CHAPTER 116

"I have to find Edith too. Even if she is a spy, I can't deny that she's my wife."

"Killian! Do you mean you're going to prioritize your personal feelings over your family?"

"If Edith really committed a crime, i will punish her crime. Even if she has to be killed, I will do it with my own hand!"

Killian's mood was so bad as if he were going to draw his sword at any moment. Then, He went straight towards the knights who were guarding the mansion.

"I'm going to check out the scene where my mother and Lizzy were kidnapped right now! leonard! pick ten people and get them ready!"

But Cliff's anger, who almost lost Lizzy, was also formidable.

"Father. I will release more people. Let's find Edith Riegelhoff and bring her in front of my father!"

Killian glared harshly at Cliff when he mentioned Edith name as 'Edith Riegelhoff'. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to argue about Edith's name there. Killian ignored the welcome dinner prepared for those returning from war and immediately ran straight to Wellesley's abandoned villa.

"Don't get hurt and come back safely. I'm sure you remember the bluff that you said you want showing me how great my husband is."

I kept thinking of Edith, who smiled bravely even though she was being ignored by Duke Ludwig, and her last smile at that time kept coming to my mind. No, in fact, not only at that moment, but throughout the territory battle, I endured, while remembering her sweet smile, those warm eyes, and the dizzying scent of roses. Every night, I thought of Edith, who must have been sweating while knitting the shapeless wristband she gave me. That was the only time I smiled sincerely.

'Edith! Where are you now!'

If she was really Riegelhoff spies, I had to find her first.

'I have to find her first and hide her safely. If I secretly take her to Ryzen and have a child, my father and brother won't be able to object to it, right?'

The cold wind hit his cheek harshly, but Killian didn't care about it, and thanks to that, he was able to reach the Wellesley quickly.

"There it is!"

The knight who went on a hostage rescue mission with Cliff guided Killian to the villa where the incident took place. There was still a smell of something rotting around, but Killian didn't let that stop him from entering the villa. The bloodstains on the floor and walls give him a rough idea of what happened here that day.

"The Duchess was at the end of the room over there, and Miss Lizzy was at the other end of the room."

"Have you searched every corner of this place?"

"T-that's. . . . At that time, the Duchess was in a bad condition, so we had to return quickly. . . ."

Killian didn't even listen to the knight's answers and ordered the knights behind him to search each of the rooms there. He headed toward the warehouse on the first floor, where Lizzy first opened her eyes.

"Turn on all the lights."

It's a place where light doesn't come in well, so I had to turn on one or two more lights, and then i laid flat on the floor of the empty warehouse.

"Ma-master."

The other knights were panicked because they didn't know why Killian was doing that, but Killian glared every corner of the floor with his back.

"Did you say all the mercenaries wearing hoods, right?"

"Yes."

"Shane hair is blonde, and the maid has a black hair color, right?"

"Yes. That's right . . . . "

"If that so, then. . . .Who do you think the owner of this reddish brown hair?"

Killian held a few strands of long reddish brown hair in his hands.

"Edith was here too."

Killian stood up and went outside. The knights were rummaging through each room there, but none of them found anything.

"Where did they drag Edith?"

Killian imagined the incident that had happened in this place that day in his head. Lizzy said when she opened her eyes, Edith wasn't there. It was obvious they dragged Edith somewhere before she woke up. There was no way Count Riegelhoff and Shane would forgive Edith immediately after betraying her family like that.

'In fact, they might want to kill her before anyone else in our family does.'

Killian looked around carefully, and then his gaze reached the dark passage in the opposite corner of the warehouse.

"What is that?"

Killian pointed the corner with his hand, but the knight who came with Cliff before looked a little surprised because this was the first time he had seen it.

"It-it's looks like a stairs leading to a basement. . . . I think?"

"Have you checked the basement as well?"

"I'm-I'm sorry. At that time, I was fighting in this narrow place. . . . "

Killian went down straight into the basement because he thought it would be better to check it out himself rather than hearing those disappointing answers since earlier. Although it is underground, it is not very deep. When I opened the door leading to the basement, it had a hallway that didn't look like an underground place.

"This place seems to be used as a servant's accommodation or a wine werehouse."

Ignoring the further explanation of the Knight who followed behind him, Killian went straight toward one of the rooms there. There's a reason why he went straight there. It's because only that room had its door wide open, among the other rooms lined up along the hallway.

"Oh. . . . !"

Killian made a noise without realizing it, when the light he brought illuminated the room. It's seems like someone was trapped here. There was a heavy wooden chair in the middle of the cold stone room, and behind it, there was a bundle of knotless rope that looked like it had been used to tie someone.

On the shabby wooden table, there was a lamp with a wick burnt out. The room was filled with a burning smell, and there's black horse's whip lying untidy in front of it. However, what caught Killian's attention more than anything else in that room is the bloodstains that fell on the floor and the corsages that he bought for her a few months ago.

"Edith. . . . "

Edith was trapped here. And she managed to get out of here all alone. In this cold weather, how far could an injured woman in a banquet dress and satin shoes go?

"I must fine her immediately. I have to find her. . . . ."

Killian gripped the corsage tightly and bit his trembling molars. Wake up Killan, you shouldn't panicked and shake here. You had to move right away for Edith, who was probably trembling somewhere.

"Leonard."

"Yes!"

Killian left the job to Leonard, the only knight who knows that Edith was assaulted by Sophia.

"Go straight to the mercenary guild now and buy some searchers. Scoured the capital. She probably hasn't gotten out of the capital yet."

"Yes!"

"I'll get out of here first."

Leonard paused at those words and said cautiously.

"Master, why don't you head back to the mansion and get some rest first. You haven't rested properly since you got back."

However, Killian shook his head.

"If you were in my place, would you be able to relax after knowing your wife is missing?"

Then he immediately turned around and went upstairs.

"You follow Leonard, both of you, go straight to the capital, and the rest searches around here!"

All the knights looked at Killian with puzzled faces. But when they saw the corsage in Killian's hand and Leonard's heavy aura behind him, they realized something. Above all, Killian's eyes were more desperate than ever.

"Yes! We got it master!"

The knights who were investigating the villa immediately come outside and rode on their horses.

Killian looked resentfully at the sky, which started to fall light snowflakes, then gritted his teeth and climbed up onto his horse.

* * *

I was so grateful. I met a kind-hearted baron couple while walking through the north side of wellesley place.

"You look like a noble lady. Why are you walking alone here?"

"Oh my goodness, what happened to your face. . . . !"

I was so lucky, they didn't know who I was and didn't run away even though they saw my miserable appearance. I clung to them and considered them as treasures sent for me from heaven.

"Please help me! I was kidnapped by robbers and managed to escape!"

I didn't lie. And the baron and his wife also believed me.

"These days, i keep hearing there are a lot of kidnapping cases and holding them for ransom! Come on, get in the carriage!"

I gladly accepted their help. Baron Ruben and his wife just come up from the countryside to meet their relatives in the capital. They are good people, as if they have never done anything bad in their life. They not only allowed me to ride their carriages but also gave me some water, even though I'm an outsider they didn't know and look a little bit suspicious just by glancing at my appearance. Thanks to this, I was able to avoid fainting from exhaustion.

"Which family are you from? "I'll take you home!"

"I am very grateful for your good intentions. But there's something I need to do first. Please forgive me for not being able to explain in detail because this is an important matter of the family."

I wiped my face with the handkerchief the baroness gave to me and played a role as a young lady with a lot of stories. The dried blood couldn't be erased well, so I had to wipe it with a wet handkerchief.

'That's a relief. Even if I manage to reach the capital alone with a somewhat suspicious appearance like this, I am sure that she would be caught by the knight officer right away.'

I promised the Baron and his wife that I would return this favor some day and left them worried. After that, I headed to Darsus Street, where the bank is located. I wish I could cover my face, but I don't have any money on hand. I am glad because the bank gatekeeper didn't stop me.

"I'm here to withdraw my money."

She must look very strange. A woman with a huge bruise on her face, saying she wanted to withdraw her money as soon as she sat down in front of the bank counter. The bank employee forgot to smile and looked at me with his mouth wide open and whispered lowly.

"Do you want me to contact your house?"

"No! Can't you see my face now? Why would I go back there when I leave the house secretly after fighting with my husband?"

"Ah. . . . !"

After hearing that, the employee quickly nodded as if he could understand everything and handed out some documents for withdrawal money. I had to fill out a lot of documents because i withdrew a lot of amount money. I quickly filled the document while glancing at the front door of the back. I'm afraid that someone would come in looking for me at any moment. If I didn't have the experience of helping Linan's work, I would have wandered there for a long time.

"Are you going to withdraw all the money?"

"That's right. It would be nice if you could give me the bill form so it would be easier to carry around.

Divide the bill into large and small amounts as I wrote on the document."

Because I used an assumed name when opening the safe, the bank employee didn't seem to notice that I was a person from the Ludwig family. He would never imagine that the person who appeared in front of him with such a miserable look is Duke Ludwig daughter in law. I withdrew all the rest of the money minus with the safe fee and divided it in half, and i put it in both my pockets.