them is so old he’s basically retired.”
“And the other isn’t as skilled as Lord Kite.”
“…You really don’t think things through.”
Lersen sighed deeply.
Alex immediately bristled.
“I’m not wrong!”
“No.”
“You’re not entirely right either.”
The two of them began arguing again.
Finally…
Seren slammed his palm onto the table with a loud bang.
