Chapter 1: Prologue

“…Hey!”

“Hey!”

‘Mmm… let me sleep a bit more.’

“…Wake me up in five minutes…”

Evangeline turned to the side. Her hand automatically fumbled where the blanket was. That’s weird. Where was the blanket?

“Wa… wake up, please!”

Wait… the bed was cold, too. The mattress is too hard. Was… she on the cold floor? It was of wonder that Evangeline managed to open her shut eyes. What she saw was a sight of a figure holding onto her and tearing up.

“…Who are you?’

“Oh my Lord! You’re awake! Thank God!”

The unknown figure burst into tears.

“I… I thought you were dead… ugguuhh…”

“Excuse me?”

Evangeline began to busily roll her half-sleep head to deal with this out of the blue situation.

***

“So… to summarize, we’ve been kidnapped on Sixth Street and now we’re trapped here?”

“Yes!” replied Margaret, squeezing Evangeline’s handkerchief.

“And luckily, we only fainted…”

Nodding, Margaret’s eyes turned red, recalling the fear of that time.

“I see,” Evangeline answered calmly. The disposition for a girl who had been kidnapped with her hands tied was unimaginable.

“I’m getting married next month! I can’t die here!” cried Margaret.

“Just calm down.”

“I’ve been stuck here all day…!”

Evangeline sighed. Though she wanted to comfort Margaret, it was difficult to do so because her hands and feet were tied together.

Evangeline stretched out her right foot with a noble gesture. Margaret stared vacantly at her drenched shoes.

“What… are you doing?”

“I’m sorry, but I’d like to ask you a favor. If you look closely at the soles of my shoes, you’ll find a small knife. Please get it out for me if you don’t mind.” 

“Your Highness, why do you have a knife hidden under your shoes…?”

“Just call me My Lady. Who knows what’ll end up happening to your life.”

Evangeline couldn’t simply wait around. She needed to be prepared. She raised her shoe elegantly.

Margaret found a thin dagger the size of three fingers under the soles of Evangeline’s shoes and cut the rope around her wrist with the knife.

With the rope finally unraveled, Margaret staggered to her feet. Turning her chubby body, she began to look around. Rubbing her free wrist, Margaret looked at Evangeline wonderfully. Unlike herself, who was distracted by anxiety, Evangeline remained calm.

‘Was she used to this?’ A question that she thought rude to ask rose to the top of her throat.

“You’re so calm, My Lady.”

“There’s no reason to be anxious. Don’t worry, Margaret. Someone will definitely come to rescue us,” Evangeline said, tone as firm as telling the obvious.

Evangeline, after freeing her bound wrist, made a lap around the warehouse. In the dirty, old warehouse, the only light shining was the sun coming from a window the size of a palm.

At least she was able to estimate what time it was.

She noticed a steady gaze looking at her; she turned her head.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” said Evangeline.

“I was wondering how you were so sure…” Margaret von Saxen cried with an uneasy face.

Passing Margaret a handkerchief, Evangeline parted her lips, “Margaret, why do you think we’ve been kidnapped?”

“Well…”

“Isn’t it funny to be beaten like this by some weaklings when it’s the Grand Duke they should be afraid of, the one with a private army, if by chance they get caught? You do know the rumors about my brother, right?”

“That… that cruel… bloodthirsty killer… who drinks the blood… of his enemies…” Margaret answered frankly with some slight wariness. 

Evangeline laughed at her brother’s notoriousness. Though she closed her mouth and held back her laughter, some managed to leak out. 

“I’m sorry! You asked about the rumors, so I only spoke about what I heard!” Margaret cried.

“No, it’s fine,” smiling, Evangeline didn’t deny. 

Margaret arbitrarily guessed the meaning of Evangeline’s words.

‘No way…’ Margaret’s fingers trembled. 

“Then, the one who kidnapped us are the great villains because—”

“No, not that,” Evangeline properly cut off Margaret’s words.

“…Then?” 

“The reason I was kidnapped,” Evangeline spoke seriously, “is because my brother is the male lead.”

Margaret von Saxen was speechless and bewildered. This conversation, where was it going?