“Sir Zion? Ah…”
Isella rembered her last thoughts. Just as she believed she could survive, she was thrown into the water. She rembered the tornt of struggling in the endless flood.
“Yes, he saved you. He looked for you all over and, by sheer luck, managed to rescue you.”
“I see…”
Isella touched her neck. It was a miracle that she was breathing. Was it because Zion often walked by the water with her that he could find her? It was fortunate she had been found not long after being kidnapped. A little more ti, and she would have died.
“And he killed the man as well.”
“Who?”
“Who else? The man who tried to drown you.”
Isella realized the situation hadn’t been fully understood. Since she had fainted, everyone seed unaware of what had happened before. Now wasn’t the ti to lie leisurely and discuss other matters.
“Father, no, it wasn’t… it wasn’t just that incident.”
“What?”
“I wasn’t thrown into the water right away. I was kidnapped for almost a whole day.”
Isella looked out the window. The morning sunlight was streaming in. It ant she had been kidnapped for at least a day longer. She urgently sat up.
“Yes, I understand you’ve been through a lot. Now, rest. I’ll handle the rest.”
“Yes, Isella. Listen to your father. Co with .”
“No, I can’t go just yet! Wait, there’s… there’s a real culprit.”
Isella shouted urgently. Her marriage wasn’t the issue right now. Now wasn’t the ti to speak so calmly. But Verdic looked at Isella with pity.
“Wouldn’t it be better to discuss bad news later?”
“Yes, rest first.”
Why are they acting like this?
The atmosphere felt strange. Isella looked up at her parents in confusion, but Verdic and Selena still had unclear expressions.
“We want you to rest comfortably. We hope you settle down soon…”
“What?”
It was absurd for Isella to hear such words from parents who openly kept separate lovers, but Verdic and Selena kept talking about different matters, exchanging glances.
“Father, what on earth are you talking about?”
“Haven’t you always wanted to get married quickly?”
That was because she was anxious about where Raymond might go. But that was all in the past. Isella couldn’t understand why her parents were pushing for marriage in this situation. It was so sudden it was bewildering.
“Not just … there was soone else who was kidnapped too. She might still be alive. We need to save her imdiately.”
“Besides you? Ah, you an Carynne Hare.”
“You knew?”
“Yes, Sir Zion said she disappeared with you. She’s been your maid for a while, right? Don’t worry too much. The investigators won’t bother you because of this.”
Isella couldn’t understand why the conversation kept veering off course. But why?
“No, Father… what are you talking about from a while ago?”
“I’ve been saying the sa thing. I’m telling you to go ho and do what you want because you’ve had a tough ti. Why are you acting like this?”
“A person was kidnapped!”
Isella’s voice rose in frustration.
“Another person besides is still kidnapped! That person is Carynne! How can you talk about my wedding in this situation? A person’s life is at stake!”
Verdic frowned as Isella raised her voice. While he spared no expense for his daughter, he wouldn’t tolerate her being disrespectful to him.
“Isella, what kind of tone are you taking with your father? Apologize imdiately.”
“No, I don’t understand what you’re doing. I was kidnapped. And taken to a horrible place. I was released, but that’s because another girl stayed behind for . Why aren’t you listening to ?”
From beginning to end, Verdic was simply relieved that his daughter was alive—he wasn’t listening to her words. Why was he in such a hurry to marry her off?
“Ah… I see.”
It was only then that Isella realized the reason and laughed hollowly.
“So… you think sothing happened to …”
* * *
“We need to marry her off quickly before rumors of the kidnapping spread.”
Verdic and Selena had agreed on this.
Isella had been kidnapped for a full day. They had to prevent that fact from becoming known at all costs. If they hurried her marriage to Zion Electra, unnecessary rumors would be avoided.
The two had often appeared together in high society as a pair. Verdic had originally planned to separate them once Isella was reasonably satisfied, but circumstances had changed.
An unmarried woman had been missing for over a day, found on the brink of death, and then rescued.
If people learned about this, it was obvious what kind of stories would circulate. Although the doctor had said there were no signs of assault, once rumors spread, the truth would be buried, and the focus would be on tarnishing her reputation.
“Dear.”
“It can’t be helped.”
The couple found themselves in rare agreent. They decided to act as if they were accommodating Isella’s wishes and marry her off quickly. Zion wasn’t as ideal as Raymond, but he wasn’t a bad choice. Any of Zion’s shortcomings could be compensated for with money.
Verdic, seeing Zion nervously pacing near Isella’s room, spoke up.
“I will allow you to marry my daughter.”
“Pardon?”
“I won’t ask twice. Will you marry her?”
Zion looked slightly bewildered but gave the expected answer.
“If Miss Isella agrees, I would be grateful.”
“Good.”
Verdic looked down at the young knight.
The marriage must happen as soon as possible, and all this must be buried. As far as anyone was concerned, Isella had never been kidnapped.
* * *
“I wasn’t hard. Are you satisfied? There was a girl who took my place.”
“Isella!”
Isella raised her hand to cover her eyes.
She loved her father. She respected him. She didn’t deny that everything she had was thanks to him. But Isella, despite being warmly dressed, felt her body grow colder at seeing this side of her father.
“Father, you have ties with Crown Prince Gueuze, don’t you?”
Isella rembered that Verdic had connections with the royal family. Verdic never went into details with her, but he often boasted about his business dealings during als. She recalled that he had bragged about his connections with Crown Prince Gueuze.
“Crown Prince Gueuze kidnapped Carynne and . Because we witnessed sothing.”
“Selena, please check if there’s anyone outside the door.”
Selena quietly got up, checked outside, and securely locked the door.
“There’s no one.”
“Good.”
Verdic took Isella’s hand. She looked down at her forcibly held hand and listened to him.
“How did you get involved in such a dangerous situation?”
“Carynne and I went for a walk and ventured too far. We witnessed people disposing of bodies… we were captured and woke up in the palace dungeon.”
She felt nauseous.
“Carynne begged to stay behind in my place, so that man would let go. But he didn’t actually release . He and his n tried to kill .”
“Crown Prince Gueuze wouldn’t do that. The attendant must have misunderstood. It was just an accident.”
“Do you really believe that?”
“Yes.”
Verdic wasn’t surprised. He simply denied it. Crown Prince Gueuze wouldn’t do that? His daughter was kidnapped and returned, and it was just an accident? That wasn’t an accident. Isella couldn’t understand. An accident? She had been kidnapped and returned, yet her father was dismissing it as a re accident?
It took Isella a mont to understand.
When Verdic said Crown Prince Gueuze wouldn’t do that, he didn’t an he wasn’t capable of it. He ant he wouldn’t do that to his daughter, Isella.
“…Father, you… you knew?”
“Royalty often have… peculiar hobbies…”
For the first ti in her life, Isella felt disgust towards her father.
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