Celebrity Lady - Chapter 96

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Celebrity Lady
Chapter 96
When the masked man spoke, all of us in the carriage froze.
Just then.
“Oh, oh my! A suspicious—that villain wouldn’t be trying to… kidnap the young lady?!”
Rebecca and I stared wide-eyed at Siena, who squeezed her eyes shut and delivered her clumsy line.
I rushed to clamp my hand over Siena’s mouth and whispered urgently.
“Have you lost your mind, Siena? Just stay quiet.”
What was this pathetic acting?
The guards outside startled me for a moment, but I quickly steadied myself and called out the window toward the escort.
“Hey, what exactly is happening out there?”
“My lady, a suspicious person has appeared. It seems to be a bandit targeting carriages on the mountain road.”
“What?”
“Fortunately, there appears to be only one. Please don’t worry—I’ll dispose of him quickly.”
“All right. I’m counting on you.”
The guard’s confident tone made me uneasy, so I glanced out at the masked stranger.
‘Can they actually pull this off?’
From what I could see, he carried nothing but a short blade. How was one man supposed to handle ten armed guards?
But my doubt swiftly turned to shock.
“Gasp.”
“Gasp.”
The masked man’s movements defied the human eye.
The two guards at the front didn’t even manage to draw their swords before they collapsed, their vital points struck with perfect precision.
He never even unsheathed his blade. True to his word about hating bloodshed, he gripped the scabbard instead and only struck with its blunt handle.
‘What am I watching?’
Superhuman skill—putting enemies to sleep without leaving a single wound.
I pressed my cheek against the window frame, mouth hanging open, and watched the masked man’s extraordinary movements unfold.
The rear guards flanking the carriage had at least managed to draw their weapons.
‘Is he even human?’
Against the masked man’s transcendent abilities, it made no difference.
He dropped them one by one like a child swinging toys at younger kids.
The back of the neck, the instep, the crown of the head…
He struck precisely at the sparse gaps in their armor, and given that one blow sent each of them crashing down, he was clearly targeting vital points.
It seemed like he didn’t even need a minute to subdue each man.
Gulp.
I swallowed hard.
It felt like watching a fantasy martial arts film, meticulously orchestrated with CGI.
“Hmm, looks like that’s all of them.”
The masked man surveyed the ten guards sprawled across the ground, then gently patted each of their horses’ rumps.
“Go on now. Head back up.”
The horses seemed utterly oblivious to what had happened—their masters had collapsed so silently and smoothly.
The docile creatures whinnied softly and began climbing back the way they’d come.
‘Now I’m starting to understand.’
Watching the masked man casually stretch, I finally grasped it.
‘The golden-haired advisor to the crown prince. Leonard.’
Why the second prince had wanted him eliminated first in the previous life.
Leonard approached the carriage window and lowered it slightly, meeting my eyes.
First meeting. Those sharp, crimson eyes swept over me, and my body trembled involuntarily.
Terrifying. Formidable.
That was my first impression of Leonard.
‘It’s almost laughable that someone like this was framed so easily and died in the last life.’
A man who seemed to possess not a single weakness.
“Hehehehe! A Diolus noble lady! How very beautiful you are!”
…?
The voice speaking loudly for the unconscious guards to hear seemed…
‘…sloppy?’
Leonard moved toward the front of the carriage and gently lowered the already-unconscious coachman to the ground, then grabbed the reins.
“Ha, ha, ha!”
His clumsy laughter rang out sharply across the quiet mountain path.
“Ha, ha, ha, ha! I’ve successfully kidnapped a Diolus noble lady! Ha, ha, ha, ha!”
Oh, scratch what I said about him having no weaknesses.
‘He’s absolutely terrible at acting.’
* * *
Diolus Duchy Mansion.
Leonard, who had emerged from his room for the first time in half a year to greet his returning daughter, couldn’t believe his ears.
“We beg your forgiveness, Your Grace!”
“We are utterly ashamed, Young Master.”
The ten guards sent to Leubon that morning groveled on the floor, heads pressed to the ground, weeping and pleading.
“What… what are you talking about?”
Biego asked with a trembling voice, unable to comprehend despite hearing the same words repeated several times.
“He was unbelievably skilled. We couldn’t match him. Before we could even swing our swords, our vision went dark, and when we came to…”
“Forgive us! Please take our lives!”
A masked man had attacked them the moment they left Leubon.
A single person had subdued the Diolus household’s finest warriors and stolen the carriage.
“What is this madness?”
Molga, cradling the twins, muttered in a voice as pale as death itself.
“Mother, what about Rubetria? Tell me—where is Rubetria?”
Lilia’s face had gone ashen as well.
One of the guards spoke with eyes squeezed shut.
“The young lady, her maid, and Miss Siena the secretary were in the carriage. It appears the man took the entire carriage with them.”
“That can’t be—!”
Biego’s eyes went bloodshot as he shouted.
“That doesn’t make sense! Ten of you lost to just one man!”
“We are deeply ashamed, Young Master…”
Until that moment, Leonard hadn’t fully understood what had happened.
Or perhaps his mind was instinctively refusing to comprehend the situation—not because he couldn’t believe it, but because he didn’t want to.
“So… he took only the women? How cruel…”
“Ricky! Can’t you be quiet!”
Ricky had muttered numbly, clearly shaken. Molga pulled his arm and scolded him.
It was only when he heard Ricky’s slip of the tongue that Leonard finally understood.
“Oh… Father!”
How truly dangerous his daughter’s situation had become.
His massive frame staggered, and Biego caught him. Molga rushed over and helped support him as well.
“Are you all right, Father?”
“Rubetria… Rubetria…”
“Don’t worry. Everything will be fine. I’ll send out all our knights immediately to find Rubetria.”
“Please, Leonard. Now more than ever, you must keep your composure.”
“Biego.”
“Yes, Father.”
Leonard’s breathing became ragged. His chest felt unnaturally tight as he exhaled with difficulty.
“Rubetria…”
“Nothing bad will happen. I promise, I will find her safe and sound. Please don’t worry.”
“….”
“Come now, help Father back to his room.”
At Biego’s command, Leonard was transferred to the servants’ care. His unsteady steps fell heavily.
As Leonard returned to his room, a voice long forgotten echoed in his mind.
“Our daughter inherited from me at least. Thank goodness for that. Biego and Victor look just like you.”
His wife, who had left him without holding that beautiful daughter for years.
Even as she lay dying, emaciated and unrecognizable on her sickbed, she had worried about Rubetria, who was not yet four.
And yet Leonard had failed to care for his daughter properly in his grief, and now…
“Aaaahhhhh!!!”
The two servants supporting him trembled violently as Leonard screamed before his door.
Then.
[…Daaad, Dad~!]
Leonard froze solid.
[Father, can’t you hear me? What do I do—are you not in your room right now?]
From the enchanted tree blessed by the spirit Florinus.
Only Rubetria’s voice, hearable only in Leonard’s room and only to Leonard himself, reached his ears.
“Go.”
Leonard shoved the two servants away and rushed into his room, slamming the door shut. Then he ran to the window.
Through the slightly open window, a thick branch swayed gently.
“What is this. Where are you right now?”
[Dad! Phew, you scared me! To get straight to the point—I’m completely safe, so please don’t worry.]
“Are you in Leubon?”
[No, this isn’t the tree we planted in Leubon. This time, the crown prince himself made another one as a cute potted plant for me.]
…The crown prince!
At the mention of his name, Leonard’s face twisted hideously.
“That damn bastard!”
It all made sense now.
After the marriage proposal from the Imperial House had arrived, the crown prince had visited the mansion himself.
He had said it was done on the Imperial House’s independent authority and told Leonard not to mind—then he’d left.
‘I thought it was strange how he gave up so quickly after sending that coercive proposal.’
He’d been planning something like this all along.
“Tell me where you are right now. I’ll kill that bastard today.”
[Dad, please calm down. And… could you maybe speak a little more gently? I mean, only we can hear each other’s voices, but still.]
“….”
[The crown prince is the one who made this, so if he gets close enough, he’ll hear everything you say. He’s listening right now, so…]
“….”
[…Huh? What do you mean it’s fine? No, it’s not fine. Dad, from now on, please just speak a little more gently—]
“Listen here, you son of a bitch. Bring my daughter back right now. Before I tear your throat out.”
Leonard spoke quietly, and silence fell.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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