The Ugly Wife of the Shady Duke - Chapter 81
Grace felt certain that her abductors knew exactly who she was. Had they been lying in wait, knowing she would be visiting this place?
She wriggled in an effort to move.
‘Could it be that my deviation from the original storyline has hastened my death?’
The thought was unbearable.
Straining to listen for any signs of escape or rescue, Grace decided to be proactive.
‘I can’t just wait for someone to rescue me.’
Upon realizing her predicament, Benjamin was the first person who came to mind. But she knew better than to harbor expectations; they often led to disappointment.
In the novel, the Duchess Felton faced her end alone, and in Grace’s original life, it was also the same fate.
It’s better not to have expectations even when you start longing for someone. Even without a voice whispering in her head, this was a truth Grace knew all too well.
⋆★⋆
“There will be a carriage inspection.”
Although the entrance to the Linden viscounty hadn’t been completely sealed, the number of guards checking carriages had significantly decreased, slowing down the traffic.
Merchants grumbled but complied with the polite instructions of the guards.
“I apologize for the inconvenience. Due to theft within the viscounty, we’ve had to redirect some guards to pursue the culprit. As compensation, Viscount Linden has issued documents that will offer a tax reduction on your next visit. May we have your permission to inspect the carriage interior?”
“Of course, go ahead.”
The offer of compensation was well-received, a deal that wasn’t bad for the merchants or the viscounty.
Among the guards, there was a handsome man wearing an old helmet.
“Your Excellency.”
“Hmm, you shouldn’t address me that way here, call me Benjamin instead.”
“……”
Abel looked at his master, uncertain about calling him by his first name, but Benjamin just passed by without missing a beat.
Abel couldn’t understand why his lord insisted on conducting carriage inspections himself. It wasn’t that Grace’s abduction was a trivial matter, but there seemed to be no need for a duke to personally undertake such tasks.
‘He must have his reasons.’
After hearing of Grace’s abduction, Abel noticed that Benjamin did not show any significant agitation. Despite agreeing to mobilize ten million zen for the ransom, he had not instructed Abel to prepare the funds.
It was not the reaction of a man who intended to comply meekly with the kidnapper’s demands.
“Excuse me, there will be a carriage inspection.”
“Yes.”
“This time…”
Disguised as an ordinary guard with his features obscured by a helmet, Benjamin continued with the standard lines for the checkpoint.
No carriage stood out as particularly suspicious.
“Come on, let me pass! Urgh!”
“I apologize. Could you please cooperate with our inspection for a moment?”
During the procedure, a merchant, heavily inebriated, behaved rudely towards Benjamin.
Clutching a bottle of liquor and making a scene, the interior of his carriage was visibly littered with empty bottles, even without a thorough search. The man, shabby in appearance, pushed Benjamin insistently with his hand.
Abel frowned at the drunken merchant’s impolite behavior.
Benjamin, however, maintained a smiling facade.
“I don’t care about your compensation or whatever! Just let me through quickly! Do you know how busy I am?!”
“Understood.”
The man spat on the ground and slammed the carriage door shut.
It was a scene that made all the guards grimace. Watching the carriage drive off, Abel rushed to Benjamin’s side in concern.
“Are, are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
Benjamin said, removing his helmet to reveal his light brown hair fluttering in the wind, his features now uncovered.
He whispered so that only Abel could hear.
“Tell Roselia to follow that carriage.”
Roselia was lying in wait behind the guard post on Benjamin’s orders.
“…!”
Benjamin touched the tip of his nose with a tone full of conviction.
“That carriage holds my wife.”
“And what are you planning to do now, Your Excellency?”
Benjamin shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, looking around.
Loud enough for all the guards to hear, he announced.
“It seems I’m not suited for such duties. After being subjected to such an insult, I think I’ll return to the manor.”
“You-Your Excellency?”
“Abel Bunton, you come with me. We must hurry.”
As Benjamin briskly walked to their carriage, Abel relayed his intentions to Roselia and hurried after him.
“Your Excellency, why are we returning to the manor instead of pursuing the kidnapper?”
If one knows where their kidnapped family member is and has the means to rescue them, wouldn’t it be common sense to head directly there?
Abel’s question was met with a brief hardening of Benjamin’s usually soft smile, followed by a quiet murmur.
“The quicker the criminal is caught, the better.”
His voice carried a hint of displeasure. It seemed that even he was not pleased with the current situation.
Benjamin gazed in the direction the carriage carrying Grace had taken, his gaze heavy with concern, and then he let it go. Even just by looking at his back, one could feel the loneliness emanating from him.
“….”
Putting aside his previous question, Abel posed another.
“What made you so certain My Lady was in that carriage?”
Having reached the carriage, Abel opened the door for Benjamin, who climbed in. Once seated, and after Abel had closed the door and joined him inside, Benjamin explained.
“The smell of alcohol. It’s unlikely that a merchant needing to travel to the next territory for business would be reeking of liquor.”
“But isn’t it strange for the kidnapper to have been drinking?”
“That’s true. But don’t you find it strange that the carriage was filled with the smell of alcohol, yet not a hint of alcohol was on his breath?”
Benjamin chuckled softly.
“Unless the carriage itself was drinking.”
He kept to himself the fact that it was actually the scent of roses that filled the air. That scent was very familiar to Benjamin. Grace, though she might not be aware, often chose rose-scented perfume when she was happy or looking forward to something.
“….”
“That merchant, rather, that person was simply looking for a quick way to pass the inspection. Since their destination was outside the domain, he must have needed to get out by any means necessary.”
The size of the domain and the number of people coming and going didn’t necessitate many entry points, which was the opinion of previous lords.
‘If only they had increased the number of entry points by one, they might have gone out very easily.’
He judged the thoughts of former lords foolish, but on this day, he praised their decision.
“Then why is Your Excellency heading back to the manor?”
“Well…”
Benjamin hesitated before speaking, his thoughts briefly on Grace. He couldn’t fathom how she would react or feel once she learned about these events.
“To have a talk with the culprit.”
⋆★⋆
When Benjamin returned, the mansion was abuzz. Some might have thought he had already found Grace, but there was no woman by his side.
After picking up a document from his room, Benjamin entered the drawing room and spoke to the butler of the Linden estate.
“I would like to see Lord and Lady Linden.”
“Those two are currently…”
“They might find it difficult to face me considering the situation with my wife. But tell them it’s urgent, concerning the kidnapper and the ransom of ten million zen.”
“….”
“Let them know if they don’t come, it could end badly for my wife.”
“Yes, sir, I understand.”
Benjamin watched the butler leave and then took a seat in the drawing room’s place of honor, surveying the interior. Though not as grand as the central hall’s portrait, there was another painting of the Linden family here.
‘She looks very young.’
In this portrait, Grace beamed brighter than before. Resting his chin on his hand, Benjamin gazed at the youthful Grace with an intent expression.
“….”
As he was lost in thought, hurried footsteps approached. Benjamin straightened up and adopted his usual gentle demeanor.
“You’ve arrived quickly. That’s fortunate.”
With a natural gesture, he indicated the sofa beside him, displaying the ease of someone at home.
“Please, take a seat. This won’t be a long conversation.”
“….”
They sat down in a daze, unable to speak. Benjamin then presented them with a document he was holding.
“This is about the mine that, thanks to My Lady, we were able to negotiate at a bargain. In the long term, it could yield profits far exceeding ten million zen.”
There was a presumption, of course, that the raw ore within the mine was as abundant as he anticipated, but Benjamin omitted mentioning that.
“But soon, My Lady will be safely returned, so there’ll be no need to pay the kidnapper’s demanded ten million zen.”
“That’s, that’s good to hear.”
At Benjamin’s words, the color drained from the couple’s faces. They looked like people slowly suffocating in an airless room, too cornered for someone who has just found their kidnapped daughter.
“Yes, fortunate indeed.”
Benjamin smiled broadly, waving the document before looking squarely at the ashen-faced couple.
“Why did you do it?”
“….!”
