-BANG!

The wooden table that was made from the hardest wood broke into two after his fist land on it.

​​

"Why?! There's still nothing? What the hell have you been doing for the past month?" The loud roar of the annoyed voice rang the room.

The shadow knight has shiver down his spine. He's kneeling and giving his report to the Night Guild Master.

Cabel looked haggard, his silver hair is unkempt and dark circles form around his eyes.

It's been a month since Evelyn went missing.

The only thing they found out was someone set the fire, and the storage was locked from the outside.

The black ring that she always wore and survived the blazing fire was found as well as the scrapped metal from the hilt of her favorite sword.

Other than that, nothing proved that she was alive as well as she's dead, and the latter conclusion was what people assumed, but not Cabel.

That's why the first thing he's done was to investigate on his own. He's the master guild of the famous information group in the Kingdom of Levingstone. What's so hard about searching for a missing lady he thought.

'But why…! Why is it still leading to a dead end! No! I don't believe this!!' Cabel thought. As he crumpled the report paper on his hand saying the same thing that the investigator said after the fire.

The investigator said that it was impossible to foretell what happened because of a lack of witnesses. Only two people saw her before the explosion, it was Elise and the representative. Other than them, no one saw Evelyn after she was crowned Lady Fortuna.

And the evidence found on the scene tells them that Evelyn was stuck in the storage house and most likely suffocated during the fire.

The fireworks that were kept in the storage also add to the factor and help to erase the possible traces of what happened because it exploded leaving no traces.

The investigator also was left puzzled as to who would do such a thing inside the secured St. Prisch Academy.

"Useless…!" Cabel yelled.

When Cabel learned about what happened, he immediately summoned the shadow knight that was with Evelyn.

But the shadow knight was found unconscious in the distance. And his memories were erased. It was a thorough plan if he would think about it.

Limited witness, special fire, and especially it was done during an event where people wouldn't pay attention to an isolated place, a place far away from the party. The security was also and only focused on the safety of the nobles gathered at the campsite. Everyone would think that it was a perfect plan and place to blatantly do a crime.

It frustrates him that he had no clues to what happened.

"I should have given her more shadow knights!"

In his madness, he kicked the shadow knight that gave him the report.

-Thud!

The shadow knight just grits his teeth as Cabel brutally kicked him in his abdomen.

"Get the hell out of my sight!"

The shadow knight immediately vanished after he bowed to his master. He was too afraid to receive Cabel's wrath.

As Cabel was left alone in his office, his ruby eyes glowed like the eyes of the demon in the dark lit room inside the Sigrid mansion. After the incident, he became madder than ever before. He gets agitated easily.

As a result, the headmaster Carsillion told him to take a break from the academy, but the "break" that the headmaster told him to do, he poured it to find out who is the culprit but nothing still came up.

"What's the purpose of having the information guild if I can't even find out what happened!!"

***

The news of Lady Evelyn's incident spread like a forest fire. All of them assumed of course that Lady Evelyn died, they would silently talk about it in close doors, afraid of the consequence that might happen if they talked about it publicly.

Because not only the Emworth is crazily investigating what happened, they also killed those who might have a hand on the scene. The aristocrats that blatantly spread rumors about Lady Evelyn before were burned to a crisp because of the rampage of the Duke.

This includes the house of Sir Vallen. After a single night, they're houses were burned down, and the family was reduced to a commoner, while the head of the family, the marquess died in the hands of Duke Keene.

Their crimes were publicly announced. And so, the other nobles who spread baseless rumors about Evelyn were scared to encounter the head of the family of the Emswroth, Duke Keene's wrath.

A month passed after the incident in the Academy, but it was like a storm that everyone didn't anticipate. The aristocrats were on their toes around the Emsworth family.

The Duke that was said to give no attention to her daughter was on a rampage to the Kingdom. The King couldn't even do something about the Duke's temperament.

It was because he has dirt on all the nobles that he punished and killed. No excuse can be made when he was prepared to purge the idiot nobles who harmed her daughter's reputation.

And this day, the Duke was still on the hunt.

"Kill every single one of them. Don't leave traces." He coldly said. His army the Light Legion only bowed and obeyed his orders, they're afraid to meet the eyes of the Duke.

The people who witnessed and felt the Duke's heavy aura thought of how and when this would stop.

A single thought came across the nobles who witnessed the storm that the Emsworth have done to the Kingdom.

'Isn't Lady Evelyn abandoned by her family? Why is the duke in a rampage?' But the answer was nowhere to be found, and soon they realized it too late that Evelyn was "maybe" important to the Duke's family. And everyone who made her into an enemy where silently went missing.

Amidst to this, Allan was different.

After he learned the incident, he left the Academy to help search for evidence and after time passed, he was always dazed and isolated himself.

The servants in the house also find it hard to believe that their Lady was gone. And the effect of her missing presence was more evident in her family.

Everyday they would tip toe around the young master's presence.

Allan was always a quiet child, but this time, he's quietness was piercing. As if he would explode if he was touched carelessly.

In his desolate and dark study room, there Allan was looking at the back garden where he frequently saw Evelyn before. Practicing her sword with all her might.

He felt a 'pang' in his chest. Whenever he remembers her sister's appearance and the look in her sunset eyes that have a hint of loneliness, he closes his eyes in distress.

He recalled what happened the first day of the hunting event. He had a fight with her sister and eventually they parted ways without him apologizing in sincerity.

A sudden surge of regret envelops his whole being.

***

A few months have passed and the capital is again in its original peaceful state.

Edickart stopped looking for any proof that would give him hope that Evelyn was alive. He feels that something was missing.

The boring way of life that he once knew was back again after the interesting human that he found was gone.

He looked outside the window of the classroom in St. Prisch Academy. A new year was celebrated a few months back and now, spring has come.

The clear blue sky can be seen but the world for Edickart felt colorless.

He sighed.

He recalled the days when he teased Evelyn every time he saw her. He was sure that Evelyn would be his bride, but the sudden tragic event left him to feel that something was snatched away from him.

He resent the day that he was not by her side. He resented himself for feeling useless and silently witnessed the fire engulf the structure. He hates himself for not able to do anything.

It was the first time that he felt like a useless prince. Though the culprit gets away, he was more vigilant than ever. Still, he can't believe that Evelyn was gone.

Meanwhile, Silvester and Gab quit school.

After a few months of them looking for clues and getting disappointed, the Duke eventually held a funeral without Evelyn's body.

What's shocking was no one mourned for her. And only crocodile tears of some noble who claimed that they were closed with Lady Evelyn was seen.

Silvester looking at this felt like it was unfair for her cousin. He promised to himself that if Evelyn is still alive, he will do his best to make her feel that she was loved.

But alas, Silvester was summoned to go back to his country for the succession to the throne and so, with a heavy heart, he went back.

He blames himself that he didn't protect Evelyn, though he said to himself that he will be there for her. His promise vanished along with the pile of black coal left in the burned down structure.

He saw Gab, Evelyn's escort, go mad and almost kill everyone that assaulted Evelyn. That resulted in Silvester knowing that Gab was a descendant from the beastkin.

Before he goes, Silvester gives some advice to Gab to leave the Capital for a while before he goes berserk and goes mad.

After searching for her master, Gab eventually asked the Duke that he would quit school and will find someone who might help the investigation of what happened to Evelyn. And told him that he failed being a knight to her master.

The Duke eventually let go of Gab. Seeing that Gab was leading himself to his death with him not eating and sleeping.

Everyone was affected by Evelyn's sudden 'death'.

***

A lady was standing at the edge of a cliff. She looked at the vast land in front of her and breathed the fresh air.

"Finally…!"