So the Duchess Disappeared

28. Chase

“My lord, I have determined the destination of the lady.”

Alexandro approached cautiously and whispered in Clint’s ear.

“Oh, really?”

Clint’s face, sitting heavily in the chair, looked grim.

Since the disappearance of the Duchess, Psyche, Clint’s condition had worsened day by day.

Alexandro thought they needed to find the Duchess before something unfortunate happened.

Although Clint pretended otherwise, Psyche’s disappearance had a negative impact on him.

The rumors of the scandalous incidents at the palace, involving Clint, spread like wildfire among the nobility. Moreover, the news of the Duke frantically searching for the missing Duchess had also become widespread.

Knowing that Psyche was the only one unaware of these facts frustrated Alexandro.

“So, where did she go?”

Clint asked, pressing his eyes with his hand.

“She took a carriage to Randel.”

“Randel…”

It was an area with no connection to her.

Clint let out a small sigh.

Various speculations circulated like a snowball.

Some gossiped about the incongruity of the mismatched couple, while others eagerly anticipated the Duke taking a new bride at this opportunity. Their eagerness reflected the solid foundation of Clint’s power.

Clint was somewhat aware of such rumors.

However, for now, his priority was to bring Psyche back and restore things to normal.

He slowly stood up from his seat.

“Depart directly to Randel.”

“Understood.”

Alexandro promptly prepared to depart without further words.

❖ ❖ ❖

Unable to sleep at night, Clint closed his eyes intermittently while sitting in the carriage.

Although there was still a considerable distance to Randel, the carriage he rode was enchanted with special spells.

It could run two to three times faster than a regular carriage, and Clint had been traveling without rest.

Alexandro wondered if he could catch up with Psyche if he performed well.

Thus, he hoped for everything to return to normal as quickly as possible.

“…”

Somehow, Clint had woken up and was staring into space with a vacant look in his eyes.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

Seeing his troubled expression, Alexandro felt compelled to ask.

“No…”

Clint responded irritably, shaking his head.

It happened to be because Psyche appeared in his dreams. Moreover, each scene was vividly recreated, making it feel more like a reproduction of past memories than a dream.

When was it?

The scenery he had seen in his dream was naturally superimposed in his mind.

Psyche, leaning against the window, looked as transparent and pure as the moon, seemingly unaffected by the sun. Clint vaguely thought she preferred staying indoors rather than going outside. But then again, he realized he knew very little about her. He had only ordered her to provide the best, without paying much attention. He hadn’t considered it a significant issue.

Psyche, upon seeing the Duke enter, lightly smiled, stood up, and called him.

“My lord.”

He noticed that she had never addressed him in a friendly manner, like calling a husband, always addressing him with a formal “my lord.”

That thought somehow made him feel uncomfortable, so he put on a more imposing expression.

“Have you had dinner?”

“Oh, not yet.”

“Is that so? Shall I prepare the meal?”

Despite her considerable beauty, Psyche seemed somewhat aloof, but there was a certain warmth about her when dealing with the Duke.

She often initiated conversations and managed to engage in lengthy discussions.

That day was nothing out of the ordinary.

The Duke returned home after his usual work, and Psyche greeted him as usual.

“Dinner is ready, and for the evening, I thought a cup of warm tea would be nice.”

“Sounds good. Instead of just tea, bring some light snacks as well.”

“Of course.”

Clint smiled faintly.

“Anything eventful today?”

“Oh, nothing special. As always. It seems that His Highness the Crown Prince encountered a band of thieves while wandering outside… It must have been a bit troublesome, but it serves as a lesson for the future.”

Psyche chuckled, covering her mouth.

“My, you’re an interesting person.”

“You might not think so when you meet him in person.”

“When you mention thieves, it reminds me of something amusing from my childhood.”

Psyche had a dreamy expression as if reminiscing about the past.

“The region where I grew up didn’t have many knights, so when thieves appeared, it was often challenging to fight them off.”

“Is that so?”

“At such times, my father used something like an ‘illusion grass.'”

“Illusion grass?”

“Yes. When used skillfully, it’s a plant that makes people see hallucinations. You can’t know what the other person sees. I was a child at the time, so I wonder if I looked like a monster. When the thieves saw it, they would run away as if their pants were on fire.”

As Psyche spoke, she burst into laughter again.

“Is that really a thing?”

“Yes. But it’s not foolproof. Usually, it works only once or twice.”

As Psyche continued sharing her stories, Clint found himself unknowingly laughing along. She kept the conversation light and engaging until she brought tea and snacks. That day seemed filled with various stories.

Due to Psyche’s hometown stories, he seemed to have heard various stories about the Alistar Territory.

I don’t remember all of them, but one thing was certain: those stories from that time were not boring.

In retrospect, it was a small, simple joy.

At that time, he didn’t know…

He furrowed his brow at the thought that Psyche might sit beside him and engage in a pleasant conversation at any moment.

The presence of Psyche, which had seeped into his daily life, had never felt so significant before.

He sat with a discontented look, his fists clenched.

To avoid disturbing the Duke’s mood as much as possible, Alejandro remained silent and kept still.

Then, suddenly, the Duke sighed as if reminiscing about a passing memory.

“So… you intentionally take a carriage going elsewhere to avoid revealing your destination?”

“Yes. It’s a common method used by mercenaries.”

“How do you then reach your desired destination?”

“You secretly get off midway and head to the real destination. Since carriage drivers, unless they are nobles, don’t pay attention to who disappears midway. They’ve already received the payment…”

“But wouldn’t you get caught quickly?”

“It’s harder than you think. Tracking all possibilities is difficult, and even if someone tries to find the real destination… enough time would have passed for them to escape.”

It reminded him of their previous conversation.

“…The lady probably didn’t go to Randel.”

“What?”

Alejandro, who had been silent, was surprised and opened his eyes wide.

It felt like the Duke’s words came out of the blue.

This information was obtained after Alejandro had interrogated someone.

Psyche stopped by the nearby market near the palace to sell clothes and board a carriage. Clint thoroughly investigated from there, starting with taking the Randel-bound carriage. But suddenly?

“We underestimated finding the lady… too easy.”

Only then did Clint realize.

Perhaps she had been planning to escape from him for a very long time.

As he thought about it, he became even more confused.

Why was she made this way? He couldn’t even guess.

And a sense of betrayal for her leaving had quietly settled in his heart. If he found her, he wouldn’t let her go again. He was determined to make sure she would never leave him again.

Clint’s words left Alejandro with an unusually puzzled expression.

“If not Randel, then where…”

Clint fell into thought for a moment.

“The lady talks about her hometown.”

“Hometown?”

“Yes. She spread various herbs and talked about old stories. She seemed happy.”

Suddenly, Alejandro recalled what Psyche’s maid had told him.

She occasionally talked about her hometown, but that day she felt a strange discomfort. Stories about herbs and plants were not something heard easily since Psyche became the Duchess.

“She must have gone to her hometown. She switched carriages midway.”

“No. Do you know such methods, too? Methods commonly used by mercenaries?”

“…”

Clint became even more irritated by those words.

“Turn the carriage around; head towards the Alistar Territory.”

“Understood…”

Alejandro relayed Clint’s command to the coachman without uttering a word.

Normally, he might have asked various questions, but Alejandro was a perceptive person. Above all, it had been ten years since he had served under the Duke.

He knew now was not the time to take the lead, so he kept quiet.

Then Clint glanced at him and spoke again.

“Why are you so quiet today? The man who used to make noise, boasting that he understood women better than me.”

“Uh…”

“It’s strange that you, who used to be so loud, are quiet today.”

Then Alejandro scratched his head and responded, “I’m someone who knows when to meddle and when not to, you know.”

Alejandro was aware that chasing after Psyche, Clint seemed different from usual. Although Alejandro was genuinely loyal to him, considering the Duke’s current state, if he uttered nonsense, it might not end well for him. Alejandro knew that Clint couldn’t sleep last night, and he had no choice but to keep his words brief.

However, Clint’s silence bothered him.

“When did you start caring about such things? Just say anything.”

“Haha…”

Alejandro was even more puzzled.

Certainly, he thought something was wrong with the Duke after the Duchess disappeared.

But he had to follow the Duke’s orders to speak, even if it meant saying anything.

“By the way, isn’t this area notorious for frequent bandit attacks on the way to the Alistar Territory?”

“…”

At Clint’s words, his face became even more grim.

Alejandro found himself forced to close his mouth again.

“…”

Then, after a few minutes, Clint spoke again.

“It’s more irritating when it’s quiet.”

The Duke realized that he had grown accustomed to the everyday banter with Psyche, like a child. Alejandro frowned at those words.

Alejandro became dismayed.

‘What am I supposed to do!’

Speaking up seemed futile, as it would likely result in more scolding. He decided to remain silent. Internally, he repeated ‘Duchess, please come back’ a million times.

The carriage quickly started heading towards the Alistar Territory.

Alejandro clung to the hope that he would soon reunite with Psyche.

And it happened just as he expected.