[BL]The Hero and his Party Won't Let Me Go-Chapter 168: Ch : Kidnapping - Part 1

A loud gasp left Shuu’s throat as soon as those thoughts entered his mind. His chest felt light, almost as if he could not breathe.

He clutched his chest, almost as if he were in pain, and looked ahead. He expected to see a shadow talking to him, but there was no one around him. It was just him and his thoughts at the moment.

’If there is something that is both a danger and a hindrance to the imperial kids, it’s you. You neither have the power nor influence to help those kids out. So the best thing to do for them would be to leave them alone. You know that as well, right?’

The voice asked, and Shuu flinched at the advice.

Honestly, this was not the first time he had thought about leaving. Even he knew that he was not a good influence on the kids or Emperor Kaiden. But he had still wanted to be close to them and be with them.

"No-! They are my family. Why would I want to leave them? It does not make sense..."

Shuu tried to convince himself more than anyone else. He spoke out loud in hopes that it would somehow change the situation.

But the more he spoke, the less confident he felt about everything.

’Are you sure this does not make sense? Or do you not want to make sense of it all? Deep down, even you know what is good and bad for the people around you, right?’

The voice was getting louder, and Shuu wanted to press his hands against his ears to block it all out. It was all beginning to feel like too much once more, and Shuu’s whole body shook.

"This is not true-! I don’t..."

Shuu suddenly fell quiet, and his instincts warned him to be careful. His eyes shifted around to try and find the source of the unsettling feeling, but he could not see anyone or anything... at first.

But within seconds of him becoming vigilant, he heard the rustling of leaves and became even more alert.

Years of being under constant surveillance had made Shuu sensitive to someone looking at him. And even when he could not see the other person, he could sense them just fine.

"Tsk, you should have pretended you did not see me. That would have made both our lives so much easier."

The man spoke once he realized that he had been caught. The man came out, dressed in all black and showing no visible mark or sign on his body that showed his affiliation.

Shuu looked calmly at the man. From the way the man dressed to the way he grabbed his dagger, it all screamed danger. And yet, Shuu did not feel even a hint of danger.

"What are you looking at? Are you that happy to see me pulling out my sword? Then let’s make your death swift, alright?"

The assassin asked, and Shuu watched with a fascinated look in his eyes as the sword came closer until it rested against his neck.

Shuu could feel the cold and sharp edge of the blade against his neck, and his body relaxed. He suddenly realized that he did not actually care if he got hurt or not.

Just the thrill of danger made his body feel alive and made him forget about all that was happening.

’I want more... I want more of this rush. Just a little more...’

Shuu unconsciously leaned his body forward, and his neck had a proper cut on it now. The bitter steel dug into his neck, but Shuu did not show any signs of being in pain or having felt it.

His blank eyes looked at the would-be assassin, and it unnerved him.

’Is this a trap? What is going on? Why is he leaning forward...? I should pull back now-!’

Shuu’s behavior unnerved the assassin so much that he ended up pulling his sword back. The bead of blood on his sword and the cut on Shuu’s neck were proof of what happened, but neither spoke up to acknowledge it.

"Tsk, I am going to take Crown Prince Caelis hostage, so don’t you dare stop me."

The assassin yelled, and that snapped Shuu out of his daze. He was not even slightly afraid for himself, but it was a different case when his kids were involved. There was no way he was going to sit back and take it.

"Do not touch my kids. If you need a hostage, then use me. It won’t end well for you if you go after the kids. I can assure you that much."

Shuu spoke softly, but his voice finally had a hint of threat.

The assassin knew that Shuu was speaking these words to scare him. He actually had no ability to stop him from taking the kids hostage, and with the lack of security, it would be child’s play.

But a part of the assassin still felt conflicted and told him that Shuu was telling the truth, and going after the kids would likely cost him his life.

So the assassin decided to compromise.

"Alright, I will believe you. If you say that the kids are off-limits, then I will just have to take someone who is not off-limits hostage. You-! Place your hands behind your back and come with me."

The assassin decided to make a compromise.

If he could not get the kids, then Emperor Kaiden’s companion... ehm, ex-companion, was the best choice. And it would actually fulfill the conditions of his contract-to remove any obstacle in Lady Canarie’s path.

Shuu stood up and followed the assassin. He knew he should be terrified, but he did not feel like that.

Instead of terror, all Shuu felt was a sense of calmness. The wound on his neck still stung a little, but that just made him feel even more alive.

’Oh-! Seems like you finally decided to take action. There is no need to be afraid. You are making the right decision. And once we are out, we can head to where we are supposed to be. We can go back home.’

Home? But where was home?