* * *
“Madame. I have no desire to be harsh with you, so will you kindly be silent?”
At the thinly veiled threat disguised as courtesy, the Viscountess of Nertian clamped her mouth shut.
Her small frame trembled violently, reminding him of Sylvian.
He couldn’t even begin to imagine what Sylvian—timid, fearful Sylvian—might be enduring right now.
“I hear the Count’s ship has sunk. You owe me compensation for my investment. What do you intend to do about it?”
“F-Forgive me! I-I’ll repay it all!”
“And at the gambling halls, you borrowed heavily under my name. How bold of you.”
The Viscount’s lips sealed shut—he hadn’t expected the Duke to know about that.
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t the Duke’s name he had used, but Sylvian’s.
To trade his lover’s reputation for debt…
Desperate to escape the crisis, his eyes darted frantically.
“Of course!”
“‘Of course’?”
At the Viscount’s outburst, Zeroth tilted his chin slightly.
“Of course, I intend to repay it all myself! How dare I misuse the Duke’s name so recklessly?!”
The Viscount snatched the handkerchief from his wife’s hand, pressed it to his nose, and dropped to his knees before the Duke.
“Spare me! If you spare me, I’ll repay every coin until the day I die! But Sylvian—I truly don’t know where he’s run off to!”
“If even I don’t know, how could you?”
Zeroth let out a dry laugh at the Viscount’s pleading.
It had already been over a week since Sylvian disappeared.
The bracelet he’d gifted him had been found in the fountain at the plaza.
“Do you truly mean it? Repaying until death?”
As the Duke drew his sword, the Viscount and his wife nodded so violently their necks might snap.
“I wonder if you even know the full sum you owe.”
Death might have been kinder. But then, Sylvian would grieve.
Zeroth forced down the urge to tear them apart on the spot, his crimson eyes burning with murderous intent.
The Viscount and his wife shuddered before him, praying for any chance at survival.
“Please—take these valuables to reduce the debt! Even Martius’s salary—!”
“That belongs to Sir Martius. Unless you pledged your entire estate as collateral.”
“What?!”
The Viscountess shrieked, grabbing at the Duke’s coat in desperation.
“I’ve done nothing wrong!”
“The Viscount already included your name. Unfortunate. Let’s see… Twenty million gold in gambling debts, over thirty million from Count Artisan’s failed investments…”
The Duke chuckled darkly.
“May you spend your lives repenting in the Neraetium mines. Take them away.”
No one sent to those mines returned whole.
The ducal family’s mana-stone mines were little more than a prison for the Empire’s worst criminals.
“You can’t do this! Let go! I’ll repay it!”
“You said you’d spare us! You promised!”
Their screams faded as they were dragged off.
Zeroth considered their lives a mercy—more than they deserved.
“It’s said that the Marquis Rooster has repeatedly gone to the Emperor, claiming his innocence.”
A few days later, Julian reported Karl’s movements.
“Not every day, but it seems he sneaks out at night every few days.”
“Destination?”
“He appears to be frequenting an information guild in the back alleys.”
Zeroth clenched his fist.
He had trailed the Marquis on his secret outings, but wherever he went—there was nothing.
Even after ransacking every secret hideout the Marquis could have, there was no sign of the Duchess.
They must have cleaned up in advance, but it was still strange that not even a trace of the Duchess could be found.
He was ashamed of how confidently he had told the Duke he’d find him soon.
“What about the houses under borrowed names?”
“All connected properties have been checked as well.”
Zeroth tapped the scabbard of his sword as he fell into thought.
“What about the other nobles? Any strange movements?”
“Most of them say they can’t believe it’s a kidnapping. Everyone seems worried about the Duchess.”
“No one acting particularly odd?”
“Count Cavern seems especially agitated whenever the topic of the disappearance comes up.”
“Cavern?”
Why him?
What link could he have with Karl Rooster?
Zeroth’s mind raced.
“We’ve also investigated all the estates Count Cavern owns—none stood out.”
Julian recalled the intelligence gathered by the Duke’s information division.
The Count wouldn’t be that nervous without reason.
“Increase surveillance on the Count.”
“Understood.”
Julian left, and Kelvin entered.
“Will you not sleep again tonight, sir?”
“I’m fine. Leave it.”
Sleep wouldn’t come.
The warmth that once lay in his arms had vanished, leaving behind only thirst.
“What is Martius doing?”
“He went out again today with Lord Holt.”
Zeroth clicked his tongue in frustration.
Despite the Duke’s knights sweeping through the capital, not a single strand of hair had been found.
A vision of Yuri’s lifeless, pale face flashed through his mind.
Martius had to restrain him when he nearly threw himself off a cliff, screaming it was his fault Sylvian had been taken.
“Call him to my chambers when he returns.”
This time, once I find him—I’ll collar him. No—lock him inside and make him carry my child.
I’ll build a beautiful cage atop the bed so he can only cry within it, never leave my side again.
Magical shackles that won’t scar his slender ankles. Feed him daily to keep him full, so escape never crosses his mind.
He knew now it wasn’t Sylvian’s fault—but the hole left behind had already turned his heart black.
Knock knock.
“Duke?”
It was Henders, the Duke’s mage, who entered the room.
“What is it?”
The Duke’s sharp voice made Henders shrink slightly.
He had a suspicion—but hated to bring yet more disappointment.
“May I examine the ring, sir?”
After the Duchess disappeared, Henders had also chased every lead with the knights.
He had only just returned home to rest yesterday when a thought suddenly struck him.
“The ring?”
The Duke was still wearing the ornate ring the Duchess had given him as a gift.
Henders examined it closely.
He had inscribed the ring with a simple enchantment—and his mana always left behind a faint trace.
Each mage’s mana had its own signature.
Very few could mask it completely.
He hadn’t even tried to hide it for this ring—it wasn’t necessary.
But after spending days near the Duke, he realized he couldn’t feel his own mana from it at all.
“When the Duchess asked to give you a ring, didn’t she also ask me for a simple enchantment?”
“She did. And?”
“There’s no trace of my mana on this ring.”
Zeroth held out his hand, staring at the ring.
“So, this isn’t the ring Sylvian prepared?”
“No. It seems she gave you the wrong ring—or perhaps…”
“No.”
She had bought this separately from the start.
A plain ring—on purpose.
Zeroth’s eyes gleamed.
Someone had told Sylvian, who couldn’t leave the mansion freely, about this type of ring—one that could send or receive information.
“When did she visit you?”
“Hmm… it’s been a while, I think? Probably after Sir Martius’s incident.”
So she didn’t trust me.
Martius had been hurt badly, and no one explained anything to her.
So she acted on her own.
The thought that timid Sylvian had risked danger made Zeroth’s stomach twist.
“How do we track it?”
“The Duchess had it linked to a map she gave you as a gift—so that the ring’s location could be seen…”
Before Henders even finished, Zeroth burst into motion.
He stormed out of the office and ran to the bedroom.
Bang!
* * *
