TRETTHD 61

#61. The Missing Item

Marquis Caprie observed the crowd silently, a small smile playing on his lips.

Artists and nobles alike were enjoying themselves. The atmosphere was lively, everyone savoring the party before the upcoming auction.

“Princess Velia is far more intelligent than I expected,” he remarked.

At the sudden praise, Khalid’s mouth twitched involuntarily. Hearing someone compliment Velia made him feel oddly proud, as if he had some personal stake in it.

“It’s also curious that Your Highness makes no effort to hide his expressions. Lately, there’s been no shortage of interesting happenings,” Marquis Caprie continued.

“Stop teasing me, Marquis,” Khalid replied with a soft chuckle.

In truth, these two had been covert collaborators for quite some time. While it might not appear so on the surface, the Marquis had often assisted Khalid behind the scenes, and Khalid had returned the favor numerous times.

“I was honestly surprised when Rachel said she liked the princess. She’s not someone who opens her heart easily,” Khalid said, waving his hand.

“That’s none of your concern. The bazaar’s over; now see to it that she doesn’t wander around the palace too freely,” Caprie said, an expression of mild exasperation on his face.

The Marquis laughed, amused.

“Hahaha. How could it be that easy? In any case, the fact that she’s captured the child’s heart indicates Princess Velia is a genuinely kind person.”

He raised the champagne in his hand toward Khalid.

“You’ve met someone remarkable,” he said. Khalid smiled and clinked his glass against the Marquis’.

“I’m a lucky man,” Khalid replied.

“Haha. That’s certainly true,” the Marquis said.

Leaning against the railing beside him, Khalid scanned the crowd for Velia. It didn’t take long to find her—she was laughing quietly while conversing with someone, and Khalid’s eyes narrowed as he watched.

“Today, it’s enough to let rumors spread just a little. We only need to plant the seeds of suspicion.”

No one would actually believe the Marquis had taken the Second Prince’s hand, but the mere hint of it was sufficient.

“I should go now. There are some unsavory fellows loitering near Velia,” Khalid murmured, glancing at a young man whose expression had completely relaxed while talking to Velia.

The youth was clearly smitten, utterly incapable of maintaining composure. Khalid couldn’t just leave him be, especially with the betrothed nearby.

Handing the Marquis a half-full glass of champagne, Khalid made his way down the stairs. As he approached Velia, he felt the reactions of those around him acutely—not just the young man speaking with her, but every man nearby, who all stared at Velia, mouths slightly agape.

“Tch. Possessing someone so popular is no easy task,” Khalid muttered to himself with a wry smile as he moved closer.

“Velia,” he called softly.

“Huh? Oh, Khalid. When did you get here?” she asked.

Without breaking his gaze from the young man, Khalid wrapped his arms around Velia’s waist, pulling her close.

“I’ve been watching you from over there,” he said, his demeanor bold, as though claiming her as his own.

“Are you done talking? Then won’t you give me a little of your time?”

Velia blushed slightly at Khalid’s public display of affection.

“You could’ve told me you were coming… Just a moment,” she said, excusing herself with a smile to those she had been speaking with. She looped her arm through Khalid’s and moved to a quieter spot.

“What were you doing?” she asked.

“I was talking briefly with Marquis Caprie. You seemed to be enjoying yourself,” he replied.

“Hahaha. Don’t speak so jealously,” Velia said with a laugh, causing Khalid’s brow to furrow.

“I am jealous,” he admitted.

“Enough. So what did you discuss with Marquis Caprie?” she asked, ignoring his remark.

“Hmm. You really are…,” Khalid started.

“Did you call me over just to joke?” she pressed.

Not exactly. He had wanted to clear away the bothersome people around her, and he also didn’t like being ignored. Khalid mulled over how to explain it, then simply grinned. Any explanation would make him seem petty.

“Hmm? What is it?” Velia asked, narrowing her eyes, prompting Khalid to raise his hands in surrender.

“Alright, alright,” he said.

“What did you talk about with Marquis Caprie? Was it important? The auction is about to start; hurry up and tell me.”

Velia’s prompting made Khalid lean in and press a quick kiss to her lips.

“Actually, I just wanted to kiss you,” he admitted.

“What did you say?”

“Hahaha. Want me to make it longer?”

“No!”

He laughed again, lightly brushing their lips together once more.

“Khalid…!”

“Alright! That’s it, really. You can go now.”

Velia was left utterly bewildered. After dragging her over, was that really all there was?

“If there’s something else to discuss, we can talk after it’s over, okay?”

She hurried toward the area where the auction pieces were being prepared, the most important event of the day.

‘I should take one last look…’

Velia hesitated for a moment, suspecting Rachel or Susan might scold her.

“I suppose I’ll just check quickly,” she muttered. She surveyed the area before briskly moving toward the storage of the auction items.

“Princess!”

“Eek!”

Susan, spotting Velia, rushed over in a flurry.

“I told you to rest! Didn’t I?!”

“Well… um…”

Velia was led back to her place by Susan.

“Watch the auction from here. We checked twice already with Rachel because we were worried,” Susan said.

“…Alright,” Velia replied. Shortly after, the hall darkened. The auction for the bazaar had begun.

The painstakingly curated artworks were well-received, with nobles reacting positively to each piece displayed. Occasionally, noblewomen expressed a desire to sponsor the artists behind particularly striking works. The artists, watching their works fetch high prices, could barely contain their joy.

‘The atmosphere is perfect,’ Velia thought, watching calmly. Despite her worries, the auction was proceeding smoothly. Susan gave her a sly, approving smile.

“Wow! That painting sold for an incredible price!” Mia exclaimed, shocked. Susan and Rachel also looked astonished.

But Velia remained calm, already aware of the enormous impact the artist’s work would have. Within a few years, the painter would become one of the empire’s most famous artists. She had been thrilled when she discovered his name on the list of artists she could sponsor.

‘This is an opportunity,’ she thought. If the artist she sponsored became renowned across the empire…

‘Of course, they’d praise my judgment.’

She had admired his work even in her previous life. Nothing had changed—his paintings were still beautiful and awe-inspiring. Velia smiled subtly.

“Miss,” a servant’s voice interrupted, and Velia noticed an uneasy expression approaching Susan with urgent whispers. Susan’s face went pale as the words sank in.

“What’s the matter?” Velia asked.

“…Princess, something terrible has happened,” Susan stammered. Velia felt a chill run down her spine, realizing something was amiss.

She hurried toward the storage area of the auction items, with Susan continuing to explain:

“Marquis Caprie’s sponsored item is missing,” she said.

Of all things. Velia bit her lip.

“And the others?”

“All the other items are safe, but that one… it’s gone.”

Rachel, moving alongside, looked bewildered.

“We had checked everything before moving the items to the storage. How could this have happened…?”

“…We didn’t check after moving them,” Velia answered grimly. She had felt the need to check again, and it seemed her instinct had been correct. Unless someone had deliberately stolen it, an item going missing was unlikely. What on earth had happened?

“Um… while we were moving the items, some people carrying flowers were nearby. They seemed to have misidentified the location and came into the storage, and I gave them directions again… Maybe they accidentally took the item, thinking it was theirs? Marquis Caprie’s item looks like a regular small box, so it’s possible,” Velia suggested, pressing her temples in frustration.

“First, we should recheck the storage area. Then, we should follow the flower delivery people with Prince Khalid’s help. They left not long ago, so if we move quickly, we won’t be too late,” she said.

The missing item was a magical tool sponsored by Marquis Caprie. Time was of the essence, and Khalid’s assistance would be vital. Delays could ruin the bazaar and make them liable for the lost item.

“I’ll explain the situation to His Highness and request additional help. Rachel and Susan, please search the storage,” Velia instructed.

“I’m so sorry. If I hadn’t stopped His Highness from checking…”

“Susan, don’t blame yourself. I know you were worried for my sake. Let’s focus on solving this first,” Velia said, patting her shoulder.

Velia moved to find Khalid, who had been nearby before the auction began. Asking a passing servant, she learned he was last seen in the garden. Her pace quickened.

Upon reaching the garden, however, Velia froze in shock. Her pupils dilated as she struggled to focus.

‘This can’t be…’

She instinctively pressed herself against a wall, stifling a groan. Her breath caught.

Khalid was in the garden, conversing with someone. That alone wasn’t shocking. But the person laughing warmly with him was unmistakably familiar.

It was the one person Velia knew all too well: the one Raul had genuinely loved in their past life, the one who had stolen the position of empress from her, the one who had taken everything from her.

‘Erze Kinetra.’