209 - I Got Engaged to the Blind Duke
Blinded Duke and I are Engaged 209
\ \ \
The Crown Prince, having been contacted, arrived quickly.
“Your Highness, thank you for coming.”
“It is only natural to help the people of the Empire. Is Malcolm Youngae safe now?”
“For now, yes. The kidnapper left this note.”
The Shadows had secretly gone to the bookstore and brought the note, which the kidnapper had returned to leave after they had left.
[If you don't appear before me by tomorrow, your lover will die.]
“So she’s safe until tomorrow.”
The Crown Prince nodded, looking at the note.
“The certainty that they will know even without specifying a location. And this expression, ‘you’… the kidnapper and Malcolm Youngae’s lover know each other.”
“Yes.”
The Crown Prince gazed at the dim night scenery outside the window.
“But why did you ask me instead of the Duke of the West?”
At that moment, the door opened and Gerald entered.
“Baines, I see the Crown Prince. I will explain.”
“Malcolm Youngae is also a citizen of the Empire, so I can help in any way. But I want to know the reason.”
Alecpet said seriously.
“It says tomorrow, but we don’t know when their minds might change, so I’ll tell you on the way.”
“Very well.”
\ \ \
Having heard the whole story in the Diamond Carriage, the Crown Prince was lost in thought before opening his mouth.
“Such a thing happened in the South. Does His Majesty know?”
“He probably suspects it, like me.”
Gerald answered indifferently.
“But why is His Majesty just standing by in this situation?”
“What does it matter to His Majesty who becomes the master of the South, as long as the tax revenue doesn’t decrease? From His Majesty’s point of view, the current situation, where he can exploit the South’s weaknesses, is probably better.”
“I see. Calling me was a wise choice. Even though I may not have much power, I am the only Crown Prince, so the fake Duke won’t be able to treat me carelessly.”
They were currently riding in the Crown Prince’s Diamond Carriage, which was emblazoned with the imperial crest.
The plan was not to secretly rescue Priana, but to make it known that the Crown Prince had rescued her.
Marin slowly repeated deep breaths inside the Diamond Carriage. It wasn’t as difficult as she thought. Now she could ride not only the Diamond Carriage but also a regular carriage.
Gerald, sitting next to her, squeezed her hand encouragingly.
Warm warmth. His hand, large and sturdy enough to cover her entire hand. Just having him next to her was incredibly helpful.
At that moment, the Crown Prince’s Diamond Carriage stopped in front of a building on the outskirts of the capital.
Knock, knock. At the knock, the door opened and Elmis stood there.
Elmis had finished his report and returned here to observe the situation.
“Elmis, how many people are inside?”
Marin asked hastily.
“I think there are about ten people.”
“Is the Southern Duke there?”
Elmis answered Gerald’s question immediately.
“No, he is not.”
“Then I will step forward now.”
The Crown Prince stepped out of the Diamond Carriage.
“Marin, you stay inside the Diamond Carriage.”
Gerald wore a mask to protect the Crown Prince in case of any unforeseen danger.
“Okay.”
Marin watched the situation outside through the Diamond Carriage window.
Soon, the Crown Prince walked to the front of the building and shouted like thunder.
“I have come to find Malcolm Youngae! I am the Crown Prince of this Empire. This is an order. Release her at once!”
While the Crown Prince was shouting loudly, Kay secretly infiltrated the building.
Marin’s plan was for the Crown Prince to step forward and prevent the Southern Duke from doing anything rash.
However, Kay was to watch over the captive Priana in case of the worst-case scenario.
The Southern Duke’s aide felt like he was going crazy at the booming voice outside.
Who on earth would jeopardize the hostage and give orders to the kidnapper?
Of course, the kidnapped Youngae would be safe until the ‘real’ one appeared, but the other party didn’t know that.
“Is the person outside really His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“It seems so.”
“Why on earth! Why did His Highness the Crown Prince come?”
What is the relationship between that Youngae and the Crown Prince?
“I don’t know.”
At the mercenary’s answer, the aide turned his head and looked down at the gagged woman.
The woman, who had been listlessly drooping her head, suddenly lifted it.
Hope filled the woman’s dark green eyes.
“Are you close to His Highness the Crown Prince?”
The woman paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously.
“I’m going crazy.”
Really close? That Youngae from a humble family of viscounts and the Crown Prince, who looked at women like stones?
He didn’t know how much he could trust that woman’s words, but killing her here wouldn’t solve the problem.
Above all, he had to keep her alive to get what his lord wanted.
First, he had to leave this place, at least to hide the fact that it was the Southern Duke’s doing.
“I’ll leave quietly, so you guys stall for as much time as possible.”
The aide ordered the mercenaries.
They didn’t know his exact identity.
He couldn’t move the Southern Knights Order because his lord didn’t have the family ring, so he hired mercenaries, but in this kind of crisis, it was easy to abandon them, which made the cleanup even cleaner.
“What about that woman?”
“Don’t touch her, just leave her as she is. You guys escape quickly too.”
“Understood.”
The aide checked the woman one more time, then quietly slipped out through the back door.
“Release Malcolm Youngae at once!”
As the Crown Prince shouted again, one of the mercenaries grabbed Priana’s arm, pulled her up, and showed her face at the window.
“Malcolm Youngae!”
Tears of relief fell from Priana’s eyes as she saw the Crown Prince in person.
“The client has also left, so clean up roughly.”
At the mercenary leader’s words, the other mercenaries set Priana up at the window and slowly moved back.
“Mmph, mmph, mmph!”
Priana shook her head and gestured to the back.
Sensing something strange in her actions, the Crown Prince said to the masked Duke.
“Let’s go in.”
The Duke nodded silently.
Although only the Crown Prince and the Duke had barged in, the mercenaries were no match.
“Ugh.”
“Huff.”
Blood spurted everywhere, and the mercenaries fell to the floor one by one.
In the midst of that struggle, the mercenary leader quickly returned to Priana.
“You’ll have to be a hostage until I get out.”
“Mmph!”
Priana struggled roughly, but she couldn’t withstand the mercenary leader’s strength.
“Malcolm Youngae!”
“Mmph, mmph, mmph!”
Priana, with tears welling up in her eyes, looked at the Crown Prince in fear.
“Release the Youngae.”
The Crown Prince, speaking sternly, took a step forward.
At that, the mercenary leader’s eyes wavered.
This client seemed to be a high-ranking nobleman, but the person in front of him was none other than the Crown Prince.
It was too much of a big shot’s appearance.
What would happen if he got caught like this? Kidnapping a nobleman was already a serious crime, but what if he pointed a Sword at the Crown Prince?
It was immediate execution.
Glancing back, it seemed like he could jump out since it was a three-story building.
“Here.”
The mercenary leader threw Priana towards the Crown Prince and jumped out of the window.
Kay chased after him like the wind.
The mercenary leader rejoiced at having escaped, unaware of the impending death.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince safely caught Priana.
“Are you alright?”
The masked Duke untied her hands and gag.
“Thank you. Thank you…”
Priana, thanking him repeatedly, fainted.
As her body slumped, the Crown Prince carefully supported her.
\ \ *
A long time later, Priana woke up and sat on the bed with a pale complexion.
Marin explained the events that had transpired in detail to her.
As the story continued, Priana’s face grew even whiter.
After Marin’s explanation ended, Priana’s lips slowly opened after a long period of being lost in thought.
“What I said was wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
“My fiancé is an ordinary person with no secrets.”
Priana said forcibly, playfully.
Marin looked at her with pitiful eyes.
“Thank you. For coming to save me.”
Priana’s dark green eyes were filled with sincerity.
“It wasn’t me, it was His Highness the Crown Prince who saved you.”
Marin quickly waved her hand.
At that, Priana smiled faintly and slowly shook her head.
“There’s no reason for His Highness the Crown Prince to help me. If it weren’t for Marin, I don’t know what would have happened to me…”
As Priana’s face darkened, Marin carefully took her hand and met her eyes as if to give her assurance.
“The Duke would have gone to save you.”
“…The Southern Duke.”
Priana uttered in a trembling voice, as if she still couldn’t believe it.
“I just did what I had to do.”
“Nothing is obvious in this world.”
Priana said bitterly.
At that sight, Marin squeezed the hand she was holding.
“We’re friends.”
“Yes?”
“I think we have a lot in common. We’re both Youngae of viscounts, we both like books, and our fiancés are both Dukes.”
“Ah…”
Priana looked at Marin with trembling eyes.
Really, can I be friends with this person?
“So, let’s be friends, the two of us who have so much in common.”
“…Okay. That’s the most pleasing thing I’ve heard today.”
A genuine smile was drawn on Priana’s face for the first time.