Losing his reason out of worry for Joel, the Crown Prince attempted to bolt out of the manor immediately, but Abe, the Knight Commander, blocked his path.
“Your Highness, please, stay calm!”
“Let go of me! I am going to find Joel this instant!”
The Crown Prince cried out in agony.
The voice of Joel, weeping sorrowfully and seeking his help, seemed to ring incessantly in his ears.
In reality, Joel was having a pleasant time at Becky’s house, clumsily helping with chores and sharing meals with the siblings—but the Crown Prince, far away, had no way of knowing this.
“We have absolutely no inkling of where Master Joel is currently. In times like this, you must remain composed. Lord Bennett sent him off well-prepared, and since that man Jack didn’t touch Joel’s belongings, he won’t be starving to death anytime soon.”
Abe managed to forcibly drag the Crown Prince back and successfully seated him at the office desk once more.
“We prioritized distributing missing person flyers to the Southwest, where Count Gray’s estate is located, and the North, where we deduced he was headed. Within three or four days, the South will be covered in flyers as well. Moreover, search parties are scouring the entire Empire, so we will surely find him soon. Perhaps we have already found him.”
“Do… do you think so?”
At Abe’s words, the Crown Prince’s eyes sparkled with hope.
Since the borders had been under heavy surveillance for a long time, it was highly probable that Joel had not yet managed to leave the country.
If so, the search would be easier.
Before departing for Palain, he had ordered a thorough search of the forest where the mercenary Jack had abandoned Joel.
Though he hadn’t heard the results yet because of his hurried departure, there was bound to be progress by now.
“We return to the capital.”
The Crown Prince spoke in a low voice and stood up.
He flatly refused Abe’s suggestion to get some sleep before leaving and exited the office.
Now that he knew Joel wasn’t here, there was no reason to remain.
As he mounted his horse alone, the Crown Prince’s shoulders looked more pathetic than ever.
Back in the capital, Lord Bennett would be waiting anxiously; the Prince felt a heavy heart wondering how to break this disappointing news to him.
Ever since the mercenary Jack was captured, the aged Lord Bennett had been suffering from extreme guilt, believing he had pushed his son into a corner.
His health had deteriorated so significantly that the Crown Prince had to forcibly leave him behind when he begged to accompany them to Palain.
“So, Joel… please, come back. If only for your poor father’s sake….”
The Crown Prince muttered anxiously to himself.
If he could only confirm Joel was alive, he felt he would want for nothing else.
Past noon, the atmosphere at Becky’s house was peaceful.
After their meal, Becky decided to teach Joel how to weave linen, as he looked like he was dying of boredom.
The fact that she could spare such time was actually thanks to Joel.
Normally, her mean half-brothers would have intentionally overturned bowls or ruined the garden, leaving her no room to breathe, but today, they hadn’t dared to cause a ruckus after Joel’s threat regarding the ham.
“This is flax. Since summer is coming, we’ll weave linen from this to make clothes. Since you are a nobleman, Master Robert, you probably haven’t woven cloth before, right?”
Becky spoke to Joel while skillfully threading the loom.
“I’ve never woven it myself, but I’ve seen my mother do it.”
Joel’s face turned slightly sad at the thought of his mother, who had passed away long ago.
Lord Bennett’s estate was not wealthy, and because its geography made contact with the outside world difficult, they had to be self-sufficient in most things.
His mother had diligently worked at weaving to set an example for the estate residents, and she made the clothes that he and his father wore.
It was such a long time ago that his memories were faint, but he could vaguely remember the servants gathering around the clothes his mother had made, marvelling at her embroidery skills.
While not quite at his mother’s level, Becky was also quite skilled.
As she set up the thread, she told Joel that she spent her spare time weaving linen or knitting lace to sell and help with the household finances.
Once the complex initial process was over, Joel began to weave, clumsily moving the shuttle as Becky had taught him.
He originally had no interest in weaving or sewing, but perhaps because there was nothing else to do, weaving linen was actually quite fun.
Joel worked hard in his own way, wanting to be helpful to Becky.
Of course, working hard didn’t necessarily mean the result was excellent.
Joel snapped the thread several times while moving the loom and had to run out to the garden to ask Becky for help.
Though she might have been annoyed by the repeated mistakes, the kind girl encouraged him every time, saying he was doing well for a beginner.
By the time the sun began to set, Joel finally held about a hand’s span of linen.
It was a meager result compared to the labor invested.
Furthermore, the surface was uneven because he hadn’t applied pressure consistently while weaving.
“The wasted thread… I should pay for it.”
Joel fiddled with the linen he had woven with a dejected face.
If the mother returned and saw this, she would surely scold Becky.
His funds were limited, but he couldn’t let Becky get in trouble for no reason.
Clutching a copper coin in his hand, Joel swung the door open and walked straight into a middle-aged man just entering the yard.
As Joel exchanged confused glances with him, Becky, who had been weeding the garden, cried out in a surprised voice.
“Ah… Father?”
“And who might you be?”
The man, Becky’s father, ignored his daughter’s call and bluntly questioned Joel.
A pungent stench was wafting off him.
At the piercing smell of sweat, Joel held his breath.
Had he not been Becky’s father, Joel would have pinched his nose regardless of politeness.
Becky quickly tidied herself and hurried over.
“Father, Master Robert is a guest. He’s staying with us for five days. I-I mean, he already gave the money to Mother.”
“Is that so?”
The man replied to his daughter in a gruff tone, scanning Joel from head to toe.
Unlike the rest of his family, who were Betas, Becky’s father, John, was a low-rank Alpha.
He recognized at first glance that Joel was an Omega.
It wasn’t that Joel was leaking pheromones, but for an Alpha, recognizing an Omega was like an instinct.
This guest staying in his house was a beauty with quite a bit of spirit.
He was incomparable to the barmaids he had met while wandering around for mining work.
John bared his yellowed teeth in a smirk and offered his hand to Joel.
“I’m John.”
Joel, of course, did not accept the rude handshake.
It wasn’t just because the man was dirty and smelly; the man was looking at him with an incredibly unpleasant gaze.
Joel shuddered slightly, reminded of the Alphas who had harrassed him when he first entered the Imperial Academy.
“F-Father. Master Robert is a noble.”
As Becky hurriedly intervened, John withdrew his hand, masking his disrespectful gaze.
“Aha, I thought you were acting quite stiff; so you’re a noble lord. I see, my apologies. Enjoy your stay. Becky, where is your mother?”
“Mother went to the market to buy supplies. She should be back soon….”
Becky watched anxiously, worried her father might do something rude to Robert.
Fortunately, her father simply muttered, “Hmm… is that so? She’ll have a lot to carry, so I should go meet her,” and turned away.
As John walked down the hill, it wasn’t long before he ran into his wife returning home.
“W-Whoa, dear! When did you get back? Wait, what are you doing?”
Nora stammered in surprise as John grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the shade.
After checking to make sure there were no eavesdropping ears nearby, John lowered his voice and asked his wife.
“There’s a fellow I’ve never seen before in the house?”
“Ah, he’s a guest. He offered a whole silver coin to stay for five days, so I allowed it. If you don’t like him, should I kick him out?”
John quickly waved his hand at her words.
“No, no. No need for that. More importantly, he claims to be a noble—is that true?”
“That’s what he says, but who knows? He looks shabby and travels alone without a single servant, so he might not be a noble. Even if he is, he must be a pauper.”
Nora vented her grievances about the guest to her husband.
She was still deeply offended by the incident during lunch.
Hearing her words, John rubbed his chin and thought deeply.
“…Nora, that tavern owner who lent me money. Is he still operating in Versa?”
“Pardon? Of course. Even though he knows you went out to earn money because of me, he still barges in at least once a week demanding the money. He’s so unlucky…. But why do you ask?”
“Well, I think I might be able to pay off that debt all at once.”
John muttered, looking back once more toward the house where Joel was.
His wrinkled eyes gleamed with greed.
