Chapter 9

Kite reached out to catch one of the bullets flying toward him.

The moment it touched his hand…

The magic activated.

It was a sleep-type enchanted bullet, so it didn’t cause him any physical injury.

Grandfather…!

What kind of bullet is this? It can even put a Swordmaster to sleep!

There hadn’t been many sleep bullets in the basement.

But Evelyn had never imagined they would be this powerful.

Taking a deep breath, she climbed down from the rooftop and cautiously approached Kite.

The unconscious man lying on the ground looked as delicate as a beautiful flower.

But she couldn’t let her guard down.

He was much closer to a wild beast than a flower.

After quickly fastening the restraints she had prepared onto him, Evelyn immediately pulled a teleportation scroll from her pocket.

People who used firearms usually knew how to use magic scrolls as well.

Both operated using mana.

Without hesitation, she tore the scroll open.

***

That was everything that had happened.

When she fired the gun, she had remained surprisingly calm.

But after returning home and locking Kite in the basement…

Reality finally caught up with her.

That was why Evelyn had stood outside praying while Kite ground his teeth in anger.

Even so…

Her prayers did little to calm her heart.

Still… I can’t let Grandfather’s benefactor go hungry.

Slowly, Evelyn walked toward the kitchen.

Without much enthusiasm, she prepared a tomato stew filled with meat and vegetables.

She served it with soft, round white bread.

“No…”

“This isn’t enough.”

Her guest was the Grand Duke of the Empire.

There was no way someone like him would be satisfied with such a simple meal.

So Evelyn started making stock from scratch.

She placed beef and wine into a pot and slowly began braising them.

It was a dish that took a long time to prepare.

But right now…

Cooking was an excellent way to escape reality.

Bang!

If not for the loud noise coming from the basement…

She probably would have finished making the tender braised beef.

“H-He must be hungry…”

Evelyn hurriedly reheated the completed stew.

She placed it on a tray together with bread and a drink before rushing downstairs.

At the end of the hallway…

She stopped outside the last room, where rhythmic pounding noises continued to echo.

“Hoo…”

No matter how deeply she breathed…

She couldn’t calm herself.

After taking several deep breaths, Evelyn gathered her courage and threw open the door.

Inside…

Kite had just raised his fist to strike the wall again.

He turned to look at her.

W-Why is he smiling?

Anyone who had just been kidnapped should have looked furious.

Instead…

Kite was smiling as beautifully as a flower in full bloom.

The contrast was so unsettling that Evelyn instinctively took a step backward.

“Enough.”

Kite crooked a finger at her.

“So.”

“Are you the kidnapper?”

His voice was low and calm.

Without thinking, Evelyn shook her head.

“No!”

Originally…

She had planned to serve him a delicious meal first.

Then, once he had calmed down, she intended to tell him the truth.

Her grandfather had warned her never to reveal her strange ability.

But she couldn’t think of any other way.

That had been her plan.

Yet now that the moment had actually come…

A lie slipped out before she even realized it.

It’s okay.

Grandfather once said it was acceptable to lie in dangerous situations.

“Evelyn, you’re too honest.”

“You take after your father.”

“That’s not a good thing.”

“You’ll only suffer because of it.”

“Sometimes a small lie is necessary to get through life.”

“It’s better than carelessly telling the truth and hurting someone.”

Some people might have called that twisted logic.

But Evelyn trusted her grandfather.

After all…

He had lovingly raised her after she lost her parents.

Without him…

She wouldn’t be the person she was today.

“I’m not the kidnapper.”

“Then what are you?”

“I-I’m…”

“…a maid.”

Kite slowly looked her up and down.

Then he gave a slight nod, as if accepting her answer.

“Then where’s your master?”

“They’re out.”

“When will they return?”

“I don’t know.”

“Sometimes they come back quickly.”

“Sometimes they don’t.”

“What’s the longest they’ve ever been away?”

“…Ten days.”

By then…

The Emperor’s birthday would already have passed.

The celebration would begin in three days and continue for an entire week.

If she could keep Kite here for ten days…

He would no longer be in danger.

“What a crazy bastard.”

Kite muttered before laughing to himself.

“So…”

“You can’t let me out?”

“I-I can’t.”

Normally Evelyn never had trouble speaking.

But whenever Kite acted like this…

She kept stumbling over her words.

At the moment…

He looked exactly like a madman.

So this is the expression he wore while breaking people’s arms and legs…

Her body trembled slightly.

“Fine.”

“Very well.”

“Then I’ll simply leave on my own.”

Kite raised his fist again.

Even though the restraints restricted his movements…

The wall still cracked where he struck it.

“Dinner!”

Evelyn suddenly shouted.

“Please eat first!”

“Do I look like I’m in the mood to eat?”

Kite mocked her.

But Evelyn stood her ground.

“You’ll need your strength.”

Though he already seems to have plenty…

Still…

She needed something, anything, to distract him.

Kite appeared to think for a moment.

Then he sat back down on the bed.

“Bring it here.”

It worked!

Evelyn almost sighed in relief.

Then she suddenly realized something.

The food was still on a serving tray.

To hand it to Kite…

She would have to walk much closer.

To… him?

If she got too close…

He might grab her and kill her.

“W-Wait just a moment!”

Evelyn immediately retreated.

Nearby was a trolley she had prepared earlier.

She placed the tray on it.

Then pushed it with all her strength toward Kite.

“…Hah.”

Kite stared at her in disbelief.

Evelyn deliberately avoided his eyes.

“Please enjoy your meal!”

She shouted.

Then immediately slammed the door shut.

A short while later…

The pounding on the wall started again.

Startled, she carefully opened the door.

Kite pointed toward his bound hands with his chin.

“You expect me to eat like this?”

“…I think you can.”

His wrists were restrained.

But he could still move them up and down.

Eating didn’t seem impossible at all.

“You must not know this because you’re just a servant.”

“Nobles don’t eat alone.”

“They have servants attend them during meals.”

…I’m a noble too.

Evelyn desperately swallowed the words.

Then she remembered.

She was merely the daughter of a small frontier noble family.

Kite, on the other hand, was a Grand Duke who lived in the capital.

His mansion, though not flashy, was enormous.

He employed many servants.

Naturally…

Some of them would have served his meals.

I didn’t even think of that!

Why are nobles so troublesome?

“So.”

“Come over here and serve me.”

Kite ordered arrogantly.

“Otherwise…”

“I won’t eat.”

That sort of threat wouldn’t normally work on a kidnapper.

But Evelyn was different.

She had kidnapped him to save his life.

If he refused to eat…

That would become a serious problem.

Still…

People can survive for over two weeks with just water.

She only had to keep him here for around ten days.

Did she really need to risk her own life just to feed him?

Her fingers tightened around the doorknob.

Kite was a Swordmaster.

Someone who had reached the absolute peak of swordsmanship.

That also meant his body was vastly stronger than an ordinary person’s.

If so…

He could probably survive without food much longer than anyone else.

It was a cruel thought.

But…

Evelyn didn’t want to die.

***

She’s not coming.

Kite quietly observed the maid.

At first…

She had looked hesitant.

But before long…

Her expression changed.

Little by little…

Her body began edging toward the doorway.

She had clearly decided not to approach him.

She knew exactly how dangerous he was.

The burden of being famous.

There wasn’t a single person in the capital who didn’t know that Kite behaved like a madman.

Since she served the person who had kidnapped him…

She had probably heard all the stories.

Otherwise…

Her master wouldn’t have trusted her with something like this.

If that was the case…

Simple threats wouldn’t work on her.

Kite calmly considered his options.

Then I’ll just use another method.

The cold expression he had been wearing softened.

His eyelids lowered slightly.

He let out a slow, quiet breath.

Then he put on a lonely, sorrowful expression.

Kite knew exactly how powerful his appearance was.

And…

He knew very well how to use it.