Chapter 27
A sudden memory of something Alicia once said crossed my mind.
"Irina, I trust that you’ll handle everything well, but just in case, I must say this."
I remembered Alicia, who towered over me, gently gripping my shoulders as she spoke in her usual calm voice.
"If anyone recognizes Lord Bernice’s face…"
"You must flee without hesitation."
"Run without question…"
Yes, it was because of those words that I had bolted out of the temple immediately.
The thought of becoming a fugitive, something my father had warned about during my childhood, crossed my mind.
"Could it be related to the temple…?"
An unexpected wave of anxiety wrapped itself around me.
But what connection could my parents possibly have with the temple? They had no dealings with it whatsoever.
There was no reason for any enmity with the temple. Was it some kind of personal relationship? Anxious, I swiftly removed the artifact necklace that had been altering my appearance.
Even if it wasn’t directly about my parents, nothing good would come from entangling myself with the temple.
The mere fact that I possessed holy power was enough to tell me that getting involved with the temple would only bring trouble.
* * *
"...What’s this?"
Contrary to my expectations that the mansion would be cloaked in darkness, the Duke’s estate was brightly lit, as if it were broad daylight.
At this hour, everyone should certainly be asleep. Could there be a distinguished guest from the imperial family?
Or perhaps Persephone had sent someone, wanting to finalize the talk of breaking off the engagement. With that thought, I quickened my pace and entered the mansion.
The tension among the Duke’s soldiers, standing guard in heightened alert, was palpable.
It wasn’t that a guest had arrived, but rather, something had clearly happened within the household itself.
Realizing that entering the mansion in this state would only attract unwanted attention, I decided to stay out of sight and wait for the situation to resolve.
"Search the capital thoroughly, down to the last inch."
The voice was low, threatening, enough to send a shiver down my spine.
Not even when April falsely accused me of pushing her, nor when I was on the verge of being expelled from the Duke’s household, had I ever heard such a menacing tone from the Duke.
Hearing it now, I could understand why Duke Alexis was still known as the ‘War Demon’, despite his retirement.
I just wanted this situation to end quickly. As I hid at the back of the estate, idly kicking a pebble with my foot, I heard it.
"Find Irina."
Huh?
"If anyone has dared to threaten her, bring them to me alive."
Why is my name being mentioned here...?
With a stiff expression, I cautiously peered out. To the right of Duke Alexis, whose expression was as cold as ice, stood Patrick, looking worried. On the left was Lian, equally agitated.
The only one observing the situation with a calm demeanor was Barak.
“You didn’t do anything, did you, Barak?”
“Ah, I told you, I didn’t do anything! Why don’t you ever believe me? Why would I even touch that girl?”
“They said you were the last one with her at the palace.”
“Well, yes, but I swear I didn’t do anything to her!”
Barak, looking exasperated, beat his chest in frustration.
“That damned girl! Why did she vanish and cause all this trouble?”
So, the reason all the soldiers were standing here like this was because of me.
“What are you all standing around for? Move.”
It was nearly midnight, long past the time I had entered the palace, which explained their current frenzy.
The thought of Cliff leading his men through the capital in a noisy ruckus made my head throb, so I stepped forward to reveal myself.
"What are all of you doing here?"
"Irina."
The first to approach me was Lian.
"Nothing happened in the capital, did it?"
"First, let go of me."
I brushed off his hand, which was gripping my shoulder, and removed the cloak I had been wearing.
"Hey, you! If you left the palace, you should’ve gone straight home! Where have you been, and why are you only just returning now?"
Not long ago, he had been making a fuss for me to leave the house, and now he’s scolding me for coming home late. I sighed at Barak’s words, unsure of how to please him, and walked inside.
"Milady, are you alright?"
"What’s there to worry about? Nothing happened."
I had just been out to attend to my own matters, that’s all.
It wasn’t as though I was a child like April, who needed to be watched over at every turn.
Perhaps the Duke truly hadn’t been lying when he said he would treat me like April, because he had even mobilized soldiers to search for me, just as if he had lost her.
I glanced toward Duke Alexis, who had commanded them to search the capital for me.
Despite what he had said, his expression hadn’t changed much.
"Did you think I ran away from the Duke’s household?"
"Your father was only concerned about you. Watch your words."
"It’s not as though I’m wrong, is it? The one who would be most inconvenienced by my sudden disappearance is none other than the Duke of Ryze."
"...."
"I won’t run away. So, there’s no need to make such a big deal out of this, Father."
Despite my mocking tone, Duke Alexis didn’t even let out a shallow sigh.
Perhaps it was because he was an adult, or maybe he had lived through so much that even the taunts of a little girl like me didn’t faze him. He remained as emotionless as ever, unlike Barak or Lian, who were easily ruffled.
Looking at him now, Duke Ryze seemed almost like an emotionless marionette.
"I was worried something had happened."
"It was a needless worry. I’m not a child anymore."
The first to slip away after I appeared was Barak. It was obvious that he had endured Lian’s nagging for hours on account of my absence.
"Everyone, return to your posts."
At Duke Alexis’ command, the soldiers began to disperse one by one.
"Lian, you as well."
"Father."
"Go on."
Lian, looking between the Duke and me, let out a small sigh and turned away.
"Come with me."
"...."
How tiresome.
I should have just ignored all of this and slipped back in unnoticed, no matter how much they flipped the capital upside down with their search.
As soon as we entered the study, he turned and looked down at me. I met his cold, blue eyes without flinching.
"Where have you been, that you moved without an escort?"
"..."
"Do you have any idea how worried everyone was about you?"
Worried about me? No one in the Duke’s household would have any reason to worry about me.
The blatant lie left a bitter laugh on my lips.
"Worried, you say. That joke’s not very funny."
"…A joke?"
"Yes. No one in the Duke’s household would worry about me."
"You think this is a joke?"
At my words, Duke Alexis’ expression hardened, as if he was about to get angry. He closed his eyes tightly and asked,
"The butler, the head maid, Lian, and…"
Lowering his head, his long silver hair fell forward.
I couldn’t see his face, so I had no way of knowing what expression he was making at that moment.
"And I worried about you."
"...."
"Didn’t I say? While you’re here, I will treat you as my daughter."
"Duke, you have no right to worry about me."
I couldn’t believe how he could stand there so shamelessly, claiming that some of the Duke’s people, Lian, and he himself had worried about me.
If the Duke’s household had any sense of decency, they would never have uttered such words.
I was filled with loathing at the sight of him trying to act as if he were my father.
"Irina."
"Call me April."
The Duke looked at me in surprise.
"Do you have the right to call me by my name, Duke?"
I couldn’t suppress the disgust and disdain rising within me.
"If you remember how you treated me, you wouldn’t dare."
My throat felt dry.
"If that’s all you have to say, I’ll take my leave."
"...Rosian wishes to see you."
His words, which suddenly clung to me, caught me off guard.
At the unexpected mention of Rosian Staryu, I furrowed my brows slightly as the Duke handed me an invitation that had been resting on his desk.
"Read it."
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