Chapter 116
Chapter 116
Missing (2)
“What do you mean by that, brother?”
Julius responded to Alester with a look of disbelief.
“...Are you seriously saying we should put her into the succession race? When it’s not even something she wants, and we’d be the ones pushing her into it?”
“...”
“Giving Princess Katya that kind of authority is just not right. To begin with, that cursed girl—”
“...Julius, watch your mouth.”
Alester cut in with a bitter smile before he could finish the sentence.
But he didn’t exactly refute the content of the statement either.
Because anyone who knew about the birth circumstances of Katya Heinkel Craven would likely have reacted the same as Julius.
Even Alester himself could feel sympathy for her, but undeniable facts were still facts.
“Still, you know…”
Alester sighed and rested his chin on the table.
“Maybe putting her up there would actually be better.”
“...Better?”
There was something odd in the nuance of that word.
And thinking a little deeper about why he would say such a thing, the answer came quickly.
‘...Ah, I see.’
It was clear now that Alester was seriously considering the possibility that she might have a decent chance of winning this race.
Aiden Kellermain. The man the Pontiff brought in from outside.
If he had performed that well in the Tournament, then it made sense even for a well-established royal to feel nervous.
‘...’
No, but really, it didn’t make any sense.
No matter how capable someone might be, the idea that just one performance at the succession ceremony could lead to them suddenly being handed leadership of an entire country—what kind of nonsense was that?
Just how highly did Alester rate this Aiden fellow?
In that sense…
“Brother. Forgive me, but…”
“Hmm?”
“...Have you lost your mind?”
Julius had absolutely no intention of agreeing with any of this.
“Everyone risks their lives for the succession ceremony because the Pontiff holds immense authority. And while I’ve joined the ceremony myself, I honestly believe there’s no true alternative to you, brother.”
“...”
“I’d rather put that airheaded Milene on the throne than seat that walking disaster. This isn’t just about wielding divine power well—when it comes to being a ‘good leader,’ there’s no substitute for you.”
...Well, sure.
That was true.
But still—was this guy really that loyal to him?
Alester looked at the passionately ranting Julius with a mixture of displeasure and uncertainty.
How should he interpret this?
Rather than pure support for him, perhaps this was more a reflection of how badly he wanted to stop that Aiden guy no matter what...
Just as he was lost in those thoughts, someone suddenly flung open the door to the room where the two royals were having a private conversation.
For someone to barge in like that while two members of the royal family were speaking privately—unless they were of equal standing—it was unthinkably rude.
The person who entered, however, more than met that condition.
Milene casually looked around the room and spoke.
It was strange enough to see someone who usually found conversation itself a bother actually trying to initiate one.
“Have either of you seen that Aiden guy?”
“...”
Him again—this Aiden.
Clearly, he was the hottest topic around right now.
With that thought, Alester let out a wry smile and asked,
“No, Milene. What’s going on?”
“We were supposed to do something together, but I can’t find him.”
“Well… if you give it a little time, I’m sure he’ll show up.”
“Everyone says they haven’t seen him.”
Milene added in a blank tone.
“For about two days.”
“...?”
No matter how you looked at it, being gone for that long was definitely suspicious.
Both Alester and Julius’s expressions changed at the same time.
▣
Noel Astrea Simus had been completely out of it for some time.
Honestly, anyone would agree it was a fitting description for someone who lay in bed staring at the ceiling for hours without moving.
Her mind kept replaying what had happened with Aiden recently.
She absently touched her own lips.
So then…
Just a short while ago, Aiden was here—
“---!!!”
She let out a sharp cry as she smacked herself on the top of the head.
To anyone watching, it would’ve looked like she’d lost her mind. But judging by the imaginary steam venting from both ears, it seemed to help her snap out of it.
‘...Why did he do that?’
Even that jolt wasn’t enough to chase away the question that had been haunting her mind all this time.
And aside from the heat stuck in her head, only one feeling came to mind.
‘It was so sudden.’
No, when she thought about Aiden’s behavior until now, it was only natural that she felt such a disconnect.
He was someone who’d always gone out of his way to suppress his feelings. For him to do something that would normally make anyone else die of embarrassment or shame, and to do it without hesitation—that would make anyone suspicious.
Of course, if asked whether she liked it or not, Noel had no real reason to say she didn’t...
‘Huh.’
Suddenly, a strange realization flashed through her mind like lightning.
Lately, that is...
It wasn’t the first time Aiden had come at her like that, taking the initiative and making all sorts of moves.
Even before the attack on the Imperial Capital began, he’d often acted like he was trying to flirt with her or something...
‘...Wait?’
Noel frowned slightly.
Come to think of it—
She and Aiden were only engaged. Nothing beyond that had really progressed.
Sure, he was the one who brought up the idea of marriage first, but they’d never really had a proper discussion about it.
With that in mind, for him to suddenly be this... forward—
Maybe it wasn’t strange to think that something had shifted in him ever since he brought up marriage so seriously.
‘...Wait...?’
As she recalled those details one by one, Noel sank into herself, diving into deep thought.
Every possible scenario floated through her mind, rising and falling like waves.
Honestly, she could say without hesitation that even the strategic and tactical dilemmas she’d spent her life grappling with didn’t eat up this much of her mental focus...
There’s a big difference between navigating a familiar battlefield and diving headfirst into something totally unknown.
“...”
Eventually, Noel’s eyes widened.
A shocking possibility, one she’d never once considered, finally took shape as a coherent thought.
Maybe.
Just maybe...
‘...Does Aiden like me too?’
...It was the kind of conclusion that, if the Emperor of the Empire had heard it from afar, he might have grabbed the back of his neck and fainted on the spot from sheer frustration.
But at that moment, Noel felt as though divine light was shining down into her mind.
Oh.
Oh.
Could this... could this really be a signal?
Could this be an actual green light?
Just like her friend had said that one time—could it be that even Aiden had finally fallen under the spell of her irresistible charm...?
“...”
...Setting aside the question of what charm she even had in the first place, there was at least one thing she couldn’t deny: Aiden’s consistent actions definitely leaned in that direction.
Noel stood up with a serious look and began pacing the room.
If that were the case—
If he truly liked her...
‘...Could I actually try doing things with Aiden?’
You know, like—
Going to see a movie together.
Having dinner at a fancy place.
Going to see Kenneth or Sisela and introducing herself proudly as the person who’d soon be part of their family.
And maybe, after that...
“...”
Noel lightly touched her lips.
A little while ago—yeah.
That was the spot where Aiden had... done that to her.
And now, she might get to do it again.
Hmm.
“...Ugh.”
And once her thoughts reached that point—
...it became inevitable that she would react in a way that might come off as slightly creepy to others.
“Ehehe, hehe, hehehehe—”
If someone tried to say this was the laugh of the famous lioness who never backed down on the battlefield, most people would probably shake their heads and take a few steps back. The sly giggling slid out of Noel’s mouth like a hiss.
But no matter how others might react, Noel couldn’t help herself.
No, what was she supposed to do when just imagining those scenes made this kind of reaction bubble out so naturally...?
“Noel.”
“...Hehe, ehehe, ehehahaha.”
“My lady...?”
Even while Morrigan called her repeatedly from right in front of her, Noel just squirmed on the bed, letting out that same strange laugh.
It wasn’t until she saw Morrigan looking down at her with a puzzled expression that she finally snapped back to reality in shock.
“M-M-Morrigan?! D-Don’t you know how to knock—”
“I knocked for about five minutes.”
“…”
Noel shut her mouth immediately upon noticing Morrigan’s slightly reddened fingers.
“S-So, uh, what brings you here?”
“It’s an emergency.”
Even though she said that, her tone was completely flat as always, making the urgency hard to feel—but the words that followed definitely matched the situation.
“Sir Aiden is missing.”
“...”
Noel froze.
“Her Highness Katya is missing as well.”
...At that point, it was only natural for her face to go pale too.
▣
...He had no idea how long he’d been unconscious.
That was Aiden’s first thought when he opened his eyes.
‘...Where am I?’
The last thing he remembered was sitting on the edge of a cliff with Katya when something suddenly jumped up from below and dragged them both down.
In other words, technically, they should be underwater...
“...”
But no matter how he looked around, the surroundings weren’t underwater.
It looked more like a dark, cave-like place near the shore.
‘...First, I need to gather information.’
Where is this? What brought him here—and why? He needed to figure that out first.
To do that, he had to start moving.
But as he tried to rise, a heavy sensation in his lower body stopped him.
Katya was sound asleep, breathing softly—on his lap.
“...”
Aiden looked down at her, sleeping peacefully with her head resting on his thigh, and began calmly organizing the current situation.
This meant he had to find a way out of here.
He was in an unknown location with no idea what lay ahead—with Katya, just the two of them.
“...”
Hmm.
Somehow, the latter part of that equation felt more threatening than the former.