Kidnapped By The Crazy Duke

Chapter 2

Today is the day my sister and main character, Celine, will be abducted.

I had a plan for everything.

Now, if I make a scene, if I am hated, if I am trapped again, I will miss out on a thousand opportunities.

I am in the midst of doing chores that I was not destined to do.

Not being of a hardworking nature, I was slacking off in the guest room when I sneaked out into the hallway and heard a nasally voice behind me.

"Hey, wipe all the window frames in the mansion."

Vera, who suddenly became confident, threw a rag at me and hit my face. I warned her once again with an expressionless face.

"Did I say I'll kill you or not?"

"Before you do, you'll be locked in the stable first and freeze to death."

That jerk! I'll get my revenge, I promise.

I clenched my teeth and picked up the rag from the floor. It smelled bad, so I picked it up with my index finger and pretended to gently clean it as I made my way to Celine's room. 

As soon as I pushed open the door to her room and entered, the first thing I saw was a large bear skin on the floor.

The bear head the size of a large pot was looking at me. I didn't feel good as our eyes met. The bear was about the size of a house, which the Admiral was said to have caught with his hunting gun.

The room was filled with a large bed and ornate tapestries delicately woven with textiles and furniture crafted with fine raw wood, ivory and gold. It was the room of a noble princess. Seriously, I wonder if people will call her the Admiral's Princess.

"Diana, are you here?"

Celine, who sat in an armchair in front of the fireplace and covered herself with a cozy wool blanket, smiled.

As the weak female protagonist who gets cold easily, she was wearing quilted pajamas and a cashmere shawl.

"Yes, I'm here to clean the window frames.

She had that same dazzling platinum hair and crisp yellow-green eyes as her mothers. Her lips were like cherry blossoms and her cheeks were rosy and lovely.

Although marriage proposals flooded in because of her beautiful appearance, the admiral refused all of them and she was not going to get married until he was satisfied with the opponents. 

How amazing a place is he going to send her?

I thought Celine in the novel wasn't such a bad persona, so I decided to cut to the chase carefully.

About the main character has to teach the reader a lesson, so she has the right and proper spirit.

"Sister.

"Yes?

"Will you take me to the social gathering today? I've never been to one before."

With a pitiful and piteous look on my face, I looked at the fancy shoes she was wearing. Silence circulated between the two of us for a while. "She must be a good girl because she grew up being treated as a princess by the hero, right?" As if to disprove my stereotype of her as a "good girl", she spoke.

Her lips twisted up oddly and began to laugh in a high-pitched voice.

Diana, do you really want to go to the party?"

"Will you take me with you?"

"I don't think so, it's an important place where all the upper class people gather. I'm sorry. Dad will be furious if he finds out. You can't go outside, right? People will worry about you. You know that, right?"

What do you mean I know?

Her mouth said, "I'm sorry," but her expression was an unmistakable sneer. I have grasped what kind of disposition it is. It's someone who only superficially displays goodness but doesn't do good deeds that people can't see.

In other words, a person with hypocrisy.

She didn't mind at all that her sister was treated this way.

"Oh, well, that's all right then."

Celine smiled innocently, clapping her hands as if she suddenly remembered.

"How about you go as my servant and keep this a secret from father. Then I guess we can go together. What do you think? If you don't mind me calling you my servant, you may go with me. No one knows your face anyway, right?"

Is that the best you can do? You have a wicked temper to try to make me a servant instead of being your sister.

Still, it was the only way I could go with her, so I nodded, deliberately hiding my disgust.

"Yes, sister. Thank you so much."

I gave a fake smile and turned around, only pretending to scrub the window frame. On the way back, another maid gave me a cheeky grilling.

"Hey! Did you wipe this? The dust is still here."

Then you do it.

I replied roughly and lost myself in thought.

I kept wondering how I was going to get kidnapped instead of Celine.

Time passed and dusk fell and the entire mansion became busy. The servants clung to the princess who was going to the party, dressed her with extreme care and carried all kinds of dresses, shoes and trinkets.

As if it was an important position, they gave me decent clothes and allowed me to dress in basic attire. I wore a simple but well-cut neat dress and my hair combed neatly.

Since I didn't have any cosmetics, I sneaked into Veras room, stole some lip balm that looked homemade, and applied it appropriately to my lips only. Of course, I wasn't going to put a lot of lead and mercury filled cosmetics on my face.

I saw a black and white woman reflected in the mirror. My pale face, pitch black short hair, and even torn eyes were frosty cold and not at all lovely. Even the skinny body where the scars of cold treatment really showed. It looked gloomy and pitiful.

It was like a colorless shell left behind after Celine had taken everything away, including affectionation, beauty, and color.

As I was following Celine outside, I saw a black car and five soldiers in Belford uniforms on the outside of the mansion, towards the Portico (the space where guests get out of their cars at the entrance of the building).

Since Celine was the daughter of a naval general, it seemed that they had come to guard her as well as to go with her to the party. Celine, who had hastily arranged her platinum hair, moved her lips as if she was practicing smiling. She straightened her back and approached with elegant steps and greeted the tall black-haired officer.

"It is very reassuring to know that Colonel Grenendall will be guarding us. Thank you very much.

I approached him, wondering if I should also greet him out of courtesy.

Thank you.

Suddenly, I realized something. What? Colonel Grenendall?

My lips closed rapidly as I tried to express my gratitude.

It was Jeffrey Grenendall, from the ducal family, the main protagonist of the original story, and the lieutenant colonel who led the mission to rescue Celine. I dont think theres anything to say that he would protect me.

.

I hurriedly finished my greeting and was about to turn away when he called me back. Then, with a brisk gait, he asked.

What is your name?

His tone was polite, despite his stiff impression. I lifted the hem of my dress slightly and tilted my head. He followed me and bowed his head.

"Ah, shes my servant.."

Celine quickly interrupted and tried to make me her maid of honor, but it was a terrible idea. I said clearly, smiling slyly.

"My name is Diana Claire.

As soon as he heard my name, Colonel Grenendalls brows seemed to narrow a bit, but he quickly regained his original expression. He looked carefully at my hair, which was as black as his own.

"I've heard that there is another daughter in the Claire family, so it was you."

He looked at me with gentle eyes, as if he was looking at a child. Celine scowled and glanced over to notice me. I hadn't intended to reveal the fact of the abuse to him, who followed Celine in the original story, so I told him what people already knew.

"Yes. I was confined to the house because of my illness. So I don't think you knew. But I'm feeling better now." 

"I'm glad to hear that. I'm Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Grenendall."

"Yes, Lieutenant Colonel. It's nice to meet you.

"Black hair is rare in Belford. Its interesting.

Although he has a blunt face, a smile crossed his mouth at first glance.

My neck hurt from looking up because he was much taller. His blue eyes were like the ocean on a sunny day.

He has a high nose, a sharp jawline, a three-dimensional feature, and a solid build that looked great in a uniform.

In a word, its wonderful.

"Do you have a partner?"

He asked if I had a partner for the party. It was a low voice but sounded calm and gentle. Celine's green eyes bulged round as she stood there like a stone statue. Of course my vaguely colored eyes blinked in a panic. Because that question was directed at me.

"No, I don't.

If you don't have one, I'll be your partner.

"Me? My sister is more beautiful than me. Why"

Im curious about you.

He insisted, and then held out his hand to me as a way of asking for my permission.

I could feel Celine's tense eyes beside me.

She had a secret crush on him since her days in the noble private school. 

Why would the man who would be Celine's partner show any interest in me? 

Partnering with him would reduce the chances of me being kidnapped, and that was not good. A hint of compassion flashed through his eyes as he waited for my answer.

He looked at me and Celine alternately and sighed faintly. It was still too early for me to judge the opposite gender. 

The man was portrayed in the original as a hero who was just, honest, and unable to overlook the poor.

Now, that the look on my face was similar to the look of starvation in a poor country, so unlike my sister, he probably felt pity for me when I looked like a donkey in plain clothes.

However, wanting to tease Celine, I readily agreed to the Colonels proposal. Even if we were going as partners, I could just throw Celine at him and walk on my own.

"Yes, itll be my honor.

Celine, wearing a gorgeous dress and a wide-brimmed hat, got into the car first, and I followed after.

Since I possessed Diana, the road we were on for the first time was filled with horse-drawn carriages coming and going busily, sometimes only seen in museums.

I could see automobiles passing by.

Industrial plants spewed black soot and smoke, and railroads rumbled by. What century is it exactly? It seemed to be the end of the 19th century or the beginning of the 20th century, and it was a vague world.

In the sky, I could see a biplane flying in the trajectory of an old war movie. That's right. We were at war.

"Is this your first time outside?"

Celine asked me, laughing with triviality, as if she thought it was funny to see my face attached to the car window.

"Me, it's been a very long time.

"You're not really going to be his partner, are you? That person, he can't just pass by when he sees a poor person."

"I'm a poor person?"

"You're the one who told him that youre weak."

Celine replied with a coy face, and I nodded slowly.

Im still going to be his partner. I already said I would."

Celine's eyes narrowed fiercely with my calm tone. That's refreshing. I'm actually not interested in him, so when I'm gone, the two of them can eat well and live happily ever after.

Because Im going to be abducted today and leave here. Abduction ending. Celine, who had been sitting quietly, turned to me and slowly opened her mouth.

"Why did you change your way of speaking

Squeak!

As we entered a dark roadside with a long line of trees, the car came to a sudden stop with the sound of tires rattling.

"What's going on?"

Despite Celine's words, the driver remained silent, looking only ahead.

It was about this time that anxiety came to the fore in the strangely felt silence.

A single gunshot was heard from outside.

As if the sound of just one gunshot had been a trigger, there was an intense sound of gunfire covering the area as if an engagement had occurred.

Celine screamed and lowered her head . My sense of reality had not fully returned, and I looked out the car window without any fear. All I could think was that I had to get out of this poor environment, as had become my general goal in life.

If they were coming to take me away, that deadly gunfire would be like a welcoming salute to me. As I was repressing my buoyant mind, the door of the passenger seat next to the driver's seat suddenly swung open and a slender man in a dark blue coat climbed in. He looked at Celine, who was terrified, and me, who was quiet.

"Hmm, there's two of you.

The man's voice was soft and calm, despite the deadly engagement that had taken place outside. The car suddenly took off and drove off somewhere like crazy.

"Yes, sir. They're both Admiral Claire's daughters."

The reply of the driver, who appeared to be a spy, gave me confidence in my expectations. This was an abduction.

"Who is the oldest?"

The man in the passenger seat asked briefly.

Celine, who was quick-witted, raised her head and answered.

"Do you mean Celine?"

She was referring to me as if nothing had happened. She looked like a wicked woman.

"You're a liar."

The man made a chuckling sound, his eyes gracefully curved.

His hair looked crisp and gray, dyed in the dark. The car had passed through a secluded area and was approaching a road with streetlights.

The light from the passing streetlights melted into the man's drawing paper-like hair. It was definitely white. 

I remembered that it was someone's unique hair color.