4.3

“I need to meet Miss Novary.”

Leon thought about how much he wanted to see Ellen right now. The moment he decided he wanted to meet her, he couldn’t understand why he missed her so much. Suddenly, he felt anxious and impatient.

However, there was one problem. Leon didn’t know where the Novary household was located.

He instructed his servant to find out the location of the Novary household, but because it was such a modest family, it was difficult to track down. Almost no one knew where it was.

If he at least knew the name of the village where she lived, he could have found her. But Leon didn’t even know which village she lived in. He hadn’t bothered to learn anything about her, so he knew nothing.

“What a fool, what a useless idiot.”

A bitter laugh escaped him. While longing for her, Leon realized he hardly knew anything about her.

“Do you know where the Novary household is? If you do, tell me.”

“How would I know if you don’t? If you want to meet her, you’ll have to find her yourself, won’t you?”

Desperately, Leon asked Mia, but all he received was a vague answer. She seemed to know, but deliberately withheld the information. He asked repeatedly, but she wouldn’t tell him.

Even though they had dated briefly, he didn’t know where she lived. He felt he wasn’t even worthy of meeting her.

Feeling self-reproach, Leon ordered his people to search for Ellen. However, he couldn’t hold much hope.

It was common for rural nobles who weren’t wealthy to only have their names registered with the Imperial Family, without their locations recorded. Instead of visiting their territories one by one, the Imperial Family would simply instruct them to come to the capital and report on their own.

“It might take more time.”

The servant tasked with the investigation looked troubled.

As expected, finding Ellen would take a lot of time. The longer it took, the more impatient Leon felt. Even drinking water didn’t ease his thirst; instead, it felt like his throat was drying up even more.

“Why, why can’t I find the Novary household?!”

The thought that he might not be able to meet Ellen only intensified his desperation to see her.

Unable to find her immediately, Leon ended up wandering like a madman, chasing traces Ellen had left behind.

He visited the dessert shop where they had gone on dates, the walking paths they had strolled along, and even the secluded alley next to the temple where she had said her farewell. He went to these places multiple times.

He reread the letters Ellen had sent him countless times.

If only she had written the location of the Novary household in her letters. But instead of specifying the name of the village, she had simply referred to it as her “hometown.”

“If only she had written the name of the village.”

Every time he read her letters, he felt regret. But he had no right to blame her for not mentioning her location when he hadn’t even asked.

No, knowing Ellen, she had probably chattered about where she lived. And, like a fool, Leon hadn’t remembered a single word of it.

The things he had heard and let pass without a second thought now lingered as regrets.

“Haah. Miss Novary.”

The longer Leon went without seeing Ellen, the more he dried up inside. Whenever he thought of her, he called her name, and he spent entire days sitting in his study, trying to recall the things she had said.

He felt there might be a clue in the memories he had carelessly overlooked.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, he remembered. Ellen had mentioned staying at a noble household temporarily! Rural nobles couldn’t stay in Melchia without someone’s help.

Leon hadn’t thought about it before because he had been so focused on Ellen herself, without considering her surroundings.

Just as he felt relieved, Leon realized this too was a problem. He didn’t know which noble household Ellen had stayed with. Nothing at all.

Haha.

Leon laughed at himself. A ridiculous laugh kept escaping him.

Mia probably knew which noble household Ellen had stayed with. But she still refused to tell him anything.

Now that he thought about it, Mia must have known that he had inflicted deep wounds on Ellen.

“I really was the worst man.”

He continued to blame himself for his mistakes.

Even if it was difficult to find Ellen’s hometown, it wouldn’t be hard to locate the noble household she had stayed with. Asking around would quickly yield answers.

Just as he was about to order his servant to investigate—

Ah, the letter!

Leon suddenly recalled Ellen’s letters. They were likely sent from the household where she had been staying.

“Check where the letter came from.”

Not long after sending the order, the servant returned with the information.

“The letter came from Courtney Earldom. It seems Ellen Novary is related to them. In particular, she seems to have spent a lot of time with Miss Donna Courtney.”

“Courtney Earldom?”

With even a glimmer of hope that he might find Ellen, Leon immediately headed to the Courtney household.

Now that he thought about it, he vaguely remembered Ellen mentioning she had relatives. He needed to meet Donna Courtney right away.

Donna was writing a letter to Ellen.

She had heard news about Leon through Mia. Mia had mentioned that Leon had been struggling since Ellen left, but Donna didn’t believe it.

Would he really regret it now? Someone who hadn’t cared suddenly does? That’s nonsense.

She scoffed and left out any mention of Leon in her letter, writing only about her own updates, amusing rumors from social circles, and Mia’s news.

After finishing the letter and standing up, she received some unwelcome news from a maid.

“Sir Leon Guilford has come to meet you, Miss.”

“What?”

It had been three weeks since Ellen left. A time that could be considered long or short, depending on perspective.

So, he’s only now realizing I’m Ellen’s relative? 

Donna smirked.

Mia had told Donna that Leon knew nothing about Ellen, so Donna had instructed Mia not to reveal anything about herself to him.

Out of sheer annoyance, she had told Leon to find Ellen on his own if he could. She had even subtly interfered to ensure he wouldn’t learn the location of the Novary household. Despite that, he had managed to find Donna, which meant he must have put in quite a bit of effort to locate Ellen.

Well, since he tried, I suppose I’ll meet him.

Donna headed to the parlor, thinking about what sharp words she could use to confront him. This was her first time speaking with Leon.

“I’m Leon Guilford.”

When she arrived, she was greeted by a man with a gaunt face and a worried expression. The last time she had seen him, he had looked tidy and composed….

Judging by his appearance, Mia’s words about his struggles seemed to hold some truth.

Fair enough. I’ll acknowledge that he’s been suffering, but he’s still far from deserving sympathy. Has he endured as much as Ellen? Was he cruelly rejected? Did he receive hurtful words?

Ellen had simply left without a word, so what was so difficult for him? He should have treated her better when he had the chance!

From Donna’s perspective, Leon hadn’t suffered nearly as much as Ellen. He still had a long way to go.

“Why have you come to see me?”

She deliberately spoke in a curt tone.

“I want to meet Miss Novary. I came to ask you to tell me where the Novary household is located.”