Time of the Blind Beast - Chapter 88

“They say the Valdemaira family has departed to fetch the princess.”

Levian relayed the news with a faint smile. Akenaus clenched the inside of his cheek. These days, Akenaus had no other way to hear outside rumors except through spies. Even when it concerned his own household—like this news about the Valdemaira family—he hadn’t known until Levian informed him.

Suppressing his rising irritation, Akenaus asked back, “Princess?”

“You know, Major Valdemaira’s red-haired lover. They apparently sent a full entourage of servants, guards, and even an enormous, luxurious carriage to escort her. I heard the spectacle was quite the sight. Citizens even followed the carriage to send her off.”

“Crazy bastard.”

Hearing it, a laugh of disbelief escaped him. Ezekiel had always looked at him with the indifferent gaze one might reserve for furniture whenever they crossed paths in the mansion. No—furniture wouldn’t even be looked at so coldly.

He had eyes and ears, after all. He couldn’t have failed to notice the comparisons others made between him and his brother. Still, his good looks made him incredibly popular as a romantic interest. While Akenaus played the scandalous ladies’ man, the other fulfilled their parents’ and society’s expectations perfectly, making Akenaus seem even more worthless by comparison.

So what made you so great, huh? Grinding his teeth, he had watched and waited—only for the situation to take an absurd turn. Who would’ve thought this uptight guy would publicly flaunt his unrequited love for the woman who ran away? Not even an immature teenager would be that pathetic.

“And the bastard?”

“Doesn’t seem like he went with her. It hasn’t been long since he returned, so it’d be hard to leave again. Instead, he sent Montcalm. Few in that unit are publicly known, but Montcalm is famous for being Major Valdemaira’s closest aide. Quite the grand treatment for just bringing a woman.”

“He’s going to spoil her rotten, doing crap like that.”

“We find it odd, too. Can the almighty Major Valdemaira really be so crazy over a woman? Is he really the same Valdemaira we know? Feels like a trap or something. You can’t help but wonder.”

“What do you think, old woman?”

Akenaus slightly bent forward, looking down at the two figures crouched on the floor. Startled by his gaze, the young woman shuddered. If not for the gag in her mouth, she likely would have screamed. Apparently, she had wailed and struggled so much while being dragged here that they had to choke her into unconsciousness just to bring her in.

Unlike the trembling maid who looked ready to faint at the slightest touch, Madam Serva bore her years well. While the young maid’s face was swollen from crying, Madam Serva remained composed despite being manhandled—her clothes torn and disheveled.

The two women had arrived last night, bound hand and foot, in a carriage arranged by Davis’s spies. According to them, they had followed the women out during a shopping trip and abducted them the moment the chance arose. The maid had more reason to feel wronged—she had only accompanied Madam Serva as company and been caught up in the mess.

Originally, they had planned to dispose of the maid and only take Madam Serva. But the two women clung to each other so tightly that they couldn’t separate them and ended up bringing both.

Of course, if neither woman returned, the Derosa mansion would send an urgent report to Ezekiel. However, the spies had left one of their group behind to deal with that. Any courier who tried to leave would be shot before making it out, so Ezekiel wouldn’t hear a word about Madam Serva’s disappearance.

“It’s been a while, old woman—or should I say, head maid.”

Akenaus greeted her casually.

“I haven’t seen you since you went down to the Derosa mansion. You’ve aged a lot in that time. Can’t help calling you an old hag now.”

Rather than respond to Akenaus’s provocation, Madam Serva gently patted Anna’s hand as the girl wept beside her. Having sensed that her life would be over the moment they were separated, Anna clung to Madam Serva’s hand even as she sobbed. Madam Serva, having lost her cane during the abduction, relied on Anna’s support to move, clearly demonstrating how much she still needed her.

“Even you must admit she’s not worth that kind of trouble, is she?”

“Just a moment. If you want to talk, at least remove the gag. Normally, we wouldn’t grant such a courtesy, but they say this head maid has a rather dignified temperament and didn’t scream much.”

Levian sliced through the knot of the gag that had been stuffed into Madam Serva’s mouth with a dagger. As the gag fell, it revealed her face, marked red around the lips from the harsh pressure.

Akenaus ignored the elderly woman’s haggard appearance and immediately poured out his curiosity.

“I’m dying to know. Was she really that stunningly beautiful?”

He tilted his head and answered his own question.

“Wait, the guy couldn’t see, so maybe he didn’t care about looks. Then what was it that got him?”

Madam Serva fixed her gaze on Akenaus’s eyepatch in silence. Sensing her stare, Akenaus curled his lips into a murderous smile.

“Oh, this? That bastard’s doing. He shot a bullet into someone’s eye. You sure raised him well, head maid.”

Madam Serva listened to Akenaus’s taunts indifferently. Then, without even twitching an eyebrow, she replied, “Yes. I raised him that way. It’s a person’s duty to repay kindness or debt as much as they received.”

“Ah, so I’m going to do the same.”

Akenaus ground his teeth as he retorted.

“That redhead he’s looking for. Did he sleep with her?”

“……”

“Even blind, he must’ve wanted to do it. What did he trust to sleep with a woman whose face he couldn’t even see? Or was she so good it didn’t matter?”

Levian interjected, “Why are you even curious about that at this point?”

“I’m just curious about the woman too. I want to know what was so good that he ended up like that.”

“You really are awful, my lord.”

Levian shook his head with playful exasperation.

“But it’s clear she’s not just someone he cares about. If he’s so desperate to bring her safely and comfortably, going to all that trouble, then she must mean a lot. The Major Valdemaira I know would’ve just ridden out on horseback, thrown her over it, and ridden back. But this time, he’s acting like she might blow away in the wind or vanish if he grabs her too hard.”

“Thanks to that, it was easier for us to trail them, huh?”

“You’ve really gotten used to our ways now.”

“I’m the one who told you she was his weakness. So, where are we hitting them?”

Madam Serva and Anna exchanged frightened glances. Having already been forced to listen to obscene talk about Rose, the thought of her falling into Akenaus’s hands—infamous for his lust—was horrifying.

“Hitting them?”

But Levian tilted his head at Akenaus’s question.

“What do you mean? Aren’t we going to ambush them mid-route on their way back with the woman?”

“As if. An ambush on them? Might as well shove our heads into a tiger’s mouth. Why do you think he sent his men with her? He wants to eliminate all threats ahead of time. That unit’s too seasoned in those kinds of battles. We wouldn’t win with the same trick.”

“Then what?”

He answered confidently, “We’ll get the girl without fighting. We’ll take over an inn and disguise ourselves as the innkeeper and lodgers. Then, when they’re asleep…”

Levian then mimed pulling a trigger. “We finish it in one go.”

“But soldiers stand watch and are sensitive to any noise, aren’t they?”

“We just dull their senses.”

The man pulled out a vial and shook it.

“Laudanum acts as a painkiller but also induces sleep. It’s bitter on its own, but if you mix a small amount into strongly flavored food or wine, it’s hard to notice unless you have an especially sharp palate. It’s best if they fall asleep and don’t wake, but even if they’re just groggy, that’s enough to overpower them. No one can swing a sword or fire a gun when they’re drugged on opium.”

“And taking down his closest men at once is a great chance to earn merit too, right?”

“You catch on quick. He sent about fifty of his best. Even in wartime, that unit only suffered a few casualties. Losing that kind of power now, when there’s no war, will hurt. He personally selected and trained them. If he loses both Montcalm and the woman at once, it’ll be a huge blow.”

“But how will you know which inn they’ll stay at?”

Levian shrugged. “He’s a Valdemaira, remember. No way he’d let a woman he loves and can’t forget sleep just anywhere. Once they reach a city with comfortable accommodations, they’ll pick an inn—the most expensive one with top-tier facilities.”

Levian jabbed his finger on the map, pointing to a city on the road back to Claris.

“While they get worn out from the long journey, we’ll stay here, saving our strength and waiting. When they let their guard down, right at the finish line, we’ll strike.”