'Since I ordered him to do what he was most confident about, then how badly as he treated you?'

Christine laughed almost hysterically, looking out at the dark street that pa.s.sed by quickly. The face of Themes at her spiteful smile was astounded, but Christine was laughing and never noticed. Finally, the carriage stopped in front of a small mansion at the edge of Harrods Street.

"Where is Eva?"

Christine looked at Themes, as she could not see Eva's carriage in front of the house.

"I'm sure she's nearby. It's time, so she'll be back soon. Please go in."

At the mention of Themes, Christine got off the wagon, but pa.s.sed through a small courtyard into the building. She looked around in antic.i.p.ation of the scene she was about to see. "Where is she?"

As soon as she looked around the single-story building and spoke, Themes began to go around to check.

"Is n.o.body here?"

There was a human voice, so there must be a certain reaction, but it was quiet inside. Christine's brow furrowed. "You didn't kill her, did you?"

She thought it would be all right for the Kiellini princess to die and disappear, but she preferred the girl to be afflicted by Francis for the rest of her life as well. Christine pressed her headscarf deeper so that Princess Kiellini wouldn't recognize her.

Christine expected a miserable sight to be found soon and instead, Themes told her in a trembling voice, "Miss, there's no one."

"What are you talking about?" At the incredible words, Christine raised her voice.

"There's no one here. No, there's no sign of anyone who was here." When it became clear that things were wrong, Themes's voice grew fainter and fainter.

"Get Eva right away. What the h.e.l.l happened here?"

Themes incited Eva to organize this. Eva disliked Christine's fickle, and petulant personality, yet Themes furtively dumped this work on her, asking her to take on the rest of the job, as she would be responsible for currying favor with Christine.

Eva, unaware of Themes's secret designs to wash her hands of harming the Kiellini successor, took care of the job without thinking further.

Eva had waited alone at the mansion today for the subject of kidnapping, but as soon as she confirmed Princess Kiellini had arrived, she gave the money she had promised to the death-row criminal and quickly left. Originally, she was supposed to wait in front of the mansion until the work was finished, but she was afraid she would be seen by others.

Eva then left Harrods Street and returned to the mansion in time for her appointment. Not expecting anything to go wrong at all, she saw the carriage of Baron Rabiel had already arrived, hurried into the mansion, and found Christine. "Miss, you arrived early."

Christine glared at Eva who opened her mouth to emphasize that she was not early. "Where the h.e.l.l have you been and come from? Why isn't there anyone in the mansion?"

Eva looked at Themes in surprise at Christine's words.

Eva's eyes grew bigger as Themes approached and whispered quickly, "What happened here? This is the right place. Why isn't anyone here?"

"That's not possible! I came out after the death-row criminal attacked the princess. I gave him half the money I promised, and I'd give him the rest of it when he finished. He wouldn't have left without receiving the money…"

Slap! Christine's hand hit Eva's cheek without mercy. "Why weren't you watching here? Did I order you to do things so poorly? Didn't you think he'd run away if he was given a greater reward by Princess Kiellini?"

Eva's mouth closed as she tried to protest against something unexpected.

Christine wondered how she would tell Francis about it. If she didn't give the princess away, her future would be mortgaged to Francis. "No! Find him now. Get the princess!" she screamed frantically.

Themes hurried to say, "Calm down, Lady Anais. I'll go to the Kiellini mansion now. If the princess hasn't returned yet, the mansion will be in disarray. Then I'll search through the neighborhood and bring her back, because he'll still be with the princess."

At Themes's words, Christine calmed down. "You have to bring her at all costs, or my life is over, because I won't be able to get away from Francis."

To avoid the frantic Christine, Themes quickly pulled Eva away from the mansion. "How come you've done this?"

"I came out after I saw him knock Princess Kiellini to the floor. I told him people were coming soon, so I thought he wouldn't run away. I didn't think this was going to happen…"

Themes sighed deeply. "I'll go to the Kiellini mansion first. You have to figure out what to say to the lady."

After soothing Eva, Themes started to the Kiellini mansion in a carriage.

--------------------

Ian arrived at the Harrods' mansion as usual, and headed back to the dressing shop in a black carriage without an emblem, driven by two guards disguised as his a.s.sistants.

The imperial driver and two other guards remained at the mansion to disguise Killian's activities. They had been waiting at the Harrod street mansion, and as planned, they drove around Eloz Street with an empty carriage bearing the emblem of Killian, went back to the Imperial Castle, and then they were supposed to go to Harrods Street.

Ian drove through the dark streets in the unmarked carriage and waited for the Prince to come out of the dressing shop after finis.h.i.+ng.