The first news Luciell got that morning was the news of Rheannon's escape.
"Does His Majesty the King already know?" Luciell asked after she managed to calm herself down.
"Yes, Your Highness. His Majesty the King is currently angry and a little confused."
"Of course he will," Lucielll squeaked impatiently. She left her residence then.
This is the second day of her birthday party series. The hunt made the Palace bustling with noblemen from all over Rexton. Obviously this is not the right time to lose a prisoner who is said to be dangerous. Moreover, this prisoner is a relative of the Colton family who is predicted to be the winner besides Marquess Hadrian in this hunt.
"Hey, you must have heard me, right?" called Lucielll as soon as she felt herself alone.
[You must want to ask about the escaped prisoner, right? Well, I don't know.]
"You've lived in the Tower of Shadows, and so does your friends"
[Ever since I signed a contract with you, my connection with that place and other demons was severed, Young Miss. I was so busy serving you that I didn't have time to see my friends.]
"What about the prisoner there? You know her, don't you? Red hair and golden eyes. She was a kid then."
[Well… There wasn't much a girl could do but cry. You locked her in prison full of demons.]
Luciell knew the demon was trying to tease her. "I don't need to be reminded of that last one," she growled. "But is there really nothing she does?"
[Khekhekeh. Can you believe the demon's words?]
"Damn it!" cursed Luciell. "Don't joke with me!"
[Wow, don't be so angry, Young Miss. I'm telling the truth. Don't worry, a demon controller brat can only control maximum two lowly demons.]
"What does it take to control a demon?"
[Who knows? Training, physical and mental strength, approval, compensations–all sorts of things.]
Luciell started to think. She knew nothing about the Whitleys or how they were able to control demons. But if Rheannon could survive in the Tower of Shadows until now, that would mean that she was indeed strong.
What if Rheannon had been able to control many demons since childhood? But if that was the case, Rheannon should have run away long ago.
Maybe it was Axelle who helped her escape, Luciell thought uncertainly.
What for? To the best of Luciell's knowledge, the former royal family had never formed a special relationship with their children.
Arriving at the door of her father's study, Lucielll prepared herself. Her father's high and impatient voice indicated that his father was really angry.
"His Majesty King Rexton V," Lucielll greeted as he entered his study. "Father."
"Princess Luciell! What are you doing here?" It was a welcome from his father. Luciell was not surprised to be greeted with such anger. "You should know at a time like this you can't be seen by that demon controller brat, right?"
"My apologies. But I'm also worried about Yor Majesty's condition," said Lucielll calmly.
"Go back to your residence now–no, wait. For now, you are staying in one of the rooms near mine. Knights and servants, prepare a room for Princess Luciell, now" King Rexton V ordered quickly. "Until everything is clear, I will put you as close to me as possible. Come with them, Princess Luciell."
"Then what about the hunt? I still have to appear before the participants, right?"
"I will take care of it." The King took a deep breath. "Listen, my dear daughter. I don't want anything to happen to you. Not especially on your birthday."
Her father really loved her. "I don't understand your concern, Father. Lady Whitley shouldn't be that dangerous, is she?"
Suddenly the expression on the King's face hardened. "You don't understand, Lucy. And we're all unsure what might be going on."
"Father won't explain?"
"For now, no."
Luciell closed her eyes for a moment. "If that's Father's will, fine. I believe in you, Father," he said. "But Father needs to know if I'm ready to help."
The King nodded in understanding. Luciell came out of his father's study.
Luciell met Hadrian as soon as she came out of her father's study. Like what the rumors said, his overall appearance looked sick.
"Your Highness Princess Lucielll," said Hadrian casually. No further ado.
Luciell stood frozen in place as Hadrian passed her.
Hadrian shouldn't just say hello like just now.
***
"Rheannon Whitley."
The name tasted bitter in Hadrian's mouth.
This morning he received a call from the Palace. Important, it said. Once there, he understood why the call was so important: Rheannon Whitley who was a palace prisoner had escaped.
It's an impossibility. Many people do not believe this, including Hadrian himself. The security of the Palace is not to be taken lightly–but a 20-year-old woman just escaped? Even Prince Axelle had a hard time getting out of the Palace.
Moreover, few people know precisely where Rheannon is imprisoned. Even Hadrian who caught the little girl did not know.
"Except the Coltons, perhaps," replied Theseus, the knight with a special emblem that was foreign to Hadrian's eyes. He had only known him when the knight had picked him up earlier. "But I'm not sure myself because they are black nobles."
Hadrian nodded in agreement. "The Coltons were trained and lived to swear allegiance to the kingdom no matter what," he said. They are people who are willing to do the dirty work for the sake of the kingdom, he added to himself.
"But Rheannon is a sister of the Colton family, a niece of the current Duke Colton. Lady Talisa the wife of Earl Whitley is Duke Colton's sister," said the King. "That man never stopped whining to see his nephew for almost ten years."
Why is that? Hadrian thought quietly.
"So according to Your Majesty, he was the one who freed her?" asked Theseus.
"The Coltons are like rats, they're very good at sneaking around," the King snorted disapprovingly. He tapped his fingers on the table. "Then, the second suspect, I think, is Axelle."
Hearing that Hadrian immediately woke up from his daydream. He looked at the King quietly, waiting for questions to be asked of him. Understand now why he was also summoned in this prisoner's escape.
"What do you think, Marquess Hadrian?" asked the King sharply.
"My spies have reported no irregularities so far, Your Majesty," Hadrian replied. "Prince Axelle has stopped wandering around the palace again for a while. But that's all. Even when I visited the castle, I didn't find anything strange."
Hadrian watched King Rexton V who seemed to be holding back his anger. His hands were clenched into fists and his lips were pursed tightly. He was ready to pound the table because his precious prisoner, the daughter of a royal traitor, had somehow escaped.
"I'm still optimistic that Lady Whitley isn't far from here, Your Majesty," Theseus said. "Allow me to examine the center of the Capital."
"Yes, do it," said the King. "She shouldn't be able to get far from here."
"Very well, Your Majesty. Please excuse me."
As the knight left the room Hadrian asked, "Does Sir Theseus know what Lady Rheannon looks like?"
The King waved his hand, "Of course he knows. The red hair of the Whitleys and the golden eyes of the Coltons: a unique blend that no one in the rest of Rexton has. With such a striking appearance, she would have been easy to spot. The Marquess used to be Whitley's neighbor, right?"
Not that Hadrian used to see Rheannon often. After all, their neighboring land, not their estate.
The Whitleys' estate was on the outskirts of their land, near a large lake which was divided in two by the Paiton land because of its geographical location. Meanwhile the Melchoirs' estate was in the middle of Paiton, a perfect place to see the whole area to keep an eye on everything, including to keep an eye on Pyrs.
In addition, rather than Rheannon, Hadrian saw the late Lady Talisa Whitley more often. The late Lady Melchoir aka Hadrian's mother and the late Lady Talisa often visited each other as fellow noblewomen.
Hadrian's head suddenly ached at the memory. People who often met his late mother's friend died at his hands. What would his mother think if she was still alive?
"Marquess Hadrian?" rebuked the King. "Are you all right? I heard you were sick."
"Ah, my apologies, Your Majesty," said Hadrian hastily. "I'm fine."
"The Marquess has looked pale since you visited me in early summer. The journey from Paiton to the Capital Ozera must have been exhausting, and I instead gave you a lot of work right away."
"No, I'm used to it. My fatigue doesn't come from a long journey or work."
"Your adopted son-in-law is causing trouble?"
Hadrian smiled faintly. "I don't think His Majesty even knows him," he said. "But no. Desmond is just a kind and innocent little boy."
"Desmond is a beautiful name." The King smiled too. "A good defender. One day he will be a leader for Paiton and a good defender for the kingdom of Rexton."
"That's my hope."
"But Marquess, I honestly thought you liked my daughter."
"My apologies, Your Majesty. I don't know how these rumors came to be. I don't deserve to have special feelings for Her Highness Princess Luciell."
As soon as he finished his sentence Hadrian was immediately struck by another headache. King Rexton V came to him. He said something, but Hadrian couldn't hear him.
The headache is unbearable. His ears were ringing. It felt like something forced him to come in and say something in his head.
The last thing Hadrian remembered then was the court knight and Ichabod carrying him into the carriage.