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Chapter 4
“Explain in detail what happened.”
Erios Kiliet, the knight of the Radiant Light, was an easy knight to serve.
He was always cautious and rational, never easily excited or emotionally expressive. He didn’t use his status to act arrogantly, nor did he bother subordinates unnecessarily, believing that everyone should handle their own responsibilities.
But there was one exception.
“Did the child go missing while I was away from the manor?”
Whenever it came to his niece, his gaze changed.
Even he, who had remained calm in the face of monsters, now exuded a fierce aura, glaring sharply.
The subordinate who had come to deliver the news shrugged and answered nervously.
“N-No, that’s not the case.”
Artea had gone missing not outside, but inside the manor.
Even her nanny and maid had been near her.
“Since she’s a young lady, we assumed she’d be found nearby… but after searching, she was nowhere to be found.”
She had gone out, and while the nanny had dozed off, the child disappeared. At first, they thought a young child couldn’t have gone far, so it wasn’t taken seriously. But Artea was unusually absent, prompting others to begin a search immediately—yet she remained missing.
“How is it possible that no one noticed while the child vanished?”
Inside the manor, no one had the slightest clue that the young duchess had disappeared. A search was underway, but given the time that had passed, concerns about serious crime were growing.
Artea had already lost her parents in an accident. Not a single moment had passed without someone worrying about her, and now this had happened.
“Should we announce publicly that Lady Artea is missing and start a search?”
“No need.”
Even in this shocking situation, Erios quickly assessed the situation and found the priority.
Deciding to finish the hunt and return immediately, he activated one of the empire’s few high-level magical artifacts—a privilege of the imperial dukes.
“Where is she?”
“Well…”
Upon hearing the name of the place where Artea was, Erios furrowed his brow. It was a familiar location. Thankfully, Artea hadn’t ended up in some remote place. It was even somewhere one could feel at ease knowing she was there. But that didn’t necessarily make it comfortable for Erios either.
“She is fortunately unharmed, with no injuries.”
The woman in front of him shrugged without any sign of emotion.
“Oh, I forgot my manners.”
It was someone he knew.
No, calling her “someone I know” didn’t even cover it—she had been deeply involved with him.
“Hello, Duke Kiliet?”
Waiting to meet Artea was his ex-girlfriend.
In the time they hadn’t seen each other, her sharp gaze had grown even clearer, her posture more graceful. Rare violet eyes shone like amethysts…
“Well, I can’t really say hello properly.”
She addressed him with a formal politeness, as if seeing him for the first time.
“….”
Our Duke Erios Kiliet’s eyebrows twitched slightly at my greeting. Thick and handsome eyebrows, impossible to miss.
“When I said she’d raise the child well… and yet she didn’t even notice the child running away.”
I had wanted to tease him a little out of spite. But… messing with him over a child seemed wrong.
“-She is fortunately unharmed, with no injuries.”
Before any other greeting, I told him Artea was safe.
Whew… If only she hadn’t been in such a rush, I would have immediately swore at him when I saw him.
Of course, that didn’t mean I wasn’t angry. But seeing him rush in, it was hard to raise my voice. His appearance was also disheveled.
No, “disheveled” isn’t enough. What’s with the dirt and blood all over his face and clothes? His whole body is a mess.
Yet beneath his messy hair, his eyes were sharp enough to chill one’s spine. Two contrasting elements created a dangerous yet strangely fitting aura. For someone famous for their refined swordsmanship, the contrast was striking.
Seeing Artea, it really hits me that these two are uncle and niece. Especially that silver hair…
She had grown taller, the lines of her face more mature. A fleeting feeling of nostalgia hit me, but I quickly pushed it away. Though still a knight, he carried more the presence of a nobleman. He now looked unmistakably like a man.
“Shall we sit down? We seem to have… a lot to talk about.”
My voice rose slightly, my lips curved in a faint smile. Yet the knights accompanying Erios remained cautious. They didn’t assume my smile meant happiness. I, of course, smiled innocently as if unaware.
“Where is the child?”
Asking about Artea’s whereabouts was appropriate. But I couldn’t help thinking: if that was your concern, why didn’t you protect her from the start? I smiled faintly.
“Duke Kiliet, why did you not notice Artea running away?”
Instead of answering, I returned the question. The butler beside him flared up.
“The Duke was away on a hunt for monsters! Upon hearing that Lady Artea had disappeared, he didn’t return to the manor and came straight here!”
So it had happened while the Duke was away. Well, I didn’t deny that he rushed here from the hunting grounds in disheveled condition.
But, interrupting me mid-sentence? I hadn’t asked you anything.
“Such a loyal butler.”
I offered a compliment.
“But then why did such a loyal person fail regarding Artea?”
Was it poor judgment? Bad luck? Or simply incompetence? Regardless, the butler seemed too stubborn to understand my underlying criticism. He flared up but couldn’t continue.
“You said security was reinforced after the accident years ago. Was the system poor, or the people guarding it at fault?”
“….”
“Well, whether system or human error, it falls on the Duke as the head of the house.”
That was the story, but according to my investigation, the manor’s wards and the knights’ patrols left no gaps.
Then the answer was clear.
The reason no one noticed Artea leave was an insider.
Intentional or accidental.
“Let’s assume Duke Kiliet was busy hunting monsters. Then what were the others doing in that time?”
“….”
“This is really a question for the butler. The young duchess disappeared inside the manor and was found in the Sortis territory. What do you think happened in that process? Surely they didn’t just sit idle while calling for the Duke?”
Yet the butler had no answer.
“We investigated, but…”
“And the results?”
If nothing was found, it was as if nothing had been done. I shrugged.
“Loyal, yet incompetent—or perhaps even their loyalty was false.”
While the butler was speechless, I issued a command to dismiss everyone.
“I want to speak with Duke Kiliet alone. In situations like this, I realize no one can be trusted.”
“….”
“Do you understand, butler?”
I brushed off his indignation and countered calmly. Erios waved lightly, dismissing everyone. Even the butler, his pride pricked, stepped back silently.
Now, it’s time to speak properly.
Once the others left, the drawing room was left with just the two of us: Erios Kiliet and me.
“You should have contacted me the moment you found Artea.”
Erios spoke informally. I replied in kind.
“Artea didn’t want to go to the manor, remember?”
“What?”
“And why would you contact them? A house that did nothing while she ran away?”
The cause of Artea running away could still be within the manor…
