That chilling question pierced through his heart like a blade. She had to be safe, and if she was, he would find her no matter where on the continent she might be. It would take time, but he would find her. But if she wasn’t safe…
She was even pregnant.
Sidrain gazed down at his hands with reddened eyes. It was strange. His entire body felt as if his emotions had been numbed, yet his hands were trembling. Iris, if, by any chance, she wasn’t safe…
“Oswald.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Oswald gently touched Sidrain’s cheek, and as he observed a single tear falling from Sidrain’s reddened eyes, Oswald swallowed his words. He couldn’t find the right words to say. Sidrain’s eyes burned with hatred, yet his face was strangely serene, and tears falling from an almost lifeless face made the scene even more eerie.
Sidrain’s voice grew quieter. He turned to Oswald and whispered while keeping his gaze fixed on the wrecked carriage.
“To subdue Iris’s knights, ordinary knights wouldn’t have sufficed. That means there were soldiers, and they were knights. In other words…”
“You mean they were nobles.”
“Keep an eye on the nobles, especially those from my opposition. Today, search thoroughly for anyone who showed even the slightest sign of strangeness. Somewhere among them, my Iris must be.”
With Oswald gone, it was now Sidrain’s turn. However, he couldn’t bring himself to leave, merely gazing at the carriage. Despite knowing otherwise, he slowly walked towards it. Then, he began clearing the wreckage with his own hands.
“Your Majesty!”
People tried to stop him, but he brushed them aside without a word.
Perhaps, just perhaps. If you were here.
He couldn’t bring himself to stop this foolish act.
A week later, in the dead of night, Oswald Portwall entered the palace and walked into Sidrain’s study. Sidrain had been going through documents, surviving on nothing but cold water. All these documents were reports on the events of the day when Iris had disappeared, detailing the activities of the nobles.
The most suspicious person was, of course, Lord Kurtlan Samain. He had been involved in the trial but had never shown up in the courtroom. However, he had left and returned, and the reasons for his change of heart remained unknown. Yet, he was certifiably mad, and his whims changed frequently, making it difficult to definitively label him as a culprit.
But Sidrain couldn’t help but read the report detailing Kurtlan’s activities again and again.
It’s likely you.
Sidrain remembered the madman’s gaze when he claimed Iris as his daughter. He was completely deranged. His obsession with Leilani was well-known.
“Your Majesty, Lord Viscount Oswald requests an audience.”
Coming at this hour, it must be trivial. Sidrain furrowed his brow. He didn’t want to hear any more. Iris was gone, and there seemed to be no way to find her. Nobody knew what she might be going through. If someone were to harm her… Sidrain could imagine it better than anyone else, especially given Iris’s character. She was kind and gentle but resolute. When someone tried to force their will against hers, she would do unimaginable things, even if it meant provoking her adversary.
His vision blurred for a moment, and Sidrain closed and opened his eyes. He needed to be composed. Emotions wouldn’t help him in finding her. He had to suppress his feelings.
“Your Majesty, Oswald is here.”
Even though he hadn’t issued an invitation, Oswald Portwall entered. He sighed upon seeing the disarrayed desk.
“Sid.”
“Don’t say a word.”
As Sidrain stood up to speak, Oswald lowered his head.
“We will find her.”
Oswald said it decisively. It was a statement that no one dared to make, not even Sidrain. It was too terrifying, a statement he couldn’t bring himself to utter out of fear. Hoping so intensely, making such arrogant claims, was too frightening. He couldn’t risk speaking such words, fearing that fate might play a cruel trick. But Oswald said it casually.
“It’s the capital, Sid. Where else could she have gone if she left? Moreover, she should be inside the capital. It’s right under our noses. We’ll catch her soon.”
“Oswald.”
“You need to show a stronger side at a time like this. If you appear this weak, how worried do you think she’ll be? If you say you need to go back to the tower, what are you going to do? We’re still in the middle of the trial. You need to score well at times like this, Sid.”
Oswald chuckled lightly. He worked tirelessly, searching for the queen. The queen of a kingdom had disappeared, and she was adored by the people. In terms of popularity, Iris was even more beloved than King Sidrain. With anger and worry stirring up the public, the state of affairs was chaotic. The foreign relations were in disarray, and there were signs of factions trying to take advantage of the situation. The only way to calm this enormous whirlpool was to find the queen.
But Oswald was Sidrain’s foster brother. Naturally, he worried about his brother. Seeing his brother neglecting food and sleep, suppressing emotions while desperately searching for his lover, how could he just stand by and watch?
“Iris has a unique personality.”
“Yes.”
“She might have provoked someone. And if it’s this man…”
Sidrain threw the documents in frustration. Oswald cast a brief glance at the papers scattered on the floor. Curtland En Samain, an unpredictable and explosive man.
“Iris could be in real danger. I… I don’t have time, Oswald.”
“But people need sleep. As much as it’s an unfortunate situation, your words won’t bring the queen back immediately. And if it’s not enough that way, I can wake up the whole city and keep everyone from sleeping, including Retndon. But it won’t work like that. You need to rest. Just a little sleep, and you might have better ideas when you wake up. Let’s think about how we can find the queen, focusing on the fact that she’s a sorceress. Iris must have had her reasons for leaving, and we need to consider that.”
“Iris took the bracelet with her!”
After Iris disappeared, Elaine claimed that she had given her the bracelet, but it was still in the room. The defense attorney fumbled and confessed that the bracelet didn’t match the outfit and advised her to give up wearing it. It was a kind of legal strategy.
Sidrain fell apart. He slumped to the ground, and Oswald sat down beside him, urging him to rest.
“We will find Queen Iris, Sid. So, get some sleep, even just for a little while. Your mind is blocked right now. No matter who you are, how can you function without sleep? Get some rest, Sid. Tomorrow, you’ll wake up with a clear head. We’ll think about where Queen Iris might be or how we can investigate these noble families. Sid, think about it tomorrow, please.”
Could I come up with a way to find you after getting some sleep?
Sidrain covered his face with both hands, exhaling heavily. It felt like there was a black void gnawing at his heart, as if it was tearing his heart apart. He couldn’t breathe, the pain was excruciating.
Iris, if I lose you, if I lose you...
Even though he couldn’t believe it would happen, he couldn’t help but think of the worst. The future without Iris. That future was a desolate, snowy wasteland. Unmarked, empty, a wasteland of fear.
That chilling question pierced through his heart like a blade. She had to be safe, and if she was, he would find her no matter where on the continent she might be. It would take time, but he would find her. But if she wasn’t safe…
She was even pregnant.
Sidrain gazed down at his hands with reddened eyes. It was strange. His entire body felt as if his emotions had been numbed, yet his hands were trembling. Iris, if, by any chance, she wasn’t safe…
“Oswald.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Oswald gently touched Sidrain’s cheek, and as he observed a single tear falling from Sidrain’s reddened eyes, Oswald swallowed his words. He couldn’t find the right words to say. Sidrain’s eyes burned with hatred, yet his face was strangely serene, and tears falling from an almost lifeless face made the scene even more eerie.
Sidrain’s voice grew quieter. He turned to Oswald and whispered while keeping his gaze fixed on the wrecked carriage.
“To subdue Iris’s knights, ordinary knights wouldn’t have sufficed. That means there were soldiers, and they were knights. In other words…”
“You mean they were nobles.”
“Keep an eye on the nobles, especially those from my opposition. Today, search thoroughly for anyone who showed even the slightest sign of strangeness. Somewhere among them, my Iris must be.”
With Oswald gone, it was now Sidrain’s turn. However, he couldn’t bring himself to leave, merely gazing at the carriage. Despite knowing otherwise, he slowly walked towards it. Then, he began clearing the wreckage with his own hands.
“Your Majesty!”
People tried to stop him, but he brushed them aside without a word.
Perhaps, just perhaps. If you were here.
He couldn’t bring himself to stop this foolish act.
A week later, in the dead of night, Oswald Portwall entered the palace and walked into Sidrain’s study. Sidrain had been going through documents, surviving on nothing but cold water. All these documents were reports on the events of the day when Iris had disappeared, detailing the activities of the nobles.
The most suspicious person was, of course, Lord Kurtlan Samain. He had been involved in the trial but had never shown up in the courtroom. However, he had left and returned, and the reasons for his change of heart remained unknown. Yet, he was certifiably mad, and his whims changed frequently, making it difficult to definitively label him as a culprit.
But Sidrain couldn’t help but read the report detailing Kurtlan’s activities again and again.
It’s likely you.
Sidrain remembered the madman’s gaze when he claimed Iris as his daughter. He was completely deranged. His obsession with Leilani was well-known.
“Your Majesty, Lord Viscount Oswald requests an audience.”
Coming at this hour, it must be trivial. Sidrain furrowed his brow. He didn’t want to hear any more. Iris was gone, and there seemed to be no way to find her. Nobody knew what she might be going through. If someone were to harm her… Sidrain could imagine it better than anyone else, especially given Iris’s character. She was kind and gentle but resolute. When someone tried to force their will against hers, she would do unimaginable things, even if it meant provoking her adversary.
His vision blurred for a moment, and Sidrain closed and opened his eyes. He needed to be composed. Emotions wouldn’t help him in finding her. He had to suppress his feelings.
“Your Majesty, Oswald is here.”
Even though he hadn’t issued an invitation, Oswald Portwall entered. He sighed upon seeing the disarrayed desk.
“Sid.”
“Don’t say a word.”
As Sidrain stood up to speak, Oswald lowered his head.
“We will find her.”
Oswald said it decisively. It was a statement that no one dared to make, not even Sidrain. It was too terrifying, a statement he couldn’t bring himself to utter out of fear. Hoping so intensely, making such arrogant claims, was too frightening. He couldn’t risk speaking such words, fearing that fate might play a cruel trick. But Oswald said it casually.
“It’s the capital, Sid. Where else could she have gone if she left? Moreover, she should be inside the capital. It’s right under our noses. We’ll catch her soon.”
“Oswald.”
“You need to show a stronger side at a time like this. If you appear this weak, how worried do you think she’ll be? If you say you need to go back to the tower, what are you going to do? We’re still in the middle of the trial. You need to score well at times like this, Sid.”
Oswald chuckled lightly. He worked tirelessly, searching for the queen. The queen of a kingdom had disappeared, and she was adored by the people. In terms of popularity, Iris was even more beloved than King Sidrain. With anger and worry stirring up the public, the state of affairs was chaotic. The foreign relations were in disarray, and there were signs of factions trying to take advantage of the situation. The only way to calm this enormous whirlpool was to find the queen.
But Oswald was Sidrain’s foster brother. Naturally, he worried about his brother. Seeing his brother neglecting food and sleep, suppressing emotions while desperately searching for his lover, how could he just stand by and watch?
“Iris has a unique personality.”
“Yes.”
“She might have provoked someone. And if it’s this man…”
Sidrain threw the documents in frustration. Oswald cast a brief glance at the papers scattered on the floor. Curtland En Samain, an unpredictable and explosive man.
“Iris could be in real danger. I… I don’t have time, Oswald.”
“But people need sleep. As much as it’s an unfortunate situation, your words won’t bring the queen back immediately. And if it’s not enough that way, I can wake up the whole city and keep everyone from sleeping, including Retndon. But it won’t work like that. You need to rest. Just a little sleep, and you might have better ideas when you wake up. Let’s think about how we can find the queen, focusing on the fact that she’s a sorceress. Iris must have had her reasons for leaving, and we need to consider that.”
“Iris took the bracelet with her!”
After Iris disappeared, Elaine claimed that she had given her the bracelet, but it was still in the room. The defense attorney fumbled and confessed that the bracelet didn’t match the outfit and advised her to give up wearing it. It was a kind of legal strategy.
Sidrain fell apart. He slumped to the ground, and Oswald sat down beside him, urging him to rest.
“We will find Queen Iris, Sid. So, get some sleep, even just for a little while. Your mind is blocked right now. No matter who you are, how can you function without sleep? Get some rest, Sid. Tomorrow, you’ll wake up with a clear head. We’ll think about where Queen Iris might be or how we can investigate these noble families. Sid, think about it tomorrow, please.”
Could I come up with a way to find you after getting some sleep?
Sidrain covered his face with both hands, exhaling heavily. It felt like there was a black void gnawing at his heart, as if it was tearing his heart apart. He couldn’t breathe, the pain was excruciating.
Iris, if I lose you, if I lose you...
Even though he couldn’t believe it would happen, he couldn’t help but think of the worst. The future without Iris. That future was a desolate, snowy wasteland. Unmarked, empty, a wasteland of fear.
