Missing Cinderella

Leonard tried to get inside as he tried to grab the doorknob, but he hesitated at the sight of Nina. The next moment, he was looking at Siella, bewildered. 

“My escort.” 

“…” 

Leonard stared at Nina for a moment as Siella said that before he let out a deep sigh. He then turned his gaze at Siella again. Siella looked back at Leonard and opened her mouth; apparently, he had no intention of speaking first. 

“You said you have something to tell me.” 

Leonard sighed again and ran a hand through his hair. He glanced at Nina standing in the doorway and stared at Siella again. 

Siella noticed that Leonard wanted to come inside the room and wanted to talk to her, but she ignored it and spoke again. 

“Tell me what it is.” 

“…” 

Realizing that he had no chance of changing Siella’s resolute attitude, Leonard sighed again and finally opened his mouth. 

“I’ve been thinking about it. It was wrong of me yesterday. I’m sorry. It’s only natural that you’re angry with me, Siella.” 

“…” 

“I understand that you’re still upset.” Siella listened to Leonard as he continued speaking. “I know this sounds like I am making an excuse but believe me. I really don’t remember anything. There was nothing.” Leonard looked at Siella’s expressionless face and continued talking as if he was pleading with her. “I had no intention of betraying you. I also had no intention of deceiving you.” 

Again, Siella didn’t show any reaction to Leonard’s words in a low voice, slowly and seriously. 

“Now that I’ve lost your trust, I know that you don’t need my help right now and that you’re thinking of leaving without my help.” Leonard took a deep breath to calm down his growing emotions as he spoke, then he continued. “But you also need to think about the Family Head whom you and Kyle belong to,” he said, staring at Siella with a piercing gaze, “You will need my help in the end.” 

“Are you threatening me now?” 

“…” 

Leonard closed his mouth. Siella laughed. 

“That’s scary.” He said he had something to tell me, but he was just here to threaten me. “Yes, I see what you mean, Leonard.” 

“…” 

It seemed like Leonard regretted what he had said, but he made no attempt to take back what was already said. What he said was true, and Siella needed to know the reality. 

“If you can calm down and think through the situation rationally, then you’ll need my help….” 

“Yeah, I know what you mean.” 

“…” 

“Goodbye.” 

Siella glanced at Nina and turned her head sideways. Leonard suddenly became angry when he saw Siella completely ignoring him like that, but he didn’t take any action hastily. 

It wasn’t possible for him to do so to be exact. The force of Siella’s escort, who had been staring at him since earlier, was quite strong, so Leonard had no choice but to take a step back. 

“Let’s… contact again later.” 

Nina slammed the door shut as soon as Leonard took his foot back. Leonard, who almost bumped his face on the closed door in front of his face, could be heard laughing in disbelief. 

Siella was worried that Leonard might pull Nina out, but Nina was calm. 

“How annoying.” 

Ptui, pretending to spit and shrugging her shoulders as if relieving something from her stomach, Nina came inside. Seeing this, Siella forgot for a moment that she was angry at Leonard and burst into laughter without realizing it.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Eschert was having his late lunch at that time. He was only eating his lunch after sending a reply to the official letter of cooperation from the Imperial Family asking for support in the search for the fugitive Imperial Prince Ottestad. He would just drink coffee in the morning if there was nothing important in particular. 

And just as usual, he just eats his lunch on one side of the office. The quantity and quality of the food was quite excellent to say the least, but it was just for the time being. As he continued to eat in silence, his mind would wander to this and that. 

It was just like that right now. He suddenly recalled how Siella spoke yesterday, her voice that sounded resigned. 

[“You really don’t know anything.”] 

Siella sounded completely exhausted when she said that. She sounded so resigned that she seemed to be a person with no energy left to do anything. 

Eschert thought that it was really odd. He couldn’t understand why Siella was being like that. He was always the one who’s busy, while she was the one doing nothing inside the huge mansion. She rarely even gets out of her bedroom. 

As to why she was acting like she was so exhausted, he couldn’t understand no matter how much he thought of it. In fact, not only yesterday, but she always had that attitude lately. She seemed to be tired talking to him as if she was sick of it. She seemed like someone who had given up everything. That’s why they kept on drifting apart from each other. 

But still, he respected her, thinking that she must have her own exhausting things and difficulties. Despite his efforts, she took her frustrations to him in an extreme way possible. Even so, he tried to be understanding, figuring that she must be feeling at edge about Kyle’s escape from the island. And because her mind was on edge, her body seemed that way as well. From concussion and malnutrition. 

[“Comcussions, ah, no, they say that concussions can show symptoms over time, and uh, they also say that eating well is the most important thing in malnutrition….”]

It was good to know about her condition, something he wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t overheard Edwin talking about it. He made sure to tell the doctor living in the mansion to take special care of her. 

However, she seemed unaware of his efforts. Maybe she was just ignoring it, or if that’s not the case, then she may be thinking he wasn’t making an effort. 

(T/N: And that’s why you need communication, otherwise how is Siella supposed to know that Eschert is making an effort? Or how else is Eschert supposed to know about Siella’s real situation inside the mansion?)

[“I’m tired. Let’s talk later.”] 

In any case, she didn’t change her attitude, as if she was protesting; as if she wanted him to know that only her was making an effort and only she was very tired of it. To be precise, she not only didn’t change her attitude, but it only got worse and worse. He felt like he had to go to her right now and finish the conversation they weren’t able to have yesterday. 

Surely, I will have the answer when we talk. Even if I am at a loss as to where to start nor how to clear up our misunderstanding, if we calmly talk about it, then we’ll be able to figure things out. 

The napkin he had been using to wipe the corners of his mouth was left on the table and Eschert stood up from his seat. No, no, before that…. 

[“Why don’t you have an escort?”] 

[“If there was, then why am I together with Nina now?”]

First, I should summon the knights I attached to Siella and get to the bottom of what had happened. Then I will look for Siella after that. 

Eschert strode to his office desk, picked up the bell on it and rang it. One of the maids waiting outside of the door hurried inside, ready to tidy up as soon as he was finished eating. 

“Send for the Head Butler.” 

“Yes.”

After the maid went back outside, Eschert stood and waited for Patrick to come with his arms crossed. The wait was longer than expected. Eschert unconsciously tapped his crossed arms with his index finger. At one point, he heard Patrick’s voice asking if he could come inside. 

“Come in.” 

As soon as he entered the office, Patrick bowed his head deeply. 

“My apologies, Sir Duke. I was late because I had to see off the Count Leroy.” 

“What?” Eschert’s fingers nervously tapping on his arm stopped moving. “What did you say?” 

He asked again, and Patrick slowly raised his head. He was about to speak but he shut it again when he saw the stern look on Eschert’s face. 

Frustrated, Eschert looked at Patrick and asked again, “What about Siella?” 

“… What?” Sounding a little dumbfounded, Patrick said, “I’m not sure what you are talking about….” 

“Did Siella leave with the Count?” 

Eschert asked, cutting off Patrick’s slow and puzzled words. But there was no answer, and Eschert’s brows only frowned at the other person’s confused expression. 

There was no way that Siella would leave with Leonard to Leroy County without telling him anything. She, Siella, was one of the few nobles with courtesy among the nobles Eschert knew. So there’s no way she would have done that…. 

The image of Siella returning from a solo outing yesterday flashed through his mind, and he realized that it could have happened again. Without further ado, Eschert stormed out of his office. 

(T/N: Why do people only realize other’s importance and significance when they are already drifting away from their fingertips? [ㅠㅠ])