Chapter 1.12

Even after returning to Cherlin, he thought of showering her with such gifts whenever he found the time. In his heart, he wanted to gather all the precious treasures of the territory, no, the kingdom, and present them to Lisael.

If only it could move her heart.

‘On the 10th day of marriage, the 20th day, the first month… I should celebrate anniversaries every 10 days and invite about a hundred people for a simple party each time.’

And between the barrage of gifts, he planned to gradually reveal his inherently soft and warm nature, which Lisael did not yet know. While Miguel was envisioning a future with Lisael that was always bright and peach-colored, the jeweler’s owner returned with a gold-embossed box that seemed to contain a large jewel at first glance.

“Thank you for waiting! This is undoubtedly the masterpiece of masterpieces from our workshop, a 20-carat necklace!”

‘20… 20 carats?’

As the brilliant and large diamond necklace revealed its beautiful radiance, the accompanying secretary gaped in astonishment.

“Hmm… it’s simpler than I thought.”

‘This… this is?’

A 20-carat diamond was worth enough to purchase a building in Grand Town right now. Faced with a jewel of an absurd price to buy on impulse, Miguel, however, lowered his eyes as if disappointed.

“Pack it up for me.”

The jeweler’s owner, whose pride had been bruised by Miguel’s assessment of the workshop’s best jewel, quickly regained his broad smile when Miguel decided to buy the diamond without hesitation and went off to wrap it in lavish packaging.

Even after purchasing a gigantic diamond, Miguel’s gaze lingered persistently on the display case as if he still had regrets.

“Young Master, is there something else you’re looking for…?”

At that moment, Miguel’s sharp eyes flashed fiercely like those of a hawk spotting its prey.

“An unusual pendant.”

“This… this is a necklace crafted in the shape of the sun, a masterpiece of our owner’s ambition. It doesn’t compare to the diamond you purchased, Young Earl…”

The employee, who was attending to a high-ranking noble for the first time, explained the necklace while trembling pitifully.

But Miguel’s interest was solely focused on the small sun-shaped pendant. The amber, which resembled Lisael’s eyes, was surrounded by sharp gold pieces that encircled it like a crimson flame, though he couldn’t fathom how it was crafted.

“Oh, this necklace is quite splendid too.”

Miguel quietly smiled and nodded in agreement with the genuine admiration of the accompanying secretary. It was his reaction to finally finding a jewel that satisfied his aesthetic sense.

*   *   *

“Lisael went out? Where to!”

“She… didn’t want to disclose her destination, so she called for a private carriage…”

The maid, on the verge of tears, couldn’t finish her sentence and trembled her lips. By principle, it was right to keep the whereabouts of the person she served directly a secret if they wished, but wasn’t this a special situation?

Lisael hadn’t even taken the first step into full-fledged noble life, and this wasn’t their home in Cherlin but the travel destination of Grand Town. Miguel felt a fiery irritation rising, unsure whether to kill or spare the maid who was inflexibly respecting her master’s privacy.

“Uh… Young Earl, since it’s raining heavily and the Young Countess hasn’t returned, shall we start searching for her?”

In the suddenly tense atmosphere, the head butler cautiously suggested again. Judging by the burning eyes of the Young Earl, it seemed like someone might die on this stormy, thundering day.

‘Yes, even if it were a sunny day, it would be a problem, but Lisael went out alone into the perilous outdoors in the pouring rain.’

Just as Miguel was about to decide to teach the maid a lesson, he pressed his temples and shook his head. It was more productive and wise to search for Lisael’s whereabouts, as the butler suggested.

‘Surely this isn’t the time for her to really run away, is it?’

The thought of a nighttime escape resurfaced like a nightmare whenever he was about to forget it. Even if it were a reality rather than a nightmare, he would chase her to the ends of the earth. She must pay for the price of plunging him from hope to despair in an instant.

After an hour of sending people to search for Lisael’s whereabouts, there was no meaningful news. Receiving the report of the outcome at the villa, Miguel hung his head in despair.

The dark and gloomy aura emanating from him made the staff keep their distance. By the time evening approached, and the sky seemed to have a hole in it, the heavy rain showed no signs of stopping.

“Prepare to go to the former village chief Matilda’s house.”

Miguel, wearing a hat and jacket as if he had made a decision, stepped outside without further ado, and the staff busily prepared for another outing. His silent yet imposing presence prevented anyone from stopping him from going out in this torrential rain.

“I thought I’d never see you again… what brings you here in this downpour?”

“My wife’s whereabouts are unknown.”

Despite the unexpected visit, Matilda couldn’t turn Miguel away at the sight of raindrops dripping from the brim of his fedora.

However, she didn’t invite him inside either.

“She hasn’t come here.”

Miguel responded to Matilda’s concise answer without surprise, as if he expected it.

“I see. Tell me the places Lisael might go from here. We’ve searched most places but haven’t found her, so there must be a lesser-known place with special memories.”

“…Well, I can’t think of any.”

Matilda, who had been shifting her eyes briefly, smiled and replied slowly. Judging by her demeanor, she seemed to have an idea, but she showed no intention of giving any hints.

‘Such a narrow-minded woman…!’

“I apologize for the intrusion.”

Miguel wanted to grab her by the collar and shake her for answers, but fortunately, he still had enough reason left to avoid such a disaster. Without leaving any room for further conversation, he quickly turned around and left the house filled with unpleasant memories.

“Tsk tsk… if you just stay put, she’ll come back on her own…”

“You seem to know where Lisael is.”

Watching Miguel leave, Matilda leaned against the door and muttered in a displeased tone, to which Crisen, who followed her out late, responded.

“Don’t you know? If you can’t find her in the usual places, it’s obvious where she would go.”

“Well, it’s such an old memory… If you know, you should have told him. The weather is bad too.”

“Why should I stop someone who insists on suffering? The thought of him getting soaked in the rain and suffering is so satisfying, hohoho.”

Matilda, who burst into mischievous laughter as wicked as the weather, walked back into the house with a satisfied, bouncing step. As she closed the door, Crisen, who was about to follow her in, cast a worried glance at the darkened sky.

A flash of lightning struck somewhere as the sky, painted dark, momentarily lit up.

Is this why good conduct is important? 

Who would have imagined a moment would come when the help of former village chief Matilda would be desperately needed in Miguel’s smooth life? Honestly, there was some injustice. The sins were all accumulated by his father, Earl Dante, not him.

Tap tap tap-

Miguel’s anxious fingers tapped rhythmically on the window frame of the carriage. It clearly showed the extent of his nervousness.

“Still no news of finding her?”

“No, I’m sorry…”

In the returning carriage, the head butler, sitting across from Miguel, responded in 0.1 seconds to his question, showing how restless he was. He felt ashamed for constantly delivering unfortunate news.

If they were searching so thoroughly and still couldn’t find her whereabouts, she wasn’t in the city. She couldn’t have left the wide city during a brief outing.

‘…Did she really run away?’

That would be better. The dreadful weather, the thunder piercing through the windows into Miguel’s ears, made his anxiety swell uncontrollably. Hopefully, it’s not that she can’t come back but that she won’t….

Was marrying me so terrible and painful that she couldn’t even endure a few days of honeymoon?

‘I should have stuck to my original decision to refuse the marriage to the end.’

Miguel began a futile reflection on where he went wrong.

At the wedding? When the marriage talk came up? Or from the first time he met her?

What should I have corrected to prevent things from twisting this far? 

Memories of that day, bathed in an orange sunset, resurfaced after a very long time.

How could he forget that memory? Even after 7 years, the words she said that day, her expression, the heart that seemed to burst from running so hard, even the smell of the air. Everything was still vivid as if a picture book had been opened.