RTGD 30

Chapter 30

While Litricia was deep in sleep, overcome by drowsiness—

Kilian had just arrived near the border area and was receiving the returning group led by Fel, who had crossed over from the north.

“My lord, fortunately, it doesn’t seem too serious. Though… something definitely happened.”

Mark, riding alongside Kilian, shaded his eyes with his hand.

The first thing he saw was Fel waving his arms enthusiastically in greeting.

But soon after, Fel clutched his stomach and slumped forward on his horse.

His face had turned a sickly yellow—likely a stomach ache.

And it didn’t seem to be just Fel. The silhouettes of the knights approaching in the distance trudged forward sluggishly, as if drained.

“Did they all get sick and that’s why they’re late?”

Mark muttered seriously, then quickly looked up as a cold drop hit the back of his hand.

Rain had begun to fall from the sky.

Sure enough, next to him, Kilian was gripping the reins so tightly it looked like he might snap them.

“Are you all right? Should I look for shelter?”

Sensing something was wrong, Mark quickly dismounted.

“This much rain is nothing. Don’t fuss. We’ll bring Fel to the castle before it gets heavier.”

“…Understood.”

But contrary to Kilian’s words, the rain only grew heavier as Fel’s group approached.

Kilian’s already pale face turned deathly white, almost corpse-like.

“Damn it. This cursed rain.”

Kilian clenched and unclenched his cold, rigid hand nervously.

His fingertips were trembling slightly.

Kilian hated rain—hated it with a madness. It rained the day his brother died. It rained the day Litricia ran away. And it rained again the day her remains were returned in an urn.

Whenever it rained, someone he loved disappeared.

The sound of the rain pounding in his ears triggered a deep sense of loss and anxiety, and Kilian’s breathing grew rapid.

“This won’t do, my lord. I’ll escort Fel. You should find shelter first.”

“When… do you think it’ll stop?”

“Hard to say. But I doubt it’ll clear up before tonight!”

Mark had to raise his voice over the growing downpour.

“It’s best you stay nearby for the night and return to the castle tomorrow.”

Tomorrow. Wouldn’t that be too late?

His heart beat erratically as a terrible unease surged within him.

If this went on, this damn rain felt like it would take something from him again.

Kilian bit down on his lower lip, trying to regulate his ragged breathing.

“My lord! What are you doing?!”

With rough hands, Kilian reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a handful of white candies, shoving them all into his mouth.

They were the same calming pills he had once given to Litricia.

Crunch. The candies shattered under his molars, releasing a heavy mint scent.

“Mark. I’m heading back to the Grand Castle right now. You bring the others after the rain stops.”

“What? You can’t! You know how your anxiety gets when it rains. It’s too dangerous to ride now!”

“Move.”

The usual deep, alluring voice came out cracked and rough.

“I need to return and see with my own eyes that Litricia is in the castle.”

***

“Have you found the lady, Mia?”

Mia shook her head at the butler’s anxious voice.

“You checked the study thoroughly?”

『Yes. It looks like she left it earlier.』

Mia fidgeted in place, her short hair brushing her cheeks and swaying with her agitation.

The mansion was in sudden chaos as everyone searched for the vanished Litricia.

Mia, after brushing off the dust from her head, had returned to the study and, seeing the desk neatly arranged, assumed Litricia had gone back to her room.

So she tidied up and went back to her duties—only to find at dinner time that Litricia was nowhere in the mansion.

“Oh dear. And with the rain like this, where on earth could she have gone?”

No one suspected she might be holed up somewhere deep inside the study.

“We have to find her before His Highness returns. Oh dear, oh dear.”

Marsha began muttering and hurriedly searched the house.

“This is all my fault. Whatever the reason, I should’ve stayed by her side. I just watched from afar… and now I have no idea where she’s gone…”

Feeling guilty, Marsha was comforted by Goruten, who patted her bony back.

At that moment, Mia clapped her palms sharply.

“Ah!”

“Hm? Mia, did something come to mind?”

Signaling them to wait, Mia quickly scribbled on a notepad.

『She was talking to herself earlier, but I think I heard her say she wanted to go outside!』

“Outside? Surely she wouldn’t go out alone, in this weather, not knowing the area…”

Goruten glanced outside at the pouring rain—just as a sharp voice pierced the air behind him.

“Goruten. What’s all this commotion?”

“Y-Your Highness?! My goodness, you’re soaked! Please, come inside at once or you’ll fall ill!”

“I asked you what’s going on. Where is Litricia?”

Kilian’s nerves were strung to the breaking point. His breathing came in guttural growls, more beast than man.

His soaked shirt clung to his chest, rising and falling with each breath.

“She’s been missing since you left, Your Highness.”

“What?”

It felt like someone had clamped a hand around his throat—he couldn’t breathe.

The anxiety he had tried so hard to suppress surged from his feet like a rising tide.

“Why…? She said she’d wait…”

Without even drying himself, Kilian stormed into the mansion.

“Litricia.”

He began searching from the room he had given her, calling her name again and again along the paths she might have taken.

“Litricia!”

“Your Highness, Mia says it’s likely she went outside. We’ll find her, but please, you should change your clothes first—”

“Let go!”

Kilian violently shook off Goruten’s hand.

His wide sweep knocked a porcelain vase to the ground with a sharp crash.

“Where was the last place she went?”

“The study, Your Highness.”

“I’ll search it again. Deploy the soldiers outside—”

“Kilian?”

Just then, Kilian froze, like a broken wind-up toy.

Slowly, mechanically, he turned his head toward the soft voice.

There stood Litricia—looking bewildered with wide, rabbit-like eyes, dressed as comfortably as ever.

“Ha…”

The tightness in his chest suddenly released, and a deep breath flooded his lungs.

“Haha—cough. Ha…”

The sudden intake of air made his lungs ache, and he let out a few coughs.

Then Kilian stepped over the broken porcelain and ran to her, wrapping her in his arms.

“Haah… damn it, Litricia, you really… have a knack for driving people crazy.”

***

“Kil… lian?”

Caught in his tight embrace, Litricia blinked rapidly, unsure of what was going on.

What on earth had happened while she took a short nap?

She looked at the shattered vase that had woken her—and when she saw the sharp shards digging into Kilian’s shoe sole, her face went pale.

“Kilian, your foot! You’re hurt! Let me go—we need to treat that first—ah!”

But Kilian only held her tighter, making her furrow her brow.

“Kilian, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“You…”

“Me?”

“You said you’d wait. But you were nowhere to be found…”

His voice trailed off, and then like a child, Kilian buried his face in her shoulder.

Litricia, with her arms awkwardly raised, finally noticed his hands trembling.

No—his whole body was shaking.

The staff watching from a distance didn’t even try to hide their concern, clutching their chests in relief.

They didn’t understand what was going on, but it was clear Kilian’s current state was because of her. So Litricia gently wrapped her arms around him.

“You… were scared because you couldn’t find me? I’m sorry. I fell asleep reading in the study—I didn’t know you were back.”

Her white hands moved soothingly over his broad back, which she could barely wrap her arms around.

“I said I’d wait, didn’t I?”