The Only Way to Break the Curse is Through Contact with You - Chapter 68

#68

After a longer-than-expected meeting, Diart immediately went to find Roeni and looked around the dreary place. An unknown sense of unease washed over him.

Diart called out to Milto, who was putting dry firewood into the bonfire in the middle of the camp,

“Where is Roeni?”

“She should be in the tent.”

Diart had heard the servants talking before he was called to the meeting. But hadn’t it been quite some time? Diart immediately turned his back on Milto, who narrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head.

As expected, Roeni wasn’t in the tent either. Diart, who had spent a long time on the battlefield, felt his instincts sharpen more than others, and a sense of danger crept down his spine.

Having heard from the sentries guarding the entrance of the camp that they hadn’t seen Roeni leaving, Diart gathered the knights.

“Search the forest immediately.”

Diart commanded with a cold, stern face. The Duchess, who was not seen leaving the camp, mysteriously disappeared as though she evaporated. The knights also realized it was an emergency and prepared themselves with rigid expressions for the search.

Diart was at the forefront of the Wheaton Knights, who began searching the forest thoroughly. Due to the sudden intrusion of the Wheaton Knights in the middle of the night, other noble camps were also thrown into chaos. It was undoubtedly an impolite intrusion, but it was all because of Diart that no one could say a word.

His expressionless face proved just how dangerous his current state was. If they opened their mouth carelessly, his ruthless blade might strike their necks.

Having failed to find Roeni in the noble’s camp, Diart pushed further into the imperial camp.

The hunting competition is a small battlefield. Each family built their own camp. The imperial family was no exception, so their location was no different from a palace. Therefore, Diart’s actions could be seen as rebellion.

“What is this, Duke!”

The Emperor, who always had a pleasant smile, scolded with a stern expression. The Duke of Wheaton and Duke Feischer, who were present at the scene, approached Diart with surprised faces.

“What’s going on?”

After seeing Diart’s eyes, Duke Feischer knew that something had gone terribly wrong. Without answering Duke Feischer’s question, Diart marched confidently towards the Emperor. The Emperor hesitated and stepped back.

“Where is the Crown Prince?”

His tone was stern as he mentioned the crown prince. But the face of the man in front of him was so bloody that it was impossible to point him out, so the emperor swallowed dryly. Instead, Leticia, who was holding hands with the Empress from behind, asked.

“W-why are you looking for my brother?”

Diart’s gaze fell on Leticia. She had become accustomed to Diart during her time with Roeni, but now she trembled at the cold look in his eyes.

“First, tell me why you’re doing this.”

Duke Wheaton objected as he held Diart’s shoulder. Diart took out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. It was what he found in the forest. Duke Wheaton, who received and read it, turned to the Emperor with a bewildered face.

“Roeni is missing.”

At Diart’s short answer, Duke Feischer, who had been silently observing the situation, approached. Duke Wheaton handed him the paper.

“I’ll ask you one more time. Where is the Crown Prince?”

It was a voice that would not stay still if he did not receive an answer. Duke Feischer realized the seriousness of the situation and stepped forward before they could open their mouths. His face, which never showed much expression, was extremely harsh.

“Answer.”

There was not the slightest hint of cordiality, as if they hadn’t just raised their glasses and shared old memories a moment ago. The emperor, who was faced with Diart, as well as Grand Duke Wheaton and Duke Feischer, were taken aback.

“What does the disappearance of the Duchess have to do with the Crown Prince?”

Just then, Leticia quickly approached and snatched the paper from Duke Feischer’s hand. Leticia’s expression changed as she read the words written on the paper. The letter, written in Jarvis’ familiar handwriting, contained a summoning of Roeni. If Roeni had disappeared after receiving this letter, it was not an ordinary matter. If Jarvis was nowhere to be found, it could be assumed that the two had fled together. In fact, it was clear that Diart had abruptly approached them for this reason.

Leticia turned to the Imperial Guards confronting Wheaton’s knights and commanded.

“Find my brother immediately. Quickly!”

Leticia watched as the guards scattered into their positions. She then turned her head. She saw Diart gesturing to Wheaton’s knights. The knights who received his order began to thoroughly scour the camp. It was a reckless act of turning the Emperor’s camp upside down, but there was no one to stop him. Duke Wheaton and Duke Feischer, who were standing next to Diart, only aided and abetted him.

And in the end, Jarvis’ whereabouts were not found.

* * *

My throat felt dry, as if I had drunk from a dusty pit. I coughed and opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was the wooden floor with dirt rolling on it. In front of it, I saw pink shoes and a voluminous dress.

As I slowly raised my head, I made eye contact with Adelia, who was looking down at me with her arms crossed.

“You finally woke up.”

I coughed, worried if Lily was okay. When I first woke up after being knocked unconscious in the forest, I was inside a carriage. Lily, whose hands and feet were bound, cried when she saw me wake up. Even though she was bleeding from her head, she protected me by throwing herself at Adelia, who was swinging her hands.

When the carriage swayed heavily and the door opened, I pushed Lily out. Since she fell out of the moving carriage, she couldn’t be completely unharmed, but I hope she wasn’t seriously injured. It would be good if she returned safely and explained the situation to Diart.

“Do you have time to daydream?”

Don’t you understand the situation? Adelia sat down, folded her knees, and lowered her body, mocking me.

“Why, cough, why are you doing this?”

“Why? Are you saying that now?”

Adelia burst into laughter as if she couldn’t believe it.

“You thought I would just sit still after losing everything in an instant, all that I’ve built up until now?”

Adelia poured out her anger, but I couldn’t understand what she was saying. Something about losing everything in an instant.

“That damn Duke Wheaton pressured the Marquis to dismiss me!”

“What?”

It was the first time I had heard that. Come to think of it, I hadn’t seen Adelia in the central courtyard. But I didn’t know such a thing happened. Diart didn’t say a word to me.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. You’ve been scheming.”

“I, I never…”

Slap. My head turned to the side with a cracking sound.

“Am I supposed to believe those words? I’ve known that ever since you pretended to faint and fucked people over. I know what kind of person you are.”

Adelia grabbed my hair tightly. I frowned, feeling my scalp being pulled out by her vicious touch.

“Do you think I’ll die alone?”

“I really don’t know.”

“Fine.”

With a rough gesture, she forcefully pushed my head back. Adelia, who had been laughing mockingly, rested her chin on her palm and smiled.

“You’re going to be sold soon.”

“What?”

“The money I received from the Marquis is just a pittance. You’ll have to sell your body to make ends meet, won’t you?”

No, how is she saying such villainous lines with that innocent face? She’s like the protagonist of a third-rate crime movie.

“Do you think Diart will just stand by?”

“You will be sold to a place that a noble from birth could not even imagine. He will never find you.”

“In case you didn’t know, Diart…”

He’s a figure who controls the underground economy. He’s more cunning than you. Moreover, his obsession is no joke. He will find me no matter what.

—just as I was about to say these words to the bitch, someone knocked on the warehouse door. When Adelia called them in, two people with a sturdy build entered while dragging someone. I quickly checked if Lily had been caught again, but it turned out to be someone unexpected.

‘No, why is that person caught and dragged in?’

I sighed in disbelief as I looked at Crown Prince Jarvis, who appeared to be unconscious.