“How is… your younger sibling?”

Floyd asked cautiously. Roxiana lowered her gaze and shook her head.

“I couldn’t find him. The wind, earth, and water all moved to search for Ranian, but they couldn’t find any trace.”

“I see.”

Silence fell for a moment.

In the heavy stillness, Floyd looked down at Roxiana’s round forehead and long eyelashes. Even in this situation, she was unreasonably beautiful.

“Tomorrow…”

Floyd barely broke the silence.

“I plan to depart for Torkan.”

“Yes.”

Floyd waited quietly, but Roxiana didn’t say anything else. Only then did Floyd realize he had been nervous that Roxiana might say she would stay here.

“Get some good rest today. It will be a long journey.”

“Yes.”

Floyd gently raised his hand, then clenched it into a fist and lowered it again as he said,

“See you tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

After Floyd left, Roxiana approached the window.

She couldn’t rest well. Not knowing where Ranian was or what he was doing, there was no way she could sleep soundly. Whether Ranian was alive or dead, though the latter seemed more likely, she felt she could only move on if she could at least hold his body in her arms.

Roxiana stretched out her arms and once again called forth the spirits.

+++

News of what happened at the Ider Palace spread throughout Gania before Lucas, who was heading there, could arrive. It was inevitable, as the numerous people gathered at the Ider Palace that day couldn’t stop talking about the shocking incident.

Among the foreign nobles who attended the party, many were wary of Gaina, which had grown powerful by absorbing Kanta. They immediately ordered their people to spread word of this incident far and wide. Ravens took flight from various places.

The Kantan-born employees working at the Ider Palace spread the news about the incident everywhere without anyone telling them to. Journalists excitedly wrote articles, and minstrels quickly composed songs and spread them.

Before even a week had passed, the tragedy that befell the Franche royal family and the cruel act committed by the Pelur royal family’s crown prince resounded throughout the entire continent.

“For heaven’s sake!”

Joseph V could not contain his anger.

“That foolish boy, what was he thinking!”

Crash-!

A vase flew and hit the newspaper, falling with a sharp sound. Queen Christine took a small deep breath and watched Joseph V’s expression.

“This idiot called everyone to Kanta, making it impossible to prevent this! What are we supposed to do now? Huh? Tell me, Queen! What are we supposed to do about this!”

Christine kept her mouth shut and picked up the newspaper.

The front page of the newspaper bore the headline [Tragedy Strikes the Franche Royal Family] in large letters. Below it were portraits of Victian IV and Lucas side by side.

Certainly, Lucas was at fault this time. By hosting a grand party and inviting nobles from other countries, the situation had escalated. Countries wary of Gania, which had swallowed up Kanta, would not quietly bury this matter.

No matter what they did, the Pelur royal family of Gania would bear this stigma and be pointed at for a very long time.

‘I should have killed him then.’

Christine recalled Floyd. That hateful face that looked exactly like his mother’s.

‘I shouldn’t have let him escape then.’

Floyd, who was as thin as a flea-bitten horse. Floyd, who had no parents, no strong backing, or wealth.

She thought that if Floyd left the palace with nothing, he wouldn’t last even a few days before returning or dying. She never dreamed he would use that power to exterminate monsters, gain vast territories, and even receive the title of Grand Duke.

If she had known, she wouldn’t have let him leave alive.

-“If you took me, you should take responsibility, Your Majesty!”

After giving birth to her son, the look in Eliensa’s eyes as she requested recognition for her child as a member of the Pelur royal family was still vivid in her memory. She never knew her once-docile lady-in-waiting could become so strong to protect her son.

‘If that woman hadn’t been so greedy, they could have lived well…’

It was common for a king of a country to embrace a woman other than his wife. Knowing that nothing was as ugly as a woman openly showing jealousy over this, Christine did not display her jealousy.

Even as Joseph V’s women increased in the Lily Palace, she only watched as long as they didn’t cross the line. She left alone even the children born from Joseph V’s seed.

Now those children had grown up and were scattered throughout Gania, each receiving a territory.

If Eliensa hadn’t been so greedy, she and her son could have lived comfortably in the Lily Palace and eventually received a piece of land to become independent.

Christine didn’t think she had done anything wrong. Eliensa had severely crossed the line and received treatment befitting that.

Thinking of Floyd, who was living well with the same face as Eliensa, made her blood boil. It was also tormenting to have to hide her true feelings and smile, saying “Of course. He’s a fine child,” whenever she had to deal with people praising Floyd, Joseph V’s son.

She wanted to kill Floyd right away, but she had missed her chance. By the time Christine thought she had to kill Floyd somehow, he was already sitting in a position beyond her reach.

‘Now is not the time to think about that bastard.’

Lucas’s position would be shaken by what happened in Kanta. The faction supporting Casar was already growing.

Although Casar was also her son, she couldn’t help but feel more affection for Lucas, who was her firstborn and more obedient. Therefore, it had to be Lucas who sat on the throne.

Christine turned to look at Joseph V, who was sitting with his head in his hands, pondering how to get out of this situation.

“Your Majesty, I have an idea.”

Joseph V looked up. Christine smiled.

“Elise Hailis.”

Although she was a girl she didn’t like, there was a reason she had pretended not to notice her hovering around Lucas.

“Let’s use that child.”

+++

When Floyd’s group returned, Selshar City was in the midst of the Star Festival.

Ribbons and flowers decorating the streets and buildings, glowing minerals. Music echoing, people dancing, vendors and merchants calling out everywhere. Children running with flowers and parents calling after them.

It was a scene that would make one smile just by watching, but the returnees’ mood was somber. Even Adrian, who would have normally caught flowers thrown by women and danced, was staring straight ahead with a heavy expression.

‘In the end, we couldn’t find him.’

Ranian Franche. They couldn’t find the body of Roxiana’s only younger brother. Although they had left people behind to continue the search, Floyd didn’t think they would be able to find anything.

‘She must be devastated. If we had at least confirmed his death, she could grieve on the spot and eventually move on.’

Adrian knew that feeling very well.

The feeling of not being able to confirm whether a missing family member is alive or dead. The small hope and the despair when it crumbles. The guilt of doing well alone. The restlessness of not being able to sleep.

Adrian knew well those painful emotions that one couldn’t escape from. And so did Cain.

Glancing back, he saw that Cain also had a dark expression. Sensing Adrian’s gaze, Cain looked back at him.

“Rian.”

Although he was called by the nickname he disliked, Adrian didn’t get angry.

“Yeah.”

“I think I’ll have to go back to Kanta soon. I’m planning to search thoroughly from the bottom up.”

“Okay.”

“When that time comes, please take care of the bears.”

“Sure.”

At any other time, Adrian would have ignored the request to pay attention to his knight order. But this time, he nodded obediently.

Finding Roxiana’s lost family was a very important matter. Having sworn an oath of knighthood to her, he had to ensure that nothing troubled her mind.

‘Still, it’s fortunate that at least Lord Chenare is alive.’

He looked at the back of the man riding a horse next to the carriage carrying Roxiana and Floyd.

Robert Chenare. Roxiana’s guardian knight.

Roxiana, clinging to him and crying, looked like a child. Only then did the knight commanders realize that Roxiana was someone who could cry like that.

-“She was a bright and cheerful princess who often got into mischief.”

When the knight commanders asked what Roxiana was like when she was young, Robert answered with a nostalgic smile.

-“She was always smiling brightly, but when she got upset, her lips would pout first.”

The knight commanders couldn’t imagine such a Roxiana, so they hoped that someday she would become like that again.

‘A princess with pouting lips must be cute.’

Adrian gripped the reins tightly.

‘That’s why we must find the princess’s brother no matter what.’

+++

The bustling sounds flowed in through the carriage window. Songs were mixed in as well.

Only then did Roxiana remember that a festival was held around this time.

Roxiana raised her head and stared at Floyd sitting across from her. He was looking at the curtain drawn over the window with a dark expression.

The atmosphere had become heavy because they couldn’t find Ranian. Roxiana knew this too, but until now, she hadn’t had the energy to care about others’ feelings.

But as she listened to the songs coming from outside, she came to her senses. She couldn’t stay immersed in melancholic pain forever. Since digging the ground alone wouldn’t solve Ranian’s problem, she had to move forward.

Ranian.

‘I’ll find you. I’ll definitely find you. Even if my soul is torn to shreds, I will definitely find you. So wait for me, Ranian.’