Vol 3 Chapter 32 (1/2)

Volume 3, Chapter 3: Captive

Part 2: Pages 198 - 228

Though it’s a bit aard to say this myself, I think that I, Jared Stuart, as easily and I’ people’s expressions So I’ve been able to do le

If there was one, single thing that I couldn’t do easily, it would have to do with my fiancée Katarina Claes

I was first attracted to her when I s for her are so crazy strong they even shock me

And yet… Katarina just won’t dance tofurther and further away froether the more I’m attracted to her…

Take today for exaotten pretty used to her actions and had thought that I wouldn’t be too surprised at anything she did…

But at the sight of her on the stage, my heartbeat rose and she stole my heart anew Just how many times must she stealmore attracted to her

However, I’ve honestly gotten a little frustrated that Katarina just sits there normally with not a hint of a blush when I say lines that easily fluster other noble ladies

That’s why I had planned to takeher even more than usual at the ball, to have my fill of her soft body… but my hopes remained unfulfilled as Katarina suddenly disappeared

To s worse, Katarina’s location reht little of it, figuring that she had gotten lost or so in the academy since it was dark outside It’s normal for her to not sit still and listen to instructions

But after a little while, I realized that wasn’t the case Apparently no one saw her after she went into the waiting room Is that even possible? There were even a few people who said that theirmy sense of unease

I recall last year’s incident Katarina nearly lost her life after forbidden dark ic was cast on her However, that incident was over and done with The mastermind Rafael lost that power anyway

So what in the world is going on this time?! Why is it always Katarina…?

My feelings did a 180 and I grew irritated But even as I continued ress and so I became even more irritated That hen…

“… Um, Jared-sama, a letter has arrived for you,” says one of my servants in a very respectful voice

That hesitation is probably because I’nize that, but I still can’t smile like I usually do

Even as I think that I couldn’t care less about a letter at a tihtened servant and ask:

“Who sent it?”

“Well the thing is, the sender’s na troubled

“The sender’s na?”

Thinking rationally, it’s unbelievable that someone wouldn’t put their name on a letter addressed to royalty What does this mean? Did some idiotic noble write ?

As I muse, I accept the letter from my servant

“I have not read the letter, but I did verify that it was not dangerous”

Hearing my servant’s words, I open the letter with no worries What I saritten there when I passedI hadn’t even considered

“What&

hellip; is this…?”

I lost my voice in my shock

I was kidnapped, brought to some place who-knohere, and my kidnappers don’t even want ranso on As if I’d be able to relax in a situation like this!

… Or at least that’s what I had thought, but…

When I say that I’ht sweets, when I say that I want to read a book since I’ht books Even better, when I said that I couldn’t relax in a dress, I was brought so

At the acade, but here I can laze around as much as I want If I were at the Claes household, Mother would probably barge into the rooo practice your manners!”

But here, no one barges in like thatI can read books, eat sweets, and laze around as much as I want

A little over half a day since I woke up in an unknown location, I began to happily make myself at home

“It’s a bit strange for someone in my position to say this, but Katarina-sama, are you not ill at ease?” Lana says with a complex expression as she watches me

“Ill at ease?”

“Yes About where this is, when you don’t even knohy you were kidnapped”

Oh, right! I was kidnapped! I was having such a pleasant tiot about that

“R – right”

I’m startled after Lana reminds me of my current situation

“Don’t tell ot?”

Lana widens her blue eyes in great shock I begin to feel somewhat ashamed

“Sorry,” I apologize

Lana looks doards She’s probably exasperated at how carefree I auard down in such a pleasant place

As I watch Lana, who’s still looking doards, I notice that her shoulders are severely tre

What?! What’s theill?

“L – lana, what’s the ht?” I say in worry

“I – I’ize forvoice

“You’re really alright?”

“Yes I’m fine,” she responds this time with a firm voice She then raises her head, looks atsmile, “Katarina-sama, you’re really just like the stories”

“The stories?”

I ondering what she hed offsmile I feel I’ve seen that smile before… but I met Lana for the first tiination

In this way, I remembered the situation I was in and asked Lana questions, but as expected, she couldn’t answer thes her h, even if I forbid Anne froly tells Mother about how I snuck out some sweets, or how I broke flower vases and statues…)

Since that was the way things were, I decided to continue to happily laze about in the roos with Lana, since she ith reat at tree cli, she said that it sounded fun With sparkling eyes, she then asked s so close

This is bad – I ht end up addicted to this lifestyle

I had lunch brought toeating all by myself, but for dinner, I was escorted to a different room

It had a needlessly long table with cutlery already laid out It seeht here

At the instructions of the servants in the room, I sat at the seat that had been prepared for me Since the seat across from me has been prepared for me as well, it seeht that, Selena ca close behind

“Katarina-sa that I’ in my seat

“Ah, yes, thanks to you”

I was treated to such a pleasant experience that I alot that I had been kidnapped

“I a particularly delicious for lunch, and had you eat in your s her head deeply

This country’s nobles generally always eat plate after plate of fancy food in roo That’s probably why Selena is apologizing like this, but I don’t think that reat variety of different food to eat After all, if I’ to try it all, often leading to a stomach-ache

Thinking back, I was given just the right amount of food for lunch, and I was able to eat it happily with Lana, so there’s really no reason for Selena to apologize

“No no Really, I’m completely fine,” I say sincerely

“… I’ you force yourself”

Shemyself

Looking at Selena’s pained face ize

From Selena’s appearance alone, she looks like a run-of-the-irl She probably has a delicate and kind heart

Even if I say “You’re really treatingof her feelings and forcing myself

Perhaps Selena sees irl as well

That’s not to say that I’irl as well My heart is fairly delicate as well

For example, my delicate heart is hurt when someone eats sweets I had wanted to eat later or when birds eat etables that were nearly ready for harvest… but neither of those things happened today

After all, I can eat as much as I want, read asangry at o as far as to say that I want to live here for a little while to get my fill of this lifestyle

But Selena, unaware ofto be attentive to s

When I gorge ht out to us, she tells me “You don’t have to force yourself to eat it,” in a worried tone of voice (Of course, I’ because I want to eat)

Really, I’m more worried about Selena, who’s barely touched her food

Honestly, Selena looks so unwell fro about me that I’d think that Selena was the one as kidnapped

After that, she askedI felt I wasI needed

You’ve already givenhtful I feel like this is the most I’ve been spoiled in the past sixteen years

Just fro this short while, I can tell that she didn’t want to kidnap me

Dinner is nearly over and I’m completely full As I ,” toin a corner When our eyes meet, I notice that her eyes narrow

This is – she’s exasperated at otten that I’ve been kidnapped again! Wait, I haven’t forgotten I’ve just letsuch pleasure So I ask:

“Uis over, but what in the world do you ’?”

I try asking Selena the question I asked at the very beginning It’s not like I’ve forgotten that I’ vacation or anything! Not at all!

At an to look even worse

Urgh, I kind of feel bad, sorry Selena

“Yes, of course YouAt this rate, you won’t be able to sleep…”

No, you’ve treated me very well so I don’t feel ill at ease at all, and I feel confident that I’ll be able to sleep deeply tonight But I keep quiet and listen to Selena for now

“The truth is, I brought you here because…”

Just when Selena says those words, that butler Rufus steps in and cuts off her words