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Chapter 34
‘I feel a little bad for Lucas, but I have no choice but to use his name!’
To avoid suspicion, she had to strike first.
“You must have figured out what this item is. Since you’ve got quite the discerning eye, I assume you also know its value?”
Lucy raised her chin and spoke with an air of pride.
“If this is truly authentic, why are you trying to sell such a precious item?”
The shop owner still squinted at her suspiciously.
“Must I explain such things to you in detail? Do you even know who I am to dare question me? You’ll know it’s authentic just by looking closely. But if you’re still doubtful, go verify it with the Grand Duchy of Cretine!”
Lucy raised her voice threateningly.
The shopkeeper started to think that maybe she really was a noble of high status.
Her hand, which had held out the brooch, looked as though it had never done a day’s labor. On top of that, her natural use of noble speech and the glimpse of a beautiful face beneath her deeply drawn hood radiated an unexplainable elegance.
“I don’t know what your problem is! If you don’t want to buy it, then don’t. It’s incredibly rude to act like I’m a thief without even properly appraising the item!”
Lucy snapped, snatching the brooch back from the shopkeeper with irritation.
“N-No, it’s just that our shop doesn’t have enough cash on hand to pay for something so valuable…”
“Then I’ll take the available cash and the rest in jewels from your stock.”
The shopkeeper hesitated.
‘That brooch alone is worth more than this entire store. Even if that girl really did steal it, that’s none of my business.’
He knew he could make an enormous profit if he sold it on the black market.
Pretending to be serious, he selected some of the more valuable jewelry and gems from the display case.
“Normally, I wouldn’t purchase such an item for fear of being accused of dealing in stolen goods, but I’ll make an exception for a noble like you.”
He handed over a pouch of cash and a bag of jewels as if he were doing her a favor.
Lucy took the pouches and hurried out of the store.
After checking her surroundings for any suspicious people, she entered a nearby clothing shop and changed into new clothes.
Until now, the tension had kept her from noticing the pain, but as she undressed, her left arm throbbed as if it were being torn off. It must be broken.
‘This won’t do. I won’t be able to travel far in this state. I need to see a doctor first.’
Treating her arm was her top priority.
Lucy asked passersby for directions and eventually found the home of the village doctor.
“Could you take a look at my arm?”
The elderly doctor examined her and clicked his tongue in concern.
“My, my. You’ve endured quite a bit of pain to have it in this condition.”
As expected, he confirmed a bone fracture. Lucy took the prescribed medicine and continued walking around the village.
It was too late to travel far, so she had no choice but to head to the largest inn nearby.
She was still anxious that someone might be pursuing her, but her whole body ached and she couldn’t walk any farther. On top of that, she was starving.
That night, after a simple meal at the inn, Lucy fell into a deep sleep without even remembering to take her medicine.
Her anxiety haunted her dreams, and she was plagued by nightmares all night long. At dawn, Lucy left the inn.
She first stopped by a general store to buy a bag, a map, and two daggers.
‘I need to have a way to protect myself!’
She strapped one dagger to her ankle and hid the other inside the bandages around her arm. The hilt poked out slightly, but she didn’t care.
Her plan was to take a carriage and travel as far as possible. However, the local map lacked the accurate distance markings she was used to.
So she decided to skip three villages and travel to the next one after that.
“I’d like to go to Fenry Village. How much will that cost?”
The coachman responded in a cautious yet pleased tone.
“It’ll be evening by the time we get there. It’s quite a distance—20 silver coins, miss.”
Lucy pretended to hesitate, then climbed into the carriage. In truth, she had plenty of money.
She hadn’t even used up a single gold coin yet. Only now was she beginning to understand how much that really was.
The carriage rode on. Lucy regretted not bringing food, but she passed the time staring out the window.
The sun had long set by the time she arrived. This village seemed even smaller than the previous one.
She went to another general store and bought a watch this time. Not knowing the time had been unbearably frustrating.
Meanwhile…
Lucas, who had been secretly searching for Lucy, rushed back to the Grand Duchy after receiving a message from his aide.
The 4th Prince, Edwin, had requested aid from Lucas.
“Where is His Highness now?”
“He’s leading his personal knights and searching the Benukira River. He arrived unexpectedly last night and asked for reinforcements.”
“What is the 4th Prince doing, searching my territory without permission?!”
Though Edwin was a prince, not even the Emperor himself had the right to interfere in the Grand Duchy of Cretine.
Lucas immediately mobilized his knights and headed for the search site. There, he found Edwin, watching the search with a vacant expression.
“I greet Your Highness the 4th Prince. May I ask what exactly is going on here?”
Lucas didn’t bother to hide his displeasure as he asked curtly.
Edwin’s eyes were red, as though he had been crying.
Instead of replying, he handed Lucas a wanted poster bearing Lucy’s portrait.
“Duke! Please, find this girl. You must find her! You danced with her at the banquet, didn’t you? Lucy… she fell into the river. Her whereabouts are unknown!”
Lucas’s eyes widened as he read the poster.
“What are you saying? Lady Diallo fell into the river?!”
His voice rose in disbelief.
“Please, Duke… Please find her…”
With those words, Edwin collapsed.
He looked incapable of explaining any further, overwhelmed by grief.
Though he didn’t know the full story, Lucas quickly increased the search force.
But even after a day, then two, there was no trace of Lucy.
Edwin, once glued to the riverside, eventually locked himself in a guest room at the duchy and cried through the night.
“Lucy, Lucy… hngh…”
He clutched the poster with her portrait and wept bitterly.
In Edwin’s memory, Lucy had always been quiet and timid. She seemed like someone he needed to protect.
That’s why, when he left for the capital, he hadn’t been able to tell her the truth.
He had known she’d be heartbroken, but he believed that once he became Crown Prince, he could bring her back to him.
Then, shortly after he was officially recognized as a prince, he heard she had lost her memory.
Thinking she had been traumatized by their separation, Edwin had felt guilty. But at the same time, he had been relieved—perhaps she wouldn’t remember the pain he caused her.
But who would have imagined? That Lucy had hated and resented him so much?
Edwin cried endlessly. Her final words echoed in his ears:
“I’d rather die than go with you, you bastard! Let’s never meet again, even in death!”
Did Lucy no longer love him?
“No… It’s because you loved me too much… That’s why you came to hate me… Oh, Lucy… Lucy!”
He longed for her so desperately. He would have given anything to see her smile just once more.
Even if it was just her lifeless body, he wanted to find her. But now, he had to return to the capital.
‘The day I become Crown Prince isn’t far off now…’
Edwin swallowed his tears and let her go.
Thus ended his first love.
Meanwhile, Lucas was growing desperate.
Having made no progress in the search, he burned with frustration. Upon hearing the details of the incident from the prince’s knights, he was furious.
