MY LITTLE PRINCESS

I WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

Walking through the garden, we heard a faint cry and whimper of a dog so we immediately went to where the sound is coming from -- it is from the back door leading outside which the maids were using to get in and out of the mansion on to the back alley. Some of the servants who live near the mansion usually use that exit and not the front gate. After the party, some of them, together with their family, left through that passage.

Following the path, we saw the small gate wide open but there were no one near it.

"Did they forgot to close it? That's impossible. People of this mansion are not irresponsible!" I blurted as I drew near it. But then, when I saw Simba caught inside an old cage, I made my way first to help him, I cannot risk the young lady to do those kind of triffling things.

"Argh!" Pain just suddenly appeared on my neck as I felt my strength were leaving me slowly and let me drop to the ground.

"Hmmmmp!! Ms. Pet---!!! Hmph!!" That was Lory's voice but how come they came out like that?

Simba's whimpers grew more louder as he started to bark and growl in anger. When I turned my eyes at where he is barking, I saw a tall and untidy man lifting up Lory who is asleep. He easily grabbed her just like a sack of rice over his shoulder and then ran away hurriedly.

"My l...lady...." I tried to reach my hand out to her, but everything went black afterwards.

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"Hey! Ma'am??! Wake up. What happened here??" Sebastian asked as he lightly taps the woman's face to wake her up.

"Mr. Sebastian!!" She sat up at once and then turns her head around in search for something.

"Lory! Where's Lory?? She was kidnapped awhile ago. We need to find her!!" She frantically rose up and is about to run towards where she remembered the man went but Sebastian stopped her from doing so.

"What do you mean by that? What happened to the young miss?"

"There was... there was a man ... a tall man! We .. went to find Simba... I am with Miss Lory and then ... and then.... we... " Sebastian grabbed both of her shoulders to shake her up a bit.

"Relax... Please try to relax for a bit. I will call for the master, so try to settle your breathing first." Sebastian instructed as he reached his hand deep inside his pocket and turned around to make a call.

She inhales and exhales and tries her best to relax her nerves. But when she turned to the dark alley, she saw the fragment of what happened earlier.

"No. I cannot waste another minute here. I need to search for her as soon as possible." She murmured to herself as her feet started to take a step towards that direction.

"They might be just right around the corner..... I need to look for her." Althea ran to the alleyway without looking back even when Sebastian called out to her.

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"Lory!! Miss Lory!!!" I called and called and called out her name but only angry shouts of people living on the alleyway replied to me.

"Have you seen a tall man with a little girl? She was blond and is wearing a gown." I asked a man sleeping on the street. But he just glared at me.

"Someone kidnapped her. Please help me. Have you seen where they went?" I can feel tears wanting to escape from me but I can't. I don't have time to cry.

"No one passed by. You're the only one giving much ruckus in the midst of the night." He answered as he turned and around to continue his sleep.

"I see. Thanks."

I ran again as I looked around to see if I can even have a clue of where they went. But the only thing I saw was some crushed flowers on the ground near the road. My knees gave up as I reached to the flowers that were once on Lory's hair. Those were some of the flowers that Red put to her hair himself earlier on the party.

"It is my fault...." The tears on my face is now freely rolling on my cheeks. Inside my chest are feelings like being stabbed as my breathing once again becomes unstable.

"I can't stay here. I need to find her. I don't have the time to waste." I pushed myself up as I struggle to give strength to my legs. Exhausted from all that running, I can even feel the dizziness and drippings of sweat on my nape.

"Miss Peter! Stop! You need medical attention!" Sebastian shouted as he and his master, Sir Albert were running towards me, even some guards and staff were there.

"No! I need to find her!" I growled at them as I once again tried to stand up. But then, as soon as I successfully stood, my vision blurred a bit.

"I have already sent people to investigate. Please take care of yourself first before you worry for Loralei." Albert said with a calm face but with his gritted teeth, he sounded so angry. His hand were wrapped on my shoulders as he help me stand firmly.

"She... she was just with me. It is my fault she got kidnapped. She was.... she was just some step away from me but ... but I cannot protect her.. I am so sorry... I am sorry. It is my fault. I'm sorry." I don't know why but tears flow harder when I saw how hurt Albert is. He cannot show that he is hurting but his eyes were overflowing with anger and frustration.

"I .. hick ... shworry.. hick I will take responsibility. I will search for her." I tried to wipe my tears and speak appropriately but it is really hard to because of my sobbing.

"Lory will not like it if her favorite tutor die of bleeding. Go get treated first. And we'll go look for her together."

Bleeding? Who is?

"You're bleeding. You will lose more blood if not treated immediately." Like just he read my mind, he said to me.

I looked at my hand, there were no wound but there were blood. I once again felt dripping sweat on my head but when I reached my hand there, that is not sweat, blood were flowing out somewhere on my head or neck. Seeing that red liquid on my hand, I felt dizziness again as throbing on my forehead becomes more frequent than it is minutes ago. And my vision once again fades into darkness.

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"Sebastian. Take her to the hospital." Albert carried Althea in his arms and carefully placed her on the backseat of the car near them.

Loralei likes her very much. I cannot let anything bad happen to her, too.

Just wait for me Lory. Papa will come to get you. Be strong.

As Sebastian drove away in hurry with the cars' warning lights on, Albert stares at the nights sky where the clouds are slowly showing the full moon.

"Just as when I promised to protect you then this happen. Tsk! I cannot lose her. I don't want to lose anyone anymore." His knuckles are turning into different color as he tightly grip on his own hand and his nails burying on his palm. He needs a calm mind to assess who the hell kidnapped her and where they brought her and for what reason.

"Just wait, you f**ker. I will kill whoever you are if I find any injury on her." Just like swearing on the moon, he stated that before turning around to return to the mansion. He left some of his staff to roam the area once more to search for Lory or any possible clue or tracks. They moved as keenly and quietly as possible as to not alarm the neighborhood any more like how Ms. Peter did.

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