MEWH~10

Chapter 10

“This is a countryside like no other.”

Late at night, after the sun had completely set, Matthias clicked his tongue as he smoked a cigarette in a place far from the inn.

It had taken two full months.

Two months just to find a lead on Charlotte’s disappearance.

“Pleased to meet you, Your Grace. I’m Charlotte Winston.”

Charlotte’s first impression had not been particularly special.

Her pretty face had caught his attention, but that was all.

To Matthias, she had simply been another passing acquaintance.

What changed was the moment he witnessed her holy power.

“This is holy water I purified myself. I hope Your Grace will accept this small gift.”

One day, Charlotte had offered him a small bottle of holy water she claimed she had personally purified.

Producing holy water was one of the most common training methods used by priests to strengthen holy power.

It was likely just the result of her training.

In fact, she had given similar gifts to several others besides Matthias.

“Your Grace! The contaminated soil has been purified!”

But who would have thought that her holy water could actually purify the miasma contaminating the Grand Duchy?

It was small—only the size of a coin—but the effect was undeniable.

“Where did you obtain this holy water? As you know, nothing we tried before ever worked. And yet this time, it worked on the first attempt! With a single vial that must have been tested hundreds of times already!”

The miasma corrupting his territory had long been a persistent problem for House Hilliard.

They had been desperately searching for a solution when this unexpected clue appeared, like a ray of salvation.

From that moment, Matthias began observing Charlotte closely.

He needed her power, so he intended to gain her favor.

He planned to build a relationship with her and eventually bring her to his duchy.

To confirm whether she truly could purify miasma.

“Your Grace’s mother wishes to meet me?”

“Yes. She is deeply devout and visits the temple often. When I told her that the young lady I’ve recently been in contact with is a Saint candidate, she became very interested.”

“Really? How kind of her… But I’ve heard outsiders cannot freely enter the Grand Duchy.”

“I am the lord of the duchy. I personally invited you, so there is no issue. My mother is very much looking forward to meeting you. Would you spare some time?”

“If it would not be impolite, I would be honored.”

And finally, he succeeded in luring her to the Grand Duchy without revealing internal matters.

But then—

“…Miss Charlotte has gone missing?”

She suddenly disappeared, throwing Matthias’s entire plan into chaos.

“Cha-Charlotte is not home right now! Please come back later.”

He sent people to the Winston estate, but her parents only feigned ignorance.

Using his full intelligence network, Matthias discovered that she had secretly left the capital at night with a holy knight.

Alexis Owen.

A troublesome man who had always hovered around her, including the Crown Prince.

He had long been wary of the way Alexis looked at Charlotte—like a man in love.

“To let a target slip right in front of me…”

It was a painful mistake.

But there was no time for regret.

Matthias immediately began tracking Charlotte.

And during the investigation, something strange emerged.

“The eldest daughter of the Winston Count family also returned to the capital?”

“Yes. People clearly saw Eleanor Winston enter the estate. But no one saw her leave. It was as if she disappeared inside it.”

After Charlotte, her elder sister had also gone missing without a trace.

Matthias’s instincts told him something.

If he followed her, he would find Charlotte’s disappearance as well.

Charlotte, too, was leaving almost no trace behind.

So Matthias changed his target and found Eleanor.

And when he did, she was with a small baby.

A baby?

At first, he thought she might be married.

The child had red eyes that resembled Eleanor’s exactly.

And bright golden hair—likely inherited from a grandparent.

Just like Charlotte Winston, the person he was originally searching for.

“…Is that really Lady Eleanor’s child?”

He had doubts.

But given the timing, in order for a child that age to exist, she would have had to be pregnant since her academy years.

Yet there had been no rumors of pregnancy surrounding her.

Even the confidential medical records obtained by the Information Guild confirmed it.

Then there was only one conclusion.

Charlotte Winston’s child.

The Saint candidate Charlotte had given birth, which caused complications—and that was why she had vanished.

Most likely, the father was Alexis Owen, who had fled with her.

“Your Grace.”

From the darkness, a masked man appeared, breaking Matthias’s thoughts.

He was a member of the Information Guild—and one of Matthias’s trusted subordinates.

As Eleanor had guessed, Matthias never worked alone.

He always moved with people who served as his hands and feet.

“Jonathan reporting.”

“Yes.”

Matthias exhaled smoke and handed him a small note.

“This contains Charlotte’s location.”

“You found her?”

“Who knows.”

In truth, Matthias suspected Eleanor was lying.

Claiming not to know Charlotte’s whereabouts…

She must know.

She was likely in contact with Charlotte even now.

Because Charlotte’s child was with her.

Is she helping her sister run away with her lover?

Taking care of the child until they settled safely?

And yet she thanks me for taking care of Charlotte…

As if she supported their love.

Without knowing anything at all.

Thinking back on Eleanor’s bold words, Matthias let out a faint scoff.

“It’s worth verifying. Send people to confirm whether Charlotte is there. Also send someone to the temple.”

“To the temple? Is there someone there helping Miss Charlotte escape?”

“No. Just check whether any holy relics—or divine blessings—have disappeared.”

In truth, using the child would have been faster.

If he used the baby as leverage, Eleanor would have no choice but to reveal Charlotte’s whereabouts.

It would also make it easier to secure Charlotte’s cooperation in purifying the miasma.

But Matthias chose a different path.

This reminds me of my youngest brother at that age.

His youngest sibling was now twelve and already had coarse hair growing on his legs, his voice deep and rough from puberty.

But Matthias had practically raised him, and the memory of him as a cute child still lingered.

Forget the child.

A baby was not his only leverage.

He could achieve his goals simply by exploiting the opponent’s moment of weakness.

“Find Charlotte Winston. She is the priority.”

“Yes.”

Matthias crushed his cigarette against the wall and extinguished it.

The Next Morning

The next morning.

Eleanor cautiously stepped out of her room with the baby in her arms and checked the hallway.

No one.

She looked down the stairs.

Quiet.

She peeked into the first floor.

Only Sophie was there, busy preparing for the day.

“Phew.”

Eleanor sighed in relief.

“Thank goodness. He’s not here.”

“Who’s not?”

“Of course, the Grand D—Eek!”

“Did you sleep well, baby’s mother?”