Five days had passed since Kai and Montina started to go on dates. Their dates had been a whirlwind of chaos and unexpected turns.
Their second date was a spectacle. Montina, in a bid to embarrass Kai Infront of other nobles, ended up painting her own cheeks red instead as her plan spectacularly backfired. The third date was no less dramatic. Montina, in an attempt to assert dominance, made Kai wait for her. Kai, however, unfazed by her tactics, went straight to the palace, forcing Montina to swallow her pride and join him.
Each date seemed to follow this pattern, with Montina’s plans failing in increasingly comical ways. It was as if the universe itself was playing a cosmic joke on her.
Montina found herself questioning, “Why do all my plans fail? Is the universe against me?” as each of her carefully crafted schemes crumbled.
Meanwhile, Kai was engrossed in a peculiar pastime at the Archduke’s mansion. From the comfort of his bed, he observed Montina’s every move on a screen, displayed by his AI assistant, Eva.
“She’s quite the character,” Kai mused, his gaze fixed on the screen. “We could have just talked things out, but she seems to enjoy these games.” As he watched her strategize, Eva chimed in, “You seem to be enjoying this game of cat and mouse, sir.”
A smile tugged at the corners of Kai’s mouth. “I don’t know why, but I find her antics captivating.” He stared at the screen, his eyes softening as he looked at Montina. “It feels like… there’s something between us…”
The day of their next date arrived. They decided to meet at the city’s bustling marketplace. As they strolled through the vibrant stalls, Montina was drawn to a quaint clothing store. She turned to Kai, “I’ll be back in a moment, wait for me here.”
Kai nodded, along with their guards. He watched as Montina disappeared into the store. After some time, a commotion arose from the store. The employees were concerned about Montina, who had been in the changing room for a while. The guards, worried, went inside to check on her. Kai watched them, then asked Eva to display Montina’s location.
As Eva displayed the current location of her, Kai was amazed.
“Interesting,” Kai smirked, seeing Montina cloaked and walking around the streets, giving food to poor children. “Guess she wanted to help those kids,” he recalls back when they were on their way to the store, as they saw the poor kids looking at the food stall. He felt a warmth spread through him as he watched her, “She really does things her own way.”
As he watched her, a wagon pulled up next to their carriage. A man stepped out, standing next to Kai as if about to enter the store. Suddenly, Kai felt a sudden force from behind. A cloth, soaked in an unknown substance, was pressed against his face. He tried to remove the man’s arm, but his vision started blurred, and he felt his consciousness slipping away. Slowly he let go of the man’s hand, falling unconscious.
The man, after making sure Kai was unconscious, he whistled, as his accomplices quickly came and moved Kai to the wagon and drove away, leaving the store behind.
The scene shifts to Montina, who quickly returned to the store. “Finally,” she whispered to herself, as she caught her breath. Then she moved in a secluded corner, as she casted a spell and vanished, only to reappear in the changing room. She let out a sigh of relief, “Alright!” She quickly changed back into her original attire and exited the room.
As she stepped out, all eyes turned towards her. “What’s the issue?” She asked, as everyone started bombarding her with questions about her prolonged absence. She brushed them off, saying they were being overly anxious and that she was merely taking her time. The guards breathed a sigh of relief.
Just as things were going smoothly, a guard from outside rushed in, panting heavily, “Sir! Sir!” As he called out, all eyes turned towards him. “What’s the commotion?” The captain stepped forward, and the guard began to recount his story. He had gone back to inform Kai about Montina’s disappearance, but when he arrived, Kai was nowhere to be found. After a thorough search, he had come to a chilling conclusion.
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“The Young Master has been kidnapped…”
The room fell into a stunned silence. The knights immediately began planning a search operation. The employees whispered among themselves, but Montina was too shocked to react. She stood there, her mind racing to process the shocking news.
“Prepare the horses,” the captain ordered, his voice cutting through the silence. “We leave at once.” The knights nodded, their faces set in grim determination. They knew the stakes were high.
“The Young Master’s life in on the line! We must act quick!”
Meanwhile, the employees huddled together, their whispers growing louder. Fear and worry etched on their faces. But Montina, she stood there, frozen. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. ‘Kai… kidnapped?’ The reality of the situation was slowly sinking in.
A few knights came to her, asking her to quickly return back to the palace. She didn’t know what to say, as she just followed them back to their carriage.
Back to Kai, he was being held in a room devoid of light, his hands having wrist cuffs in them. Six men surrounded him, their faces hidden in the shadows. They discussed among themselves, their voices low and menacing. Among them, a middle-aged man with a scar on his face spoke up.
“Still out cold, huh?” he said, his voice gruff. He stepped into the dim light, revealing a rugged face marked by years of hardship. His eyes were cold, devoid of any emotion.
The room was filled with a tense silence as the kidnappers huddled together, discussing their next move. “We hand him over to the contractor,” the middle-aged man with the scar said, his voice low and gruff. “But first, we squeeze a little more money out of the Archduke’s household.” He smiled, a sinister look on his face.
“But, shouldn’t we tie him up?” One among the man asked, as the middle-aged man replied with a laugh. “He can’t walk, so no need to tie him up. Also, those cuffs on his wrist will cancel out his magic every time he tries to cast one. So, no need to worry.”
The others nodded in agreement, their faces hidden in the shadows. The plan was simple, yet risky. But the potential reward was too great to ignore.
As they continued their discussion, the middle-aged man called out, “Girls, come here.” Emerging from the shadows, two girls appeared. Their hair was a tangled mess of black strands, their eyes weary and haunted. They were clad in clothes that had seen better days, the fabric worn thin and ragged. The elder of the two seemed to be around fifteen, while the younger one looked to be no more than seven or eight. Fear was etched clearly on their faces, their eyes wide and alert, reflecting the harsh reality of their circumstances.
“Look after him,” the man ordered, his gaze fixed on the girls. They nodded, their hands trembling slightly. With that, the man turned and left the room, his men following closely behind him. The room fell into an eerie silence.
Once the men had left, the girls turned their attention to Kai, their eyes filled with a mix of fear and curiosity. They huddled together, whispering in hushed tones. The younger girl, her eyes wide with curiosity, asked the elder girl, “Sister, who is he?” The elder girl glanced at Kai, then back at her sister, “He’s someone very important,” she replied.
As they whispered among themselves, Kai’s head suddenly moved, causing them to jump back in surprise. In the process, the younger one bumped into the chair, dislodging Kai’s wig. It slipped off his head and tumbled to the floor, revealing his true appearance. Kai looked at them, his true appearance now revealed. The girls looked back at him, their eyes wide with a mix of surprise and curiosity. Kai returned their stare, an amused smile playing on his lips. The room was filled with a tense silence, the only sound being the soft rustling of the girls’ dresses.
Scene shifts, back to the Archduke’s mansion. The door to the study creaked open, and in walked the captain of the guards, along with Aiden. Their faces were etched with grim determination, their eyes reflecting a storm of worry. They both bowed respectfully, “Your Grace,” they greeted, their voices echoing in the silent room.
Hiro looked up from his desk, his brows furrowing in confusion at their sudden appearance. “Both of you together?” he asked, his voice steady, a stark contrast to the unease creeping into his heart.
The captain took a deep breath, his shoulders stiffening as he prepared to deliver the news. “Your Grace, it’s about the Young Master,” he began, his voice heavy with regret. “He… he has been kidnapped.”
The words hung in the air like a chilling winter fog, seeping into every corner of the room. Hiro stared at the captain, his face draining of color. “Kidnapped?” he echoed, the word slicing through the silence like a knife.
“Yes, Your Grace,” the captain confirmed, his voice barely above a whisper. Aiden added in, “We are doing everything we can to locate him. We have our best men on it.”
Hiro paused for a moment, his mind a whirlwind of fear and worry. But he knew he had to stay strong, for Kai and for his people. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. “Find him,” he ordered, his voice firm yet laced with desperation. “Bring my son home.”
As the captain and Aiden left the room, Hiro was left alone with his thoughts. The room, once filled with the quiet hum of activity, was now eerily silent. The only sound was the ticking of the clock, each tick echoing Hiro’s growing worry for Kai. He looked at a painting behind him, a person staring at the Moon.
Hiro stared at it for some time, his mind lost in a sea of worry. Suddenly, he stood up, his movements swift and determined. He grabbed his coat as he exited the room, each step echoing his resolve to bring his son back.