CHAPTER 8

“That lunatic…!”

Arliata’s expression gradually darkened as she read Yuel’s notebook.

The small notebook Arliata had found was Yuel’s diary.

Inside were entries about the boyfriend she had recently started dating.

[Kai seems to like me too much.

He never leaves my side all day.

Sometimes it feels a little overwhelming.

Kai says he doesn’t want me to meet my friends.

What should I do?]

[I’m finally coming home after several days.

I spent the entire last week at Kai’s house.]

[Kai said his house was too far from the shopping district, making it difficult for me to go to the store.

Then he told me he wished I wouldn’t go to work anymore.

He says he loves me so much that it hurts.

I like Kai too, but… is this really right?]

[When I told him yellow was my favorite color, Kai painted the front door of his house yellow.

I think I’m starting to hate the color yellow.

I think I’ll tell him we’re breaking up today…]

“A yellow door…”

Arliata closed the diary and immediately began running toward the far end of the shopping district again.

She had to find the house with the yellow door as quickly as possible.

As she ran, she carefully checked the color of every front door she passed, something she had never paid attention to before.

Some were green, some blue, some brown, and every time she spotted a yellow-colored door, she knocked on it.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Hello! Is anyone inside?!”

Her legs trembled, and the fourth door did not receive so much as a reply.

Her entire body was soaked with sweat, and her breathing grew ragged.

“Haa… where the hell is that yellow door?”

She had already reached what felt like the outskirts of the village, yet there was still no yellow door in sight.

Her knees were beginning to ache from running so much.

“Yuel… where are you…?”

Forcing her heavy legs forward, she continued running until she caught a glimpse of a single yellow door between distant buildings.

“I’ve never seen that place before…”

Arliata hurried between the buildings and arrived before an isolated house that stood alone like an island.

Its front door was painted a vivid yellow.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Excuse me, is anyone inside? Hello…”

Hearing no response, she knocked again.

After waiting a little longer, the door creaked open slightly.

“…Who are you?”

The man visible through the narrow opening had purple hair.

A chill ran through Arliata’s entire body, and sweat began forming in her palms.

Clenching her trembling hands, she stepped closer.

“You’re Mr. Kai, aren’t you?

I’m Yuel’s friend.

Do you know where she is?

She hasn’t been seen since yesterday evening.”

Kai silently looked her up and down.

His gaze crawled from head to toe with an unsettling stickiness.

Opening the door a little wider, he tilted his head innocently.

“I’m not sure.

I don’t know.”

“Aren’t you Yuel’s boyfriend?”

Kai shrugged.

“Not anymore.

We broke up yesterday evening.”

“…Then when was the last time you saw Yuel?”

“Around six yesterday evening.

I haven’t seen her since.”

Arliata bit her lip.

She was certain Yuel’s disappearance had something to do with this man, yet he calmly answered every question.

“Would you leave now?

I’m expecting a friend.”

Kai smiled casually.

“Just one more question.”

“Didn’t you hear me?

I said my friend is coming.”

Just as Kai frowned and began closing the door—

Thump… Thump…

A faint pounding sound echoed from somewhere inside.

Kai’s eyes flickered.

Arliata’s heart sank.

As Kai tried closing the door again, Arliata thrust out her hand and grabbed it.

“…Yuel is in there.”

Flames seemed to ignite in Arliata’s eyes.

“Ugh…!”

“Lily!”

With her hands tied behind her back, Arliata was thrown into an underground room.

As expected, Yuel was there as well.

“Yuel!”

Her hands bound behind her back, Yuel crawled toward Arliata.

“Kai! Please stop this already!

Why are you doing this?!”

Looking down from the stairs, Kai replied with a sorrowful expression.

“Yuel… my little bluebird.

This is all because of you.

You should never have said you were leaving me.

Now even your friend has suffered because of you.”

“You crazy bastard!

How is any of this Yuel’s fault?

You’re the one who’s insane!”

Kai ignored Arliata completely and continued staring only at Yuel.

“I’ll throw your friend into the desert, and we’ll leave together.

There will only be the two of us there.

Wouldn’t you like that?”

“Please…

Please just let my friend go…”

“My little bluebird, I can’t do that.

Both of you stay quietly.”

Kai smiled so widely it was horrifying before leaving the room.

A moment later, the sound of the door locking echoed through the basement.

The dim underground chamber, lit by only a tiny light, resembled a cave.

Arliata lay on the cold stone floor, breathing heavily.

Her ribs throbbed painfully, but the relief of finding Yuel outweighed the pain.

“Ugh… my whole body hurts.

I didn’t think he’d actually throw me.”

She examined Yuel’s face.

Though her wrists hurt from the ropes, Yuel’s condition mattered far more.

Thankfully, she appeared unharmed.

Despite Arliata’s warm gaze, Yuel kept staring at the floor as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Lily…

I’m so sorry…

You got dragged into this because of me…”

“Yuel, this isn’t your fault.

You did nothing wrong.

Don’t listen to anything he says.”

Though her voice trembled, it remained firm.

“But…

If I had never met him…”

Unable to hug her because of the ropes, Arliata gently leaned her shoulder against Yuel’s.

She wanted to offer at least a little warmth.

“I’m here.

Don’t worry.

Let’s stop crying and figure out a way to escape.”

They quietly discussed everything they knew about the basement, the entrance, and Kai’s behavior while Arliata searched for a chance to break free.

After checking the tightly bound ropes, she whispered a plan to Yuel.

“Yuel, listen carefully.

I have a plan.”

Meanwhile, Mitchell slammed both hands onto the table in the reception room.

“This is exactly why I said it was a bad idea!”

Idwin simply gazed out the window without answering.

Frustrated, Mitchell turned toward Hansen.

“Head Butler, what exactly have you been doing?!”

“My apologies.”

Hansen bowed even lower.

One of the Grand Duke’s secretaries had disappeared while on leave.

Worse still, it was the very secretary who knew the Grand Duke’s secret.

Arliata had said she was going out yesterday morning, but she never returned.

Now an entire day had passed without a single word from her.

After hearing everything, Mitchell concluded that she had run away.

“We must mobilize the Simos immediately.

She knows His Grace’s secret.

If she’s escaped, we must find her before she spreads it.”

Idwin remained silent.

Run away…

“If she didn’t run away, then what else could it be?

She was a drifter.

She could easily spread rumors using Your Grace’s weakness!”

Just then Hansen stepped forward.

“Forgive my interruption, but may I say something?”

“Go ahead.”

“Lady Arliata did not run away.”

“And how can you be so sure?”

“Because she promised to bring me back a gift.”

“A gift?”

“She told me she knew a bakery that sold delicious bread and promised she’d buy some for me.

If she truly intended to flee, she wouldn’t have made such a promise.”

Idwin silently looked at Hansen.

His sharp gaze remained fixed on him, yet Hansen did not waver.

Mitchell stepped forward again.

“She may simply have lied to gain our trust before escaping.”

Hansen immediately responded.

“Furthermore, there have recently been numerous cases of young women disappearing throughout the Empire.

Isn’t it possible Lady Arliata became involved in one of those incidents?”

Idwin turned back toward the window.

The sun had already begun to sink low in the sky.

Looking out at the crimson sunset, he finally spoke.

“Mitchell.

Summon the Simos.