Chapter 97

“His Majesty the Emperor has arrived.”

As soon as Louis, who had just entered the office, sat down, he heard a knock and the announcement that the Emperor was standing at the door, causing him to jump up from his seat. The door opened, and the Emperor, striding quickly into Louis’s office, looked his son up and down.

“I greet His Majesty the Emperor.”

Acknowledging Louis’s greeting with a nod, the Emperor sat in the upper seat of the sofa and crossed his legs.

“How is your body?”

“I’m fine.”

Nodding at Louis’s response, the Emperor leaned back against the sofa and tapped his crossed leg.

“Any suspects?”

“…None.”

“None…”

The Emperor’s golden eyes, darker than Louis’s, fixed on his son’s injured forearm.

“I hear Duke Tereon Dinever’s knights are heading to Palterno…”

“Is that so?”

The Emperor’s gaze shifted from Louis’s forearm to his face. It was a face that anyone could see was strikingly similar. Perhaps because he had been ill, he looked a bit pale, but the hidden claws and sharp gaze remained.

“They dared to harm the Crown Prince of the Tapeullon Empire and the lady who will become the Crown Princess. Pursue them to the end and capture them.”

It was a very brief conversation. After speaking, the Emperor rose from his seat, glanced around Louis’s office, and then stepped out.

“Oh. There’s no need for a send-off. With your condition, there’s no need…”

The Emperor quickly disappeared, preventing Louis from following. As the aides who had followed the Emperor also left, Louis’s office became quiet in an instant.

“Your Highness.”

Allen, who had been standing in the corner, hesitantly approached Louis.

“Do you think His Majesty the Emperor might have sensed something?”

Louis looked at the door through which the Emperor had left, then turned his body. Limping back to his seat, Louis began to sift through the piled-up documents with his hand. He silently flipped through the papers, then pulled one out.

“When was this document submitted?”

“Sorry? Which one…”

Allen quickly scanned the paper Louis handed him.

“This isn’t a report I submitted.”

Allen and Louis exchanged glances. Allen looked back down at the document, returned to his seat, opened a drawer, and began to search for something hastily.

“Would you like to take a look at this as well?”

Allen handed Louis a bundle of documents with a small portrait attached.

“This person is the leader of Inferna?”

“Yes, I’m quite sure.”

Louis stared intently at the portrait of a man.

“He looks ordinary, but if you look into his history, he’s anything but ordinary.”

“He’s from the Empire.”

“Yes, there’s talk that he might be of noble origin, but that’s not certain either. His exact age is unknown. He’s estimated to be in his late 30s to mid-40s.”

Louis continued to gaze at the portrait of Robert Fame, the leader of Inferna. Unable to shake the feeling of familiarity, he turned to the next page.

“Is this the price?”

The next page contained not a report on Robert Fame but personal information about other members of Inferna.

“Yes, Commander Rayden happened to acquire this information and gave it to me, saying to keep it just in case.”

Louis tapped Robert Fame’s portrait with his index finger.

“If there are any spare personnel, look into Robert Fame.”

At Louis’s command, Allen crossed his arms and adjusted his slipping glasses.

“There aren’t many spare personnel at the moment. Most of the manpower is deployed in the search for the lady and the reconnaissance of the Mage Tower.”

After a moment’s pause, Allen spoke again.

“How about asking Duke Tereon Dinever for help?”

“The Duke?”

“Yes.”

Louis alternated his gaze between the anonymous report and the documents containing simple personal information about the Inferna members.

“Contact the Duke discreetly. And quietly go to meet him.”

At Louis’s order, Allen bowed his head in salute and quickly left the office.

* * *

It had been a week since Vivian was kidnapped, or rather, brought here. Vivian wondered if such a comfortable kidnapping was even possible.

Delicious meals and desserts provided on time, books that Aitor had brought over, and Zero, who came to play whenever she was bored.

Vivian flipped through the few remaining pages of the book and rested her chin on her knees.

Zero was napping nearby, burying its nose in its front paws. Vivian glared at the cute watchdog and quietly got up to open the window.

Squinting at the rather dazzling sunlight, Vivian quietly looked out the window. An endless field stretched out, with only a few trees standing alone.

Vivian thought that the scenery she was seeing might not be real.

Turning her head slightly, Vivian looked back at Zero, who was asleep, and held her breath as she moved her feet.

Even though she moved very slowly, the old wooden floor creaked loudly under Vivian’s weight. Fortunately, Zero kept its eyes closed, and Vivian, relieved, started moving again.

Having managed to slip out of the room, Vivian quickly scanned the tiny living room and kitchen. Aitor, who had said he would be back soon, was, of course, not there.

Seeing traces of Aitor sleeping on the small, worn-out sofa, Vivian carefully moved toward the door leading outside the cabin.

Just as she grabbed the handle, Vivian’s body tilted and was pulled back.

“Oh, I get it, Zero.”

Zero, having woken up at some point, was tugging at Vivian’s skirt from behind.

When Vivian raised her hands in surrender, Zero finally let go of her skirt and snorted loudly.

Vivian slumped onto the sofa, which was undoubtedly Aitor’s bed. Zero watched her with a suspicious gaze before sitting down at her feet, wagging its fluffy tail vigorously.

“Zero, don’t you miss Louis?”

Zero tilted its head at the mention of Louis.

“Don’t pretend you don’t understand.”

When Vivian narrowed her eyes at Zero, it panted with its tongue out and wagged its tail even more vigorously.

“I’m sure they’re very worried. My father too…”

At Vivian’s sad voice, Zero’s ears drooped.

“What should I do, Zero?”

Just as Vivian was stroking Zero’s head and asking, the door she had tried to open burst open.

“Aitor!”

A loud voice echoed through the small cabin. The man who entered, panting, blinked his big eyes rapidly as he looked at Vivian sitting on the sofa.

“Who are you?”

Vivian, who wanted to ask that question herself, opened and closed her mouth like a fish when the cabin door burst open again.

“Lucas! You rascal!”

The person who came in next was Aitor. Panting heavily, Aitor grabbed Lucas by the scruff of his neck.

“Get out quickly.”

“L-let go!”

Lucas, who was clinging to the doorknob to avoid being dragged out, met Vivian’s eyes as she watched him with her mouth agape.

“H-help me!”

“What?”

“P-please!”

At Lucas’s desperate plea for help, Vivian stood up without realizing it and pulled on Lucas’s arm.

“Vivian.”

Aitor, seemingly shocked that Vivian was helping Lucas, called out to her. Taking advantage of Aitor’s momentary lapse of strength, Lucas quickly slipped out of his grasp like a rabbit.

“You’re acting suspiciously these days! I followed you because I was worried you might be tricked by a bad guy or involved in something dangerous, and here you are using brute force!”

Lucas hid behind Vivian and pointed his finger at Aitor, his face flushed with anger.

“Come here.”

Aitor growled, gesturing at Lucas.

“Am I crazy? Why would I go to you now?”

When Vivian turned to look at the small man standing behind her, Lucas quickly raised his eyebrows, urging her to look ahead.

Vivian quickly turned her gaze forward and blinked rapidly, trying to grasp the situation.

Aitor and the man hiding behind her seemed to know each other. They seemed to be more than just acquaintances… Vivian involuntarily stiffened at Aitor’s fierce expression.

Zero, startled by the sudden commotion, got up and ambled over. Seeing the three people facing off, it snorted loudly, then grabbed Lucas’s coat hem with its mouth and pulled.

“Ah!”

Lucas, who had been standing on thin legs, was easily dragged by Zero. He was pulled over to the shabby sofa and fell onto it with a thud.

“Zero!”

Lucas jumped up and shouted at Zero, but Zero, with an indifferent expression, went back to its place, lay down, and closed its eyes.

Aitor, watching Zero and Lucas, frowned as if he had a headache and roughly ran his fingers through his hair.

“Aitor, who is he?”

Vivian asked in a small voice, looking at Lucas.

“A friend.”

Aitor glanced at Vivian and replied in a barely audible voice. Hearing the word ‘friend,’ Vivian widened her eyes and looked at Lucas, who was still glaring at Zero.

Aitor had never mentioned a friend he met at the magic school before, so Vivian’s eyes began to sparkle with curiosity.

Seeing Vivian’s expression, Aitor walked over to Lucas.

“Get up. Let’s go outside and talk.”

Aitor grabbed Lucas’s arm, who protested, and started to drag him out. But just then, Zero suddenly sprang up.

At Zero’s movement, Aitor looked out the cabin door, his eyes narrowing sharply.

“Lucas, stay here with Vivian for a while. If I give a different signal or don’t come back, go to the master with Vivian.”

“Why, what’s going on all of a sudden?”

Zero bared its teeth and bristled its fur as it looked at the door. Seeing this, Vivian stepped back in fear.

“Vivi. If, if I don’t return within an hour, follow him. Go to Master and leave Palterno together. Understand?”

“Aitor.”

Vivian took a step toward Aitor, who looked urgent.

“Don’t worry. I’m not in danger. So listen to me. Understand?”

“If you’re not in danger, why are you telling me to go to the master!”

Lucas shouted from beside her, and Aitor looked at his friend and spoke.

“I’m counting on you.”

Leaving those words, Aitor quickly left the cabin with Zero. With a ‘bang,’ the door closed, and silence quickly settled in the cabin.

“What on earth is happening?”

Vivian asked Lucas, but he just clenched his fists and stared at the door Aitor and Zero had left through.

Watching Lucas, Vivian strode toward the door leading outside. Just as she was about to grab the doorknob, thinking she couldn’t just let Aitor go, Lucas grabbed her wrist.

“You can’t go out.”

Lucas released Vivian’s wrist and blocked the door.

“There is a magical barrier around the cabin, so if you just leave, you’ll get lost.”

Aitor looked at the anxious woman, then turned his head to the closed door and took out a pocket watch from his pocket.