SWDYHTITYDHMP Chapter 208

Characters in this chapter:

1. Sapphiras Perfectio, former 2nd son of the Earl of Aldridge
2. Percival Belisario, 3rd son of Margrave of Vanderwall on the Eastern Frontier
3. Aurora Steinfeld, daughter of the Duke of Bloomfield
4. Melchior Astra Solmontana, Crown Prince of Solmontana
5. Liliana Canberra, daughter of Viscount Carmine, Aurora’s lady-in-waiting
6. Erich, Second Prince of Sternkurst (son of the King’s concubine)

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“……Late”

Cait Sith hasn’t returned from his errand at the Duke’s house.

No, I had a hunch that this would happen, but I never thought he’d actually not come back……Cait Sith is good at reading the mood. He knows that the situation isn’t that dire, and is relaxing at the Duke’s mansion.

It’s certainly not an urgent matter, but it’s something that should be expedited if possible. As I wait for Cait Sith to return, Prince Erich and Aurora came out of the academy.

The principal and the teachers see them off and the two of them got into their own carriages.

“It appears that the inspection went off without a hitch.”

“Yeah. There are too many people watching at the academy to do anything.”

After all, there are not only guards, but also many teachers and students guiding them around.

Before Aurora and Liliana got into the carriage, she looked up at the window where we were, smiled slightly, and gave a small bow. So she noticed us watching. I waved back in response.

First of all, I’m glad the inspection of the academy went off without incident. I don’t know about His Highness Erich, but Aurora has guards assigned by the Duke and Crown Prince. Even if those guys were up to something, they wouldn’t do anything reckless like causing trouble when the carriage is traveling down the main street of the royal capital.

The next schedule is a courtesy visit to the temple, isn’t it? If they’re going to cause trouble, that’s probably around the time?

A while after I saw the carriage leave the academy safely, a chamberlain from the Duke’s household paid us a visit.

“His Excellency wishes to see you both.”

“Um……where’s Cait Sith?”

“Don’t worry. He’s at the residence.”

No, I’m not particularly worried. I’m just wondering why Cait Sith hasn’t come back and why the Duke sent a messenger.

“Sapphiras, for now we must see His Excellency first.”

“Yes, I suppose so……”

At Percival’s urging, I decided to forget about Cait Sith for the time being.

I did but.

“……So, Cait Sith. What on earth are you doing?”

“Nya-n”

I was shown into a reception room where Cait Sith had turned into a completely normal cat, rolling around on the sofa with his belly exposed. What’s more, there were a number of half-eaten sweets lined up on the table. Once again, he’s been treated to a variety of treats! Hasn’t he become a lot more brazen than before?

I don’t remember raising him to be this brazen. No, he’s always been a bit brazen. He got too carried away just because he was cute. When I sighed deeply, His Excellency spoke without seeming to care.

“I hear you have something important to discuss, perhaps something to do with His Highness Erich?”

“Ah, yes. About their purpose……”

As I pulled myself together and tried to explain the situation, an anxious knock interrupted my speech. As if sensing something unusual, Cait Sith, who had been lying down, rose to his feet and jumped onto my shoulder.

“Excuse me, master. A messenger on a fast horse has arrived from the royal castle.”

“A fast horse? Sorry, please excuse me for a moment.”

His Excellency stood up and hurried to the entrance.

“It can’t be……”

After exchanging glances and nodding with Percival, we followed after His Excellency.

At the entrance, an Imperial Knight who serves His Highness the Crown Prince was waiting for His Excellency, looking as if he had just galloped his horse over.

“To His Excellency Duke Bloomfield. Your daughter, who was showing His Highness the Second Prince Erich around, has gone missing.”

“Eh?”

“His Highness the Crown Prince sends a message requesting that you come to the castle as soon as possible.”

“……I understand. I will be there immediately. Jensen, tell Luciola what has happened and tell her to wait at the mansion. Just to be on the safe side, strengthen the security and don’t let anyone other than my personal envoys enter the mansion.”

“Understood.”

His Excellency seemed shaken for a moment, but quickly regained his composure and gave orders to his steward. As expected.

“Your Excellency, we’re going as well.”

“Is the reason you wanted to see me something to do with this?”

“Yes.”

“……We can discuss it in more detail at the castle.”

“Your Excellency, use my transfer to the castle. Then, send an empty carriage to the castle.”

How much information about me will that damn shithead Adrian know, His Highness Erich……no, there’s no need for ‘His Highness’ anymore. There’s no longer a need to show respect to those brothers anymore.

I don’t know how much he’s told Erich about us, but I don’t want to reveal my hand until I find out where Aurora is. Being able to transfer at will is quite a trump card.

“We’ll arrange it right away.”

After giving orders to the chamberlain to prepare an empty carriage and head to the castle, His Excellency and us were transferred to the royal castle.

At first glance, the royal castle appears to be as calm as ever, but the Crown Prince’s study, which we were shown to, looked out of the ordinary.

His Highness the Crown Prince, with a grim expression, is giving out orders nonstop, while his aides and guards are constantly coming and going in a tense atmosphere.

“Your Highness, His Excellency the Duke of Bloomfield has arrived.”

The chamberlain who had led us to his study said, and as soon as he saw His Excellency’s face he bowed.

“Duke Bloomfield, I am sorry. I have allowed this to happen while your precious daughter was entrusted to me.”

“Your Highness, raise your head. First of all, I would like to hear the details first.”

“Yes, of course.”

I was urged to stand behind His Excellency, who was sitting on the sofa, and His Highness the Crown Prince, who was sitting opposite us, turned his gaze towards us.

“It is truly reassuring that you both have come.”

“Aurora-jyou is a dear friend to us, so it’s only natural.”

“I see……”

His Highness’s eyebrows, which had been raised, lowered slightly. We can do things that His Highness and His Excellency can’t.

“First, let me explain the situation. As you know, after the inspection of the academy, Aurora disappeared with her lady-in-waiting in the carriage returning to the castle. On the way, the guards checked on the two men in the cabin, but they were not in the carriage that returned to the castle.”

“In other words, my daughter and Liliana suddenly disappeared while traveling. So, what is Prince Erich the Second doing?”

“When he found out that Aurora and her lady-in-waiting had disappeared, he became extremely frightened and retreated to his room. When I tried to talk to him, the guards would stop me. When I tried to force a meeting, they would start asking if I was suspicious of the prince.”

He’s the person who is most likely to know the situation, so it’s only natural that he would want to hear it. Refusing to do so would essentially be saying that he’s involved in the matter without even saying it.

I don’t know if he’s acting like a recluse, or if he’s really scared, but either way, we need to hear his story.

“……I had prepared a sufficient guard in case of an emergency.”

“Your Highness. There’s no point in saying that now.”

“Yes, the Duke is right. But why didn’t I go with her……?”

He could regret it as much as he wanted, but it’s pointless. He could hold a reflection meeting after safely rescuing Aurora and the others. However, there are plenty of other things he needs to do right now.

“At any rate, not much time has passed since Aurora-jyou and Liliana-jyou disappeared.”

The journey from the academy to the castle took about half an hour. If they had sent a fast horse to the Duke’s house as soon as they realised the carriage was empty, then it must have been about an hour since Aurora disappeared.

“Yes. For now, their disappearance has been kept a secret, but as time passes, that will no longer be possible.”

The disappearance of the Duke’s daughter, and the Crown Prince’s fiancée. Such a major incident will cause a public uproar, and above all, there is no denying the possibility that Aurora’s reputation will be tarnished. Furthermore, the more time passes, the more Aurora and Liliana’s safety will be in danger. If Aurora’s holy magic is necessary, they certainly wouldn’t take her life, but on the other hand, they might consider going all out if they could.

His Excellency the Duke and His Highness the Crown Prince should know better than anyone here that a quick resolution is essential.

“Your Highness Melchior. I believe there was a magician who was assigned to escort His Highness Erich, was that person with him when he returned to the castle?”

Ah, I knew Percival was suspicious of that magician too.

I don’t know to what extent Erich was involved, but if that magician was a transfer magician, the mechanism behind them disappearing midway is simple.

“No……His Highness Erich was already traveling with his guards when I received the report. I haven’t heard if there was a magician there to guard him.”

“Does that mean that his escort was a transfer magician?”

“Probably. He may have looked inside the cabin when they left here, or before Miss Aurora got into the carriage at the academy.”

That’s the only thing I can think of. He transferred into the carriage Aurora and the others were riding in while they were traveling, and took them away. It happened in an instant, so by the time they realized it, the job was already done.

It was most likely the work of that shithead, and if he was going to take them to Sternkurst, he would have set up a stopover somewhere. I don’t think an average magician could take Aurora and Liliana and return to his country in one bound. It would require a huge amount of magical power to do so.

“So that’s how it was……there was no point in having separate carriages.”

“We’re dealing with royalty from another country. We can’t ask them to remove the magician escort. It can’t be helped.”

In the first place, normally, someone wouldn’t try to kidnap the daughter of a nobleman from a (provisional) friendly country, especially the fiancée of the crown prince. If he did something like that even accidentally, it could lead to war. That shithead must be crazy if he can do something so insane. His brain must have been damaged by the miasma of Insania Metus.

However, in this peaceful age, war is not something that can be easily started, considering the people.

However, I am an exception. That shithead has made a move on people I care about twice. I will buy this war at an eye-popping price.

“Your Highness, could you get me a maid’s outfit and wig in a size I can wear right now?”

“Excuse me?”

Everyone’s eyes were on me.

“I’ll use the same tricks they did to drag out the reclusive Erich. First, let’s hear what he has to say as soon as possible.”

 

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melon: All caught up again, till next time~