Chapter 81
***
The number of problems in Karsten was so overwhelming that even if Ethan stayed up all night, he wouldn’t have been able to hear them all.
He decided to listen to the rest on the way to Karsten tomorrow and returned to his room.
The lights were off, and the place was unnervingly still.
Did they fall asleep already?
It was possible, but it was odd that the parlor lights were out too—especially when Ethan hadn’t returned yet.
A chill crept up from his feet, an instinctive unease that made him frown as he yanked open the bedroom door.
The bedroom was dark as well.
The luggage that had been rummaged through earlier was now neatly organized, every crease smoothed out.
The bed Noah had rolled around on was perfectly made, the sheets pulled tight and wrinkle-free.
Naturally, there was no one lying in it.
He checked the bathroom next—empty. Elisa and Noah were nowhere to be found.
If it had been daytime, he might’ve thought they’d gone for a walk. But it was pitch dark outside. There was no way she would’ve taken the child out at this hour.
If something urgent had come up, Elisa would’ve at least left a note. But there was none.
What truly unsettled him, though, was the luggage.
Elisa was tidy by nature, so organizing their things wasn’t unusual—but she’d packed everything, including the spare clothes Ethan was supposed to change into later.
That was wrong.
Something had happened to Elisa and Noah.
Before the thought even finished forming, Ethan burst out of the room and stormed down the hall to Rector’s quarters. He pounded on the door with his fist.
Bang, bang, bang!
“Wh–who’s there, for heaven’s sake—!”
The moment the door opened, Ethan grabbed Rector by the arm.
“Elisa and my son are gone.”
His voice was low, trembling just enough to betray the rage simmering beneath.
“I think they’ve been kidnapped.”
“Wh–what?! Kidnapped?!”
The color drained from Rector’s face. The words hit him like a bolt from a clear sky.
“Gather the knights immediately and search the inn from top to bottom. Ask if anyone saw them.”
“Y–yes, sir!”
Rector sprinted off to summon the knights.
They combed through every corner—the rooms, hallways, courtyard, even the storage shed—but there was no trace of Elisa or Noah anywhere.
Ethan himself questioned the inn staff and remaining guests. Please, let there be someone who saw them, he prayed, but every answer was the same—a shake of the head.
There were two exits in the inn: the main entrance for guests and a service door for staff. The service door connected to the kitchen, and the kitchen staff had been away for an hour to rest after dinner.
That was exactly when Ethan and Rector had been deep in conversation.
So that’s when they struck… they kidnapped Elisa and Noah, then escaped through the staff door.
Ethan’s jaw tightened until the muscles in his face ached.
The tidy room, the timing—it wasn’t random. It was calculated.
Whoever did this had planned it in advance.
Which meant someone had ordered the abduction.
Who… and why?
He didn’t have to think long before a face surfaced in his mind.
Derek Grenville. That bastard.
As if causing the carriage accident hadn’t been enough, now he’d resorted to kidnapping. Ethan clenched his teeth so hard it sent a jolt of pain up his jaw.
Still, if Derek was behind it, at least he wouldn’t harm them. Derek’s goal was to marry Elisa and claim the Leslie title.
Hurting her would ruin everything.
…Although, after the carriage incident, even that wasn’t a sure bet.
Regardless, there was only one thing to do—find Elisa and Noah as quickly as possible.
“The culprits can’t have gotten far. We’ll search the area,” one knight said.
“I’ll go to the local guard station and ask for reinforcements,” another added.
They scattered in all directions. Ethan ran through the streets himself, lungs burning, ignoring the pain in his still-healing leg.
But the city of Ronfei was vast. Finding Elisa and Noah without a clue was like searching for a needle in a desert.
If only there were a sign… a trace… anything.
The more he hoped, the heavier his dread became. He hadn’t felt this desperate even when charging into enemy lines with death looming over him.
His legs finally gave out. He collapsed forward, his knees slamming into the cold stone road.
He tried to rise, but the world spun like he’d drunk a bottle of liquor. His throat burned; even swallowing hurt.
I can’t stop now. I have to find them…
He forced himself up—and then saw it.
A small gray figure lying near the edge of the road.
Noah’s wolf doll. The one he never went anywhere without.
***
When Elisa regained consciousness, her wrists and ankles were bound tight with rope, and a rough cloth gag filled her mouth.
Noah… where’s Noah?!
Thank God—he was beside her. He was tied up like she was, but at least they hadn’t gagged him.
He didn’t seem hurt either.
Their eyes met, and tears welled in Noah’s wide eyes. Elisa wanted to tell him it’s all right, don’t cry, but the gag stifled every sound.
Where are we?
She twisted her body to look around, pain lancing through her arm and back. The stitches from her old wound must have torn open.
The pain made her vision blur, but she forced herself to keep observing.
They were inside a large, dim space with a high ceiling and piles of construction materials scattered around.
Then she heard footsteps approaching.
Holding her breath, Elisa turned toward the sound.
A pair of worn boots stepped into view.
“So, you’re awake.”
That voice—she recognized it.
The same man who’d hissed be quiet before she lost consciousness.
She tried to see his face, but her bindings prevented it. She could only see up to his knees.
“They said the tranquilizer was strong enough to knock out an elephant, but it didn’t last long on her.”
“Maybe you got scammed, huh?”
“Pfft, wouldn’t be the first time. You’re an easy mark.”
“Shut it!”
Judging by their voices, there were three of them—the same number as the masked intruders who’d stormed the inn.
Even after committing a kidnapping, they joked around like it was nothing. Elisa listened closely, hoping to catch some clue about who they were or where she was.
But before she could gather much, a boot swung into view—
Thud!
The kick landed hard in her stomach, the force stealing her breath and flooding her vision with white. A muffled cry slipped past the gag.
“What the hell are you doing? The client said not to rough her up!”
“She was eavesdropping like a rat. Probably trying to figure a way out. Gotta teach her what happens when she does that.”
“Waaah!”
Noah suddenly screamed, his small voice echoing through the warehouse with startling volume.
“Wh–what the hell? I thought the brat couldn’t talk!”
“How should I know?! Shut him up before someone hears!”
One of the men lunged forward to silence him—
Crash!
The back window exploded inward, glass scattering like shards of ice.
A dark shadow leapt through the wreckage and into the warehouse.
