I have to handle this by myself. Needless to say, I wasn’t physically strong enough to take on an adult man, nor did I have any offensive spells or items. What should I do? I opted to carefully observe the men. One was perhaps in his early forties and very scrawny. His face was red, and he staggered around, clearly intoxicated. Okay, I feel like I could take him on if he were alone…
The second man was taller and more proper. He wasn’t a noble, but he must’ve made a decent living. I guessed he’d hired someone from the dangerous parts of downtown for the job. When I tried to peer at his face, my eyes went wide with astonishment.
Isn’t that Uncle Guy?! My uncle had left Lawlife several years ago, but he hadn’t changed much. I recognized him immediately. Why is he trying to kidnap the crown prince? If he gets caught, he won’t just be killed. His entire family and bloodline might be eradicated! This mission had to end in failure. I steeled myself and raised my voice.
“Why, if it isn’t my dear uncle!” I shouted. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Huh?” the scrawny man asked.
“Who…” my uncle started before he turned and saw me. “Y-You’re…”
“It’s me! Your cute niece, Misha,” I said.
Uncle Guy paled. He glanced at his scrawny buddy, perhaps contemplating killing him off, but of course, I wasn’t going to let that happen.
“Uncle Guy, are you trying to help this poor man?” I asked.
“Y-Yeah, that’s it,” he said. “I’ll take him to the hospital, so there’s nothing for you to worry about.”
“Oh, nonsense! I imagine you’re quite busy yourself, I’m sure. Father is nearby, so we can take this man to our friend’s hospital!” I drew in a breath before shouting at the top of my lungs. “Father! FATHER! Over here!”
My father was in Lawlife. He couldn’t hear me, no matter how loudly I shouted, but I wanted to make it seem like he was right around the corner. My uncle panicked.
“A-All right. I’ll leave this man to you!” Uncle Guy stammered before turning to his accomplice. “C-C’mon! Let’s go!”
“Why?” the scrawny man asked.
“Just shut up and come!”
Uncle Guy immediately fled. I was relieved that my little ruse scared him away. And now, I have to carry this man to the knights. He looked around seventeen and much taller than me. How could a crown prince be kidnapped like this? In any case, I should hurry. I shook his shoulders, hoping to wake him up.
“Nnn…” he groaned.
He furrowed his brows and looked like he was in pain, so I loosened his necktie and undid a few buttons. Even so, he groaned weakly. A glimpse under his clothes reminded me of the poor ladies forced to wear tight clothing beneath their dresses for their societal debuts. A bandage was roughly tied around his chest. Is he hurt? Based on how deep his wounds are, a potion might help him. I undid the bandage, only to be met with an absolutely earth-shattering view—I was staring at a woman’s chest.
I almost gasped but silenced myself. Oh, I should be praised for my restraint. Why is this lady dressed like a man? The crown prince of our kingdom is the royal family’s only child, I think… What was his name again? I can’t recall. But he should be seventeen, just like me. He, I mean, she, or whatever—if this person is the crown prince or related to him, I need to deliver her to safety.
Then, I recalled that I bought a stimulant at the pharmacy earlier—I thought it rude not to make a purchase. I didn’t fully undo the bandages; I just loosened them a little before buttoning up her clothes. I then had her drink the potion.
“Ngh…” she groaned.
I begged her to open her eyes as I shook her shoulders, hoping that it would rouse her. “Please! Wake up!”
“Huh?!” she gasped as she locked her beautiful emerald eyes with mine. “Where…am I?”
“Downtown. It’s dangerous here, so we should head somewhere safe.”
Her golden hair would surely attract some eyes. I placed a handkerchief over her head and tied it under her chin.
“Um, what is this?” she asked.
“To protect you from dust!” I cried.
I’m lying, I know! But this was far preferable to her getting abducted again. We had no time to lose. I tugged on her arm and marched ahead, paying no heed to the fact that she was still in a daze. Surprisingly, her footsteps were firm, and we practically raced out of there and into Main Street. I spotted a pair of women knights patrolling the street and hastily flagged them down.
“Um, excuse me!” I shouted.
“Is anything the matter?” a knight asked.
“Um, I, uh, found this man unconscious! He was lying on the ground!”
“My, oh my…”
I whispered into the knight’s ear that this was the crown prince, and the knights, who didn’t recognize the royal at first, stared at me with astonishment.
“We shall send him back to the royal palace immediately,” she said.
“Thank you,” I replied.
When I tried to leave, the crown prince stopped me.
“Young lady, it seems I’ve troubled you a fair bit. I’d like to thank you. Would you kindly tell me your name?”
If I did so, I feared that my uncle’s heinous deeds would come to light as well. I smiled and gave the royal my cliché line.
“Oh, I’m nobody, and certainly not a person worthy of an introduction,” I said. “Please, don’t mind me.”
Being accepted into the school of my dreams might also be affected if my uncle’s misdeeds were exposed, so I couldn’t get caught here. I bowed and left as fast as I could. The knight yelled at me to halt, but I wasn’t keen on being interrogated as I rushed back to my hotel room.
What a day… I wondered if I should tell my mother, but ultimately, I decided to keep quiet.
If I were to tell anyone, it would be my father. In any case, how could Uncle Guy be so foolish? Kidnapping the crown prince? I had always hoped he would live a quiet, peaceful life without bothering anyone, but it seemed reality was quite different. Hopefully, I’d never meet him again.