The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 68

I was taken aback, unsure of how to process the situation.

Being able to hear the thoughts of those I touched was already an extraordinary ability, but now I could see what they were thinking?

Why had my Areté suddenly evolved like this?

Perhaps it was because of the enchanted bracelet my mother had given me.

Or maybe it was due to the item Vanessa had procured from Tryha, which I now kept hidden under my clothing.

Or perhaps, it was simply my desperate determination to save Kyle that had pushed my ability to evolve further.

For now, focus. These are clearly the scenes Gidima has seen.

I quickly memorized every detail of the terrain that appeared in his vision: the entrance to a cave, a large pine tree, patches of dried grass, and enormous rocks.

“Lady Diane, your answer?”

Gidima’s voice interrupted my concentration, snapping me out of the trance. I could no longer delve into his thoughts.

Using the handkerchief he had given me, I dabbed at my tears, letting out a soft, heartbroken sob.

When faced with melodramatic lines like “Know your place and stay away!” from a soap-opera villain, the only appropriate response is an equally melodramatic retort.

“That’s impossible. I am the Duke of Chaeild’s fiancée and a member of his household.”

“…Hah.”

“We are bound by love. If Your Grace refuses to help, I’ll ask my people to take charge of the search instead.”

My declaration felt like something straight out of a tragic drama. Satisfied with my performance, I attempted to leave.

“Lady Diane. Stop right there.”

Gidima’s voice stopped me in my tracks. Having already devised a plan to counter the White Lord, I no longer needed to feign vulnerability or continue crying.

“Are you prepared to take responsibility?”

“…Responsibility for what?”

“If you prevent me from leading the search, you’ll be indirectly harming the head of Chaeild.”

“…”

“By the way, every envoy from the Empire of Hail is aware that I’m meeting with you right now.”

It was true; given that I had arranged for that item, even Tryha’s envoys would have some inkling of the situation. Now that his mind seemed to be catching up, Gidima fell silent.

“I’ll take my leave now. May glory be upon you, Your Grace.”

I quickly exited the tent. Outside, I found Vanessa and Princess Lien waiting for me.

“My lady! Are you all right? Oh no… have you been crying?”

“Just a little. I’m fine.”

“Did my father yell at you, Lady Diane?”

Vanessa’s concern was expected, but Princess Lien’s sudden sympathy surprised me. Judging by the subtle hints from the bracelet, it was clear she had some sort of personal interest in me.

Since I’m about to begin the search, I should use every resource I can.

Before heading to the Hail envoys’ tent, I turned to Princess Lien, letting my tearful expression linger.

“Your Highness, could you help me?”

As I gently took her hand, her thoughts became audible in my mind.

“Of course. I have a deal with the Duke of Chaeild, after all.”

“And as Ferchu Diane’s daughter, she’s someone I need to stay on good terms with.”

“Of course, Lady Diane. What do you need help with?”

A deal with Kyle? I didn’t know when or what they’d agreed on, but Lien had clearly decided that helping me would ultimately work in her favor.

I’ll look into that later.

Inside the tent, Hild had already spread out a map of the mountain range where the hunting competition was taking place. Despite the short notice, he’d managed to acquire one.

“Based on the reports from the knights who joined the hunt, combined with other information, this mountain appears to be the most likely area to focus on.”

Hild’s finger pointed to an especially large mountain. With worsening weather and limited visibility, searching just that area could easily take two full days.

“Your Highness, have you hunted in this mountain before?”

“It’s a common spot for falconry.”

“In that case, could you identify locations that resemble what I’m about to describe?”

I described the scenes I had seen in Gidima’s mind. Lien thought carefully before marking a few spots on the map.

“These are the places I remember. The mountain has many caves, so I may have overlooked some.”

“Thank you. I’ll organize the search parties to prioritize these areas. Hild, please assign the teams appropriately.”

As a former knight commander, I trusted Hild’s ability to coordinate the search better than my own. However, his expression as he looked at me was rather peculiar.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

Looking around, I noticed Princess Lien, Princess Nadia, Lady Gretzel, and the other Hail envoys were all giving me similar stares.

A mixture of admiration and bewilderment.

Princess Nadia spoke first.

“Lady Diane, how can you be so certain the Duke of Chaeild is in one of these locations you described?”

Ah. I’d forgotten that none of them knew about my Areté. And I couldn’t exactly reveal it now.

After a brief moment of thought, I smiled innocently and answered with exaggerated sincerity.

“It’s the power of love, Your Highness. The Duke and I share a telepathic connection.”

“Oh, truly…!”

“As expected of the two of you…!”

To my surprise, they all seemed to believe this nonsense.

The envoys of the Empire of Hail scrambled to organize search efforts, determined to ensure the safe return of their key figure, the Duke of Chaeild.

Once the Hail envoys were fully mobilized, Gidima—perhaps feeling the weight of public scrutiny—finally sent reinforcements from Keltman to assist.

Not far away, in a tent belonging to Tryha, Itar watched everything unfold through a crystal orb, his lips curling into a sly smile.

He removed the brown wig he’d been wearing and reclined on a couch, his gaze fixed on the orb with amused interest.

Venom, his attendant, was visibly exasperated. The Third Prince’s decision to disguise himself and attend the hunting festival had been nothing but a headache.

“Please, Your Highness, keep the wig on. If anyone finds out you’re here, I’ll be the one punished.”

“Who cares? Everyone’s only interested in my brother, the future Emperor.”

By “brother,” Itar meant Tryha’s First Prince. Venom could only sigh at the Third Prince’s dismissive tone, his frustration palpable.

“If you intended to keep your identity hidden, you should have kept it hidden until the end. Why did you hand that maid a scroll earlier?”

“…Did she say it was from Lady Diane?”

“Yes. It was the maid Lady Diane had been observing through the crystal orb.”

“Lady Diane seems to know a lot about the newly developed scroll. Could she be an Areté wielder?”

“That’s unclear. However, Princess Lien recently visited here to acquire an elixir. You should exercise caution—”

“I’ve already told you, I don’t care about anyone.”

Itar responded sharply, resting his chin on his hand as he continued watching the Hail envoys busily searching the area through the crystal orb.

This is getting interesting.

This entire situation was clearly Gidima’s mistake. If the royal alchemists of Tryha had been present, they would have figured out what he was hiding in his office a long time ago.

It shows how underdeveloped alchemy is on this continent.

Separated by a vast ocean, the circumstances here seemed far removed from those in Tryha.

And the one who cast that curse… must be Marabas Lydel, who has been missing for some time.

Itar shifted his gaze to Lady Diane in the orb. Something about her reminded him of someone—his younger sister. Absentmindedly, he adjusted the orb’s view to Kyle and frowned.

“The Duke of Chaeild has been compromised.”

For the first time in its long history, the prestigious Keltman hunting festival was halted. Thanks to the proximity between the White Lord’s palace and the hunting grounds, the foreign envoys and Gidima’s party returned to the palace first.

Meanwhile, I remained in the temporary camp, seated upright as I anxiously waited for Kyle’s return.

I wanted to climb the mountain myself after seeing the vision, but realistically, that wasn’t possible.

With Princess Nadia and me both requiring protection, the guards would have to split their attention. The knights wouldn’t be able to focus on searching for Kyle while worrying about me.

I can’t let myself falter now.

In times like these, attempting to take unnecessary action would only create more problems. Clasping my hands together, I began to pray for Kyle’s safety.

“Madam! The Duke has returned safely!”

“Really?”

“Yes! A knight just came back on a swift horse to deliver the news.”

“Thank goodness…”

I let out a deep sigh of relief, grateful that Kyle hadn’t fallen off a cliff or tumbled down the mountain.

“Was anyone with him?”

Vanessa flinched, silently mouthing, How did you know? How? I had already seen it in Gidima’s thoughts.

Judging by her reaction, it seems they’re bringing Count Gargoyle back as well.

In the vision, Count Gargoyle had continued fighting despite a severe abdominal injury. It seemed unlikely he would have survived.

Yet his body kept moving, even emanating a strange power.

If Count Gargoyle is alive, interrogating him will be easier. But first, I need to check on Kyle.

Deciding it would be best to meet him, I stood up abruptly and addressed Princess Nadia.

“Your Highness, I’ll assign you a stronger guard detail. Would you mind returning to the palace ahead of me?”

“I’ll stay here with you, Lady Diane.”

“Then please remain here with the guards. I need to check on the Duke myself.”

After doubling Princess Nadia’s escort, I headed out to meet Kyle.

As I looked out toward the horizon, I spotted Kyle riding toward us, a rain cloak draped over his shoulders.

…Is it just me, or does he look unconscious?

Kyle was holding the reins and steering his horse, but something about him seemed off. The closer he came, the stronger my unease grew.

He looks fine at first glance.

But judging from the troubled expression on Hild’s face, something seemed wrong—perhaps mentally. Was it simply exhaustion?

“Madam.”

Vanessa’s voice pulled my attention. Her usual lighthearted demeanor was gone, replaced by a sharp, serious expression.

“Doesn’t the Duke of Chaeild seem… different to you?”

“I think so too. It might just be exhaustion, but… it could also be something that happened on the mountain.”

I shared what I had seen in Gidima’s thoughts with Vanessa. After a moment of silence, she spoke in an unusually grave tone.

“The force controlling Count Gargoyle—it’s Marabas’s doing.”

“What?”

“I’m not sure how they crossed paths, but if you heard Marabas’s voice, it’s certain.”

“Wait… if it’s Marabas’s curse…”

“It targets a person’s weakest point, taking over their mind and using them like a puppet. Normally, it relies on an alchemical elixir, but Marabas might have developed his Areté to bypass that. He took immense pride in creating that elixir.”

In that moment, I was reminded that Vanessa wasn’t just comic relief—she carried the presence of a true protagonist. The potential next great force among Aretists was finally emerging.

“On the surface, the Duke may seem fine, but he could have fallen victim to Marabas. If there’s even a sliver of vulnerability in him, that’s all it would take.”

“How can we be sure?”

When I asked, Vanessa maintained her calm and replied without hesitation.

“There’s a reliable way. Madam, go and embrace him.”

I immediately took back my thoughts about her being a credible boss-level figure.

“Embrace him?”

“You’ll know if something’s wrong. Trust me.”

Vanessa wasn’t joking, despite her unorthodox suggestion. After a moment’s hesitation, I approached Kyle, who had just dismounted his horse.

“Kyle, are you okay?”

Kyle turned to me, his eyes strangely unfocused, and replied,

“Lady Diane, I am perfectly fine.”

…Wait, what?