Filled with deep-seated anger in his chest, he bit down hard, but with the anesthetic still in effect, he couldn’t exert any strength for a while.

‘No matter what, I have to go back.’

He absolutely couldn’t die. No matter what it took, he had to return to Tanashia.

Even if it took a long time, it didn’t matter. Where Tanashia was, that was where he should be.

‘Even though I haven’t told her what reward I want…’

The only reward Ascan wanted was one thing. The promise to keep him by her side no matter what, even if he had to use any means.

He wanted to be with her forever.

That was Ascan’s only wish.
Due to the tranquilizer, I couldn’t resist the constantly closing eyes, and my vision became dark. I recalled Tanashia’s face for the last time.

‘I miss her already…’

In the place where the completely unconscious Ascan remained, now only dirty flower petals and a handkerchief, barely recognizable, were left.

Tanashia had a dream.

It was a dream of spending everyday life with Ascan.

Having meals together as usual, sharing pointless jokes, and looking at the stars in the night sky together. Suddenly, he stood up.

What are you doing?

I must go now.

Where are you going?

Even to my question, Ascan just smiled meaningfully.

Don’t skip meals, and take care.

Ugh, nagging…

He answered as usual, but Ascan’s figure gradually blurred.

Then, I felt my heart sinking. It felt like I might never see him again if we parted like this.

Ascan, wait! Just wait a moment!

I reached out quickly to grab him, but in an instant, his figure disappeared without a trace.

I was left alone in an empty space.

Feeling something flowing down my cheeks like tears, I woke up from the dream.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the familiar ceiling.

I could recognize it at a glance. It was my room at Brellof Manor.

The events before losing consciousness flashed through my mind like a lantern.

Looking at Dekain sitting at my bedside, I urgently asked.

“Where’s Ascan?”

“…”

Dekain didn’t respond and just stared at me intently.

Without giving me a chance to wipe away the tears flowing from my eyes, I shouted again.

“Tell me what happened to Ascan!”

“…We moved you to safety and went back to check just in case, but he was gone.”

“Gone?”

“Yeah. Only this is left, disappeared without a trace.”

Dekain handed me a dirty handkerchief. I could instantly recognize it as the handkerchief Ascan used to carry.

Hurriedly unfolding the dirty handkerchief and examining it, I hoped to find any clue. Unexpectedly, a flower petal that had been attached to the handkerchief fell.

Seeing that, the memory of the flower that Ascan had put in Tanashia’s ear came to mind.

‘Could it be…’

Did he carry it with him all this time?

I wanted to ask him. I wanted to make a scene, asking how he had hidden such feelings all this time.

My throat felt hot.

I wanted to cry my eyes out, but I couldn’t. If I cried now, it would only mean acknowledging that Ascan had disappeared from my side, so I bit the tender flesh inside my mouth and endured it.

“The Kalua Empire took Ascan. They must have taken him from there. We have to find him.”

“Tanashia, the current situation…”

“We have to find Ascan!”
Ascan sacrificed himself not for anyone else but me. Even if it wasn’t me, he could have escaped, but he chose to stay to save me.

Now, there was no time for hesitation, calculation, or anything like that.

My heart felt so tight that it seemed impossible to breathe.

“Do you know how vast the Kalua Empire is? As foreigners, it’s not easy for us to search there freely.”

“So what! Are you telling me to just forget about Ascan like this?”

It was impossible.

There was no way I could pretend not to know about Ascan, who sacrificed himself in my place.

The Kalua Empire wanted Ascan as a human experimental subject. So, the chances were high that they took him alive rather than killing him.

Even if he died, I had to find him again. No, even if he died, I would find his body.

Dekain sighed quietly and stood up from his seat. Then, he looked at me with a complicated expression and turned away.

“I won’t stop you. Do as you please.”

I didn’t stop Dekain. There was something more urgent to attend to.

“Jerin! Jerin!”

In response to my call, Jerin quickly entered the room.

“Oh, Miss. Have you woken up? Master Dekain was so worried about you…”

“And my father?”

“Lord is here until a moment ago, but he stepped out for a short time.”

“I need to see my father right away.”

I tried to get up from the bed, but I felt dizzy and had to sit back down.

“Oh, Miss, you shouldn’t move like that just after waking up.”

“Quickly, call my father.”

Jerin seemed startled by my sudden request, but either reading my desperate eyes or not, he nodded silently and hurriedly left the room.

Olland, who had been by my side until a while ago, entered the room shortly after Jerin left.

It was a relief that Olland was in Brellof Manor.

“Tana, are you okay?”

“Yes, father. Please find one person right away.”

“Are you talking about the disturbance, the one where he supposedly evaded the soldiers of the Razent Empire on your behalf?”

“Yes. We must find him.”

Olland looked at me with a complex gaze for a moment.

It was a chaotic situation, but I could tell that Olland was curious about what had happened. However, I couldn’t figure out where to start and how to explain it. Right now, I just wanted to find Ascan as soon as possible.

My desperate emotions seemed to show on my face because Olland, without asking anything, nodded with understanding.

“I understand.” For the first time, I looked at Olland with a bright expression.

“Really?”
“Sure. We’ll save the detailed stories for later. For now, I’ll mobilize people to find the ignition as you wish.”

“Thank you, Father. Please gather all information and resources of the Brellof family right away. He must be held somewhere in the Kalua Empire. I have to find him no matter what.”

“I promise to do my best.”

Olland, despite having many questions, willingly agreed to do as I wished. Only then did I feel a bit relieved.

“Tanasia, for now, take some more rest.”

In Olland’s following words, I could sense how much he cared about me.

But being in this safe place, under someone else’s care, while Ascan might be undergoing who knows what in an experiment lab, was unbearable.

In the past, it was just content I read in books, but now, the thought of Ascan facing something close to torture was unbearable.

“I’m really okay, Father. More than that, please send someone to the Kalua Empire as soon as possible.”

Seeing me anxious, Olland nodded and took out medicine from the table, handing it to me with water.

“I’ll keep my promise, so don’t worry. In return, can you take this medicine for me?”

It was an irresistible request.

I reluctantly took the medicine that Olland handed over, and as if lying, sleep poured over me.

As Olland gently laid me back on the bed, he murmured softly.

“From now on, I plan to entrust your protection to Zen. I’ll look for the ignition, so you should get some more sleep.”

“Yes, Father… please, I beg you.”

Looking at Olland with a worried expression, I fell asleep again.

Time passed relentlessly.

Although my body gradually recovered from the recent illness, even with all the information and resources of the Brellof family mobilized, there was no trace of Ascan to be found.