Chapter 3
Kidnapped by a Fan (3)
The jolting of my body brought me back to my senses.
The moment I regained consciousness, a sharp pain throbbed at the back of my neck, making me frown.
“Ugh… That hurts…”
That damned mailman… No, was he even a mailman? Whatever. I’ll deal with him later.
Holding the back of my neck, I tried to clear my dizzy mind.
“Miss, are you alright?”
At the familiar voice coming from across from me, I quickly looked up.
Mary’s face, filled with worry and anxiety, came into view.
Grabbing both of her shoulders, I asked,
“Mary, why are you here? Did they kidnap you too?”
“Y-Yes. It… just happened.”
“Those bastards… I won’t let them get away with—”
As I glared around to examine where we were, I suddenly paused.
Then I asked Mary in a dazed voice,
“…Mary, we really are being kidnapped, right?”
“I… think so?”
The two of us stared blankly around the inside of the carriage.
We were locked inside a carriage and being kidnapped.
At least, that’s what I thought.
But the inside of the carriage was much nicer than I expected.
No… “nice” wasn’t enough to describe it.
The carriage was so spacious that several people could sit comfortably with room to spare. Soft cushions covered the seats, and the walls were decorated with luxurious ornaments.
Even for someone like me, who had been born into a viscount’s family and lived a fairly noble lifestyle, it felt unfamiliar and overwhelming.
“This feels less like a kidnapping… and more like we’re being escorted.”
I muttered without thinking.
Mary nodded as if she couldn’t understand it either.
“Actually… after that mailman knocked you unconscious, he asked me something.”
“He asked you…? Asked what?”
“He asked if I wanted to come with him.”
Just hearing that made the back of my head throb again where that fake mailman had hit me.
A dumbfounded voice escaped my lips.
“He asked that politely? More importantly… you could’ve run away. Why did you just go with him?”
“Of course I did! How could I leave you behind and escape by myself, Miss?”
It was a touching thing to say.
But at that moment, it only made me even more confused.
We were definitely being kidnapped.
But…
We were being kidnapped… politely.
At this point, I was beginning to wonder if this even counted as kidnapping.
Just as I was about to look out the window in confusion, the carriage came to a stop.
At the same time, Mary and I both stiffened.
Outside the now-silent carriage, someone approached with steady footsteps.
Then, a moment later—
The carriage door swung open.
“We’ve arrived, Author.”
Seeing the person standing there, my eyes widened.
His clothes had changed, but I recognized those gray eyes immediately.
He was the one who had knocked me unconscious and kidnapped me.
Except now, instead of a mailman, he was dressed as a knight.
The sword hanging from his waist proved it.
Unable to hide my irritation, I spoke sharply.
“Is it acceptable for a knight of the Empire to kidnap someone—let alone a lady—like this?”
Looking somewhat embarrassed, he gave an awkward smile.
“…Please think of it as respectfully escorting you instead. Besides, I was only carrying out my lord’s orders. I know it sounds like an excuse, but I had no choice.”
“Your lord’s orders…?”
Just what kind of crazy noble would do something like this?
As I stared at him uneasily, my eyes suddenly landed on his sword.
More specifically, the crest engraved on its scabbard.
Since he stepped aside to let us out comfortably, I couldn’t get a close look.
Still…
The crest looked strangely familiar.
I felt as if I’d seen it somewhere before, which only made me feel even more uneasy.
“Wow…”
After stepping out of the carriage, Mary gasped in amazement, her eyes wide as she stared ahead.
Wondering what had surprised her so much, I looked up—
And immediately made the same expression.
“My goodness…”
The pure white mansion before us sparkled as if it were glowing.
More than anything…
It was enormous.
Our Rosent Viscount’s estate couldn’t even compare.
Watching us continuously gasp in admiration, the knight looked rather pleased.
Then he turned toward the mansion.
“Please follow me. My lord wishes to meet you, Author.”
“M-Me?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mary looking at me with admiration.
She already seemed to have forgotten that we’d been kidnapped.
Unlike her, I hadn’t forgotten.
I still couldn’t shake this uneasy feeling.
Just what kind of lunatic invites someone like this?
Even so, I followed the knight into the mansion.
The interior was even more magnificent than the outside.
Especially the enormous chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
It was enough to make even the bravest person lose their nerve.
Mary was already completely mesmerized.
So I tried my best to remain calm.
Looking at the knight’s back, I asked,
“Who exactly invited me… no, kidnapped me?”
“You’ll know as soon as you meet him.”
I frowned at his vague answer.
But he said nothing more.
Finally, we arrived in front of the room where the kidnapper was waiting.
For some reason, my heart suddenly started pounding.
I had a strong feeling that someone extraordinary was inside.
The knight glanced at me before clearing his throat.
“My lord, I’ve brought the Author.”
“Come in.”
A pleasant, gentle voice came from inside.
Since he was crazy enough to kidnap someone, I had expected a rough, intimidating voice.
That was unexpected.
Still…
I couldn’t let my guard down.
Just because someone looked or sounded normal didn’t mean they were.
Once permission was given, the knight opened the door.
Mary and I entered together, our faces tense.
But after only taking a few steps, we stopped.
A blond man sat on the sofa, lazily turning the pages of a book.
I had intended to boldly give a piece of my mind to the man who had dragged us here.
But the moment our eyes met—
His crimson eyes silenced me.
Instead, I could only stare in shock.
‘H-Heavens… Why is he so handsome?’
He was so good-looking that the word “unbelievable” naturally came to mind.
His short blond hair, lightly curled, looked soft enough to make anyone want to touch it.
His alluring crimson eyes, framed by slightly sharp eyes, were captivating enough to enchant any woman.
And his nose—
Perfectly straight.
The kind every woman would envy.
It hurt my pride a little, but…
He was prettier than most women.
Glancing beside me, I saw Mary completely frozen.
Her cheeks were bright red.
If she hadn’t already fallen in love at first sight, it was a miracle.
As expected…
I was the only one I could rely on.
Trying to calm my racing heart, I took a deep breath.
Just then, the man with crimson eyes closed his book with a snap.
“So you’re Author Ria?”
Those mesmerizing crimson eyes looked directly at me.
Without realizing it, I flinched.
Yes, I’m Author Ria.
So you’re the mastermind who ordered my kidnapping?
I wanted to smile sarcastically and ask exactly that.
But only inside my head.
In reality, I simply stammered, unable to answer.
When I remained silent, his gaze shifted to Mary instead.
“Or are you Author Ria?”
“M-Me? N-No… I’m…”
At a loss, Mary glanced toward me.
Noticing her discomfort, I quickly spoke.
“I’m Author Ria.”
His gaze returned to me.
Unlike before, there was now a hint of interest in his eyes.
“You?”
“Y-Yes.”
“You’re more ordinary than I expected.”
A vein nearly popped on my forehead.
Sure, compared to him, I was ordinary.
But people still called me pretty!
Unfortunately, I couldn’t bring myself to actually say that.
Instead, I simply clenched my fists.
After slowly looking me up and down, the man let out a thoughtful hum.
“I expected someone who could write a novel like this to be more extraordinary.”
Only then did I notice the book in his hand.
The cover looked familiar.
It was the fantasy novel I had written.
Thinking back on what he’d just said, I couldn’t tell whether I should feel grateful or offended.
So…
Was he saying I was amazing or not?
Unable to say either “thank you” or “sorry to disappoint,” I simply stood there.
Then the man unexpectedly threw another punch.
“I suppose that’s why you stopped writing whenever you felt like it.”
His words struck my heart like an arrow.
It hurt more than I expected.
Especially hearing it directly from a reader.
Still…
I had something to say.
Because he was wrong.
“I didn’t quit writing! I was just taking a short break!”
I couldn’t help shouting back.
The man silently watched me.
Then he launched an even stronger attack.
“Why did you take a break without my permission?”
It sounded like the childish complaint of a spoiled child.
But to my ears, it sounded like this:
“Why did you break your promise to your readers?”
It felt like being hit in the same wound all over again.
My lips moved, but no words came out.
Judging from his expression, he wasn’t trying to mock me.
There wasn’t even a trace of ridicule in his eyes.
After remaining silent for a moment, anger began bubbling inside me.
I lifted my head.
Looking straight into his crimson eyes, I fired back.
“Then why did you kidnap me without my permission? I never gave you permission either!”
Behind him, I heard the knight suck in a sharp breath.
Whether it was because he felt guilty…
Or because he was shocked that I dared talk back to his master…
I couldn’t tell.
The man simply stared down at me.
Inside, I sneered.
Well?
Nothing to say now, right?
I win.
I looked up at him with a triumphant smile.
But that smile shattered the moment he answered.
“I don’t need the author’s permission. When I tell the author to come, she comes. When I tell her to leave, she leaves.”
“W-What… does that even mean…?”
His answer was so absurd that I didn’t even know where to begin arguing.
I could only stand there with a dumbfounded expression.
Looking down at me with amusement, the man smiled.
“It seems you don’t know who I am.”
His words sent my thoughts racing.
The luxurious carriage.
The enormous mansion.
The young man who clearly owned them.
And those blond hair and crimson eyes…
In an instant, a single name flashed through my mind.
I stared at him in disbelief and slowly spoke.
“Don’t tell me… you’re the Duke of Abelheim…?”
“Correct.”
The duke smiled brightly.
He looked genuinely pleased that I’d guessed correctly.
Meanwhile, I could only stare back at him with trembling eyes.
No one had said it out loud.
But instinctively…
I knew.
Today, I had stepped in the biggest pile of trouble imaginable.
