Chapter 15
Leira quietly shifted to the side and crouched down again.
She slightly changed directions and held her breath, listening to the approaching footsteps.
Step, step, step…
Her heart was pounding so loudly it felt like the whole world could hear it.
She barely dared to breathe.
She hunched down even lower, pressing her tied hands to the floor behind her.
But then—the footsteps that had been heading deeper inside suddenly stopped right next to her.
Leira froze.
“What’s wrong?”
His companion asked.
The man started rummaging through the patch of grass near her.
Thud!
His boot landed right beside her.
Leira trembled so hard she couldn’t breathe.
Tears welled up from the sheer terror.
“…Guess not.”
He tilted his head, then walked on.
Once the footsteps grew distant, Leira exhaled shakily—barely.
Her whole body felt limp, like she couldn’t move even an inch.
But she had to move.
There was no time to collapse.
Gritting her teeth, she crawled toward the exit again.
As soon as she reached the doorway, she pressed her hands to the floor and made grass sprout once more.
“Uwah! Hey—it’s still growing!”
Hearing the people near the door back away in alarm, Leira used that moment to slip outside as quickly as she could.
“She’s gone!!”
“What?!”
Just when she turned around the corner and hid in the darkness, one of the men who had checked inside came running out, yelling.
That was all she needed.
Leira bolted.
The streets were nearly empty—night had fallen.
“There! That way!”
Running with her hands tied behind her made her balance unstable.
She stumbled, but kept going.
Please… someone. Anyone. Help me.
But the streets were empty, and the footsteps behind her were getting closer.
Much closer.
“Stop right there!”
The shout was so close that her spine went cold.
No!
She couldn’t be caught.
If they grabbed her again, that would be the end.
Please… please… Arzeo…!
She found herself desperately wishing for him.
“Ahh!”
Her bright platinum hair was yanked from behind, and she screamed as sharp pain shot through her scalp.
“Where do you think you’re running! Damn girl, made me waste all my energy!”
The pull threw her backward, and her already-injured wrists screamed in agony as she slammed onto the ground.
“Nngh…!”
One man grabbed her hair, pulling her head up with a wicked grin.
“That grass trick—that was you, huh? Damn, that’s impressive.”
“Hey, doesn’t that mean she’s worth even more? We should check how high we can sell her.”
Their nasty laughter made her skin crawl.
Caught again.
If they dragged her off now, she would never return.
She would be sold off—gone forever.
No. Never.
She tried to get up again, but the man slammed her head to the ground.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
“Kyaa!”
With her hands tied, the fall was twice as painful.
Their mocking laughter barely registered in her ears anymore.
One name echoed inside her mind.
Arzeo.
“…Arzeo…”
“What? Asking us to spare you? Don’t worry, we’re not killing you.”
They mocked her, but Leira shut her eyes tight, sucked in a breath—
And screamed.
“ARZEO!!”
“Hey! Why aren’t you gagging her?!”
Thud!
A blow struck her, knocking the air from her lungs.
“Stop yelling. Not like it changes anything.”
“She’s making too much noise. Let’s go.”
One man stuffed a gag in her mouth.
Even then, Leira kept struggling.
Annoyed, another man raised his hand.
“What a pain…”
He was going to knock her unconscious and carry her.
Leira squeezed her eyes shut.
Suddenly—
Thump!
A heavy impact shook the ground, and the hand gripping her hair disappeared.
A voice followed.
“You called for me?”
Her heart stopped.
The voice she wanted most—the one she had begged for.
Her eyelids trembled as she slowly lifted her gaze.
The man holding her hair was now sprawled far away.
And standing between them was Arzeo.
A faint smirk lifted his lips, but sweat poured down his face, and his breathing was heavy.
He’d been running—desperately searching for her.
He… really came.
Leira stared at him blankly.
She had thought finding her in this entire city would be impossible.
But he had found her.
At that moment, all the tension snapped.
Her vision blurred.
Leira collapsed, and Arzeo caught her instantly.
“Your Highness!”
Eugene rushed over as Arzeo brushed Leira’s cold, sweat-damp forehead gently.
The men who had been chasing her were trying to get up again.
Eugene drew his sword.
“Is the Young Lady all right?”
“Eugene.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Can I kill them?”
“…Pardon?”
Eugene blinked, unsure he heard correctly.
Arzeo’s back radiated cold fury.
“Y-Your Highness, please calm—”
Arzeo ignored him completely.
He lifted Leira in his arms and stood.
His frosty silver-gray eyes swept over the two criminals.
“They have a whole gang. Capture every single one of them.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
With that short order, Arzeo walked past Eugene.
Behind them, the sound of men screaming echoed.
And the city guards quickly joined in the fight.
The aftermath would soon be reported to the imperial palace—
the prince Arzeo van Lihiden had arrived in Caria,
and by the next day, major criminal groups across the city had been destroyed.
***
Aftermath
In a single day, the city guard arrested an enormous number of criminals.
Most would be dealt with by the guard.
But the group that had kidnapped Leira was kept separate.
They didn’t think they had done anything serious.
Illegal business wasn’t new to them, and their backers—high-ranking nobles—usually protected them.
Sitting in the cell confidently, they looked up at the new footsteps approaching.
The newcomer was neither a noble they recognized nor a city guard.
He had deep blue hair and cold silver-gray eyes.
A terrible feeling washed over them.
“Then… can I kill these bastards?”
Arzeo didn’t take his eyes off the men in the cell.
Eugene answered calmly this time:
“Restrain yourself, Your Highness.”
“You saw what they did.”
Eugene had indeed seen it.
He’d seen Leira being dragged by her hair, and nearly struck.
The doctor had found bruises and strains all over her arms and wrists.
Eugene didn’t know her well, and they weren’t close.
But she was part of their group traveling to the capital.
Seeing her treated like that was infuriating.
Arzeo’s anger, however, went far beyond that.
Since when did they get so close?
Eugene wondered.
“First, I’m ripping every strand of that guy’s hair out. Until his scalp is bare.”
“P-Please restrain yourself, Your Highness! That’s excessive!”
“Do I have to?”
“My job is to stop you when you go too far!”
“Then stop me. I’m still doing it.”
Arzeo rolled up his sleeves.
Eugene panicked and grabbed him.
“Just calm down!”
“I’ll calm down once I’ve ripped out his hair.”
“T-Then just one of them! The one you saw yesterday! Just one!”
Arzeo frowned but didn’t deny it.
He wanted to tear all of them apart.
But he grudgingly nodded.
Eugene let out a shaky sigh.
One man was dragged out by the guard.
Arzeo grabbed him—
and tore out his hair for a very, very long time.
His screams were so awful that the others in the cell trembled, convinced they were next.
Arzeo still wasn’t satisfied—but when someone reported that Leira might have woken up, he finally stopped and left.
Before leaving the prison, he personally ordered the city guard to ensure every criminal involved would be punished harshly—and report the results directly to him.
No one from that group would escape.
They had targeted Leira—
and that sealed their fate.
****
Meanwhile — Back Home
A few days after the storm—
Heraise repeatedly requested permission to visit Citadel Island.
The imperial palace denied every request.
They claimed they were too busy handling storm-damaged regions.
But Heraise insisted—if the storm caused such destruction, the island needed checking too.
The palace refused again.
The storm-hit area was far from Citadel Island.
To outsiders, Heraise looked like he was overreacting.
But he couldn’t shake the uneasiness.
Leira lived alone on that island.
If heavy rain had caused any damage, she would be dealing with it alone.
He wanted to help her.
But Marquis Gerald—who was in charge of “the criminal of Citadel Island”—blocked every attempt.
“This is absurd!”
“Heraise, calm down.”
He hit his chest out of frustration.
Duke Edgar of Foresteia sighed.
“Even if His Majesty entrusted the matter to the Marquis, the man is abusing his authority.”
Gerald acted as if he held Leira hostage—
refusing all visits, hiding behind the excuse of being too busy repairing storm damage.
“Supplies will be sent soon. Just endure for now.”
“…I’ll request an audience with His Majesty.”
“Fine.”
Edgar didn’t like Heraise bothering the emperor, but he understood.
They were worried about Leira.
Even if the storm hadn’t hit her area, she lived in a small old house once used for exiles.
What if the roof leaked?
What if she caught a cold?
Thinking of her suffering alone made his heart ache.
***
Leira Awakens
Leira slowly opened her eyes.
Her body felt heavy, like water-soaked cotton.
She hadn’t felt this sick in a long time.
Her scalp throbbed from being grabbed the night before, and her wrists were bandaged.
Her arms were sore from being slammed to the ground.
She didn’t know exactly what happened after she passed out,
but she remembered seeing Arzeo just before losing consciousness.
Now she was back in their lodging—so things must have worked out.
Feeling weak, she let her eyes drift closed again and sighed softly.
She had never experienced anything like this before—
not personally.
She knew people sold others for money.
She knew nobles bought people for entertainment.
She knew—but knowing and experiencing were different.
How could people enjoy something so monstrous?
Even now, she felt powerless when facing such cruelty.
A deep sigh escaped her.
Her family had always overprotected her because the world was dangerous.
Sometimes it felt stifling, but she had always been grateful.
Her thoughts wandered…
Eventually reaching her family.
She missed them.
Heraise had promised not to leave her alone on the island.
If he learned she’d disappeared…
how worried would he be?
And after the storm, Citadel Island probably wasn’t in good shape.
They must be worried…
She had to return as soon as possible.
Just then—the door burst open.
