The Princess's Spectacular Abduction - Chapter 12
Finally, tears of bitter self-reproach welled up in Keith’s eyes.
Wasn’t it common sense that a six-year-old princess, kidnapped, would need clothes suitable for a six-year-old girl?
That such a simple and natural piece of common sense had been overlooked by everyone, from the leader to his closest aides, made him wonder where it all went wrong with the organization.
If he brought this problem to Ravian, that temperamental boss would surely explode, saying, ‘Am I supposed to care about that too?’
It seemed clear that if the organization was to be reformed, it would have to start with the boss.
Mercy patted Keith’s slumped shoulders affectionately.
“Rely on me. I’ll go buy some pajamas or something as a temporary solution.”
“You will? Will it be okay?”
“Who else will do it? Mira got caught skimming last time, so she’s banned from using the funds for a while, and if you or Smokey are seen lurking around a children’s clothing store, who knows what people might think. If I go, they’ll just assume I have a much younger sister or an early daughter.”
Smiling while wielding a knife was a phrase that seemed to exist just for Mercy.
As Mercy turned to leave with a dazzling smile, Keith could only stare helplessly after her.
The reality of wanting to object but having no rebuttal left him feeling utterly overwhelmed.
Meanwhile, Nina, who had been pretending to sleep, felt just as overwhelmed.
The strange woman who had suddenly appeared and sniffed her and the noisy surroundings made it impossible for her to sleep.
Contrary to Keith’s assumption, Nina wasn’t disinterested in eating.
She was hungry, wanted to change her clothes, and was very tired.
Yet, Nina couldn’t quite figure out who to explain her situation to, or how.
It was an unexpected complication indeed.
‘Real idiots.’
The more she thought about Ravian’s behavior she had witnessed earlier, the more her mood plummeted.
‘Maybe I’m really hated after all.’
She had thought it wouldn’t be easy, but facing it was still bitterly disappointing.
‘Back then, he promised to do anything.’
But then again, that was only towards the end.
Only when Nina’s world had completely crumbled, when she was left alone crying… Didn’t he ask her in an endlessly teasing tone, eyes on her,
‘Little one, what do you want me to do?’
I don’t even know if it was just out of pity for me.
Feeling a momentary sympathy for a useless child neglected even by her own parents…
‘Don’t get your hopes up. Tomorrow, we’ll meet properly and finish by signing the contract.’
As she pondered all these things, her head began to throb.
She felt queasy, having eaten nothing.
‘I can’t afford to be sick.’
A sick child is just a burden.
Nina gathered the blanket around her and buried her face in it.
* * *
Ravian was dreaming.
A dream of his childhood.
In the dream, he was climbing a tree in the backyard of his brother’s palace.
‘Be careful, Ravi-‘
Glancing down, he saw his future sister-in-law with swollen eyes looking up at him with a worried expression.
The girl, with puffy eyes, seemed ridiculous to him for worrying, and Ravian burst into giggles.
‘What’s so funny all of a sudden?’
‘Nothing.’
But why was she crying again? Oh right, her doll had ended up in the tree.
His brother had thrown her doll… clicking his tongue internally as Ravian looked up again.
The doll was wedged between high branches.
“Just wait a sec, crybaby sister-in-law.”
“I’m not a crybaby! And my name isn’t sister-in-law, it’s Anna!”
“What’s there to be embarrassed about? Everyone knows you and my brother are going to get married anyway.”
Before long, Ravian reached the branch where the doll was.
As he reached for the yellow bear doll, a soft whisper reached his ears.
“…I prefer it when you call me by my name.”
“Huh? What did you say… Woah!”
The branch he was standing on snapped with a crack.
Anna screamed.
“Ravi!”
With a thud, Ravian jolted awake.
