Please Save My Child - Chapter 7

***

“Your Grace, Reina Boten requests an audience.”

“……”

Reina Boten.

Damian didn’t bother memorizing the names of all his employees.

But hers—hers was impossible to ignore.

She was the woman who, on an unbearably cold winter day, had wrapped her child tightly in her own coat, standing before the ducal estate, her skin red from the cold, sobbing desperately as she begged him to save her daughter.

There had been plenty of people who cried in fear of Winternight.

But she was the first to cry for the sake of her child.

At the time, he had been in a foul mood, unwilling to take in some nameless woman.

If she hadn’t, for the briefest moment, overlapped with his late wife in his mind, he would have ordered her to be cast out.

Even now, he found his own actions puzzling.

They looked nothing alike.

Perhaps it was because of the child in her arms.

The little girl, the same age as the daughter he had lost.

Reflecting on this, the duke had given Reina a job as a maid and arranged accommodations where her daughter could stay with her.

A year later, he had finally found his own daughter, Estelle.

And when it came time to choose someone to care for her, it was only natural that Reina came to mind.

“Let her in.”

The Duke of Winternight leaned back in his chair and casually set down the quill he had been holding.

A moment later, the door opened, and Reina entered.

A face too dull to suit the name Reina.

She spoke, “…There are forces plotting to kidnap Miss Estelle.”

“…Who are they trying to kidnap?”

The moment his daughter’s name was mentioned, the duke’s low voice rumbled with menace.

At the weight of his intimidation, Reina turned pale, clasping her hands tightly together.

“It seems fools eager to die have finally shown themselves.”

Unconcerned by Reina’s reaction, the duke scoffed and rose from his seat.

Reina, trembling, forced herself to stand firm and continued.

“I—I can help you catch them.”

“……”

How laughable.

Who was helping whom?

Even so, the duke fixed his cold blue gaze on Reina.

A brief silence followed.

“Help me?”

“…Yes.”

Reina nodded and took out a small piece of paper from the pocket of her apron.

“T-this is the letter written by the person who ordered me to kidnap the young lady.”

“……!”

The duke reached out toward Reina, but she quickly hid the letter behind her back.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?”

“I-I want to make a deal.”

At that moment, rage flickered in the duke’s eyes.

But Reina showed no sign of backing down.

Suppressing his fury, the duke asked in a low voice, “What do you want?”

He could already guess.

Gold, land, a house—

The same material things that all those who had falsely claimed to have found his daughter had begged for.

But what she said next caught him completely off guard.

“My child…”

“……”

“Please save my child.”

The moment Reina finished speaking, a single tear slipped down her cheek.

The sorrow that had been choking her finally spilled over.

Gripping the letter as if it were her last lifeline, she pleaded, “P-please… I will accept whatever punishment you deem fit. I… I deeply apologize for daring to bargain with the young lady’s life…”

For a servant to propose such a deal—it was treason.

Especially for Reina, who had cared for Estelle almost like a nanny.

To think she would attempt to trade information about those planning to kidnap the very child she was supposed to protect.

‘It’s despicable.’

Reina felt like she had become a villain.

The duke said nothing, only staring at her in silence.

The foreign texture of the letter in her hands made the grim reality settle in.

But Reina forced herself to stay focused—Bonita was out there, alone.

She had no choice.

“…I—I hear letters often hold a great deal of information.”

“……”

She had no idea how much he would listen, but she had to try.

After all, the alternative—the kidnapping—was already a set path.

“I… I once did menial work at a stationery workshop.”

During the social season, the demand for fine stationery surged.

Workshops often hired temporary assistants to help with production, and Reina had been one of them.

Drawing from those past experiences, she wove a seamless lie.

There was some truth to it—just enough to be convincing.

Even she was surprised at her ability to craft such a deception under pressure.

The duke listened silently to Reina’s deductions before finally speaking.

“…So, you’re saying this particular stationery is rare?”

“Yes, I—I’m certain.”

Each trading company had its own unique method for producing stationery.

From the slight texture of the paper to its faint scent, the differences were subtle—imperceptible to the average buyer.

By tracing the distribution route of the stationery, it would be possible to narrow down the workshops that produced it.

From there, they could compile a list of the noble families who had purchased it.

Reina trembled as she watched the duke remain silent for a long time.

‘Was it not enough?’

Of course, who would believe her?

He might even suspect her of laying a trap.

Reina bit her lip hard.

The towering man simply stared at her for a long moment before finally speaking.

“…When making a deal,”

“……”

“When making a deal, you should never reveal what you have first.”

“……”

“And…”

The duke seemed about to continue but furrowed his brow instead.

After hesitating for a moment, he muttered softly to himself.

“…Just what kind of person do you take me for?”

“……?”

Reina didn’t understand his words.

But by the time she processed them, the duke had already turned away.

With his long strides, he crossed the office and pulled a cord hanging from the wall.

There were two cords—one black and one red.

The one he pulled was red.

The meaning of that cord became clear almost immediately.

No sooner had he pulled it than the door behind him swung open, and the knight commander entered, fully dressed in uniform.

“You summoned me, my lord.”

“Yes.”

Reina stood frozen, watching the scene unfold before her.

The knight commander glanced briefly at Reina before bowing once more to the duke.

“This maid… Reina Boten’s child has been taken hostage.”

“……”

“The original target was Estelle, which makes this my responsibility. Since there was a ransom letter, that means someone infiltrated the estate…”

“M-Master!”

Reina, forgetting all etiquette, cut into the conversation.

“What is it?”

Despite her outburst, the duke showed no signs of reprimanding her.

“I-I… This ransom letter contains the location for the exchange.”

Her hands trembling, Reina held the letter out to the duke.

He watched her closely for a moment before closing the distance between them in just a few strides.

“Reina Boten.”

“…Yes?”

“I believe I told you earlier—you should never reveal what you have first when making a deal.”

By the time she realized it, the ransom letter she had been clutching was already in the duke’s hand.

“What would you have done if this was all a lie? Now that I have the ransom letter, what if I refuse to comply?”

Understanding his words, Reina’s eyes widened.

No matter how desperate she was, she should have hidden her most valuable information.

“…Ah.”

“Knight Commander, prepare to move to the location specified in this letter.”

“Understood.”

The duke handed the letter to the knight commander.

Not that it mattered—had Reina not given it willingly, he would have taken it anyway.

“There may be a spy within the estate. Take only the elite knights.”

“As you command.”

The knight commander bowed and left the office.

Only then did Reina collapse to the floor.

“…Hah.”

‘What is even happening?’

She pressed her hand against her racing heart.

“T-thank you… Th-thank you…”

Why was it so difficult to say just those few words?

Why was her vision so blurry?

Why did her heart feel so heavy, and why did her throat burn?

Tears spilled from her eyes, darkening the pristine carpet beneath her.

Her normally well-groomed pink hair was now disheveled.

The face that always wore a gentle smile for the children was now twisted with lingering fear and a hint of relief, tangled together in tears.

Because finally, finally—there was hope.

The Duke of Winternight silently watched Reina cry for a long while before helping her up and guiding her to the sofa.

Handing her a handkerchief, he spoke, “A parent’s love for their child is the same for everyone.”

“……”

“As much as you cherish my daughter, I will not disregard yours.”

“…Yes.”

“Boten, you must have had many thoughts as you carried that ransom letter here.”

The duke’s gaze darkened slightly as he recalled his first encounter with Reina.

He then sat across from her.

The handkerchief he had given her was already damp with tears.

Yet her small body continued to weep, as if she could cry forever.

Strangely, not once did she let out a single sob.

The duke left the office, letting her cry in peace.

For a nobleman to show such consideration to a mere servant—it was absurd.

But he reasoned with himself.

Reina was Estelle’s favorite person.

She was a pitiful woman who, for Estelle’s safety, had no choice but to stay behind while others went to rescue her daughter.

Lost in thought, the duke murmured, “This is troublesome…”

This kidnapping incident made him realize something he had overlooked.

When Estelle had been missing, his only concern had been his own survival.

But now, he had to protect her.

And protecting her didn’t just mean safeguarding her body—it meant protecting her heart as well.

That small daughter of his—she was surrounded by people who cherished her.

And those people…

They had their own precious ones, too.