Along the edge of the handkerchief, embroidered in green, was the name Hazel, accompanied by a thick smear of blood.

Memories that Leopold had never wanted to relive began to claw at him mercilessly.

The moment he heard the word “obituary,” he recalled the voices saying “passed away,” the cruel pallor of the “white coffin,” and the elegant script bidding “farewell”…

Could it be that he had been trapped in a long dream until now? Had his strong desire to see Hazel ensnared him in an illusion? If not, this couldn’t be happening. Her blood-stained handkerchief should never have been in front of him…

As his mind began to drift, Jayden’s trembling voice struck him sharply.

“D-Duke, other than this handkerchief, we couldn’t find any other trace… So, what I’m saying is, maybe…”

“Enough.”

He spoke coldly to the young knight, who had begun to shed tears.

No words related to death should be uttered aloud. He understood what Jayden was trying to convey—that he meant to search for Hazel’s whereabouts—but there was no need for ominous words. Just imagining it made it hard to breathe…

Leopold swallowed hard and looked at Jayden with his usual impassive expression.

“Did you check all the way to D’Agnon?”

Jayden tapped his cheeks as if trying to regain his senses. His voice, now devoid of tears, carried a note of sorrow.

“There was no reason to go that far.”

Was he implying that he hadn’t followed orders properly and had returned on his own accord? And with nothing but her horribly altered belongings?

Anger surged through him in an instant, but Leopold managed to maintain his composure. Jayden, knighted at a young age and considered family, wouldn’t have taken his sister’s matter lightly.

“…Explain.”

Jayden, swallowing his sobs, struggled to calm his breathing as he answered.

“There was only one path… At first, tracking was easy. There were hoofprints that seemed fresh… scattered here and there. Then, we found a patch of earth soaked with blood… and I picked up the lady’s handkerchief there. We searched all around, but it was a wasteland with only low grass reaching up to our ankles, so if someone had been hiding… or if the ground had been disturbed… we would have noticed right away.”

“So there was nothing in that wasteland that resembled Hazel’s trace.”

“Yes. I’m sure of that. So we moved quickly to the nearest village…”

Jayden paused to catch his breath, finding it difficult to continue. In a voice that had somewhat calmed, he spoke again.

“In the village, there wasn’t a single person matching the lady’s description, nor had there been any outsiders visiting recently. We searched the entire village just in case, but we really found nothing. I had a bad feeling about proceeding alone, so I immediately turned back to report.”

Having finally finished his story, he looked at Leopold with a pleading expression, asking him to find Hazel no matter what.

***

During the short walk to the audience chamber, Derrick muttered to himself repeatedly that this couldn’t be happening. His face grew paler and paler, and I couldn’t even begin to imagine what he was feeling, so I quietly followed the officials.

When we reached the heavy iron door, lavishly decorated with various patterns, he began to sweat coldly. His earlier words about fainting seemed less like a joke and more like a real possibility.

“Derrick.”

I whispered softly, and his weak gaze turned to me. I took his left hand, turned it over, and lightly placed my fingertip on his palm. A soft blue light swirled briefly before being absorbed by Derrick.

“You’ll be okay now.”

His face, which had been stiff and unable to speak, slowly relaxed.

Soon, one of the officials, who had been silently observing, announced our arrival. The door opened slowly, revealing a throne that soared high at the end of the straight carpet. Perhaps because we were from the Empire, a considerable number of nobles lined both sides of the carpet.

We clasped our hands politely and proceeded forward to pay our respects.

“We greet His Highness, the wise leader of the Principality, Prince of Rumatera. I am Hazel, the healer from the Denhaph Empire.”

“And I am… the healer’s assistant.”

His trembling voice came through softly.

“Welcome. You may lift your heads.”

The voice that responded was soft yet full of authority. I slowly raised my gaze as permitted and then fully understood Mariela’s and the officials’ reactions.

On the throne sat a man who resembled Derrick so closely that it seemed he had been pulled from decades into the future.

His hair was a slightly darker shade of gold, but his light brown eyes, angular jaw, and gently upturned lips were unmistakably those of Derrick’s kin.

Both Derrick and I were speechless, unable to tear our eyes away from him.

The king appeared equally surprised, openly scrutinizing Derrick’s appearance. After a long silence, he tilted his head slightly and spoke.

“So, what brings you here?”

There was no need to ponder the answer.

“We’ve come to find Derrick’s family.”

A murmur of astonishment rippled through the room.

I calmly explained.

“Your esteemed majesty, Derrick has been suffering from memory loss for a long time. After meeting me, he recently regained some memories that revealed his roots here in the Principality of Rumatera. Based on the attire and people he recalled, we suspect he is from a high-ranking noble family. We earnestly request your assistance in locating Derrick’s family.”

A tense silence followed. As the wait for a response grew longer, anxiety tightened around me. Just as I considered providing more detailed clues, the king finally spoke.

“…I had a son many years ago. He went missing at the age of twelve while playing on the coastal cliffs. I have lived believing him to be dead…”

He seemed to struggle to calm the excitement rising within him.

“You said his name is Derrick. I believe everyone here, including myself, shares the same thought.”

There was a pause, followed by a couple of coughs.

“There have been many who claimed to be the heir to the principality based solely on their appearance. However, not one had any proof.”

“P-Proof? I, I don’t have anything…”

Derrick stammered, looking bewildered. I, too, felt the pressure mounting.

If only someone could verify the memories I had seen… I wondered if there were healers like me in the principality. Just then, the king chuckled lightly.

“Don’t worry. If you truly are my son, there will be a mark on your body. It’s an infallible and unique proof that no one can forge.”

I turned to Derrick, silently asking if he knew of such a mark, but he shook his head, clearly clueless.

“The mark isn’t visible to the n*ked eye. It requires a brief ritual.”

The king reassured us.

“Once the mark is confirmed, you’ll be able to meet the queen… who might be your mother… my wife. Camilla has been disappointed too many times.”

At the word “mother,” Derrick took a deep breath. His heartbeat seemed to echo throughout the entire audience chamber.

***

The day Leopold heard of Hazel’s obituary was not long after he had returned from a distant foreign land. He was handling affairs at the capital residence, delaying his return to the estate.

He still remembered the conversation of the servants cleaning the study that morning.

“Today is such a beautiful day. The wind feels especially refreshing. On days like this, the lady would always go for a walk in the forest.”

“Always in the forest?”

“Yes. She loved how the leaves rustled in the breeze, saying it sounded like music.”

Hearing them mention Hazel, he unconsciously gripped the doorknob and stood still.

“What kind of person is the lady? Ever since I started working here, she hasn’t visited the capital, so I’ve never met her.”

“She’s the complete opposite of the Duke! Bright, kind, honest about her feelings, and overflowing with consideration. Aside from their appearances, nothing about them matches.”

“Really? Well, the Duke is a bit stern. Honestly, I couldn’t live with someone like him, even if I were offered mountains of gold.”

“Probably not! If real gold were in front of you, you’d change your mind.”

Listening to their laughter, Leopold reaffirmed his decision.

The wind, the leaves… Hazel felt and appreciated things he had never even considered. Even the servants saw that they were mismatched.

Just as he was about to turn the doorknob, he changed his mind and headed to the garden. It was an impulsive decision, unlike him.