CH 7.1

“My lord.”

In the darkness, Duke Elrad turned his head.

With his beautiful features like a statue under his silver hair that was shining reflected in the moonlight, he had a cold expression as usual.

Sid, with his head bowed down, said in a miserable tone.

“I searched all the orphanages and back alleys in the estate, but… I couldn’t find the lady.”

He couldn’t even lift his head, but Sid could see that the face of Duke Elrad, his master and leader of the proud Rexion Knights, was frozen.

“From now on, the search will be expanded further. I don’t think they’ve left the Empire yet, but also checked the ships that have arrived in the neighbouring kingdom.”

“Yes, and a little while ago the Duke of Belarus had arrived. Commander Marietta came in person.”

“The Count?”

The Duke’s expression hardened at the news that Bianca Marietta had personally crossed the sea.

When he urgently asked for help from the Archduke Belarus, he thought that he would take the lead and help out, but Duke Elrad didn’t know that he would send the continent’s strongest magic swordsman.

Perhaps he made such a decision because he knew the seriousness of what had happened better than anyone else.

The Duke, who had been as cold as ice, could not hide his complicated mind and let out a shallow sigh.

A few days ago, his second son, Allen, and his youngest child, Diana, sneaked out of the castle saying they were going to watch the festival, and Diana disappeared.

He was furious at the negligence of his subordinates in charge of the child’s escort, but at that time the Duke even went to the Knights of Rexion, so he thought he would be able to find the child soon.

Duke Elrad thought she was simply lost, and his territory was safer than anywhere else.

But it was arrogance.

I couldn’t believe there were some fools in the Empire who would touch the Duke of Elrad, but after a few days Diana did not show up, and the kidnapping was almost certain.

The Duke belatedly blocked the way out of the territory, while controlling the information and secretly starting to pursue Diana.

Not only are they involved in useless rumors, but they also don’t know what the criminals would do because they are frightened to realize the identity of Diana they kidnapped belatedly.

‘I wish they would ask for a ransom, but…’

As the Duke of Elrad, who was notorious throughout the Empire, it was impossible. If they ask for a ransom, they’d be retaliated against.

‘After all, they would choose to cleanly get rid of it…’

The Duke frowned and shook his head at the constant negative thoughts.

He felt his cold reason, which had never wavered his whole life, would crumble.

The Duke even remembered laughing when Diana took off the enchanted tracking bracelet she had been given on her previous birthday.

“People will never know unless it’s their business.”

When the situation became like this, I couldn’t help but think of the tragedy that my friend had suffered.

His one and only friend who lost his child, who had been nothing but a lump of blood, and was still in agony.

Even the so-called cold-blooded man thought that he had been deeply concerned about it, but when it came to him, the pain was felt again.

“Taze.”

To evoke a feeling of pushing to the bottom and somehow hold the reason, the Duke called a knight standing nearby.

As a result, Sid, who was ordering the knights under his command, paused and glanced.

“I’ve heard that you haven’t slept or eaten in days. Are you protesting right now?”

“No. I’m just looking for her…”

“Yes, we must find Diana. Definitely. But in your current state of mind, I’m afraid you’re not in the right state.”

“…I’ll correct it.”

He clenched his fists, barely holding back the emotions that rose from the Duke’s words.

It was like a miracle that a commoner from a mercenary became a knight and joined the Rexion Knights.

‘But when it’s over…’

It will not stop with sobriety.

‘I’ll be kicked out of the Knights, and my knighthood will be reclaimed.’ Taze thought at the Duke’s words.

However, if Diana was found safely, his life would not be a waste.

At that moment, Taze found Sid nearby, the captain, looking straight at him.

Suddenly, Taze felt angry.

He certainly listened to his words and thought that he was excluded from the lady’s escort.

It was all a trap.

But standing in front of the master who lost his daughter, it was all just an excuse.

While Taze was hiding his anger and regret inside, the Duke called Sid.

Sid’s eyes flashed insidiously as he approached immediately, and bowed his head, and looked down at the floor.

“You start chasing east from now on. Taze and I will go the wide west. Tell Count Marietta to join us to the west.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

Arsenic smile seeped into Sid’s lips as he turned around in the form of a knight who was more loyal than anyone else.

Things got worse than he originally planned, but nothing bad happened to him.

Because Taze would no longer be trusted by his master.

On the other hand, the Duke, looking beyond the territory, recalled Diana, his foolish daughter.

His eyes were as cold and firm as a glacier, but his heart was filled with anxiety and worries.

Presuming that by now his little daughter would be weeping looking for him and her family.