YWPWYLFDM 73

Chapter 73

And a little while later—

“Ah, no matter what you say…! For people like us, keeping secrets is essential…! If word got out that I’d sold out a client’s information, I’d be ruined!”

Even while kneeling with both arms raised in surrender, the thug glanced nervously at Candice, pleading in a troubled voice that answering her question would be dangerous.

“Oh, really?”

Candice, who had been sitting comfortably with her arms crossed, rose from her chair at his reply.

“Let’s go.”

“What? After coming all this way, you’re just going to leave without an answer, ma’am?”

The broker who had accompanied her looked baffled, a huge question mark on his face.

“Yeah, let’s go. Oh, and we’ll take them too. Might as well hand them over to the authorities and claim the bounty.”

As Candice conjured a sturdy rope with magic, the thug panicked and cried out.

“W-wait! I’ll answer! Who exactly are you looking for?”

About time. Candice sat back down and described the people she was searching for.

“…You mean the guy missing his right hand?”

“Yeah. A man missing his right hand, with a big scar near his eye. He’ll be traveling with a girl around thirteen or fourteen.”

“N-never seen anyone like that…”

Sweat poured down the thug’s face as he obediently replied.

“Really?”

“Yes…! Wh-why would I dare lie to you?”

Looking into his obsequious eyes, Candice could tell he wasn’t lying.

She turned sharply to glare at the broker beside her.

“Didn’t you say he controlled all the illegal crossings?”

“W-well…! Usually, yes. But if someone important was involved, they might have hired a private ship instead…”

The broker muttered excuses, and Candice sighed deeply.

“You.”

She jerked her chin toward the thug, who answered with a nervous squeak.

“M-me, ma’am?”

“Yes, you. From now on, use every connection you’ve got to track down the people I just described. Understand?”

“Y-yes, ma’am!! Understood!!”

Leaving the trembling thugs behind, Candice exited the tavern.

She left instructions with the broker to look into the merchant ship Natalia had mentioned. Something was bound to come up eventually.

If not, then I’ll just have to track them down on foot.

Stretching her arms above her head, she wandered back toward her inn room.

Winfred, having successfully completed his first diplomatic mission as crown prince, had been buried in endless work since his return. Tasks had piled up in his absence abroad.

He urgently needed to visit the ducal house and tell Aila’s story, but he simply hadn’t had the time.

Only after several days of tackling urgent affairs without even a chance to rest from the journey did Winfred finally manage to go.

“The duke isn’t even home. What’s so urgent that you’d run straight there on your first holiday?”

His father, Hiram, grumbled irritably.

He hadn’t seen his son’s face for days while he was abroad, and now that Winfred was finally back, he wanted to spend time together. Instead, his son was rushing off to the duke’s estate.

Feels like my friend stole my son away from me, Hiram thought bitterly.

And that very friend was away at the border, leading the knights in defense of the nation.

“Oh, I heard about that. The Sekim tribe invaded, right?”

At his father’s words, Winfred’s expression tightened.

He wanted to tell both Roderick and Ophelia about Aila’s situation, but of all times, war had to break out now.

Fortunately, with the Weissenhafen Knights’ reinforcements, the situation was stabilizing quickly. Roderick would likely return soon, but it was still frustrating.

“So, why insist on going to a house where even your mentor isn’t present? Is it Noah you’re so eager to see?”

Hiram’s lips jutted out sulkily as he questioned him.

“Well… I’ll explain when I get back.”

Until now, Winfred had followed Aila’s request and told no one about her, except her parents.

But now that he was certain Byron was involved, he couldn’t hide it from his father any longer.

Officially, he couldn’t conceal information related to rebellion from the emperor. Personally, it was the same—whether he liked it or not, Byron was still his father’s elder brother.

Of course, it wasn’t something Winfred could decide alone. He planned to discuss it with Ophelia first before speaking further.

“…So there really is something you’re keeping from me.”

Hiram, who had been feigning irritation, saw the look on his son’s face and realized he was hiding something serious. Dropping his playful tone, he assumed the bearing of an emperor.

Winfred neither confirmed nor denied it. Hiram simply smiled faintly and patted his son’s head.

“Go, then. Be safe.”

“…I’ll be back.”

With his father’s blessing, Winfred hurried off to the Weissenhafen estate, certain that Ophelia would be shocked by the news he brought of Aila.

But unfortunately, to Ophelia, the news was… not particularly new.

Though Natalia hadn’t been certain the child she saw was Aila, information had already reached her that Aila might have headed to the Kingdom of Inselkopf with Byron.

“…You’re not surprised?”

Expecting astonishment, Winfred scratched his cheek awkwardly when Ophelia remained calm.

“Ah, well… I’d already heard it from someone else.”

She told him about Natalia’s account and about Candice’s departure to search for Aila in Inselkopf.

“There wasn’t solid proof then… but since Your Highness met her, I can be certain now.”

Ophelia smiled faintly, folding her trembling hands neatly on her lap to hide them from Winfred.

It was truly fortunate she had already been warned. Otherwise, she might have lost control in front of the young crown prince and embarrassed herself.

“Ah, so that’s why Director Eposher has been absent. I see.”

Winfred’s tone deflated.

He had rushed here to deliver the news as quickly as possible, only to find he was too late. Feeling hollow, he moved on to the next piece of information.

“Aila said… there’s a spy planted here in the ducal house, sent by Byron.”

“Ah, I thought as much.”

Ophelia wasn’t surprised by this either—it was exactly what Candice had predicted.

“So you knew this as well…”

“Yes, we suspected as much.”

Winfred’s mood sank. Not only had he failed to bring Aila back, but every bit of news he carried was already outdated.

With a heavy heart, he bowed his head.

“I’m sorry, Duchess.”

“What? Sorry for what?”

“…I truly meant to bring Aila back this time. But for some reason, she insisted she had to return to Byron’s side. I couldn’t persuade her.”

He wanted desperately to help Aila, yet all he could do was relay messages to her parents. And even those were nothing more than late confirmations.

At his apology, Ophelia tilted her head.

“…She said she had her reasons?”

“Yes. She seemed frightened… Now that I think about it, when I asked her to return with me, she looked both sad and tense at the same time.”

Was Byron threatening her? Was that why she couldn’t leave?

Thinking of his uncle filled Winfred with fury. How could a man hide behind a human mask and be so utterly vile? He clenched his teeth without realizing it.

“…I see.”

Ophelia, who knew Byron’s cruelty better than anyone—having suffered from him herself—bit her lip hard.

There was no way Byron would let Aila go freely. He must have ensured she couldn’t escape no matter what.

“Your Highness… Did Aila say anything about Byron’s purpose? Why he took her?”

“Ah, well…”

Winfred swallowed dryly. The truth was so monstrous, he hesitated to even repeat it.

“She said… Byron plans to make her kill the duke. To use her for revenge.”

“…!”

At those words, Ophelia had to clench her fists to keep from exploding in rage.

Of course Byron had no good intentions in abducting their daughter—but to devise such a depraved scheme!

It wasn’t surprising, considering he had once tried to kill his own father. But now their beloved daughter was to be dragged into his madness? It was unbearable.

And revenge? What reason did he have for such deep hatred of Roderick? Because of his own delusions—that Roderick had betrayed him, or “stolen” Ophelia away? She was sick of his twisted claims.

Ophelia fought to keep her composure in front of the young crown prince, but her expression must have betrayed her. Winfred lowered his head, guilt pressing down on him.

“…I’m sorry.”

His voice was heavy with shame. Aila had told him not to worry, but still—the fact remained that he shared blood with Byron. And that fact alone filled him with sorrow.