He searched the palace thoroughly, but she was nowhere to be found. Frustrated, he questioned the queen’s maids, but they had not seen her either. Beatrice seemed unaware that her sister had been cast aside, so she was likely telling the truth. Time slipped away, and Silvio cursed the anxiety gnawing at him. Finally, he ran to the stables and rode out of the palace, heading towards the convent near the capital at full speed. Upon arrival, he summoned the abbess to the gate and asked if Idyllia had come.

“There’s no way she would return!” The elderly abbess, still holding a grudge for Idyllia’s forced departure, shouted at him.

Driven away, he rode back to the capital, his heart pounding with worry.

“Where could she be…!” He had no other leads. Having always kept her close, he never needed to know her hiding places. He didn’t know where to look or who to ask. Forcing himself to calm down, he slowed his horse. He decided to return to the palace and gather his men to search the city thoroughly. Just as he formed this plan, the sound of approaching hooves caught his attention.

“Your Grace!”

He saw Robert, his long hair streaming behind him, riding from the capital.

“Good, I didn’t miss you…!”

As Robert slowed his horse to match Silvio’s pace, Silvio demanded, “What is it?”

“I heard you were looking for Lady Idyllia at the palace…”

“Do you know where she is?” Silvio asked urgently, moving closer. Robert raised his hands lightly to hold him back.

“…I do, but please don’t be angry.”

“What do you mean?”

“Promise me first. Promise you won’t get angry no matter what. Otherwise, I can’t tell you.”

Robert’s playful smile, typical of his cunning subordinates, made Silvio uneasy.

“…Fine. I won’t get angry. Now, where is she?”

“She’s at the guard barracks. We’re holding her there. Well, she’s alive, but—”

The implications of Robert’s hesitant words were clear. Silvio’s mind went blank with shock.

“…What do you mean…?”

After a moment of stunned silence, he grabbed Robert by the collar.

“Explain yourself!”

“Well, she was walking alone late at night, half-dressed. When we called out to her, she exposed herself like a streetwalker, saying she had nowhere to go after being abandoned by you…”

“She wasn’t seducing anyone! That’s not who she is!”

“But she betrayed you and humiliated you, didn’t she? In a way, we’re avenging our commander…”

“You… did what to Idyllia…?” Silvio released his grip, watching Robert adjust his collar with a dissatisfied grumble.

“She was wandering the streets alone late at night dressed like that. She would have faced a similar fate regardless.”

Silvio punched him with all his strength.

“Your Grace…”

“Shut up! You can hit me all you want later!” Silvio shouted, mounting his horse and riding at full speed towards the guard barracks. Leaning low, he urged his horse to its maximum speed.

(Idyllia, in such a situation…!)

He had noticed her leaving alone. At that late hour, she must have been desperate and lost.

(Idyllia, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry…)

His childish behaviour had led to this. The thought of her being violated by his rough subordinates was unbearable. He felt nauseous at the image. Surrounded by strange, strong men—how terrified she must have been. How much she must have suffered. She had probably cried out for Silvio, waiting in vain for help that never came.

(What have I done…!)

Thinking she would seek her sister was just an excuse. He should have realised it would lead to disaster.

(It’s all my fault…!!)

Without looking aside, Silvio dashed towards the guard barracks. He dismounted his horse before it had even fully stopped.

“Your Grace! You’ve returned—”

He shoved aside the subordinate who had rushed to meet him and demanded, “Where is Idyllia? Tell me!”

The man’s face turned pale with shock, and he stammered, “She… she is…”

He slowly raised his index finger, pointing inside the barracks. Silvio ran in. The guards he encountered in the hallway, seeing his furious expression, quickly ducked into the nearest rooms.

“Wait! Where is Idyllia!? Where is she?”

He grabbed one who couldn’t escape in time and shook him by the neck.

“In the… guest room…”

Throwing the man against the wall, Silvio rushed to the indicated guest room and flung the door open without knocking. There, he found what he had been searching for.

The room was modest but tidy. Idyllia sat on the edge of a large guest bed, looking exactly as she did when they had last parted. She looked up at him, wide-eyed with surprise. Before her was a pile of white shirts, and beside her, neatly folded ones. She seemed to be folding laundry.

“…What?” Silvio’s voice came out in a confused mutter.

(What is this?)

From the hallway, he could hear suppressed laughter and snickering. In that moment, he realised everything.

(I’ve been played!)

His subordinates had set him up. He should have known how cruel their jokes could be.

“Silvio…?”

The voice he had longed to hear called his name. Idyllia stood up, her arms starting to reach out to him, then pulling back. Clenching her fists at her chest, she pleaded desperately.

“I didn’t put in any poison. Not a single drop. Please, believe me…!”

Tears streamed from her large hazel eyes as she sobbed. Silvio, overwhelmed with relief, wordlessly embraced her delicate body. Tears of his own welled up, and despite the deception, he was deeply grateful to his subordinates for having protected her so carefully.

Even if they had set him up to believe otherwise.

♔♔♔