“We couldn’t find her.”

“You still haven’t found her!”

Grit glared at Steve, who had failed to find Clea despite being ordered to do so a while ago.

Just a few days ago, Clea was living in this house.

But after an argument with Grit, she immediately left the house. She was no longer to be seen at the Odoi mansion.

At first, Grit thought Clea would crawl back to the mansion before long.

He thought she would return within a day, unable to properly afford a hotel or meals without her separate allowance.

He thought she would at least realize her situation then.

But now, Grit regretted that moment.

It was none other than he who told her to leave the mansion.

Although he didn’t directly mention expulsion, telling her to leave was essentially the same as proceeding with her expulsion.

His original plan was to impose conditions and accept her when she begged on her knees to be taken back after being driven out.

‘I should have stopped her from leaving!’

The plan was completely overturned, and Clea’s whereabouts had completely vanished.

Regretting that he should have somehow confined her to her room, Grit looked at Steve while breathing roughly.

Noticing Steve’s tired appearance, he became angry again.

“What do you mean you’re tired! Your younger sister hasn’t returned yet!”

“Is that all you have to say to me, who’s been out all day as you ordered, Father?”

“What?”

“I told you from the beginning, didn’t I? That we shouldn’t let her go then.”

“Are you trying to blame me now? Are you really blaming me for sending her away?”

Grit glared at him and spat out words he could barely utter.

Steve, who had been listening silently, clenched both hands tightly.

All day long, he had been scouring everywhere to find Clea.

He had to walk most of the time, not receiving proper support as it would be too conspicuous.

Having never walked so much before, his feet ached, but due to the limited search personnel, he had to walk even more.

As he kept walking, Steve resented Grit.

‘He should have just locked her up and starved her as usual, or beaten her until he felt better, why did he send her away!’

However, the unchanging fact was that Clea had already disappeared.

“Do I have to hear such words from the likes of you!”

“Father, wouldn’t it be better to contact the guard first? We don’t know what might happen to Clea while we’re doing this.”

“No guard!”

“Father!”

Regardless, Steve was also worried about his only younger sister.

She might have been harmed by thugs while walking the streets.

Even for nobles, the streets at night could be dangerous enough, even in the capital.

Thinking they should find her quickly, he advised contacting the guard.

But Grit opposed.

“This matter should be handled quietly within the family.”

“Is it possible to handle this quietly? Rumors are already spreading everywhere.”

Grit also knew what rumors Steve was referring to.

That’s why he gritted his teeth.

The news that the daughter of the Odoi family had left home was currently spreading everywhere.

Grit couldn’t understand why such news had spread in the first place.

The spreading of rumors alone made his situation very difficult.

“Rumors are just rumors.”

“The Percy Duchy is staying quiet out of respect for our family, but if they find out this is true, they won’t remain silent.”

“I know that too!”

The engagement of Clea Odoi and Lloyd Percy.

As the Crown Prince Admund Wilhelm had not yet held an engagement or marriage, this engagement was currently the most noteworthy union.

Originally, the two should have married immediately after graduating from the academy. However, the schedule kept being postponed, and they still hadn’t held the ceremony.

Grit desperately needed Clea.

Not only had he borrowed money from the Duchy, but a considerable portion of the family’s assets were tied up in the Duchy’s businesses.

“Where on earth did she go.”

If they found out she had disappeared, the Duchy wouldn’t stay quiet either.

Remembering how Lloyd had once visited the Duke’s residence and turned everything upside down, he bit his lip.

“Unless the Crown Prince took her, there’s no way we can’t find her like this.”

He thought while rubbing his face dry.

The decisive reason for getting into an argument with Clea.

He did ask if she really had a secret meeting with Admund, but Grit was certain that rumor was false.

Having observed how obsessively Clea had shown her attachment to Lloyd until now, he was sure she wouldn’t show interest in another man.

And would Admund, who doesn’t like the Odoi family that much, have a relationship with Clea?

Clea didn’t appear that beautiful in Grit’s eyes.

Rather, if he were to judge beauty, the daughter of the Hersher family was superior. Always being compared, he always looked at his daughter with contempt.

Aria, who easily won people’s affection with her cute appearance and bright smile, stood at the center of social circles.

In contrast, Clea exuded an intimidating atmosphere with her sharp eyes, tall stature, silver hair as white as her skin, and blue eyes.

It was strange to compare two completely different people, but in terms of influence in social circles, which Grit considered important, he couldn’t help but compare.

“Still, we can’t rule out the possibility, can we?”

On the other hand, Steve advised Grit, feeling like he was grasping at straws.

Just in case, how about visiting the Crown Prince’s palace once?

“Why should I go looking for that guy.”

“Father, aren’t you worried about Clea?”

“The family is about to be ruined because of this, and you ask if I’m worried now!”

Grit exploded in anger.

He claimed that all their current troubles were because of Clea.

Steve, listening to Grit’s words, sighed inwardly.

‘Where on earth did she go?’

While he was indeed worried about Clea, what concerned him far more was their relationship with the Percy family.

He had already proudly declared to others that he was in a close relationship with Lloyd.

Imagining Lloyd coldly rejecting him like before made Steve’s chest feel tight.

They needed to find her quickly and restore everything to its original state.

That was all he wished for now.

Regardless of what Clea had gone through or felt, the two people who prioritized their own well-being were running around in all directions to find her somehow.

But far from finding Clea, the two of them were only getting more and more frustrated.

* * *

Admund thought about what had happened last night.

He felt relieved at the sight of Clea, whom he had finally met. At the same time, he felt somewhat embarrassed for showing such an uncharacteristically agitated appearance.

Had he ever had such an experience in his entire life?

For him, who had lived without being conscious of anything, it was difficult to erase her presence from his mind.

‘Why am I so anxious?’

Everything was perfect last night.

He found the missing Clea, and not stopping there, he confessed his feelings.

He was happy that Clea accepted his confession.

On the other hand, it was hard to shake off the uneasy feeling.

He kept thinking that she might slip away and disappear somewhere.

Admund felt inexplicably anxious.

Worried that she might suddenly vanish from his side in an instant.

He felt anxious even though he wasn’t sure why he was thinking this way, or even how she could disappear now. Admund hated to think about her disappearing.

“If only we had been close since our academy days.”

Looking back on his memories, his past was always painted in black.

He had lived without paying much attention to the things passing around him in that blackness.

Admund slowly recalled the memories of those times.

The Clea Odoi in his memories was a different woman from now.

Always following Lloyd around, trying her best to have conversations with him.

Ironically, in his eyes, she didn’t seem to be following Lloyd because she truly liked him.

As Admund recalled the Clea in his memories, he felt unfamiliar and anxious about how completely she had changed.

Afraid that she might come to his side like the wind and disappear like the wind again.

“Your Highness, a guest has arrived.”

“…It seems there have been too many guests lately.”

“I apologize, Your Highness.”

“It’s fine. I didn’t mention it to receive an apology from you.”

Hearing Oberon’s voice at the door, Admund furrowed his brow.

He was not someone who would meet just anyone who requested an audience.

The Crown Prince of the Empire.

His status was enough to make anyone in the empire kneel before him.

But Oberon knew this as well.

The fact that he couldn’t turn away someone who had come without even making an appointment, as now, meant that it was an important guest.

Admund asked Oberon, who was outside the door.

“Who has come?”

Thinking of Lloyd who had visited recently, he thought it might be people from the Odoi Duke’s family, but.

“Lady Aria Hersher, Your Highness’s close friend, has come to visit.”

“Who?”

“Lady Aria, I said.”

“No, before that. My close friend?”

Admund furrowed his brow.

Although she always tried to get close to him, could someone with whom he hadn’t really had many deep conversations be called a close friend? Admund was dumbfounded.

Oberon thought Admund’s reaction was strange and was about to ask something, but.

“My lady, you mustn’t do this. My lady!”

“Admund!”

Aria pushed past Oberon and entered.

The pink hair and lime-green eyes he hadn’t seen in a long time.

Remembering how she used to bother him at the academy, Admund already felt tired.

“I missed you, Admund.”

‘I didn’t miss you though.’