Knight Cedric's POV
"Where's my lady?"
I immediately looked at John when he suddenly spoke. But, there is nothing to worry about because the young lady is with Ivan and Rence in the back.
"The lady is not here!"
I was alarmed and looked back. The lady is really gone!
I saw all the knights and they seemed terrified. It was also there that my fears began to form.
We're not afraid that we lose the lady but, if we failed to protect her, our lives is in danger! Those two.... The sons of a devil will torture us to death!
"Hurry, search for the lady!" Jared shouted anxiously
"We must find the lady no matter what, my family's lives are on the line!" Rence said in fear
"Please... We have to find my lady if not.... THEN IT'S OVER!"
We are all terrified because of the possible outcome. We were just a knight that is easily been thrown out if the nobles didn't need us. We are just a pawn...
"Knights! We need to calm down" I said
As their leader, I should calm them down and think of a strategy.
"Y-Yes, commander!" they responded in loud voice
At least it helps them calm a little bit.
"First, I need to know how the lady got out of your sight. Ivan and Rence! "
"Yes, commander!" they both uttered
"You two should be placed behind my lady's back, right?"
"Y-Yes, but I thought that the lady was in your front and I don't see her in our front. " answered by Rence
"I'm in the same situation as Rence, commander! We didn't see the the lady in our front and I didn't know that the lady should be in our front either"
This is bad... It's because of the negligence of Ivan and Rence. How do we find where the lady go? Or should we report it to the young masters? We should create an alibi. The lady must've ran away from us because she doesn't want our escorting.
What will we do? Find her or take the risk of telling it to the young masters. But the Duchess will be very mad at us, I clearly remembered the three heads that she throws in Duke's direction.
"It's the Duke carriage!"
We were astonished when we the the Duke's carriage passing by. Suddenly, the carriage stopped in front of us.
"What are the Ducal knights doing here?" the Duke's attendant said
I gulped and sighed to before answering.
"Lady Adelaide ran away from us and now we can't find her." I said while trying not to shiver
"Is that so?"
We all flinched when we heard the voice of the Duke. Who the hell wouldn't flinch in his voice?
"Y-Yes, your highness" I replied
"Return to the mansion. There's no chance of finding her if she went in her own. That girl is very cunning, no one can find her unless she reveal herself. She's a strong girl after all, if anything happens she'll come back by herself."
The couch started to whip the horse and the carriage move away.
"A-Are we safe now?" John said in tears
"We are, it is a Duke's order. The Duchess and the young masters can't defy his order. Now knights, let's go to the mansion" I said
We all moved to the carriage while the knights were still emotional. My face is still stiff but I can't accept this failed duty. I can't accept it as a knight. Something isn't right, the lady will not suddenly vanish like that. She must be nearby.
I stood up and open the carriage's door.
"Where will you go, commander?" Jared asked
"I will continue searching"
"But the Duke said we can go back"
"Still, I'll search for her. If I can't find her, I'll go back to the mansion and if I didn't come back it means that I already died."
They didn't say a single word and I left the carriage. The carriage starts to move and Rence is waving his hands.
"Stay safe, commander!" he said
They were just a kid but I'm a father. I should do my responsibility.
I looked around near the book store to find clue where the lady went.
"Did you a lady with blonde hair?"
My ears were aroused when I heard of 'blonde hair'. Blonde hair is rare in this kingdom so it's really not a coincidence that a blonde haired lady went to that store.
"She ordered 10 grilled squid but when I turned around her, she was gone." the old stall keeper said
It's not like my lady is fond of such an evil pranks but she was.. I remembered when she changed the knight's water into vinegar. That's why knights are mad at her.
But the lady has changed and I believed in her. While walking to the skewers stall, I saw a book in the ground and I ran to fetch it. I was surprised when I saw the book that the lady bought earlier there.
I knew it! Something was wrong! I smell the scent of the book and I got the scent of my lady into it. I have a sharp nose since I was a kid and that is my talent. That's why I became a knight in Ducal mansion.
Then, I followed the scent and it leads me into an empty alley. The scent has been erased, how is that possible? I use Fyon and I saw a faint magic used in here. Someone must've used a spatial magic to kidnap the lady.
*Spatial magic is a magic where you can create a dimension hole that leads to another place. It's like teleporting but teleporting is instant while spatial magic will activate when a person enters the hole.
"Well, well... It's strange, we've been careful the whole time. How could such a lowly knight track us?"
A sound of heels echoed in the alley and when I turned to face him, I was under attack.
"Diamond Magic; Spear Blitz" he chanted
I quickly swayed my sword to repel his attack. But I'm hardly managed to swing my sword because it's so powerful.
How come a person can be this powerful? He has a grimoire by his side and that means he's an Elera type. But I can't lose!
I pick up a cigarette in my pocket and put it into my mouth.
"Ho? You're in a verge of death but you still going to smoke? You clearly underestimating me" he said
I chuckled and exhaled the smoke of cigarette.
"Oh no, I'm just being serious"
I formed the smoke into a puppet with my aura.
"This is my power, Smoke Puppetry"
My smoke puppet was made of smoke but hard as metal. It can land critical attack to anyone.
But I felt a hint of nervousness when he suddenly laugh loud.
"You're an idiot aren't you..."
Tsk
"Diamonds can shatter all even the hardest stone in the world. Diamond Magic; Diamond hail!" His laugh was hysterical
And that was the time when I realized that I'm going to lose. I didn't clearly see his attack breakthrough my smokes because of it's insane speed.
It was fast. I didn't even know that the diamonds already burst my body. I didn't feel the pain...
Oh that's right... I'm really an idiot. I shouldn't die. My son and my wife are waiting for me in our home. If I died, then who will support them?
'Papa it's my birthday tomorrow, you should come home then!'
I'm sorry son... I can't fulfill my promise..
Adelaide's POV
How the hell is this man's kidnapped anyway? He have his attendant and his knights are all loyal to him so HOW THE HELL?
He must've seen that I'm making face but he just sighed.
"Man, I really didn't want you to see me now because I didn't accomplish anything yet. But unfortunately, you've witness how reckless I am. How can I possibly make you fall in love with me in this? " he uttered in dismay
Making me fall in love with you your face! I know you already Alexis, you are a liar.
"Seriously? You're worrying about that now?" I said sarcastically
A minute of silence rushed between us.
Sigh, how did I fall in love with him again?
"How did you get here?"
The silence was shattered the moment he speak.
"Answer your question first before I tell mine"
"Fine" he took a deep breath and start talking
"I followed my brother here when I saw him sneaking out of the castle"
"You mean Achlys? He's here?" I raised my tone in surprise
His facial expression immediately changed into displeasure.
"Tsk, I shouldn't have told you about him. But I was curious, why would he sneak out of the palace. But when I'm following him, I lost his track and something needle-like metal strucked into my neck. I wasn't able to fight back because of that."
"I see, I was the same" I replied
"How about you, how did you get here?
"I was kidnapped of course"
I saw him frowned because of my answer and it's the truth you know.
"I mean, how did you get kidnapped?"
"I left my knights to buy some grilled squid" I answered
I was shocked when he suddenly raised his voice.
"How could you be so reckless! Why did you walk away from your knights. You're always be like this.. Going out without a single knight and going to the palace."
Look who's talking, you did the same thing I did!
He looked down and his face turned sad.
"You believed that I'm casting you out on purpose right?"
What is he saying? He cast me out because I'm annoying that's it.
"I'm not casting you out, I'm making myself cold in front of you so you'll stop going to the palace. I heard to my father that you'll always sneaking out to the mansion because you wanted to see me so I feel guilty about it. I should've tell you that words. I should've let you----"
"Now you're regretting that you helped me?"
"No, Adel. I'm thankful because I help you free yourself but it's a different story when you put your life on the line because of me."
"So you already knew it.. You already knew that I'm risking my life just to see you and yet you still throwing me away? You should've told me the reason why, I can understand it but you're making me a dog following you for nothing, Alexis. You're the worst."
After that, he became silent. The truth hurts but he have to accept it. He made a very big mistake.
"I-I'm sorry..."
I wasn't able to react after he said that. A prince apologizing to a mere lady? It must've tear down his pride.
"That's why I need a reconciliation. After I graduated from Cara Imperia, I'll promise to marry you. But after that, we must get out of here" he said and tried to loosen the tie in his hands
I was swayed by your proposal that you will marry me in my past life, Alexis. But you and I aren't made for each other. Why? Because you are meant for my evil sister.
"Wind Sword strike" I chanted
The attack cuts the tie in my hands and also damaged the ceiling. I saw Alexis's reaction and he was startled.
"W-What was that?" he gasped
He grinned to him and then cast a spell to cut the chains in my feet.
"My power, isn't it powerful?" I smiled
He still hasn't moved in his position because of shock.
"I-Impossible.." he murmured
I took the sword in his scabbard and then cuts his tie and chains.
"Strategize on how we can get out here. Our time is limited. I can sense their aura above. Two were guarding in the entrance and one is approaching here."
He stood up and start stretching.
"How do you know that?" he asked
"It's magic" I chuckled
I may sound sarcastic but it's really magic. He heard him sighed and lean on the wall.
"I heard that the two were training in your mansion, just how harsh training you've been through because of them? "
"You got the wrong idea, I was the one who asked them"
Even if it's a lie, my brothers approach themselves first.
"Just don't push yourself too much. I'll protect you in the future anyway"
"Pfft"
Thank God he didn't hear my fainted chuckle. If you will going to know the future Alexis, you will be shock. In the future, you're the one who will kill me but that's not going to happen. I'll kill you first before you can kill me.