Chapter 42: kill them all
The Baron, standing confidently on the steps of his mansion, actually looked surprised for a brief moment as he watched Eric lying on the grass, pinned down by soldiers. Eric had managed to land a blow, even if it was with a wooden sword, and had shown unexpected speed. The Baron hadn’t expected any fight from the supposedly ’useless’ Third Prince.
The initial surprise faded quickly, however, especially when his son, Lucas, stepped up beside him, wiping a speck of dust from his own fine tunic after effortlessly kicking Eric across the lawn.
"He has some strength, Father," Lucas commented calmly, though his eyes held a flicker of surprise as well. "More than the rumors suggested. But," he added with a confident smirk, looking down at Eric struggling on the ground, "it’s nothing significant. Not enough to overpower us."
Hearing his son’s assessment, the Baron’s cold smile returned. He looked down at Eric with amusement, like a cat playing with a cornered mouse. "You asked me why I committed such a crime, Third Prince," the Baron said, his voice dripping with mock pity. "Poor, naive boy. Did you really think kidnapping this girl’s family was my first crime? Or that it would be my last?"
He laughed, a short, ugly sound. "I haven’t just kidnapped her family," he declared, gesturing vaguely towards the sobbing Alina, who was still held captive nearby. "Over the years, I’ve arranged for the ’disappearance’ of many families. Families here in my lands, families in Crestport, even some troublesome individuals in the capital itself." His smile widened cruelly.
"They were all sold. Sold off to the Spider Syndicate, or to other criminal groups that operate freely within your father’s ’glorious’ kingdom." He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Your father, the King? He has no idea how deep the rot goes. No idea at all."
While the Baron was boasting, Alina, who had been held silent with a sword at her throat, suddenly cried out, her voice raw with desperation. "My family! Where are they?! What did you do with them?!"
The Baron turned his cold gaze towards her, annoyance flashing across his face at being interrupted. He looked her up and down dismissively. "Your family?" he repeated casually, as if discussing the weather. "Oh, them." He waved a hand carelessly. "They became... inconvenient. Unnecessary baggage once I had you." He smiled thinly. "So, I had them killed. A few days ago."
The words hit Alina like a physical blow. Killed. Her eyes went wide, filled with utter shock and disbelief. All the hope that had sustained her during her desperate journey, the belief that her family was still alive, that she could save them – it shattered in an instant. A choked sob escaped her lips.
Her body went limp, and she collapsed onto her knees on the marble pathway, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. The soldiers holding her let her fall, stepping back slightly, smirking down at her broken form. All the fight went out of her; she just knelt there, lost in overwhelming grief and despair.
Eric, lying on the grass with swords pointed at him, heard the Baron’s casual, cruel words. He saw Alina collapse, heard her heartbroken sobs. Something inside him snapped.