Chapter 137. Withdrawal Symptoms

Laila revealed only part of what she knew.

Just that the Grand Duchess’s destination was the Duchy of Asir.

She didn’t disclose the fact that she was terminally ill. Revealing that much would be too much interference.

“Which region of the Duchy of Asir did Ellen say she was going to?”

“I, I don’t really know that far……”

“You really don’t know? You’re not just pretending not to know?”

“I really don’t know. I, I can swear on it.”

Laila stared directly at the Grand Duke with resolute eyes, seemingly prepared to stake her life on it. The gun was still pointed at Laila’s head, and the Grand Duke glared at her silently for a long time.

After a moment, the Grand Duke lowered his gun with a cold expression. At that moment, Laila took a deep breath. She had been holding her breath without realizing it.

“Are you sure her final destination is the Duchy of Asir?”

The Grand Duke asked again. Laila, catching her breath roughly, answered hurriedly.

“I’m, I’m not sure about that. She was… curious about Ka… Katar, though……”

“Katar……”

The Grand Duke, taking his eyes off Laila, stared quietly into space for a while. His eyes, which seemed lost in thought, took on a dark hue like the deep sea. After a while, he muttered in a low voice.

“Yes, Katar….. Then……”

“……”

“I’ll have to go to Paleas. It’s the largest port city in Asir.”

The Grand Duke turned on his heel and walked away with quick strides. Only then did Laila’s legs give out and she collapsed to the ground. Her whole body was trembling.

The last image she had seen of the Grand Duchess flickered like an illusion.

‘Your Highness……’

May this choice have been the right one.

She squeezed her hands tightly in her bosom, her eyes tightly shut.

* * *

Why did you leave without saying a word to me?

Enoch kept mulling over the question that he couldn’t answer alone.

Was I such an untrustworthy being to you? Were you so afraid of the so-called side effects of the love magic?

I’m not sure if I really came to hate you because of those side effects.

This emotion that’s burning my heart black.

Perhaps it’s dislike, resentment, anger……

But it could never be hatred.

You shouldn’t have dared to leave my side, Ellen.

I don’t know what I’ll do once I finally find you.

So, you shouldn’t have provoked me. Shouldn’t have made me angry.

He couldn’t tell what this hot and intense thing mixed with dark and gloomy emotions was. The love magic had broken, and he should have been freed from the emotions that had bound him. ……That’s how it should have been.

But why.

Why am I still bound to you? Why am I searching for you to this extent?

She was clearly just a nobody. From the beginning, all he wanted was her usefulness. Or it was just an interest he would easily tire of. He thought it didn’t matter. He could have her when he wanted, and discard her when he no longer needed her. It should have been an easy thing, just as it had always been.

But why still.

Do I think of you, and why does my heart feel like it’s being torn apart when I think of you? What are you to me? What meaning does your existence have to me?

……But, you are my wife. Still.

Regardless of the contract or love magic, they were still married, and she was his wife.

Mine.

My Ellen.

……So, for now, that was enough.

As a reason for me to chase after you.

* * *

A week later.

The Southern Duchy of Asir, the port city of Paleas.

“……Your Grace, you must sleep, even if just for a moment.”

Elvers Estri, the vice-commander of the Bayern Knights, advised with a worried heart.

It had been 7 days since they crossed the border of Asir to Paleas in search of the missing Grand Duchess.

During those 7 days, the Grand Duke hadn’t had a single day of proper sleep.

People die if they continue not to sleep. Moreover, the Grand Duke often skipped meals. Elvers glanced nervously between the soup bowl that wasn’t even 1/3 empty and the Grand Duke.

Enoch Bayern was in a state where he couldn’t even say he was fine as a mere platitude. Sunken eyes, pale complexion, yet with eyes flashing like an unextinguished flame, he looked almost like a madman.

No, not ‘almost’, he might really be a madman….. Since the day the Grand Duchess suddenly disappeared, the Grand Duke had been completely out of his mind, insane.

If he never finds the Grand Duchess at this rate… It was frightening enough to imagine that terrible things might happen.

“……I’ll have the meal cleared as it’s gone cold. I’ll have some nuts and fruits brought as light snacks, so please eat at least a little, Your Grace.”

And please get some sleep.

The words he wanted to add stuck to the tip of his tongue, refusing to fall. After moving his lips a few times, Elvers finally let out a deep sigh and slowly withdrew.

Thud, his expression as he closed the door leaving the room was indescribably complicated.

‘If he collapses like this, it will really be a big problem……’

In the past, he would have laughed thinking ‘It’s nonsense that the great Enoch Bayern would collapse from fatigue’, but now the situation was different.

Anyone could see that his current state was no different from that of a ruined man.

‘Where on earth did Her Highness go……’

The cause of her sudden disappearance was probably a marital quarrel… but his honest impression was that it was a terrifyingly intense quarrel. However, what was truly frightening was the possibility that the Grand Duke might imprison her somewhere once he finds the Grand Duchess.

‘He’s out of his mind enough that it wouldn’t be strange if he did so……’

Suddenly feeling goosebumps, Elvers rubbed his arms as he hurried his steps. He hoped desperately that such a fatal marital quarrel would end with just this one time. Repeating such a futile wish in his heart.

* * *

Sleep wouldn’t come.

He couldn’t fall asleep.

For the past 7 days, Enoch hadn’t eaten or rested properly. When he closed his eyes, Ellen shimmered before him, and even when his eyes were open, his thoughts were only of her.

Where on earth did you go?

Why can’t I find you yet? You couldn’t have already left for Katar by ship.

As soon as they arrived in Paleas, they had thoroughly searched not only the entire city but also the small villages nearby, but couldn’t find even a trace of Ellen.

The last ship heading to Katar had set sail 10 days ago, so it was impossible for Ellen, who disappeared 7 days ago, to have boarded that ship.

If so, there were two possible assumptions. Either she boarded a ship from a port city other than Paleas, or Ellen’s final destination wasn’t Katar to begin with……

If not Katar, then where?

What am I missing?

……His head wasn’t working properly. It was natural, given that he was sleeping less than three hours a day.

Enoch lay on the sofa with his legs stretched out, covering his eyes with the back of his hand as he closed them. In the darkness beneath his eyelids, Ellen’s image appeared and disappeared repeatedly. Her face smiling at him, her blue eyes that seemed light at times but could deepen depending on the angle, her beautiful skin that gleamed white in the moonlight and its smooth texture, her pink lips that would scold him in a lovely voice……

All of it felt so vivid, as if he could reach out and touch it right now, that Enoch felt like he was going even more insane.

Like someone experiencing withdrawal symptoms, he couldn’t come to his senses as he abruptly got up from his seat and paced anxiously around the hotel room.

Since Ellen was the only one who disappeared from Evitern Castle, it was clear that she left alone. Which meant she was still alone now.

Really, what kind of woman is she, not knowing how scary the world is.

Unable to bear the anxiety any longer, Enoch rubbed his face dry and swallowed a sigh as heavy as a lump of coal.

His insides were burning black. It felt like his heart would turn to ashes. Dozens of times a day he felt like he would go crazy with worry for Ellen, and dozens of times he felt like he would go mad with resentment towards that woman.

What should I do when I find you? I don’t know what I might do. Really, I might even lock you up somewhere.

If I lock you up and prevent you from going anywhere… Then this won’t happen again……

Yes, that’s not a bad idea.

I think I should lock you up after all.

Just as his madness was about to run wild, hurried footsteps were heard from the corridor, followed by a knock on the door.

“Your Grace, news has come from the intelligence officer.”

“……What news?”

Enoch turned towards the door with wild, bloodshot eyes. From beyond the door, Elvers respectfully answered.

“Felix Werner is in Rublea. And… though it’s not certain, there’s a testimony of sighting a woman with reddish-brown hair, presumed to be Her Highness, with him……”

Bang!

As the door suddenly flung open, Elvers almost fell backwards in surprise. His heart raced as if sprinting up a steep hill. Before his eyes stood the Grand Duke, clearly out of his mind even from a side view, backlit against the light.

In the deep shadow, only the Grand Duke’s golden eyes emitted a clear radiance.

“……Who did you say? Felix Werner?”

He asked, as if spitting out the words.

“Why is that bastard with Ellen?”

The Grand Duke’s eyes, as he ground his teeth, were already completely crazed. Elvers, despite feeling faint from the murderous intent, gathered his courage and hurriedly added.

“It, it’s not certain. There’s a possibility it could be another woman with the same hair color—”

“Enough. This time, I have a sure feeling.”

Striding towards the sofa, Enoch picked up the coat he had carelessly thrown off and put it on. As he slipped on black leather gloves, his eyes were stained with terrible resentment and anger.

“We’re going to Rublea. Right now.”