"Have you found anything..."

Looking at these assassins, anyone would tremble at the sight of them. I smirked, they should know who should they fear the most though.

"N-None sir, we have already searched the Vatican, every nook and cranny, but we can't find the Duchess..." The middle one spoke.

"Surely, you didn't look ... right?" He nodded.

"We haven't searched the Vatican's Capital, Calanthe. The paladin's tight security is our problem, even disguising is impossible since we need to have an identification card to pass by every gate and shop in the capital."

He is right, even though the Vatican is the most peaceful place, That didn't stop the pope to tighten the security of the land.

Fuck...

It's almost been 3 months of looking at the Vatican's surrounding towns, but we found nothing... We didn't even get a glimpse of Cressida's shadow, or even a strand of her hair. She's nowhere to be seen, it's as if she didn't exist.

"Your Grace, do you think that the Duchess must've traveled outside of the Empire?"

He is not wrong, in the letter, Cressida said that she will find her happiness. Staying in the empire that took all of her properties and even her surname, who would want to stay in such a place?

But then what is this feeling that tells me that she will not do that?

"It is possible, but look for the Duchess in Calanthe. If you have to break into everyone's house then do so, you should be able to bring her back."

The assassins nodded before disappearing in my front.

I sighed before standing up. I walk towards the left wing of the mansion and entered Calix's room. He's by the glass window, looking outside while sitting on the chair that Cressida used to sit on when she was playing with Calix.

Walking to his place, I crouched and looked right up at him. He turns and he looks back right at me as well.

"Did I do something wrong for mom to leave me here?" He asked, his round eyes tearing up. You can see the longing and sadness in his eyes, the longer it takes that he can't see his mother, the darker it looks. Gone are the sparks in his eyes that I like to look at when he was with Cressida.

"No son, you did nothing wrong."

"T-Then why did she leave me? Maybe I could've stopped her when she said that she will run some errands, maybe she would've stayed if I insisted to go with her... If only I was her true son..."

Calix was usually a bright child. But the moment Cressida left the Duchy, he became cold and distant. It started when he ran away from the Duchy to look for Cressida, I decided to confine him in his room and he did nothing to refute my decision. He was always in a daze, and he can't focus on his studies.

"Maybe the Madam was right, that Mom hates me!" He broke down in tears, I embraced him and he cried in my arms.

"Who is this Madam that you speak of?"

"It is a woman who was called Countess Bernadette, that is what I heard from the other ladies that accompanied her in the boutique."

The Madam of that household never learns...

"Don't listen to the words that come out from that woman."

I said as I comforted him. It seems like I have to do something tonight...

The moon rose in the sky, I was dressed in casual clothes while heading to Bernadette County. I don't care if we are in the Capital and not in the north, the moment they opened their mouth against us, was the moment that they were my enemy.

"D-Duke!" The man with a limp body was nervous when he saw me standing right in the middle of his sitting room.

"W-What does the Duke want with us in the m-middle of the night?" he asked with a trembling voice. I searched for a woman, but it seems like his wife is hiding the moment their butler informed them of my arrival.

"Do you still remember the words that I told you in the previous meeting of the lords in the palace?" I started and I sat on one of their sofas.

"Y-Yes, you told us to warn our wives to keep their mouth and words in c-check."

I smirked and nodded at him, "That's right, it seems like the Count remembered! I'm thankful." The Count gave me a relief smile, but then it vanished the moment I sheath my sword.

"W-What is the m-meaning of this Y-Your Grace!"

"You remembered but still your wife's mouth is chattering nonsense. It seems like you failed to keep your wife's mouth in check huh?"

The count was trembling in fear that he fell to his knees in front of me. Gone the pride of a man.

"P-Please! just this time Your Grace, please forgive us! I will make sure to teach my wife a lesson!"

I have no intention of forgiving the Bernadette family, I forgave them when this man's wife showed disrespect to my wife, not to mention that we are of much higher rank than them. They should know their place.

I don't care if I cause bloodshed in this county, I already got their criminal records anyways. Almost all of those were pointing to the death penalty, it doesn't make a difference if I do the honor of bestowing them their early punishment.

I was about to strike the count when one of my assassins showed up.

"Your Grace..." I frowned.

"What is it, it should be better good news, or else, your head will be the one that'll be rolling on this county's floor..."

In my peripheral vision, I saw how the count flee. I clicked my tongue and glared at the assassin. I unsheathed my sword before going in front of him.

"Now, what is it..."

"We have already found the location of the Duchess." I felt my heart stop beating for a few seconds before beating rapidly again.

"How did you find her? where is she?"

"It seems like the Duchess hired someone to make her a fake identification card, she changed her name as well. As for her location, she's living in the Vatican's Capital, Calanthe... As a florist."

April 11, 2022

LizzannaWrites