LVSFN 46

Chapter 46

“Ribe, please hurry.”

Leonie had refused the maid’s visit twice and turned away the physician once.

Of course, she hadn’t stepped in as Ribe’s substitute with a light heart.

But once her friend left and she was alone… she was terrified.

Ribe, who had said she’d be right back, didn’t return for a long time.

“Ribe, where on earth did you go?”

Leonie regretted not asking where she was headed.

“No, if Ribe left in such a hurry, there must’ve been a reason. I’m the only one who can help her. So stop overthinking and just wait. She’ll be back soon.”

She pulled the blanket up just below her nose and trembled. Who knows how much time had passed.

If she blocked the maid again, this time it might really reach His Grace the Grand Duke’s ears.

What should I do? Ribe, please come back soon!

Just as she squeezed her eyes shut with that thought—

Knock knock.

From beyond the large door, someone was trying to come in again.

“S-sorry. I’d like to sleep a bit more,” Leonie rasped, faking a hoarse voice, and buried herself under the blanket.

Usually, the maid would reply and leave at this point—but it was silent.

‘Huh? Did they just leave?’

She thought maybe the person had walked away, and as she slowly lowered the blanket—

Clack—

Suddenly the door swung open, and footsteps echoed into the room.

Step, step.

‘Oh no.’

From the sound of the footsteps, it wasn’t a maid.

They were firm, heavy, and commanding.

Leonie curled into a tight ball under the blanket, trembling as a deep voice poured down from above her head.

“Ribe, are you feeling that unwell?”

It was Grand Duke Cygnus.

‘Oh no!’

Leonie clenched her eyes shut and gripped the blanket tightly.

This wasn’t a maid or a physician.

This was the Grand Duke himself.

Should I just tell the truth now, or try to hold out a bit longer?

If she spoke in her normal voice, she’d surely be found out.

But she had promised to help Ribe. She couldn’t ruin their plan so carelessly.

If she got through this moment, she could buy Ribe a lot of time.

“I’m all right,” she croaked, forcing her voice as low and hoarse as she could.

She tried to sound calm, but her mouth was dry and she felt like she could faint from the panic.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“I heard you haven’t even had a sip of water.”

“Yes.”

“You’re not in any particular pain?”

“No.”

Thank goodness they were questions she could answer with just a ‘yes’ or ‘no.’

But then came the real test.

“Why did you send the doctor away?”

Leonie bit her lower lip hard, then answered with great effort.

“I just wanted to rest.”

There was no response from outside the blanket.

‘Your Grace, I’m so sorry. Please just let me live!’

As Leonie cautiously opened one eye, trying to guess what was happening—

“Then excuse me.”

The blanket was suddenly lifted away, and a rush of cold air hit her.

“…!”

Leonie froze completely, unable to say a word.

She couldn’t even begin to explain herself, let alone figure out where to start.

“Y-Your Grace…”

She sat up and bowed her head deeply. Goosebumps covered her body, and her shoulders hunched instinctively.

She was terrified of what scolding he might deliver.

She couldn’t even bring herself to look at his face.

“Where is Ribe?”

The cool voice fell from above her.

It wasn’t as frightening a question as she’d feared, but it was one she couldn’t answer.

“Y-Your Grace, that is…”

She’d thought she had used up her daily quota of tears already, but now she felt like she might burst into sobs.

Then, with a dry tone, Cygnus repeated the question.

“I asked where Ribe is.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know where she went either.”

“What?”

Cygnus turned his head with a look of hollow disbelief.

Then he slowly closed his eyes.

Leonie, gathering her courage, peeked up at him—and to her surprise, he didn’t seem furious.

Right. He’s just someone worried about Ribe, like me.

Maybe if she told him what they’d discussed, it would help find her.

With that in mind, Leonie opened and closed her lips once, then began to speak.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace. Ribe asked me so earnestly that I couldn’t turn her down.”

As she spoke, Cygnus slowly turned to face her.

His expression was complicated—deeply uncomfortable.

“She asked?”

“She said there was something she absolutely had to confirm today.”

Leonie fought her fear and recalled the conversation she’d had with Ribe.

“Ribe’s not the kind of person to ask favors. Even though we’ve been friends for a long time, she’s never begged or demanded anything.”

Her voice had been shaking, but it gradually steadied as she spoke.

Cygnus’s face didn’t soften, though.

“So even knowing she was unwell, and that she shouldn’t move carelessly, I still let her go. She said it was something extremely important, something that couldn’t wait another day.”

“…”

Leonie clasped her hands tightly and continued.

She might be scolded or even punished, but she felt she had to speak up for Ribe.

“You know this better than anyone, Your Grace. Ribe is truly brave and strong.”

Leonie kept her eyes on Cygnus, speaking clearly despite her fear.

“I asked her if she should tell you, but she said she didn’t want to burden you when you were already busy.”

“…”

“She said it had to be today. That she promised not to do anything reckless.”

It was at that point that Cygnus raised a hand to silence her.

“She changed clothes before leaving?”

Leonie nodded quietly.

“Yes.”

“How long ago did she leave?”

“About… three hours ago.”

For the first time, Cygnus’s smooth brow furrowed.

Three hours?

If she’d arranged for her friend to take her place, she must have thought she wouldn’t be gone long.

But this much delay—something must’ve gone wrong.

Realizing that, his heart sank.

“Any idea where she went?”

“No, I have no idea. Not at all.”

He ran a hand through his hair, his expression conflicted. His head throbbed, and heat crept up his neck.

The matter with the Isley family hadn’t been resolved yet.

Faely had made some absurd claim that it was just a game of tag—albeit a more realistic one. He had planned to conduct a face-to-face interrogation once Ribe was stable.

And her body wasn’t even fully recovered yet.

The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became.

“What color was the dress?”

“A green dress. And she wore the ash-gray robe I came in with over it.”

As soon as he heard that, Cygnus opened the door and rushed out.

His aide Millen, standing guard outside, looked startled by Cygnus’s flushed and tense expression.

“Your Grace—what’s going on…?”

“Ribe is missing. Find a woman in a green dress with an ash-gray robe.”

“W-what? Understood!”

Cygnus strode quickly down the hallway, trying to guess where she might be.

Where could she have gone?

Where was the place she felt she absolutely had to reach, even with her weakened body?

But no matter how he thought about it, Ribe’s actions were hard to understand.

As he descended the stairs, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Their past conversation replayed vividly in his mind:

<Your Grace and I… were never meant to meet.>

<What?>

<That’s why I always ran away. They said straying from the path would bring misfortune—and eventually, I’d disappear.>

<Disappear? Who said that…?>

<I’ve tried to find where I belong, but I kept getting it wrong.>

<Ribe…>

<I tried, truly. Ever since I realized this wasn’t my place. More than anything, I didn’t want to ruin someone else’s happiness. But none of that matters now. I just wanted to say—I’m done hiding how I feel about you.>

<…>

<Even if mountains of misfortune crash down… even if I disappear tomorrow… I just want to live as I wish.>

There was clearly something Ribe hadn’t told him.

He shouldn’t have let it go.

Even if she didn’t want to talk, he should’ve made her.

Cygnus closed his eyes and ran a dry hand over his face.

“…Where in the world did you go?”