Episode 48
Reconnaissance (1)
While the Founding Festival was in full swing—
In the middle of the cheerful chaos, where the owner and staff of the workshop enjoyed the festivities in their own way, there were a few individuals who looked unusually nervous and out of place.
“Oppa, I really think you should just step down from your position as Knight Commander. Sure, it’s a festival and crowded, but how hard can it be to keep track of one person?!”
“Well, I mean… I saw a little kid crying all alone. As a knight, I couldn’t just ignore that. Protecting the citizens of the kingdom is part of our duty…”
“You idiot! That kid was crying because he dropped his food! If he was lost, sure, helping would’ve made sense. But a strange adult suddenly approaching? Even I would’ve cried harder. You’re just big and clumsy! And isn’t Temia important too? Do you not know what really matters right now?!”
“Um… Teresa, come on. Temia is a grown woman now. She graduated from the academy, after all.”
“Shut it! What does age have to do with anything?! She’s not like us. She spent more than half her life locked inside a room! Aren’t you even worried?!”
They all had striking violet eyes.
Just like a certain assistant from the workshop.
They were none other than Temia’s siblings, who had come in secret to spy—no, to check on her from afar, after she left home with only a letter behind.
“Alright, alright, I’m sorry…”
“Ugh… I really don’t get how someone so slow ended up as Knight Commander!”
The man with sharp eyes and an aloof aura scratched the back of his neck with an awkward smile. Standing before him, the woman crossed her arms, her voice rising in frustration as she noticed people starting to glance their way. Frowning, she grabbed his arm and led him to a quieter alleyway.
They couldn’t afford to draw attention. Only after reaching a quiet corner where foot traffic was rare did the two siblings finally relax and let out synchronized sighs.
Their mission—secretly checking on their youngest sister—was falling apart from the start.
“I made time to come all the way here, and now what? I was hoping to memorize her face and take it back with me. If I’d known this would happen, I’d have just walked up pretending to be a customer and held her hand.”
“W-Wait! If you got that close, she’d definitely recognize you! We came to make sure she’s doing well, that’s all…”
“Oh, please! Oppa! Did you forget we’re in disguise? Don’t you trust my skills? Even Father wouldn’t recognize us like this.”
With confident flair, the woman pulled back her hood. Gone was her signature silver hair of Etval, now hidden under thick dark brown curls. Even her face was dotted with freckles. She looked nothing like her usual self—no one would recognize her without a closer look.
The same went for the man. He wore a messy black wig and a thick fake mustache. They had clearly gone to great lengths to hide their identities.
With a sigh, Teresa pulled her hood back up. It hadn’t been easy for the two of them to make this trip in person.
—
The day Temia staged her disappearance, a storm swept through Etval.
The youngest daughter, beloved and protected more than anyone else in the household, had run away.
The family immediately contacted the Academy to confirm.
> “It does appear that Temia Etval has gone missing. For now, we will keep it confidential.”
The moment the reply arrived via carrier hawk, the family summoned an emergency meeting.
Duke Etval sat at the head of the table, looking grave. The fragile duchess had already fainted upon reading the letter and was resting in bed. Only their three children were present.
Usually busy with their own affairs, the siblings rarely gathered like this. But there was no time for greetings—only deep worry filled the air.
“I’m sure you’ve all heard the news by now,” the Duke said heavily.
The siblings responded immediately.
“We need to find out where she went first. It’s not safe. Her safety must come before anything else.”
“Or perhaps it’s just a misunderstanding,” said Tenebris, the eldest. “She might have lost track of time in the library or something.”
“Still,” added Theodore, the youngest son, “she hasn’t come back. If she’d taken a carriage, someone would’ve seen her. She’s never caused trouble before. Maybe she’s rebelling late, but… shouldn’t we at least consider that something may have happened?”
Terius, the second son and current Knight Commander, was visibly on edge.
Tenebris, calm and rational, weighed every possibility. Theodore, ever considerate, voiced his quiet concerns.
Without a word, the Duke passed them a piece of paper. Everyone’s eyes turned to it.
“You can see from the handwriting—it’s definitely hers. We even had a mage authenticate it. And the contents… it’s exactly like something Temia would write. She’s always been cooped up, first in the villa, then the academy. It’s only natural she’d be curious about the world by now.”
“…Let me double-check.”
Tenebris grabbed the letter, though her hands trembled. She read slowly, then lowered the page and pressed her fingers to her brow.
“What is this…? That quiet girl…”
“I’ve already stationed people around the academy,” she added. “We’ll act as soon as we get any leads.”
“So she really did leave of her own will… But why?”
“Maybe there’s something we don’t know. For now, we should focus on finding her.”
But the discussion was interrupted.
A loud noise from the hallway. Then—
“Temia ran away? What the hell is that supposed to mean?! Someone better explain!”
Storming in, out of breath, was their fourth sibling—Teresa.
The others blinked in shock. Though she had been contacted, no one expected her to come in person.
Now known as Teresa Chase, she had long since married and moved away.
Even though her residence wasn’t too far—about a two-hour carriage ride—her sudden appearance meant she had left the moment she received the message.
“How did you even— What about the Count?!”
“Does that matter? I told him if he didn’t let me leave, I’d file for divorce. So he shut up and got the carriage.”
“You… You’re a noble lady now! And you’ve only been married for how long?!”
“Save it! We need to find Temia first!”
Eventually, the Etval family joined forces to locate their missing youngest. Thankfully, a messenger soon brought news: she had left of her own will and was staying at a magic workshop, working as an assistant to a mage.
“A duke’s daughter… doing labor on a farm…? Our youngest…”
The Duke held his forehead for a long while, but the family chose to support her regardless.
Still, they each began watching over Temia in their own way.
Some hired messengers to place fake orders at the workshop; others sent her favorite treats as “thank-you” gifts.
Finally, Tenebris had enough.
“You’re all being too obvious. If she catches on, she might run off to some remote land next time.”
Her thin, gold-rimmed glasses glinted under the light. Calm but firm, she tapped the table with her fingers as she swept her eyes over her siblings.
—
