* * *
Realizing he’d spoken out of turn in front of Lord Fabian, he bowed in acknowledgment.
But his expression said otherwise, only worsening my irritation.
“I promise we’ll contact you the moment there’s progress. So, for now, would you be willing to wait?”
“…”
At least tell me what’s going on.
What do you expect me to believe in while I wait?
So many words welled up inside me, but I had a feeling that anything I said would be blocked by Neser.
He was Fabian’s loyal knight.
If I reprimanded him for rudeness and punished him, he would accept it.
But right now, protecting Fabian would clearly be his top priority.
He might not even hesitate to draw his sword.
And Fabian… he looked pale and hollow, as if he hadn’t slept since yesterday.
Even so, my hand drifted to Levatein’s hilt.
If Neser picked a fight, I was ready to take him on.
He too was already touching his sword, tension evident, as if prepared to engage at any moment.
Only one person—Fabian—looked at my hand with concern rather than readiness.
“…I’ll take my leave, then.”
In the end, I bowed and turned away.
He was, after all, the only one here besides Klen who had ever shown me kindness.
I couldn’t draw a sword in front of him.
Still, this visit hadn’t been completely fruitless.
At least I now knew Klen wasn’t simply late because of work.
He was caught up in something far more serious.
If even Fabian looked like that, then Count and Countess Valuncio’s reactions would be just as telling.
First, I returned to my room.
“Lord Adrian.”
“Are you alright?”
“You look very pale.”
My attendants inquired after me with concern, though I could see the unspoken questions in their eyes.
What happened to Klen?
Was he even there?
Understandable—they were his attendants too.
“…I want to rest for the night.”
“We’ll prepare everything.”
They didn’t resent me for not giving them a real answer.
I washed up, changed into comfortable clothes, and lay down on the bed.
My hand brushed over the empty space beside me.
The sheet, untouched by any warmth, was still cold.
‘✦’
I must have finally fallen asleep only late into the night after lying with my eyes closed for ages.
The bright sunlight the next morning stung my eyes, but at least some calm had returned.
I slowly recalled Fabian’s reaction from the night before.
Thinking about it carefully, it wasn’t that he intended to hide the truth from me.
From the beginning, he spoke as if I already knew everything.
Likely, Neser thought the same.
That’s why he feared I’d confront him and tried to silence me.
Everything pointed to something having happened to Klen.
And yet I, who should’ve known first, was kept in the dark?
Frustration welled up like black ink spilling across my vision.
I shook my head quickly.
Now wasn’t the time to let my emotions take over.
It was too soon to explode in anger.
Among those who knew the full story, who was the most accessible to me?
Someone who might be willing to leak something…
“Vis. Ask Sir Willoy about Klen.”
“Huh? B-but…”
“Doesn’t matter what he says—cling to him and keep digging.”
“…Alright.”
Still looking confused, Vis went out.
If it was Willoy, he might know what’s going on.
But I knew he’d never tell me directly.
As Vis went to handle that, I also stood up abruptly.
“I’m going out, too.”
“But didn’t Vis just leave to investigate? Can’t you wait for his report?”
“That’s exactly why I have to go.”
Linda looked like she wanted to stop me.
Her face clearly showed worry—what if I rushed out like this and collapsed?
But who in their right mind could just sit and wait calmly when their partner might be in danger?
While she hesitated with a troubled expression, I grabbed Levatein and left the room without a second thought.
Soon, I spotted Vis walking briskly somewhere and quietly slipped behind a nearby sculpture to hide.
Thanks to following his steps carefully, he didn’t notice me.
As he kept walking hurriedly, his pace gradually slowed.
That told me he was nearing his destination.
After a brief pause, he cleared his throat and stepped inside.
Should I say it’s a relief?
Willoy was outside—conveniently, in a garden perfect for hiding.
“My apologies for coming without notice, Sir Willoy. Do you have a moment?”
Vis approached him with utmost politeness.
“Hmph. I’m a bit busy at the moment.”
“Ah! You were Lord Klen’s attendant, weren’t you? Did you come out of concern?”
As expected, he wasn’t alone in such a beautiful garden.
His daughter, Madeline, was with him.
Willoy seemed about to brush him off, but thanks to Madeline responding, Vis had the chance to speak.
“Do you know anything about Lord Klen’s whereabouts?”
Vis didn’t miss that opening.
His voice dropped, as if afraid someone might overhear, but I was listening carefully—it wasn’t hard to catch his words.
Of course he’s being cautious.
What surprised me was Willoy’s reaction.
For once, he didn’t hide his emotions—his eyes widened in shock.
“He doesn’t know?”
Everyone I’ve met so far seems to assume we know everything already.
Because of that, no one’s been willing to give a proper explanation.
Something happened to my own partner, and I still don’t know anything.
That realization hit me again.
In this situation, the only one who would’ve told me the truth… was Klen.
And now that he’s not by my side, information just slips through my fingers.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Hmm…”
“They say Lord Klen was dragged into the forest.”
“!”
While Willoy hesitated, a soft voice full of worry spoke up first.
“Madeline!”
Startled by Willoy’s scolding tone, my frozen mind snapped back to reality.
Dragged into the forest? Who?
But it was too late to stop it—she’d already spoken.
Madeline, who’d been so timid in front of me earlier, now stood with a determined look, facing her father.
“He’s Lord Klen’s attendant. He deserves to know the truth.”
“W-Who… Who dragged the young master—no, Lord Klen—into the forest?! Don’t tell me it was the divine beast?!”
Vis’s voice trembled, as if he was barely holding himself back from shouting.
I could barely believe my ears either.
He must be just as shocked as I am.
“…Hoo. We don’t know for sure yet. All we have is a report that something rushed out of the forest and dragged him away.”
“T-That can’t be…”
“…”
While Vis was trembling, his face pale as a sheet, I forced myself to calm down.
This… wasn’t something that happened in the original story.
Even if I didn’t remember every single detail, an event like this would’ve stuck out.
So… did something I did cause this?
Divine beasts all have different personalities, so they’re hard to understand.
Still, I don’t recall doing anything that would provoke them.
I didn’t even have the chance to.
“This information is top secret. Don’t let it leak anywhere.”
“Understood.”
“If the young master doesn’t know, don’t bother telling him. We don’t need to cause unnecessary panic.”
By “young master,” he definitely meant me.
Is he looking down on me?
Two days.
My spouse has been missing for two whole days without a word.
Who in the world would just sit and wait in that situation?
“He’s concerned the shock might be too much for you, given your weak constitution.”
“…Tch.”
Yeah, right.
Vis bowed silently in place of a response and stepped back.
Making sure not to get noticed, I quietly slipped away from the scene.
Not long after, I spotted Vis looking around anxiously nearby.
I tossed a small stone toward his feet.
The arc of the pebble was gentle, and it tapped his foot lightly.
Startled, he finally noticed me and rushed over.
“You knew I was following you?”
“I figured Lord Adrian wouldn’t wait patiently.”
“…Hmph.”
* * *
