The Princess's Spectacular Abduction - Chapter 18
Nina didn’t stir, covered by the blanket.
Approaching cautiously for a moment, Ravian hesitated briefly, before pulling the covers back.
Nina’s body remained curled on her side, breathing heavily.
Her long, wet eyelashes and the redness surrounding her eyes looked pitiable.
Ravian sat down heavily on the chair he pulled beside the bed.
With both hands tightly clasped together, he stared intently at the sleeping child.
To anyone, it was a scene that could not be a heartwarming painting.
The Leopold that Ravian knew was stupid, not so stupid as not to realize when someone was harming his precious daughter.
Even if he became more foolish with age, Diana was there.
Diana would poison someone else’s child, but she is not the kind of person who would ever allow her own child to be poisoned.
But what was currently plaguing Ravian’s mind was not contemplation of his wretched brother-in-law and his wife, nor Oscar’s speculations.
Unexpectedly, it was a childhood memory.
A memory he thought he had completely forgotten, or rather, tried to forget.
The memory of caring for a girl who looked exactly like the girl in front of him, Nina.
His prospective sister-in-law, who was the same age as him. Due to an incident that transpired within her household, she was entrusted to the imperial family as their charge.
A memory of when he was a childhood friend, nanny, and protector.
At that time, he didn’t remember why Anna was sick.
She was often sick back then, crying and hurting easily.
And yet, she would call out for only one boy.
“Ravi, Ravi.”
It wasn’t her fiancée Leopold, but…
Only Ravian that she was looking for.
And at that time, Ravian was unaware that kindness also carried responsibility.
“Geez, what the hell is with that stupid punk..!”
Ravian’s teeth ground together in frustration or irritation; it was hard to tell which emotion he felt as he gulped down honey water to calm his pounding heart.
His curse was directed at none other than Leopold.
It was ironic that a kidnapper was reprimanding a hostage’s father.
Of course, Ravian was not a man who knew how to reflect on his own contradictions.
Thump, crash!
The thick glass shattered in Ravian’s grip.
It seemed like he wasn’t very good at controlling his strength.
After roughly clearing away the shards, Ravian began pouring himself more honey water.
In the process, he broke glasses several more times.
“You stupid fool, does this make any sense? Huh? Does it?”
This self-directed muttering was probably meant to signify that someone might have fed Sally Juice to the First Princess, or perhaps it meant that he was caught up in his own old memories regarding the kidnapping of his brother’s daughter.
* * *
Ravian appeared.
Ravian had a mischievous, trademark smile on his face as he playfully spoke.
“I’ll be back soon. Wait for me. Don’t cry.”
Nina shook her head vigorously.
But Ravian had already turned his back.
“Uncle, don’t go, Uncle…”
She cried out desperately, but it seemed like Ravian couldn’t hear her.
As his retreating figure became hazy, like being covered by fog, the scene suddenly changed.
A dark and desolate alley stretched out before her.
A forest of concrete and bricks.
It was an unfamiliar place, but she felt an instinctual sense of unease and foreboding.
“Sorry, this is, my fault, no, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
Nina looked up at the man holding her shoulders.
The once beautiful golden eyes, shining like the sun, were now eerily glowing in a strange dark crimson hue.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
The person who kept apologizing incessantly was Mercy.
Mercy hadn’t shed any tears, but she appeared as though she were crying.
So even though Nina didn’t understand, she could tell that he wasn’t doing this because he wanted to.
The scene changed again.
