*groans*
"Where am I.." said the man with a pair of blue eyes slowly trying to access just what had happened. He sits up and trying to calm down the slight throbbing pain on his head. He was just in his office moments ago.
'What happened?'
...
[ few minutes ago]
Dazzling sun up in the clear blue sky. The maids are working hard completing everyday tasks in the mansion. The barrack are busy with knights sharpening their skills. Everyone is occupied with their own bussiness.
Someone particular could be seen walking across the hall rather hurrily. Pink hair, blue eyes. This description alone could be apply to only one person in the Ducal household. Reynold Eckart.
*bang*
"Father!" Reynold cried out, walking straight to The Duke. The Duke gave Reynold a glance and continued his paperworks. 'It is still early in the morning' The Duke thought. Thinking that The Duke purposely not acknowledging his presence. He called out to his father again. "Father!"
"Sigh, what is it Reynold? Stop shouting" the Duke gave in and stopped ignoring his second son. He looked up, knowing what he is gonna ask already. "Father, did you already found out the bastard who dared hurt Penelope?" Reynold asked.
He took some time before finally asnwering back the question. "And what if I do Reynold? Just who is reckless enough to aim and even slit an Eckart throat? At a banquet held in the Imperial Palace at that" he said. Both of the men in the room had long came to the same conclusion. The Crown Prince of the Empire, Callisto Regulus. Everyone could already tell who is it but no one dared to voice it out.
"The fact you are still here standing in front of me is thanks to Fennel for holding you back from storming into the Imperial Palace" he glared to him. This foolish son. Just what was he thinking?
Reynold gritted his teeth. Right now he just want to give that bastard a good smack on the face. He dared to slit Penelope's throat?! She has been unconscious since then! He breathed in and out. "Then, what about the handkerchief she hold on to? It does not look like the Royal's family crest, we could do something about it." Indeed, we can't just attack the Crown Prince but we could still do something to the man that gave Penelope the handkerchief!
"What handkerchief?" the Duke asked Reynold. His ears percked up. He was not informed of this handkerchief existence.
"Huh? The handkerchief Penelope hold on to her neck when it was bleeding last night. Father didn't know?" Reynold dumfounded.
Wait a minute.
He asked Penelope's maid to throw it away last night!
"Nevermind Father, I asked Penelope's maid to throw it away last night." He pinch the middle of his eyebrows. Stupid. "Why did you do that, Reynold? That means someone else could also be invlove in this matter. That handkerchief could be our evidence!" the Duke could not believe his second son just did that. Maybe he should ask Reynold to spend more time on books. Sigh. He is sighing so much today. Maybe he should take a little walk outside later and breathe some fresh air.
"It's fine. I believe there's nothing more to discuss about. Return to your room Reynold" he ordered Reynold. "But Father, we can't just let this slide! Let me order that maid to find that handkerchief" Reynold said. How could we just let this slide? Whoever gave Penelope that handkerchief gotta face me first. He is determined.
"Quit it Reynold. I will figure it out. Now, you go return to your room. This is an order" The Duke said. He feels like his second son will only give him more headache if he were to stay any longer. Maybe he should also ask Fennel for some tea.
Reynold want to protest but he kept it in. "Yes, Father" Reynold turned around and leave.
'Finally some peace' The Duke thought. He stands up and wandered his gaze outside. It is a beautiful day outside.
"Fennel, come in" The Duke called for Fennel who had been standing outside since Reynold stormed into his office. Which tea should he has later? Maybe he should ask Fennel for recommendations on tea that could relieve headache.
"Yes, Duke" Fennel replied. However, The Duke's vision suddenly got hazy.
'Ugh, my head' he unconsciouly put his palm on his head. It's painful. What is happening. Is this because of the paperworks? Or is it because of last night banquet? A lot of questions is going through his head but he is not expecting anyone to answer it either. All he want to know is if he is going to be able to drink the tea at the garden later.
He closed his eyes and just let his body fell down to the ground. Maybe he won't be able to drink his tea in the garden after all.
...
[Present time]
Yeah, he was just about to have tea in the garden. Then, he was unconscious. He looked around.
"Now, where is this-" he was mumbling to himself until he saw his two sons was lying unconscious nearby him. Fennel and Penelope's maid, he believed her name was Emily? Marquis Verdandi. The slave Penelope brought in and even the most unexpected person, the Crown Prince of The Empire, Callisto Regulus is here.
The Duke quickly went to his first son since he noticed Derrick began to regain his consciouness. The Duke helped him to gradually sit up. "Derrick, are you awake? How are you feeling?" he asked worriedly. While doing so, he was able to scan the room in a quick manner but he could not see even a strand of Penelope's hair. 'Where is Penelope?'
"Ugh, I feel a bit of headache. Aside from that, I am fine Father. What happened Father?" Derrick replied. He was just trying to take a quick nap to relieve some headache he got after he finished his morning schedule. Out of the blue, he is now here with some other people unconscious on the floor.
His eyes landed on the unconscious body of the Crown Prince. "Father, why is His Highness here?" he whispered to his Father. A bit confused as to why the Crown Prince is in the same room as them. Also, why is he knocked out like that?
"I am just as confused as you are Derrick. Derrick will you help everyone to wake up? Maybe at least one of us know what is going on" The Duke gave an order to Derrick. "Yes, Father" he obeyed and quickly did as ordered.
-time skip-
"To sum it up, no one have any idea?" Reynold opened up his mouth. No one answered. He took the silence as their reply. He leaned back on his chair and put down the knife he took from the kitchen on the table. 'Now what we gon' do?' Reynold thought.
"M-maybe we are in one of an inn's room in the capital?" Emily spoke softly, stuttered on her words. How could she not? She is in a room with the Eckart's important people and even His Highness is here! She just felt like running out of this place right this instant but the kidnapper might be somewhere nearby. Where could she run to anyway. If anything, staying here will be much wiser choice. Fennel is here and she also has a knife. She's safe for now right?
Reynold looked around a bit and turned back his gaze on Emily. "I see what you mean but I've never seen an inn that have a kitchen, a living room and a few other rooms in one room" Reynold said. "I-i don't know Young Master.." Emily quickly said, not wanting to keep Reynold's attention on her any longer.
He had been thinking this for a while. Whoever kidnapped them must either be naive or straight up stupid. Well, not stupid since the kidnapper did not forget to take their swords with them. They are smart enough to be able to made them fell unconscious and brought them here but come on now, you could've at least put them in a room where they would not have access to kitchen knife and tie their hands with a rope or sum. Well, at least the kidnapper is smart enough to lock the door after kidnapping someone. Reynold scoffed.
"It's dark outside" Fennel finally spoke while lightly pushing the curtains away. "It's 8 o'clock now and if my guess is correct we had been away from the Eckart household for four hours now and been awake for half an hour already. I remembered The Duke called for me around afternoon time and then everything turned pitch black" he added, looking at the clock on the wall. He proceed to stand beside Duke Eckart who is sitting on one of the square table's chairs.
"We might be in an inn like Miss Emily said but I'm positive we are not in any of the capital inns. I've been to almost all the inns in the capital but none like this" Marquis expressed his thoughts. His hands on his chin, trying to remember if he missed any inns.
"We might not even be in the capital right now. Just look outside, does it looks like the capital to you?" Callisto said lazily and laid back on the sofa. Everyone took a long look outside and all have opinions on their own regarding this unfamiliar environment.
'Outside is so bright..The room is also bright! The lights are coming from the ceilings with no candle attached to it..' Emily thought, sparkles in her eyes.
'His Highness has a point. The building structure are not the ones where we would usually see around the capital.' Fennel deep in his thoughts.
'Where is Master? Did Master also remove the choker from my neck?' Eckles thought with no expressions on his face. He can just run away now that he is not under the control of that hellish device. But..what about Master? ..It's okay, at least after he is sure Master is alright, until then he will stay here with all these people.
'Indeed, we might had been taken far away from the capital and the Eckart houseld. More importantly where is Penelope?' The Duke thought and scanned the whole room again. Maybe there are corners in the room he didn't notice before?
'That could also be the case. I would frequently patrol with the knights around the capital but I never catch sight of these kinds of buildings' Derrick thought. Are we even in the kingdom at this point?
'How annoying, what that bastard said made sense' Reynold thought alone, sitting infrot of the Duke. He did not forget nor forgive what Callisto did to Penelope yet. Ever since he woke up, he had been sending glares every now and then to Callisto but stopped after being told not to by his Father.
*click*
The noise was from the door. Everyone have their guards up now. The people who were sitting, are now standing up, gripping hard on their kitchen knife. Callisto who almost fell asleep on the sofa, dying of boredom is now also standing up. He would like to see just who is no longer interested to see the day of light tomorrow. After almost an hour, they could finally be face to face with the kidnapper. The tension is quite heavy.
*clack*
The door opened. A lean body. Flowy long magenta hair. Wait what- Penelope??! Everyone is in disbelief. The kidnapper was Penelope this whole time?!!
Penelope casually put down her groceries on the floor and bend down a little to remove her shoes. She locked eyes with the people in her living room.
". . ." she blinked her eyes for whole two second before opening them back. She would very much like to know if she was just seeing things or there are really people in her living room. She did this a few times more before accepting there are indeed PEOPLE in HER living room.
"AHHH INTRUDERS" Penelope exclaimed. She threw her shoes at them. After there are no longer shoes in her hands, she grabbed an umbrella beside the shoe rack and use it as a weapon.
"Lady Penelope, please calm down!" Marquis Verdandi was the first one to snap put of it and trying to put the situation under control. The others also began to snap out of it.
"WHAT, CALM DOWN?! YOU BROKE INTO MY HOUSE AND TOLD ME TO CALM DOWN?! YOU-you better not try anything or I'll call the police!" Penelope showed her smartphone to them to show that's how serious she is. She lowered down her tone since she don't want to receive noise complaint from her neighbours.
The Duke is still too shocked. He is glad to see that Penelope is not in danger but looking at the situation he is now, it seems like he is the one in danger. The shoes did not hit him, luckily. The same could not be said to Fennel however. He got hit on the leg with one of Penelope's shoe and the other went flying to the balcony door behind them.
"Penelope, calm down! Let's talk this out, okay?!" Reynold said. He don't know what 'police' are but he feels like the situation will be much messier and complicated with 'police' here. He tried to calm Penelope down.
"Talk?! You broke into my house! Also, put down those kitchen knife aside first if you wanna talk!" Penelope demanded.
They all threw the kitchen knife to the side of the living room. Huh, she did not expect for them to follow her demand that easily. She hesitated for a while. But, a deal is a deal.
She lower down her umbrella and slowly walked towards them. She still has 911 on speed dial incase anything happen. She closed up the distance between them by few inches. This much distance is enough.
"Okay, talk and explain everything. Depending on your explanation, I will decided whether I'd call the police or not" Penelope said firmly.
To be continued...