Secret Love Affair between a Former Saint and a Dark Hero - Chapter 51
“What do you mean? What happened?”
“There was no sign of Lady Arcanda anywhere. All we found was a trail of blood in the direction she ran.”
Returning from the hunting competition, Ovid’s face stiffened at the anxious words of the distressed women. He hurriedly made his way to her tent, but she was nowhere to be found.
‘And I couldn’t find Iora either.’
Could it be a planned crime targeting the candidates for sainthood? They must have had an insider collaborator, or how else could they have been able to bypass their tight security?
“It was Lady Iora!”
“What did you just say?”
One of Arcanda’s maids cried out, her throat tightening as if she were about to have a fit. She seemed so overcome with worry that she dared to confront the high-ranking nobles. However…
“Your Highness! This must have been all the work of Lady Iora! She’s been taunting and tormenting our Lady Arcanda, and now she’s committed this despicable act! Hmph, hic. If anything happens to our Lady Arcanda, I’m going to…!”
Ovid couldn’t bear to hear more of her baseless accusations. The fact that there were other maids sympathizing and nodding along baffled him. What a stupid thing to say. After throwing away the precious white fox he had in his hand, he drew his sword from its scabbard.
He held it to the neck of this maid named Jane.
“Y–your Highness?”
“Do you realize what nonsense you’ve been uttering?”
“Yes, yes?”
Hiccup! The maid who had whimpered opened her eyes wide and looked up.
“Tell me, are you a secret candidate for sainthood I didn’t know about?”
“W–what? N–no!”
“Or perhaps you’re Lady Arcanda herself?”
“I, I…”
“Could it be that you’re a friend of Iora’s? Do you understand the significance of what you’re saying, or are you just running your mouth? Who are you to speak for Arcanda and tarnish Iora’s honor?”
“Ugh, Your Highness, h-h-hold on! But Lady Arcanda!”
“Enough. Do not harass Lady Iora any further. What benefit would she gain by causing such a scandal in an event organized by Marquis Ribandt? Such foolishness isn’t even worth considering!”
It was an unpleasant situation. All of this grated sharply on Ovid’s nerves. Just how cunning did they think the innocent and slow-witted Iora was? The ignorance of these people weighed heavily on him. He quickly turned around and commanded the waiting knights.
“Dismount and search for tracks. Move quickly.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
“Assume that both Arcanda and Lady Iora have gone missing and search for them together. They can’t have gone too far.”
“Yes!”
Had they actually ever conversed with Iora, they wouldn’t be under such delusions. That irritated him even more than worrying about Arcanda. Although he didn’t realize that, he angrily sheathed his sword.
He glared coldly at the maid, who slumped to the floor with a gasp, not forgetting to warn her.
“You. Do you know how serious it is to falsely accuse a candidate for sainthood without evidence?”
“I-I didn’t falsely accuse her! She tore Lady Arcanda’s dress to shreds!”
“That mouth of yours! Tearing a dress and orchestrating a kidnapping are two completely different things! Such a fool.”
Ovid clicked his tongue in disapproval, and frowned deeply. He just wanted both of them to be safe.
The search continued for hours until one the knights found a lead. It was the hideout of the people who attempted to kidnap the saint candidates.
“Arcanda!”
“Huh…”
When they raided the lair, they found Arcanda lying pale-faced. Ovid rushed over anxiously to check her breathing. Fortunately, Arcanda seemed tired but didn’t seem to haveany serious injuries.
“Arcanda, Arcanda! Are you alright? Do you have any injuries? Are you conscious?”
“…Ovid. Ah, you’re here. I knew you’d come…”
“Yes, it’ll be alright now.”
Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Ovid blamed himself. He should have taken matters into his own hands instead of entrusting everything to the Marquis von Ribandt. If he had joined the pursuit, this back alley group wouldn’t have dared to kidnap the saint candidate.
He clenched his fist with rising regret and asked, “But Arcanda, have you seen Iora?”
“Iora…?” For an instant, her eyes, which had been so sweet, turned as cold as midwinter frost. “…What about Iora?”
“Did you not see her?”
Ovid momentarily felt puzzled, thinking that she might be upset about the dress incident. The urgency of the situation might have caused him to overlook it. Despite the urgent movements of the knights, there were no reports of finding another person.
“When you and Lady Iora disappeared together, it was presumed that she was also kidnapped.”
The building was old and intricate, but not too large.
A knight rushed in with a stern face and reported, “We found on signs of Lady Iora, Your Highness!”
“Nothing on the first and second floors either!”
“What shall we do, Your Highness? Awaiting your orders.”
Just as Arcanda tried to get up, Ovid quickly bent down to support her. He was about to ask about Iora’s whereabouts again, but before he could speak, Arcanda, who had slightly lowered her head, answered unexpectedly.
“I didn’t see her.”
“What did you say?”
Raising her head slowly, Arcanda smiled like a sunflower and whispered straight into his ear, “I was the only one kidnapped, Ovid.”
