“Ah, yes – admittedly, that was my mistake. Hearing your heartfelt thanks just reminded me of that time.”

Aster said with a slight smile, brushing her fingers along her chin.

“The way you looked at me at the Marquis’ party and the way you look at me now are so completely different, I couldn’t help but find it amusing. Ah, don’t take it wrong – it wasn’t meant as an insult, just a passing thought.”

The Tower Master waved his hand casually, as if to brush the matter aside.

But Kylance noticed it clearly. Despite Aster’s seemingly casual demeanour, there was an unmistakable hostility in his piercing blue eyes.

Though the Tower Master claimed otherwise, it was clear that he had intended to provoke Kylance.

Because he was angry.

And it had to be about Ariel.

After all, their interactions had been limited to a few formal exchanges – hardly enough to justify this level of hostility.

Except when it came to Ariel. 

The Tower Master probably suspected it too – that Kylance was somehow connected to Ariel’s disappearance.

Kylance stood silently for a moment, his gaze fixed on the Tower Master’s smile, which never quite reached his eyes, before speaking in a low, heavy tone.

“No, if you wish to insult me further, go ahead.”

The slight curve of the Tower Master’s lips faltered for a moment, but Kylance continued without pause.

“Grand Duke, what nonsense are you…”

Aster’s face tightened in disbelief, but Kylance continued relentlessly.

“To find Ariel, I need your help, Tower Master. If it means bringing her back, I’ll kneel, bow my head – whatever it takes.”

His tone was unwavering, his resolve so strong that it seemed he might kneel on the spot. 

The determination in Kylance’s eyes left no room for doubt – he was prepared to give everything, even his life, to find Lady Blante.

Aster’s expression changed, his smile fading as he fell silent. In that moment he understood. 

The ancient magic in the pocket watch that had saved Ariel.

The desperate wish that had activated that magic… had come from none other than Kylance.

At the same time, Aster couldn’t help but wonder.

If Kylance’s feelings for Lady Blante were so sincere, how had things escalated to such a disastrous point?

As Aster briefly remembered Ariel lying unconscious in the tower, a polished smile spread across his lips, erasing any trace of the previous tension.

“Your Grace, if you take my mild complaints so seriously, it puts me in a rather difficult position. I spoke out of turn, so allow me to apologise first.”

Before Kylance could reply, Aster deftly redirected the conversation, his tone shifting to a more serious note.

“Now then, let’s get down to the point. Where exactly did Lady Blante disappear to?”

Kylance took a deep breath and pointed to the spot where Aster had been standing earlier. 

“She… fell off the cliff.”

“Was it intentional or accidental? Which?” 

The question wasn’t essential to the search. Aster simply wanted to confirm what had happened – whether Lady Blante had really decided to throw herself into the sea.

Kylance understood that the question wasn’t directly related to the search, but he answered anyway, refusing to shy away from the vivid memory of Ariel’s fall.

“She jumped willingly.” 

“I see…” 

As expected.

Aster held back the rest of his thoughts and let out a small sigh. 

So it was true – she had chosen to jump. 

Kylance’s desperate wish had awakened the ancient magic that saved Lady Blante… so it wasn’t an attempt to survive by jumping off the cliff.

It was suicide. She had thrown herself off the cliff with the intention of ending her life.

Aster glanced at Kylance, who was staring out at the sea beyond the cliff, then lowered his gaze thoughtfully.

For a brief moment he considered revealing Ariel’s whereabouts. But now that he knew it had been a suicide attempt, he couldn’t say anything.

He had to understand why Lady Blante had tried to take her own life.

Although she hadn’t jumped to save her life, it was clear that she had done it to escape her reality. Returning her to the Grand Duke in this state wasn’t what she would want.

How bad had things gotten for her? 

Aster decided to find out more and wait for Lady Blante to regain consciousness. 

Having made up his mind, Aster raised his head, ready to announce the start of the search. 

But before he could speak, Kylance, who had been quietly staring out to sea, broke the silence with a worried voice.

“Tower Master, it’s been hours since Ariel went missing. She must be so frightened by now. We must hurry.” 

Aster hesitated, sensing a strange dissonance in Kylance’s words.

‘Frightened?’ 

He spoke as if Lady Blante were still alive.

This was a situation where hours had passed since her fall from the cliff and she remained unaccounted for. 

In such cases, it was rare for anyone to believe that the missing person was still alive. Searches were usually undertaken not in the hope of survival, but in an attempt to recover the body.

And yet Kylance seemed absolutely certain that Lady Blante was alive.

He didn’t even entertain the possibility of her death.

Of course, Lady Blante was alive – but there was no way for the Grand Duke to know that.

The fact that he still believed it so strongly suggested… that the Grand Duke was clinging to a foolish hope, one born of his own desperation. 

Unable to accept the possibility of Lady Blante’s death, Kylance clung desperately to his fragile hope.

Aster glanced at the visibly distraught Grand Duke before turning his gaze back to the sea.

“We will begin the search.”

“A blind search of the sea won’t be enough. Please include hidden reefs and uncharted islands in the area.”

“Understood.

“Begin the search. Deploy a large magical formation in the sky.” 

Aster’s order was relayed to the mages, who immediately set to work.

The search for Lady Blante began.

* * *

The operation took longer than expected. 

With the Tower Master involved, there was hope for a quick resolution. But reality was unforgiving.

As the bright sky faded into darkness, the search yielded no results.

Not a single strand of Ariel’s hair had been found.

The lack of progress wore heavily on Kylance, his frustration so great that he began to snap at the search teams.

However, he quickly regained control of himself and turned away from those who watched him with wary, anxious eyes, unsettled by his growing instability.

Back in his tent, he bit his dry, cracked lips in restless anxiety, waiting for news.

But as the hours dragged on, Kylance’s tension and unease became unbearable.

‘If we can’t find you… if I lose you completely… what will I do then?’

The cold thought froze him for a moment before the tent flap suddenly rustled.

It was Lowell. 

“Lowell, did you find her?”

“No, Your Grace. I brought dinner instead.”

Lowell said, shaking his head. His eyes landed on the untouched lunch still on the table and his expression tightened with displeasure.

“Your Grace… you haven’t even had a sip of water. Please, you must eat.”

“I don’t need to.”

“You are far from well. Do you realise how you look right now? You’re in such a state that it wouldn’t be surprising if you collapsed at this very moment.”

Kylance wasn’t someone who would collapse easily, even without food or water. His stamina was such that he could easily fast for at least ten days.

But Lowell understood that this time was different. 

The emotional shock Kylance had endured had left him visibly drained, his appearance alarmingly frail and exhausted. 

Kylance’s dishevelled hair, rumpled clothes and dishevelled appearance weren’t the only signs of his deterioration. His face was deathly pale, almost as white as a blank sheet of paper.

Even his lips were blue, as if he were struggling to breathe.

It was clear to all that Kylance was in a terrible state.

Lowell’s words, though harsh, were by no means exaggerated.

Seeing that Kylance remained silent, Lowell added quietly,

“At this rate, Your Grace, you’ll collapse before you find Lady Blante.”

The mention of Lady Blante finally elicited a reaction from the hitherto motionless Kylance.

It was clear – the only thing that could move the Grand Duke at the moment was Lady Blante. 

“So please, eat something – just enough to keep you going until Lady Blante is found.”

Lowell was an intelligent man.

He already knew the grim reality: the chances of finding Lady Blante in the vast open sea were slim to none.

The critical window of opportunity to find her alive had long since passed.

Even if she were found, she probably wouldn’t be alive.

Hiding his dark thoughts, Lowell quietly replaced the food on the table with fresh dishes.

Kylance, who had been silent, finally approached the table and sat down. 

He hastily shoved a piece of bread into his mouth, as if to fill his stomach. When it became difficult to swallow, he reached for the juice and took a gulp. 

Just then there was a commotion outside the tent. 

Kylance’s eyes went to the noise and Lowell spoke. 

“I’ll go and see.” 

But before Lowell could leave, the tent flap swung violently open. 

A knight rushed in, his voice urgent. 

“Your Grace, a body has been found!”