I was nine years old.
Against a grown man, my body was pitifully weak.
On top of that, I hadn't trained with a sword.
Before my regression, I had been quite a capable swordswoman.
But after returning to the past, I had deliberately stayed away from swords.
I was afraid that, if I picked one up again, I might use it for evil.
As a result, I had become such a frail little girl that the phrase delicate scholar suited me perfectly.
I don't mind dying young...
But I refuse to die at the hands of scum like these.
I had no dream of eternal life.
Still, I didn't want my second life to end after being kidnapped by common criminals.
Even if this life wasn't particularly lovable...
Since I'd been given a second chance, I wanted to die peacefully and ordinarily.
Waiting for my mind to clear, I desperately thought through my options.
Can I escape?
"It's already been three days since that woman left. Still no word."
"It'll take time for her to prepare the money and get to the Red Well."
Three days?
I'd been unconscious for three whole days?
No wonder I felt so weak...
So thirsty.
Fragments of memory surfaced.
I remembered waking briefly every now and then, asking for water.
The kidnappers had given me some.
Had the water been drugged?
After thinking it over for a long while, I came to a conclusion.
I couldn't just lie here forever.
Plan A:
Convince them I was nothing more than an ordinary, helpless little girl.
I'd already learned that appearing intelligent would only dig my own grave.
"...Mmm..."
I pretended to rub my eyes beneath the blindfold before acting as though I was trying to remove it because it was uncomfortable.
Thankfully...
My hands and feet weren't tied.
Considering I'd gone three days without eating, there was virtually no chance I could overpower several adult men and escape.
Apparently they'd reached the same conclusion.
"Looks like she's awake."
"Hey, little one. You're finally up?"
A voice greeted me.
"Mmm... I can't see..."
"Take it off."
Someone approached and untied the cloth covering my eyes.
Even after opening them, nothing felt bright.
The room was dim and shabby.
There weren't even any windows.
I couldn't tell where I was...
Or whether it was day or night.
Two kidnappers... at least the ones I can see.
Pretending to wake up groggily, I quietly assessed the situation.
One man sat alone, playing cards.
The other lounged in a chair beside me, apparently killing time.
The one sitting next to me had a long scar across his forehead and wore a sword at his waist.
Judging by their appearance, they weren't members of some grand criminal organization.
They looked like common street thugs.
...I was captured by people like these?
What a blow to my pride.
"Hello there, little lady."
The man beside me grinned after our eyes met.
It wasn't a kind smile.
Just a foolish one.
"Hello."
I answered with an innocent smile.
I wasn't scared.
More importantly...
I needed time to learn about them.
Winning their favor was my best option.
Since they'd sent my nanny away, things would probably move forward eventually.
But one concern lingered.
...Karnon might abandon me.
He could decide I wasn't worth paying a ransom for.
Maybe he'd even think getting rid of me solved one of his problems.
I can't rely on Karnon.
Three days had already passed.
If the Imperial Palace still hadn't found kidnappers this pathetic...
What confidence could I possibly have?
If the week's deadline expired...
There was no telling what they'd do to me.
My trust in Karnon had already sunk below rock bottom.
Waiting obediently for him to save me wasn't an option.
The biggest problem was my condition.
Three days without food...
Drugged repeatedly...
I had almost no strength left.
"Mister... who are you?"
Powerless, I decided to imitate an innocent child.
Someone like... that fool Ray.
I blinked at him with wide, sparkling eyes.
He stared for a moment before smiling.
"What a cute little lady. My name's Tutu."
"Are you my new nanny?"
"A nanny? No."
"Then... are you Father's friend?"
I smiled brightly.
Like a clueless child who didn't understand anything.
If anyone who knew Dorothea Milanaire saw me acting like this...
They'd laugh themselves to tears.
I hated forcing a smile that didn't suit me just to win over kidnappers.
But I endured it.
"That's right."
"I'm your father's friend."
Perhaps because of my smile, Tutu's expression softened as he played along.
"Then... can I call you Uncle Tutu?"
"Uncle Tutu? Haha... sure."
Apparently he liked the title.
He grinned happily.
"For a noble girl, you're as pretty as a doll."
He stared at me as he muttered those words.
I forced another smile.
Come to think of it...
Someone who loved flattering me used to tell me something nearly every day.
"Your Majesty, if only you would smile, I'd do anything. Please... just smile once."
Whether those words had been sincere or not...
People had always called me beautiful.
Even back during Ray's investiture ceremony.
Everyone said I looked exactly like Empress Alice.
My late mother had been such a breathtaking beauty that Crown Prince Karnon had fallen in love with her at first sight.
Even after her death...
He never remarried.
Among the nobility, stories of her beauty were still occasionally told.
Personally...
I wasn't fond of my own appearance.
But apparently others didn't find it unpleasant.
"So... where are we?"
I brushed aside my thoughts and asked.
"This is Uncle's house."
A lie.
No matter how poor a home was...
There should've been signs of someone actually living there.
Still...
Pretending to believe him was my only choice.
Until I understood the situation better...
I needed to buy time.
"Wow! What's that on your face, Uncle? It looks so cool!"
I pointed at the scar on his forehead with an excited smile.
Instead of fear or threats...
He received praise.
Caught completely off guard, Tutu scratched his head bashfully.
"Haha! Really? Well, this happened when I fought seventeen dangerous men all by myself..."
"Seventeen against one? You fought seventeen people alone?"
His bragging knew no limits.
"That's right! Just me against seventeen!"
"Wow! You must be the strongest person in the whole world!"
I applauded enthusiastically.
With your body?
The only seventeen-on-one fight you've ever won was probably against ants.
"Originally we'd agreed to fight barehanded. But one dirty coward secretly pulled out a knife."
Ah.
Of course he did.
Naturally.
"He aimed straight for my heart. I dodged, and that's how I got this scar."
I'm not entirely sure how dodging a stab aimed at your heart resulted in a scar on your forehead...
But you must've dodged quite dramatically.
"That must've hurt."
"This little thing? It was nothing."
By now he'd completely forgotten he was my kidnapper.
Instead, he'd become an uncle proudly telling stories of his glorious youth.
"You're really strong, Uncle."
"And fast."
Tutu began making exaggerated whoosh whoosh sounds while wildly swinging his arms.
Please.
Have some shame.
There's a limit to how much I can humor you.
"A... maz... ing."
I clapped mechanically.
Encouraged, Tutu scooted even closer and launched into more unbelievable stories.
The more I listened...
The more impressed I became with his imagination.
Apparently he'd once wrestled a bear to death with his bare hands.
Its hide was hanging in his house.
Another time he'd survived a landslide by digging himself out with nothing but his hands.
Have you ever considered becoming a novelist instead?
With imagination like that, you'd make a living eventually.
I continued offering empty expressions of admiration.
Listening to his nonsense was every bit as exhausting as sitting face-to-face with Karnon.
Still...
It gave me time to secretly observe my surroundings.
Unfortunately...
There were no weapons.
No obvious exit.
Nothing that favored me.
Once I'd gathered enough information...
There was no point indulging Tutu's stories any longer.
"...Uncle."
"I'm hungry."
The moment there was a pause in his tale, I interrupted.
If I listened any longer...
I'd lose my temper.
Besides...
My hunger had reached its limit.
My hands were trembling.
"Oh dear! Our little lady's hungry!"
By now Tutu was completely on my side.
He walked over to the man still playing cards.
The other man sat slouched in his chair, idly shuffling the deck.
His annoyance was obvious.
"Danny. The kid says she's hungry."
"So?"
Danny glared at Tutu.
One glance was enough to tell who ranked higher.
"W-Well... it's about time we ate too... and she's been starving..."
Danny shot me a cold look.
Still...
It was indeed mealtime.
He reluctantly ordered Tutu to bring the food.
They cleared the card table and prepared lunch.
The meal looked surprisingly luxurious.
They're celebrating the ransom they'll get for kidnapping me.
A perfectly roasted chicken.
Bread smothered in melted cheese.
Only after smelling the food did the hunger I'd been ignoring come crashing back.
It had been a long time since I'd felt hunger this intense.
The kind of hunger...
That could make someone kneel and beg for a single piece of bread.
I refused to stoop so low as to beg my kidnappers.
I kept my mouth tightly shut.
If I opened it...
I was afraid I'd start drooling.
Without thinking much of it, Tutu picked me up and sat me beside the table.
"Where do you think you're sitting? Get down."
Danny glared at me.
His expression made it clear.
I wasn't welcome to eat with them.
I hadn't even sat down by my own choice.
Yet I was treated like a criminal.
The words Please... just one piece of bread... rose all the way to my throat...
Before I forced them back down.
"But she's just a child..."
"Have you lost your mind? Think we're on vacation?"
Danny frowned.
Tutu immediately backed down.
I obediently climbed off the chair.
I'd only taken a few steps...
Yet my vision spun violently.
Three days without food?
It feels like it's been much longer than that...
