TDSFE 39

chapter 39

June 15, 2021

The order of knights was in an uproar after a large number of missing person reports were filed. It had only been a few weeks since Kroil, a rookie knight of the Valkyrie Order, had been found brutally murdered. And now, taking advantage of the excitement of the festival, another mass disappearance had occurred.

The Emperor suspected that this mass disappearance was connected to the previous human trafficking case and ordered a strict investigation. The ones leading that investigation were Tersia and the Valkyrie Order.

Louwenhart recalled the conversation he had with Tersia a few days prior.

“So, the engagement announcement will be delayed a little.”

“I understand.”

It was unfortunate, but Louwenhart knew the situation left no other choice. As he nodded quietly, Tersia spoke firmly.

“Just in case, I’ll say this clearly—Louwenhart, don’t even think about getting involved in this incident.”

“Why not?”

“Hart, you were almost killed just a few weeks ago. We were lucky to find you quickly last time, but this case is much bigger.”

“I can protect myself.”

“I’m worried you’ll get hurt.”

Tersia clasped his hand as she said it. She could still remember the terror she felt when he’d been kidnapped by thugs. Louwenhart couldn’t bring himself to argue with her sincerity.

“Haa…”

Restricted to his academy and research work, Louwenhart let out a sigh. Unlike him, who could only read about the events in the newspaper, Tersia was out there tirelessly searching the capital day and night.

I shouldn’t just be sitting here…

As he frowned in thought, Marcia approached him. The tea she placed on the table filled the air with a gentle fragrance.

“Louwenhart, is something troubling you?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

He closed the newspaper he’d been reading, but Marcia had already seen the headline.

“You’re worried about the disappearances, aren’t you? It’s been chaos lately.”

“…Yes.”

“It’s really terrible. I imagine Her Highness must be deeply distressed as well.”

Louwenhart nodded silently. According to Alex, even search magic wasn’t working this time. The criminals had fortified their defenses after being caught once before through magical detection.

He tapped the table lightly with his fingers. The capital had strengthened its security during the festival—that much he knew well as a member of the Valkyrie Order. Yet, somehow, the kidnappers seemed to know the security arrangements perfectly, taking people without leaving a trace.

That could only mean one thing—there was a traitor on the inside.

“Kidnapping people like that… it’s unforgivable,” Marcia said, her voice trembling. “I just hope they’re caught soon and punished properly.”

Seeing her shake, Louwenhart felt a pang of pity.

Right… Marcia said her younger sister went missing when she was little.

Whenever she had the time, Marcia would visit informants to search for her missing sibling—even though the costs were anything but cheap. The Queen of Tiranavan had sponsored Marcia’s studies in the Estonian Empire, but that didn’t mean she was wealthy.

Yes, human trafficking and kidnappings need to be eradicated completely.

Louwenhart’s desire to help Tersia only deepened.

Meanwhile, Tersia, who had been ordered by the Emperor to resolve the case, was thinking the same thing.

“There’s an insider.”

Security arrangements for the festival were shared only with the knights and guards directly involved. Yet the criminals operated with surgical precision, using blind spots and avoiding every patrol. There was no way they could have done that without inside information.

“Could it be the Dark Guild again?”

Alex, who had found Kroil’s body in the mountains last time, growled as he spoke. If it was the same group, the missing people this time might not survive.

The only lead Tersia and her knights had was that the group had previously used merchant guilds as a front, smuggling victims to other countries under the guise of trade. The number of missing was at least several dozen. Moving that many people across borders was difficult.

Since the Kroil case, the Empire had tightened national security. Every item passing through the borders was now inspected. Merchants had complained about the delays, but it was a wise decision—there had been no reports of people hidden in wagons, meaning the victims were still within the Empire.

“Unless one of the inspectors took a bribe…”

Tersia frowned. There were too many possibilities to investigate. Even the motive for the kidnappings was unclear.

If it was just for slavery, things would be simpler. She could just locate the underground market, destroy it, and trace the suppliers. That kind of direct assault was her specialty.

But during the Kroil incident, all the missing victims they found had been dead. That meant the captors didn’t care whether their hostages lived or died.

Her frown deepened—until there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

“…Tersia.”

It was Louwenhart. Normally, she’d be happy to see him, but this time her face stiffened. She already knew why he had come.

Sure enough, his first words confirmed it.

“I’ve decided—I’ll be joining the search effort.”

“No.”

Tersia rejected his request instantly. No matter how skilled Louwenhart was with a sword or how gifted he was in magic, he was still the Prince of Tiranavan. If anything happened to him, it could lead to a massive diplomatic crisis.

Not to mention, he was soon to be publicly announced as her fiancé.

If he got hurt because she brought him into this mission, not only would she owe Tiranavan huge reparations, but her engagement might be called off entirely.

And if they make me go through the whole selection process for a new fiancé again…

Tersia shuddered. That, she could never endure.

But more than politics, she had a personal reason.

I never want to see Hart hurt again.

Once was more than enough to make her heart nearly stop. If he got hurt again—and worse, began to avoid her out of disappointment—it would be unbearable.

Still, Louwenhart didn’t back down. Of course, he had anticipated her refusal. But he also had his own advantages—his unmatched healing magic and his gentle persuasion.

He stepped closer and took her hand. The warmth of his touch spread through her fingers. Tersia, now used to such contact, didn’t pull away. Louwenhart smiled softly.

“I’m not saying I’ll take the lead.”

“Then what?”

“I’ll support from behind. Who am I, after all? No one can match me in healing magic.”

“Well… that’s true.”

Without realizing, Tersia nodded.

“This case is much larger than the Kroil incident. People might get hurt. In that case, I can be of help.”

“Hmm… but what if you get hurt, Hart?”

“I’m more worried about you, Tersia.”

Her eyes widened. No one—not since her family—had ever said something like that to her.

After all, Tersia Chloris was the kind of person who could survive even if left alone in enemy territory. But still, having someone care for her—it warmed her heart.

Ah… well, Didi used to worry about me too.

But Louwenhart’s words felt… different.

“So, you’re saying you want to heal me?”

“If you’ll allow it.”

“But I’m strong. You might not get the chance to heal me, you know?”

Tersia chuckled teasingly, and Louwenhart smiled in return.

“Of course, the best outcome is if you never get hurt. But the Dark Guild is notorious for its cunning. Having a skilled healer nearby can’t hurt.”

“Hmm…”

He had a point. Tersia found herself leaning toward agreeing.

As she hesitated, Louwenhart calmly interlaced his fingers with hers. The subtle intimacy made Tersia flinch slightly as she looked at him.

“Hart?”

Thankfully for Louwenhart, Tersia wasn’t completely naïve. She had Eldora—a master of romance—as her companion. Though Tersia had never cared much about love herself, she had heard plenty of examples.

And that kiss incident last time… had been a turning point. It made her start noticing him.

Eldora had even teased her, saying,

“You’re just sexually frustrated, Tersia.”

Back then, she’d run straight to Louwenhart and announced her “frustration” to him.

Now that she thought about it, her face burned. She’d basically confessed to her fiancé-to-be that she was suffering from pent-up desire.

Wait… but maybe it’s fine. He is my fiancé, after all.

Once their engagement became official, no one could fault her for… “addressing” that frustration however she pleased.

Eldora had said that in the modern age of free love, one should enjoy its benefits.

Tersia’s thoughts began drifting in a very inappropriate direction.

“Ahem.”

Sensing the thickening atmosphere, Alex cleared his throat loudly to remind them of his presence.

Tersia jolted upright in surprise, practically jumping to her feet.