chapter 19
19 – Boyhood ~Let’s escape~
“Ugh…”
Where are you?
My face naturally frowns at the sharp pain I feel in the back of my neck.
“Here is…”
Is it an abandoned house?
In a dusty room, even a narrow window covered with bars.
It was clear that it was an abandoned house that was not managed.
Have you been imprisoned? Why?
“Ugh…”
Wrong.
My mind is hazy and I can’t organize myself properly.
I grabbed my throbbing head and moved my body slowly.
Click-
“… Tied up.”
Then he noticed the chain on his ankle and hardened his expression.
“Is it kidnapping?”
After grasping the situation, the first thought that came to my mind was ‘Why me?’
Although I am a collateral of the Yeon family, I am not an important person enough to kidnap and demand a ransom.
There were a large number of famous high-ranking nobles there, starting with the crown prince, so they were targeted rather than me.
‘Yes, a high-ranking noble like the boy….’
Wait a minute, are you okay, Bocchan?!
As I suddenly thought of the young master, I hurriedly peeked outside.
I couldn’t move very far because my legs were chained, but I could hear the sound beyond the door.
{Pretty…Salty…}
{The boss thinks…?}
{Let us… Taste…}
{Unreasonable… To be sold at a high price…}
Most of the sound was blocked by the thick door, but I could hear some of the kidnappers’ conversation outside the door.
‘There’s a boss. Maybe a thief? Is selling it expensive, after all, a slave?’
It’s impossible to be certain, but in situations like this, you should always act with the worst in mind.
Slaves are forbidden by imperial law, but it was unlikely that those who had done this would do anything legal.
I slowly closed my eyes, clutching my chest that trembled with anxiety.
‘Let’s stay calm. You have to stay calm, Yu Seon-hwa.’
‘The first thing to check is the boy’s warrior.’
‘When I think about the situation before I lost my memory, I was alone outside the banquet hall, so I think the possibility is small, but there is a chance.’
‘The second is the purpose of the kidnappers. A slave, a hostage, or a ransom. It’s important to clarify the purpose of the kidnapping.’
If you find out the purpose, it might be possible to negotiate using the power of the family.
‘Although I am a collateral, I am also a child of the Yeon family. I can’t throw it away from the family. Yes, you will never abandon me.’
I firmly gripped my trembling arms and made up my mind.
‘Let’s get out of here first…….’
I raised my head and looked around, but of course I couldn’t find any tools useful for escape.
The only thing that looked like an old, well-maintained room was roughly stacked wooden boxes.
‘Is this room used as a warehouse?’
I swallowed a sigh and shook my head at the lack of usable items.
‘There are a number of people who appear to be kidnappers outside the door, and the window is blocked by a number of bars, making it impossible to use it.’
If at least he had learned magic or martial arts, he would have been able to protect himself in this situation, but that didn’t apply to him.
‘In a place like this…….’
If I had known it would be like this, I would have learned at least the art of hiding, and swallowed the regret welling up deep in my heart.
‘If so, at least I could have picked up this chain.’
Click-
I moved my foot lightly and inspected the shackles.
Is it because it is used on helpless children?
The chains that bound their feet seemed to be ordinary shackles that could be unlocked with a key, unlike those of the warriors who had been subjected to various magical and shamanistic measures.
Click-
“Haa… I wonder if there is no way.”
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t see any way to escape.
After looking around for a while, I let out a sigh of resignation.
‘I can’t even move blatantly. The guys outside might notice and come in.’
You don’t know what kind of disaster they’ll get if they come here.
You have to think of a way to escape without offending them as much as possible.
Once I decided to watch the situation, I put the pieces of wood scattered around the old box in my arms and lay down pretending to be asleep.
‘Let’s wait. I’m sure someone will come to rescue me.’
So I closed my eyes in anxiety with a small hope.
.
.
.
‘How much time has passed?’
I don’t know the sense of time.
After sleeping and waking up all day, the sun was rising outside before I knew it.
I was worried about when the kidnappers who kidnapped me would come in, but as if that was a mistake, the kidnappers didn’t visit this place after waking up in the room.
How long has it been?
“…It’s cold.”
I get up from the cold stone floor and settle down in the corner of the room.
It was then.
The tightly closed door opened slowly, revealing a man with a shaggy face.
“…….”
In an instant, I drew my body as much as I could and sent a wary look.
“Hehehe, cute little boy.”
The man, who looked at me like that, put down the plate he was holding in her hand and said.
“It’s morning.”
“Ugh…”
It was white porridge filled with miscellaneous ingredients.
It smelled bad, and it didn’t look like it was fit for human consumption.
“Then, eat in moderation or not. I’m going.”
As the man left with a wave of a hand, I looked out the window while looking away from the plate, frowning at her.
‘Let’s be patient. I can tolerate one meal.’
Fortunately, I wasn’t hungry right away.
No, to be precise, I didn’t have time to do that because of the intense fear.
Thanks to that, it was fortunate that there was no intention.
“I’m sure he’ll come to save you in a little while.”
Yes, you just have to be patient until then.
I hugged myself tighter and buried my head.
.
.
.
The sun has set.
In the meantime, the man who brought me breakfast came by twice more and left the food, and I passed the same time without eating it.
As I was holding my trembling body with both arms and keeping myself as warm as possible, I suddenly heard a raucous voice outside the door.
{Anyway, the boss is also unique.}
Of the many aristocrats out there, why would a kid…….}
{You know that the boss has the taste of a child, right? Do you want to taste the taste of nobility?}
{Ehh, let’s take him in moderation.}
When the raucous voices stopped in front of the door, I felt an instinctive sense of danger and stood up.
I checked the wood chips I put in my chest, and I opened the door and stared at the men entering.
“…….”
There were a total of three men who came in.
A man with a scar on the bridge of his nose, a bald man, and a skinny man were them.
“Wheeyu~”
“Oh, this is quite…”
“Is it a good product?”
And as they looked this way, all of them turned their displeased eyes at me.
“Wow…As expected, the level is different when you become a noble.”
“No, he’s just special.”
“Yeah, I looked at some of the items I hijacked this time, but not this much.”
They were sloppily dressed, gulping and looking me up and down.
“It’s a waste… After a few years, I’ll be able to sell it for a high price.”
“How many years? I’ll get hundreds of gold coins right now.”
“Whoops!”
“No, the boss said he would use such a product?”
The bald man nodded at the skinny man’s question.
“Well, I did something big with this event. I guess this much is fine.”
“Actually, compared to the profits I made this time, it’s weak.”
“How many did you catch?”
“Arthur, Arthur. Not only here, but other hideouts are also full.”
“Yeah?! Is that all?”
“Yes.”
“Wow…”
Leaving behind the man who couldn’t speak, the other two men approached us.
I was watching the situation from a distance, and while organizing the information I obtained, I carefully observed their movements.
“Who are you?”
“We are bandits.”
“A bandit?”
This is the first name I’ve heard.
“Yes, he is a bandit willing to stand up for the people who are groaning in pain.”
“Royal enemies. It’s funny. To think that a mere thief invaded the imperial family.”
Rather than that, how did bandits break into the imperial family?
No, that’s not important right now.
I looked at the bald head who smiled with laughter.
“What’s your purpose?”
“Purpose?”
“Isn’t there a purpose for kidnapping me? Is it for ransom?”
With that said, the three men looked at each other and burst into laughter.
“Fuhaha! Ransom! Yes! Money is important!”
“Cancer! In a way, it’s not wrong!”
“Right! Because of the ransom!”
Looking at their reactions, I could see that ransoming hostages was not the goal.
“Hey, stupid lady. Do you think we’ll break into the palace just for your ransom?”
“…….”
“Hahaha! What’s wrong! Isn’t that wrong?”
At the words of the scar man, everyone’s eyes turned to him.
“Can you tell me?”
“Phehe. Knowing what would change anything.”
“I guess.”
“Hey, lady.”
“…….”
“We’re going to sell you into slavery from now on. There, you’re going to be sold to some really scary people and you’ll be used as toys for the rest of your life.”
I deliberately bite my lip to suppress my trembling body.
“Whoah, don’t stare at me like that.”
“We just follow the boss’s will.”
“Well, don’t worry too much. You are different.”
“…Different.”
What can I say?
Instead of being relieved by the skinny man’s words, only anxiety grew.
“The boss liked you. So I won’t sell you into slavery.”
“It will be the boss’s toy instead.”
“Lies!”
“Haha! Really?”
I don’t know who the boss they are talking about is.
He is a person who can break into the imperial family and kidnap nobles.
He must not be a sane person.
Soon, the scarred man burst into laughter and ordered the men around him.
“Catch it.”
“Leave this!”
“Ugh! Give up!”
“No!”
Poof—!
Resisting the man’s hand trying to grab him, he takes out a piece of wood from his bosom and swings it.
Then, the bald head, who had allowed the attack while being careless, let out a fierce shout.
“Two bitches!”
Jaak—!
“……!”
Your cheeks are hot.
My ears ring.
The voices around me seem distant.
It wasn’t until then that I realized I had been slapped by a bald hand.
The helpless child’s body fell to the floor unable to withstand the strength of an adult man, and I let out a wordless moan at the pain rising from my whole body.