The dark engine room, filled with only cold air, was permeated with her fragrance. His entire body, responding to that scent, was communicating with him.

“The Duchess is undoubtedly in here.”

“…!”

Everyone was shocked at the Duke’s confident statement. Particularly, Dylan, whose mouth fell open upon hearing about the Duchess’s presence, had an expression of astonishment.

Observing Kairon examining various parts of the engine room, the others also began searching for the Duchess. However, there was no trace of her scent inside the engine room. Even after scrutinizing every corner, only machines were abundant.

Dylan watched the Duke with eyes full of frustration as he searched for the Duchess. Especially when the Duke headed towards the floor where the secret chamber was hidden, it felt like his heart sank.

“My Lord! No matter how much I look, it seems that the Duchess’s message is not here. We couldn’t find any space to hide a person.”

Facing the determined Duke who firmly believed that the Duchess was here, the Chief of Security bowed his head apologetically. Gregory, also looking at the Duke with a regretful expression, added,

“My Lord, I also checked… But… It seems like Her Grace is not here…”

“That can’t be. The Duchess is here.”

Cutting off Gregory’s words, Kairon asserted again. In the face of the Duke’s inexplicable determination, Gregory tried to convince him with an expression full of concern.

“I understand your desire to find Her Grace, but… Right now, My Lord, you are in a very exhausted state. You haven’t slept a wink for the past few days.”

As Gregory believed that Kairon’s behavior was a severe symptom of exhaustion, the Duke might not have realized he was seeing hallucinations born from the longing to find the Duchess.

“Taking a short rest would be…”

“Gregory, do I look like I’m not in my right mind at the moment?”

“My Lord…”

“I am clearer now than ever. To the point where I can’t control my restless nerves.”

“My Lord…”

“As much as the fragrance is so intense, there’s no way the Duchess is not here.”

“…Fragrance? What on earth…?”

At the mention of the word ‘fragrance’ again, everyone, including Gregory, looked perplexed.

Inside the engine room, only the faint scent of rust and the lingering smell of steam from the old machines could be perceived. Certainly, there was nothing that could be called a fragrance.

Despite the doubtful looks from those watching, Kairon closed his eyes and concentrated his entire mind. Slowly, he moved towards where Idel’s fragrance became stronger.

Eventually, he stopped walking on the flat floor where there was nothing. Watching his every move, Dylan barely managed to suppress a scream that was about to burst out.

‘That, that place…!’

It was exactly above the secret chamber where the Duchess was hidden.

‘Did he really find the location of the Duchess based on the fragrance?’

No, that couldn’t be true.
“If the fragrance was so intense, there was no way I wouldn’t have noticed being by the Duchess’s side for the past few days. The Duchess didn’t even use perfume, so there was clearly no scent.”

“Then how on earth did the Duke find the Duchess?”

No matter how much Dylan thought about it, it was an inexplicable situation. However, Dylan’s contemplation didn’t last long.

“Dig up this floor here.”

Kairon, who had opened his eyes, abruptly ordered with sparkling eyes. Concentrating on his sense of smell after closing his eyes, he naturally became more sensitive to other senses.

The surface he was stepping on felt different vibrations compared to the other floors. It was the vibration that resonated when the space below was empty. It was clear that there was another space hidden beneath the lower part of this engine room, easily mistaken for the ship’s bottom.

Above all, the scent of Idel was most intense around this area.

“I can see small grooves on the surface of the floor.”

One of the security officers examining the floor shouted. In the dim interior, it wasn’t visible from a distance, but upon closer inspection, it seemed that the floor had grooves, like handles.

“I hear you!”

As one inserted their hand into the groove and pulled outward, surprisingly, the floor began to make a sound.

“Oh, no!”

Dylan, in a state of confusion, tried to rush forward, but the security officers stopped her.

“Is there something we shouldn’t get caught for?”

“T-that’s the bottom of the ship! If you tear it off, the ship will suffer severe damage…”

“The bottom of the ship…”

“Yes! If the floor is pierced, seawater will come in, causing flooding!”

Amused by Dylan’s desperate actions, Kairon laughed as if finding it entertaining. Dylan momentarily froze at the Duke’s smile.

The Duke’s smile, seen for the first time, was undoubtedly captivating to the point where it couldn’t be ignored, but at the same time, it felt chillingly fierce. It was because of his merciless gaze, in stark contrast to his smiling lips.

“Okay. Let me ask you one last time. Is there really nothing but seawater under that floor?”

“……!”

The Duke’s gaze already seemed to have a predetermined answer. This was, as he put it, the last chance. If she missed this chance…

Dylan, unknowingly, gripped her throat, feeling a sensation she had felt when she first faced the Duke.

‘If I don’t tell the truth…’

That beastly man would surely bite her neck, tearing it apart.

Dylan’s limbs trembled. Now, with no strength left to support herself, she collapsed to the ground, kneeling with her knees.

“…Yes.”

As Dylan resignedly started to confess, Kairon went to the security officer’s side, replacing her in holding the floor. As he raised the floor, it began to open like a box lid.

The fragrance, awakening all the senses, deeply penetrated his lungs. Simultaneously, the hidden interior of the secret chamber came into his view.

A woman was lying crouched inside. Although it was dark inside, the smooth jet-black hair and the fair skin were vividly imprinted on his eyes.

She was the woman he had been searching for so desperately. Kairon reached out and slowly lifted the slender woman’s body.

“Idel…!”

Calling her name with a passionate voice, the woman in his arms, whose arms and legs were bound and even her mouth was sealed, showed no signs of movement, her eyes closed.

Like a broken and withered flower, devoid of life…