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Chapter 40
After I Die, the Little Groom
When Nadia returned to the Hess estate, people rushed to greet her as if a savior had arrived.
Even though Nadia couldn’t bring the dead back to life, they seemed to believe that at least she could dispel the anxious atmosphere.
In fact, the moment Nadia got off the carriage, she sought out the families of the missing.
“There are people who have collapsed and others going around to look for information… that’s the situation.”
“Invite everyone who is unharmed and still in the estate to the Baron’s residence. Not just their families, but also close friends and lovers.”
Nadia’s voice was firm, which made her words even more reassuring.
Among the relieved crowd, Old Man Pow made his way through.
“Miss, you should rest today. You sent a letter not long ago, yet you came all the way here—have you been running nonstop?”
“Thank you for your concern, but it’s the carriage that ran, not me.”
Despite her words, Nadia’s face was pale, and she looked thinner than before. It was natural, since she couldn’t have had a proper meal in the carriage.
Still, she spoke clearly to the people.
“The Hess Barons never forget any favor. We will do our utmost, so please trust and wait. If you all just stand in front of the Baron’s residence, the children will only be more anxious.”
Hearing Nadia’s words, the people nodded, bowed deeply, and withdrew.
Nadia met with the families of the missing without even changing her clothes.
To be honest, she didn’t expect to get any useful information from them. She simply wanted to soothe their lonely, anxious hearts even a little.
Only after seeing the families off did Nadia take a bath and change her clothes.
“Where is Father?”
“He’s in his study. He seems very tired and is resting for a while.”
A maid hurriedly answered Nadia’s question.
Nadia headed straight to Baron Hess’s study.
As the maid had said, Baron Hess was asleep, slumped over his desk.
Nadia pressed her lower lip with her index finger, dismissed the maids, and slowly approached the desk.
The Baron had been spreading out a large map, marking the whereabouts of the missing one by one.
“…Why north…”
He muttered in a frustrated voice. Even after a short rest, he was still worried about the missing people.
Nadia stood beside him to check the information he had gathered, carefully scanning the map.
When the missing had departed, they had clearly gone south. They had been following information about urgently needed workers in the Beria estate, which lay between the capital and the Hess estate.
However, the map showed an X mark over Beria estate, with the note: “No sightings.”
It was strange that five men from the north had traveled together and remained unnoticed.
Nadia’s finger moved past Beria estate toward the Crimson estate.
There, a large circle and the note “Many sightings” were marked.
Nadia narrowed her eyes.
“Of all places, it had to be Crimson estate…”
“Nadia? Seeing you here, I didn’t expect—”
Baron Hess, startled by her presence, hurriedly ran his hand through his hair.
“It’s alright, Father. You’re in front of your daughter.”
“You came so quickly. Isn’t it too much?”
“How could I just stand by while you overexert yourself? More importantly, why did our estate people go to Crimson estate?”
“You should rest when you get home…”
Baron Hess spoke worriedly, but Nadia shook her head firmly.
Having raised Nadia for ten years, he knew that once she was determined, no one could change her mind.
“Unfortunately, I haven’t figured that out either. But according to the sightings, they were cautious. Some even claimed to see them heading north.”
Nadia traced a line from the Hess estate to Crimson estate on the map.
Crimson estate lay northwest of Hess estate. Beyond Crimson estate to the north was forbidden land, with treacherous terrain and wild beasts.
The northern natives of Hess estate would certainly know this.
“They are checking if permission was granted, but the process takes longer than expected, so no response yet.”
“They probably didn’t get permission.”
“Why are you so sure? Usually soldiers or investigators enter, but if properly prepared, merchants or hunters could get permission…”
“If they had permission, a letter would have come to Hess estate. If five people pooled money, they could have asked even a mule driver to carry a letter. Because they didn’t get permission, they knew they couldn’t act openly, so they didn’t send a letter.”
“I… see.”
Baron Hess nodded, realizing he hadn’t thought of that.
“Then why would they enter such a dangerous area without permission?”
“Exactly. Surely they didn’t go just to pick fruit that only grows in the deep north, right?”
“Excuse me?”
“Just a useless joke. I remembered when Baron Varden once suggested going north.”
Nadia didn’t understand the Baron’s joke. It was trivial information, erased from her mind.
She gradually recalled Baron Varden’s face and his insolent behavior.
“Oh, you mean the fruit they said could fetch a high price in the capital.”
“Forget it. You look too tired, so I was trying to lighten the mood with nonsense…”
Baron Hess lacked wit, and Nadia lacked a sense of humor, so the joke had almost no chance of success.
Nadia considered pretending to laugh, but thought it would embarrass Baron Hess more, so she simply scratched her cheek.
“Sorry. I’m a boring daughter…”
“Don’t say that! Where could I find a daughter like you? Your mother and I always say you must be an angel.”
Baron Hess’s flustered reaction to her words was more amusing than his failed joke, which eased Nadia’s tension.
Then something struck her clearly.
“They might actually be going to pick the fruit.”
“Huh? But, daughter, that’s—”
There was no fruit that could really make money in the capital.
Whether there truly was a miraculous-tasting fruit at the northernmost reaches was unknown.
Even if such fruit only remained fresh in extreme cold, transporting it to the capital would cost an unimaginable amount in magical resources.
Baron Hess was astonished, thinking his clever daughter would know this.
But Nadia was serious.
“Even if there’s no fruit, they could still go to pick it. Baron Varden himself spent all his wealth obtaining magical tools to get the fruit. If someone as educated as him could be deceived, then a skilled con artist could easily trick our people too.”
Nadia paused, frowning.
“Somehow, I always thought the rumors about northern fruit were nonsense, yet in recent years, strange stories circulated. Someone deliberately laid the groundwork to deceive people.”
Her expression hardened. Her golden eyes, usually sharp and radiant, darkened.
“The intentions aren’t good. They might be using the excuse of gathering workers to traffic people. No, that’s it. Father, I must go to the Baldwin duchy. Please take care of the estate.”
Nadia poured out her thoughts at a rapid pace.
Baron Hess, not fully understanding, looked stunned.
“From talking about fruit to suddenly mentioning human trafficking? That… that… that might not be it! And the Baldwin duchy…”
“All other possibilities considered, that’s the only one left. And if Count Crimson is involved, I have no choice but to seek help from Duke Baldwin.”
Nadia hurriedly left the study.
Baron Hess, worried, followed, flustered.
“Nadia! Listen to your father. Duke Baldwin has no obligation to oversee the entire north! Moreover, our estate isn’t even under his vassals.”
He feared that if Nadia went to the Baldwin duchy and was considered rude, she might face consequences.
Yet Nadia’s face was more confident than ever.
“Not at all. Duke Baldwin is the ruler of the north. He wouldn’t ignore anyone in the north.”
Her trust was almost religious.
Baron Hess couldn’t bring himself to tell her that the title “ruler of the north” was merely an honorific used by commoners.
Nadia bowed to him and left the estate immediately.
Baron Hess held his head in his hands, trembling.
“Is… is my daughter really going to meet Duke Baldwin? She’s only twenty…”
He had many questions, but Nadia had already gone.
