The Strongest Daughter-In-Law Of The Black Lion Family [EN]: Chapter 103

흑사자 가문의 최강 며느리 (103)

#103.

I stared at Kanehri with a bewildered expression. Shouldn’t he, knowing that he kidnapped the wife of his benefactor, return me as a matter of course?

But Kanehri’s idea of what was right and proper seemed different from mine. He even tilted his head, arguing back.

“This carriage is mine now. So, you, who were riding in it, are as good as mine. Where do you think you’re going?”

What is this absurd logic?

It wasn’t originally mine, but I stole it, so now you’re mine, huh?

…What the hell?

I felt an insurmountable wall forming between Kanehri and me, who had been getting along so well just moments ago.

I was mistaken to think we could communicate.

“Fine. Let’s say that’s your usual motto. But I’m Zerachiel’s wife, aren’t I? Are you going to repay kindness with enmity?”

Kanehri laughed heartily, as if he liked that idea even more.

“Of course! That’s the ultimate trophy. To get my hands on the most cherished being of the person I wanted to defeat! Is there any better prize than this?”

Indeed, this world is hopeless.

I distanced myself from Kanehri, sending him a cold glare.

“Well, I understand your intentions. But just know that you’re making a huge mistake right now.”

“Why?”

“As you said, Zerachiel is crazy about me, so if he finds out I’ve been kidnapped here, he’ll come running like a shot. In short, to Zerachiel, you’re just dust or a booger to be eliminated.”

“Why only such trivial examples?”

“Everything is trivial in the eyes of the merciful?”

“Oh, now that I hear it, that’s true.”

He understands this?

I stared at Kanehri with a pathetic look, as he agreed with my sarcastic remark. He’s a strangely innocent thief, so I don’t know what tune to dance to.

“Anyway, if you lay a finger on me, I won’t let you get away with it.”

“Are you asking me to wait until you become an adult?”

“Even when I become an adult, I have no intention of marrying you!”

“Krrng!”

Even Ella joined in the protest, and Kanehri spoke as if he had been curious all along.

“Come to think of it, what’s that rabbit? Is it a pet?”

“She’s my escort knight.”

“Eek?”

Ella was the first to react to his attitude, as if to say, ‘What kind of escort is that?’

“Kyak!”

Ella lunged at him, hissing, and Kanehri stepped back in feigned surprise. I stroked Ella’s head, who was very excited, and said.

“She hasn’t been able to transform into a human since you attacked the carriage.”

“Ihya, she was a beast-person [a person with animal features]? She must be terribly weak.”

Kanehri reacted indifferently, as if he had no interest in the weak. After a moment, he ordered his subordinates.

“Take her to the underground.”

“Yes, sir!”

The subordinates saluted and escorted me away. Fortunately, they didn’t seem to be putting me in the cage where Hebel’s knights were imprisoned.

I silently followed them as they led me to some kind of tunnel. It seemed they had created an underground prison inside the tunnel.

I frowned at the damp and humid air, and Jonathan telepathically spoke to me.

— Oho, quite an elaborate tunnel.

‘Can you see the structure? Even with sunglasses on?’

— Tsk! The sunglasses are for style, style! …Ahem, anyway, tunnels are my specialty. How could I not grasp the structure of this tunnel?

Jonathan grumbled, not forgetting to brag about himself. Well, what place is more familiar to a mole than a tunnel?

It was good news, as I thought it would be difficult to escape before Zerachiel came to rescue me.

I asked with shining eyes.

‘Hey, Elder. Isn’t it easier to create a new entrance by modifying an existing tunnel than digging a new one?’

— You’re stating the obvious! Besides, my digging skills are the best on the continent. Modifying this tunnel is a piece of cake!

‘Then making an escape route will be easy, right?’

— Of course! I can make an escape route in three days. Of course, modifying someone else’s tunnel is something you shouldn’t do…

‘They kidnapped me first, committing a shameless act that shouldn’t be done morally. Is that important in this situation?’

I retorted irritably, and Jonathan let out a hearty laugh, changing the subject.

— Ha, but even if they acted evilly, we shouldn’t commit illegal acts…

— Just do it unless you want to drown.

— Eek!

Tabi, who had been listening all along, joined the conversation, and Jonathan gasped in fear. Judging by how he covered his mouth first, he must have suffered quite a bit from Tabi.

I ordered Jonathan, who had become docile at Tabi’s words.

‘Three days is too long. Make an escape route in two days.’

— Sigh, using an old man like this. You’re a terrible young one.

The sapphire on the bracelet disappeared with a rustle. He seemed willing to do it, even though he said that.

— I’ll do my best.

With those words, Jonathan’s energy disappeared with a rustle.

* * *

After spending a full day in prison like that, I lay sprawled out as if it were my own home, complaining about the guard’s attire.

I poured out all sorts of complaints, such as complaining about the food, the bed, and the smell, and the guard was sick and tired of me calling him.

“Please be quiet. If you unnecessarily upset Lord Kanehri, you won’t even be able to recover your bones [face severe consequences].”

“Okay, so give me food. I’m starving to death!”

The guard looked at me as if to say, ‘What is this?’ as I lay sprawled on the prison bed.

“You’re so demanding for a hostage.”

“Seeing as you’re doing everything I ask, it seems like Kanehri told you to grant me anything, right?”

“It’s Lord Kanehri!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

I shrugged and made a cheeky expression, and the guard’s face turned red and blue before he disappeared.

He probably meant to feed me quickly and shut me up rather than argue with me.

It was not long after the guard disappeared that the entrance suddenly became noisy.

I, who had been aimlessly rolling around on the bed, raised my upper body at an angle and stared outside the bars.

It seemed like another attractive trophy had appeared.

‘I wonder which poor beast-person was caught by Kanehri.’

It was just as I was about to get up to see the other person out of simple curiosity.

The guard was dragging a beast-person along.

Judging by the dust on their clothes, they seemed to have been beaten up badly before coming. The gloomy figure wearing a deep hood looked just like a fugitive.

‘Well, Ella said this is a lawless zone, so if a beast-person is passing through here, it means they’re that desperate.’

I was about to cut off my interest in the other person without seeing any more.

If the hooded person hadn’t found me and called out to me.

“Lady Cheresia?”

Huh? This voice?

I was startled and jumped up from where I had been lying down. It was because I heard a voice that shouldn’t be heard in this place.

I rushed to the front of the bars and checked the other person, muttering with an astonished face.

“Victor Orban?”

“So it was Lady Cheresia!”

Victor Orban greeted me with a bright face. He was glad to see someone he knew, as he had been afraid of being dragged to a place where no one knew him.

Of course, I would have been genuinely happy to see him if I hadn’t heard from Ella that Victor was a traitor.

‘He clearly doesn’t understand the situation yet.’

If he was being chased by Zerachiel and Zachari, he should have been horrified to see me, not happy.

I raised my voice, pretending to be happy as well.

“Why are you here? Did Zerachiel send you? To check if I’m here?”

Victor shamelessly lied, without even wetting his lips.

“Ah, y-yes! I happened to be gathering herbs that only grow near here, so I came first! I was so worried that Lady Cheresia might be trembling in such a dangerous place. But then I got caught like this. Hahaha…”