Culprit

 Richard jogged into the forest looking for Barbara. His heart thumped from panic. 'How can you go alone?' he recited, his anxiousness choking him because the forest was dangerous and the possibility of encountering wild animals was huge. He looked right and left but found none. He strode over to hear the flowing water's sound. As he went there, he sighed looking at the person he was looking for standing there with her back facing him wearing the purple dress he saw when he bid her farewell in the morning.

"Barbara," Richard called, heaving a sigh of relief, walking to her. He grabbed her shoulder and looked at her. "Are you alright?" he asked.

She responded with a simple nod. Her eyes were red and he assumed she cried a lot, and her red hair was messy "You can tell me anything, you know," he said, taking a naughty strand of her hair behind her ear.

Barbara gazed at him. His heart ached to see her eyes becoming dull, wiping out the previous glowing her emerald green eyes held. Conner informed him about the dispute between Barbara and her mother. Although he didn't know the details, he could guess they blamed her for Aurora's missing. Her parent was wrong; what Barbara witnessed should have scared her. They should console her instead of reprimanding her as she was involved in the matter too. She was a victim too.

"Let us go," he said, holding her hands, walking back.

As they reached a certain place, Barbara froze while her hand trembled. "I am with you, don't be afraid," he consoled her, taking her in his embrace. Her body stiffened at first but began to loosen up.

Richard patted her back in a consoling manner, thinking that it was the place where Aurora was kidnapped. He took a glance at a familiar shape in the ground.

 "Are you alright?" he asked freeing Barbara, but his gaze was on that shape. He squatted down and took the symbol in his hand.

"Are you searching for anything?" she asked.

Richard tightened his grip on the eagle-shaped emblem and stood up. "I wiped the dust from shoes," he responded, feigning a smile.

A bad feeling surged within him as the symbol was similar to…

"Did you see the kidnappers?" he asked hesitantly and Barbara hummed.

He wanted to know their faces but was afraid to scare her even more, so he kept silent while pondering if the person in his mind did that to Aurora!

"They were two. One with tanned skin, scary face with a scar from his left ear to his cheek while the other had a golden tooth," Barbara stated and his heart thumped, confirming his guess.

…

The journey back home was full of wonders on the reason behind Aurora's kidnapping. Richard could only think of one reason, to separate him from his fiancé.

Richard went inside his house, heading straight to his father's workplace. He got in directly without knocking.

"Release her," he ordered, stopping by his father's desk.

"Did you come in without knocking? I will think of teaching you etiquette once again," his father said nonchalantly.

Richard fisted his hands looking at his father's unbothered expression. "Release Aurora, she had done nothing wrong. You want me to stay away from Barbara so stop attacking innocent people," he exclaimed.

His father, the Count was a monster in a human disguise. He had done many bad things causing him to spend days having nightmares seeing them. His father wanted him to be like him, but he refused to step into that filthy world.

"I have no idea what you are blubbering. I just got the news about the Marquis' daughter being kidnapped. It is sad news," his father responded with the same unfazed and cold expression.

"Father, I know you are behind it," Richard declared, his eyes carried disgust.

"Are you accusing me son?"

Hearing the tone, Richard threw the symbol over the desk. "Were you unaware of this as well?"

"What is it? All the noble families had brought their knights with them so it could have fallen from one of them," the Count stated, scanning the emblem.

"Father, we both know to which family this emblem belongs or does the count want the whole kingdom to learn about the truth?" as he said those words, his father glared at him.

He puffed his chest and smiled feeling a sense of victory for evoking some emotions in his stone-like father.

"Go ahead, but do think about the aftermath beforehand," Casper said, leaning on his chair.

The smile on Richard's face disappeared. Remembering his family's fate if he declared about the information he got. Every noble family had the right to recruit knights with the approvment of the royal family so every act disapproved by the king would be taken as treason, leading them to execution.

His father had an organization of his own to do what he could not in light. They were brutal and fearless and obeyed his father, the Count only. Their name was the Black Eagle and their emblem was taken from their name.

He wasn't afraid of causing harm to himself but to his mother and brother. Thus he wanted to leave the mansion and take his mother and Jade away but his father had resources to make him regret and he wasn't ready yet for this step. 

"I will find Aurora and will not leave Barbara, ever," he declared.

His father chuckled. "Heroic and brave. That's my son. However, I will never allow someone from unknown origin to be my daughter-in-law."

"I am warning you. Stay away from Barbara. If you hurt her, I will take my mother and brother and go to a place where you will not exist," he threatened.

"Such big words, you have grown up finally. Don't forget that Stella is my life and I will never allow someone to take her away. Besides, I know every detail you do in your life, so don't bother doing something reckless," Casper retorted, smiling proudly.

Richard sighed. His father's head was like a stone. He turned around and walked to the door. "I don't understand. You love my mother, but why are you ordering me to leave my love?"

"To learn that love isn't enough. Your woman must back you up and help you to reach the highest rank. Barbara had no origins so she had no value," Casper replied.

Richard fisted his hands and went out. he tried looking for Barbara's real parent but found nothing. The inn where Aurora was born was burned ten years ago and the workers moved away to different places. The few ones who they had tracked knew nothing about the matter. Besides, the old midwife didn't reveal any useful information and she ran away from prison to somewhere no one knew except the one who helped her run.

Richard sighed and walked away thinking of the places his father's dark eagles would reach the most, hoping to find some clues.

…

Back to the room.

The count sat leisurely in his chair. A hidden door was opened and a man bowed to him. "Master," he greeted.

"Did you welcome the lady?" he asked and the man nodded. "Don't let her be hurt in the slightest," he posed then added, "A little scar will not harm her."

Casper smiled eerily. He shouldn't be hard on a young lady who would be his daughter-in-law in the future. "Let some clue for Richard and help him find the girl's location in three days. no one but Richard will find her," he said, warning the man, then signalling him to leave.

The man raised his face, the scar on his face looked scary. The black clothes he wore blended with the dark night as he vanished into the night.

Casper stood and looked from the window. His plan was going smoothly. After his son saved the lady, she would be more dependent on him as he saved her life, thus liking him more.

However, he just had an obstacle, thus he needed to make her disappear.