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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Disappearance and Reunion
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At that moment, knights holding torches poured into the mine, searching for one person.
A few hours earlier, the Young Grand Duchess had vanished in front of the Young Grand Duke due to some inexplicable phenomenon.
"She's not here either!"
They had scoured the entire mine, but there was no trace of the Young Grand Duchess anywhere.
Akid was drenched in sweat, having already circled the area around the wormhole ten times.
He had checked in case the wormhole's influence had sent her to another space, but Roena was nowhere to be found.
It had been over three hours since her disappearance, and anxiety was starting to bubble up inside him.
"Damn it!"
Akid slammed his fist against the wall and spat out a curse. He had lost his wife right before his eyes.
They had been chatting and smiling just moments ago, but while he was talking to the employee, Roena had vanished without a trace.
"Where the hell are you?"
It felt just like a magician's trick. He had definitely felt her drop downward, but by the time he rushed down after her, Roena was gone.
She had disappeared in an instant, as if transported to another space entirely.
Could someone targeting the Grand Duke's house have kidnapped the Young Grand Duchess?
A whirlwind of wild thoughts tangled up his mind.
"Young Grand Duke, it might be best to rest outside for now. We'll find the Young Madam somehow, so please head back."
"I can't do that. How can you tell me to kick back and relax when I don't even know if my wife is alive or dead?"
The knight flinched and trembled at Akid's sharp tone. It felt so unfamiliar to see the usually quiet man baring his teeth like this.
But Akid paid no mind to the knight's gaze. Leaving his pounding heart to its anxiety, he let out a ragged breath.
'If only I hadn't suggested going out together.'
Akid raked his dry hands over his face, tormented by self-blame.
She was the wife he once wished would just disappear like this.
It had only been a few weeks ago that he had been ready to offer divorce.
'No divorce, absolutely not. I don't want a divorce.'
Why had hearing those words filled him with such relief? Pathetic.
Maybe he had wanted to build a family, even with a troublesome, no-good wife like her.
When he had been abandoned by his birth mother and wandered the streets, the sight of happy couples walking arm-in-arm had burned itself into his memory.
A lifelong partner might truly become family, he had thought.
When he first entered the Grand Duke's household, Akid hadn't expected much from his sudden new family.
He knew the Grand Duchess wouldn't care for a bastard child like him, so he tried to live as quietly as possible.
The Grand Duke, his biological father, was indifferent by nature and too busy with his own affairs to pay Akid any attention.
So he didn't crave his father's interest or love either.
It was better than begging on the streets or fleeing from the palace guards' kicks.
Living like a ghost in a lavish castle was preferable.
He figured having a protective fence around him was enough. But those thoughts shattered when he met Roena.
Akid had been stunned by the order to marry. He had never even imagined he could have a family of his own.
So when he first welcomed Roena as his wife, he had been thrilled—I've got a real family now. I've got someone on my side.
'I'm Roena April. Oh, Hadellus now, I guess.'
Seeing her mumble her name with an awkward smile, he had dared to hope for a moment.
But—
'You tricked me! I never heard anything about you being a bastard!'
When he saw her screaming and sobbing uncontrollably, Akid had no choice but to admit it.
Family was a luxury he couldn't afford. He just had to live quietly like a ghost.
After that, Akid stopped trying to control Roena. Or rather, he left her alone.
Every time she saw him, she yelled, screamed, and cried.
After a full year of tantrums following their marriage, her sudden change over the past few weeks still left him confused.
'I'm always on your side, Akid.'
He couldn't understand why she was shaking him up with sweet words now.
He knew he was already getting more than he deserved—why was she making him expect even more?
Especially during his argument with Diana, when Roena showed up, his heart had sunk.
He had assumed she would naturally side with Diana and gang up on him.
But.
"Did you really push her?"
"No. I didn't push."
"I knew it."
Why did she believe him so readily, as if it were the most obvious thing?
Even though Diana had fallen because he had threatened her.
Roena sided with him unconditionally, without even considering the circumstances, leaving Akid bewildered.
Maybe because it came like an unexpected gift when he had zero expectations.
It was on his eleventh visit to the spot where Roena had vanished, his mind in turmoil, that it happened.
"Akid!"
Roena's voice rang out like an auditory hallucination. Akid, who had been staring at the ground in anguish, jerked his head up.
And there she was—Roena, surrounded by butterflies.
Of all things, the butterflies glowed white like they were emitting light themselves, making Roena look like she might vanish into thin air.
That sight made Akid frantic. If she disappeared like this, he really might die.
It was a selfish desire not to let anyone take away the ally he had finally gained. Akid sped up and rushed toward Roena.
"Roena!"
He pulled her into his arms as if all his confusion had never existed. The butterflies scattered in a flurry around them.
Roena's eyes went wide like a startled rabbit at the sudden embrace.
A moment later, she looked up at Akid with worry.
"Akid?"
"Where the hell have you been? Are you hurt? Are you okay?"
Akid grabbed her shoulders and barked the questions. Roena gently wiped the sweat from his forehead with her sleeve.
"I'm sorry. Did I worry you that much? Oh my god, look at all this sweat. How long have you been searching?"
"You vanished right in front of me—how could I not worry...? I thought you were gone for good, and I..."
Akid trailed off, terrified of spilling all the pent-up emotions in his chest, swallowing the rest.
Roena watched him quietly, then broke into a beaming smile.
"Hehe. You were worried about me, weren't you?"
Seeing her eyes sparkle with joy, Akid felt all his energy drain away in relief.
* * *
It seemed a lot of time had passed outside while I was contracting with the spirit.
Akid only relaxed after confirming over and over that I was unharmed.
I felt a mix of guilt and pleasure.
Akid, all disheveled because of me.
I regretted a thousand times over not having nagged Coby earlier to make a recording crystal—it was too precious a sight to keep to myself.
While Akid was talking to the knights, I whispered to the spirits.
"If so much time had passed, you should have said something!"
—Humans make such a fuss over a mere three hours? We've lived over a thousand years; that's nothing to us.
—That guy's got a short temper.
—Humans are always crying, laughing, or getting mad over the tiniest things. We should be magnanimous and understand.
Look at these elders yakking away.
I let out a deep sigh at the spirits chattering about how impatient and uptight humans were.
"A person vanishes right in front of you—it's weirder not to panic. Don't badmouth Akid. Curse me instead."
—By the way, that's your husband, right? Wow, you've got good taste in faces.
—Nah, Roena's cuter to me. How's he got red hair and blue eyes?
—Why not? The more I look, the more charming he seems.
"Hey, you didn't forget what I said, did you? Don't draw attention—hurry up and dispel the manifestation. You'll get us caught if you keep this up."
I shooed away the butterflies with my hand, and the spirits grumbled.
—We finally showed ourselves after so long, and this is the thanks we get!
—Yeah! You're the first contractor to be this cold to us!
—We're hurt! Hmph!
First time, my foot. Where do they get off spouting romance novel hero lines?
I'm not your heroine, you know.
It was around then, as I ignored them and kept shooing the spirits away with my hand.
"Roena."
Akid finished talking with the knights and came over to me. What he said next was rather troubling.
"It looks like it'll take some time to get out."
"Why?"
"Well... someone planted a ton of Delus flowers at the mine entrance."
"What?"
"They definitely weren't there when we came in. What on earth..."
The moment I heard that, I knew exactly who the culprit was.
I glared at the butterflies observing Akid now that they had dropped their manifestation. The spirits flapped their wings innocently.
"Looks like that employee's words weren't a lie after all. Someone might have known we were coming this way and set a trap."
"Yeah, what could this be about?"
I let out a regretful sigh while signaling the spirits with my finger.
'Clear those Delus flowers right now! Quick!'
As if understanding, the spirits bustled off toward the entrance.
