The Princess’s Glamorous Abduction — Chapter 037
Ravian answered half-heartedly, then with half-open, sleepy eyes, he glared at the morning newspaper.
What the hell is that knight bitching about now…?
“Someone else’s hands… what’s that supposed to mean? So what if that’s the case? If you leave it to a professional, wouldn’t it be better for both you and the kid? You don’t even like kids anyway, do you?”
“……”
“Hm? Or is there some special problem? Some defect you find hard to say out loud? When I saw the kid earlier, his mood was kind of gloomy… kind of bleak, if you will…”
“Hey, shut up.”
Suddenly harsh, Ravian’s voice stiffened the muscles in Jenny’s back, making her hesitate.
“What’s your problem? What did I do—”
“I said shut up.”
Ravian’s cold glare remained fixed on the front page of the morning paper.
His absinthe-colored eyes flickered violently as he rapidly scanned the article.
[…Apart from the disappearance of all ten fingernails, no other injuries were found.
Prince Daut, who was immediately transferred to the hospital, is recovering safely, though some memory loss from shock is suspected.
The Daut couple expressed joy at their son’s survival but also regret toward the investigative authorities.
Meanwhile, the full text of the handwritten letter left at the scene by Hameln has not yet been disclosed, but concerns about copycat crimes and…]
Among the missing children from a series of disappearances, one was found unconscious in the square.
Along with Hameln’s handwritten letter.
Though unsettling, if that were the only issue, it wouldn’t have rattled him this much.
[…Apart from the disappearance of all ten fingernails…]
Nina came to mind.
More specifically, the image of Nina from the dream he had just had.
The hallucinations or whatever they were—those flashes of Nina that had appeared abruptly in front of him since the day she was brought here—also followed.
There was no logical explanation for how all that and this knight’s report were connected.
Yet a hunch, no—a chilling certainty, had taken hold of his mind, linking the two somehow.
“…I’m going.”
Ravian abruptly stood up with a sharp movement, leaving Jenny dumbfounded.
“Hey, wait, you’re really just leaving like that?”
“Yeah. Then live well.”
“Are you crazy…? What the hell is wrong with you?!”
Jenny’s expression hardened into something fierce as she confronted him in disbelief.
“Hey, Ravian! You bastard, what the hell is your problem?! What did I do wrong?!”
Ravian didn’t reply.
Jenny, who switched so quickly from coyness to her true nature, was amusing—but at this moment, he didn’t have the energy to care.
She grabbed his arm as he roughly put on his coat and swept his belongings together.
Her dark brown eyes flashed dangerously.
“Let go.”
“Why are you suddenly like this? If you’re going to just end things, you have to at least tell me why!”
“I have to check on the kid right now. Let go.”
Ravian’s calm attitude, so focused elsewhere, only fired Jenny up even more, making her rage escalate.
“Don’t be ridiculous, you’re not like this! Even if it’s your damn kid, you treat him worse than a street dog! But suddenly, just because of some random kid you found somewhere, you want to end things with me?!”
“Did you think I was playing around with you just for fun?”
Ravian roughly shook off her hand.
Staggering, Jenny fell back onto a chair and glared at him with wild eyes.
“Hey… you bastard, how can you do this to me?! How can you treat me like this?!”
Jenny screamed hysterically, but Ravian only looked at her with utter disgust.
All this time, Jenny had sneered at women who cling pathetically like this.
Yet now, when it was her turn, she was acting exactly like the ones she used to mock.
“What’s with you all of a sudden? Did you really think you meant something to me?”
“You son of a bitch!”
Jenny lunged at him with claws out, but Ravian easily caught her arms.
Even as she struggled wildly, baring her teeth and kicking, he held firm.
“You’re a terrible trash, worse than an animal! You think you’re special just because you’re royalty?! But you’re just a discarded prince, a thug who acts all high and mighty…”
“Pfft, what were you thinking playing with that thug and ending up like this?”
Ravian whistled cheekily, but his face was laced with icy scorn.
Jenny’s fiery temper might have once been charming, but now she was nothing more than a mad dog running wild without knowing her place.
If you’re going to act cool, see it through. If you’re not confident, don’t even start. Why do they all end up like this?
He clicked his tongue, his eyes flashing with contempt.
“Huh? There’s a limit to how low you can stoop. This is just ridiculous.”
“You bastard, and you…! You’re not funny either! You act all high and mighty about how you hate kids and women pretending to be mothers, but why are you suddenly acting cool now? Did you get bewitched by that gloomy kid? Did he tell you some sad story? Did some long-lost paternal instinct suddenly gush out? You’re the one who’s truly ridiculous, do you know that?!”
Jenny shouted with a face twisted by hatred, tears streaming down.
Ravian stared blankly, then suddenly shook off her hands roughly.
“Ahk…!”
Jenny stumbled backward, screaming as a strong hand clamped over her mouth.
“Hey.”
Ravian held her mouth with one hand and spoke softly.
“Who the hell are you to keep yapping about him?”
His absinthe eyes burned with a chilling light.
Jenny froze, eyes wide and wet.
Her previous fury had vanished in an instant.
She was shivering, stunned, and her head was spinning.
Not from the harsh words—she’d said worse herself and expected his anger.
But his reason for being angry was completely unexpected.
Ravian smirked faintly at the dazed Jenny.
It was a cruel and ruthless smile, yet strangely elegant.
“They’re making up stories and running wild among themselves, so I let them be. But they don’t know their place. He’s the kid I brought here. Whoever his parents are, he’s mine now, under my protection on my land. How dare anyone talk nonsense about him?”
Jenny swallowed hard.
This was the first time she’d seen this side of Ravian.
She knew he had a temper, but compared to this, his usual flare-ups were child’s play.
An overwhelming fear that he might really kill her suddenly took hold, and her legs trembled.
“Listen carefully, I’ll only say this once. I don’t care what others say about me, but if anyone badmouths what’s mine, I have a terrible disease: I can’t be satisfied until I wipe them out. If I hear you blabbering about this anywhere again…”
Ravian trailed off and suddenly released Jenny’s face.
“Ugh…!”
Jenny collapsed to the floor, panting heavily.
Now Ravian was as cheerful as if nothing had happened.
“Then goodbye, live well. Tell my regards to your father.”
