~Chapter 107~
She Believed in Him
Ancia’s affection for him—Richard never doubted it.
But the very kindness he had always known from her now made him restless.
Before Richard, Ancia had shared feelings with Nathan, and she had shown Bianca such deep affection that it was hard to understand. The fact that she had disappeared with both of them at the same time weighed heavily on his mind.
“Carry it out immediately.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Arthur accepted the order, but carefully asked,
“May I ask why you are sending the elite knights?”
“To make sure not a single trace is missed.”
Right now, finding Ancia’s whereabouts came first. It was a time that required more skilled tracking.
Arthur glanced at the pile of newspapers on the stall, then bowed his head.
“We will do our best to ensure Madam’s safety.”
“Search the entire surrounding area. Leave only the minimum number of soldiers behind and put everyone else into this.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“I will go too, Master.”
As Arthur and the young messenger busied themselves, Richard’s gaze darkened.
He could only hope this was just an accident, and that nothing had happened to Ancia. He let out a deep sigh—praying that he would never harm someone she cherished with his own hands.
“This makes no sense… truly…”
Bianca still found it hard to believe what she had seen with her own eyes over the past week.
One week ago.
On the carriage ride to see the night view, they were given tea with the scent of sleep herb. Bianca, familiar with herbs, noticed it—but by then, everyone had already drunk it. She only pretended to drink and threw it away, then nervously watched what would happen.
Before long, their carriage was abandoned, while the one carrying Ancia disappeared into the forest.
Did Madam and that young man run away together? Or was it abduction?
The way Ancia had welcomed Nathan, and the warm, affectionate look Nathan gave Ancia—it was like a scene straight out of the romance novels she and Ellie enjoyed reading recently.
It was a dangerous thought, but Bianca decided to watch the situation for now.
The guards and Ellie were in such deep sleep that no shaking could wake them. Their coachman had fled on horseback. Left with only one horse, Bianca mounted it and followed.
The carriage with Ancia turned into a hidden path within the dark forest, one she never thought could exist.
While following from a distance, Bianca found the body of a guard abandoned in the bushes. She had only known his face, but seeing a familiar person dead was shocking.
Someone had been killed.
Unable to judge the situation, Bianca hid herself carefully while tracking them.
The coachman stopped the carriage after a long run, cut down a tree with an axe to block the road, then disappeared riding another horse that had suddenly appeared from nowhere. Bianca had never sensed another person’s presence until then—it made her skin crawl.
It was too strange to call this a planned escape. Suspicion grew, and she could not easily step forward in front of the two.
Eventually, the coachman abandoned the carriage deep in the black forest and fled.
Bianca had no choice but to suspect Nathan.
What if Nathan arranged all this?
If this was against Ancia’s will, Bianca planned to find a way to take her and escape.
But if Ancia had planned it herself?
The guard’s death was shocking, but if the two were eloping for love, Bianca would keep quiet and simply pray for Ancia’s happiness.
Still, she could not be sure of either possibility—so she decided to just watch for now. After all, the black forest was familiar to her; it didn’t frighten her.
But the two suffered one misfortune after another.
They ended up in a bandits’ den. They headed under a broken bridge, not knowing there was a proper one nearby.
They lost their way while fleeing wild beasts and even ended up traveling in the exact opposite direction of Gwinted.
At last, Bianca appeared in front of Nathan to guide them out of the forest and to a woodcutter’s shelter.
Yet even there, a forester came by and angrily drove them away.
Meanwhile, Ancia’s health worsened more and more. Bianca, even from a distance, could see her weakening, and it filled her with anxiety.
So she guided them closer to a village, sometimes riding ahead and deliberately leaving hoof prints for Nathan to follow.
It hadn’t been easy, but Bianca wanted to help Ancia—just as Ancia had once saved her.
After about a week of hardship, they finally reached a remote village deep in the mountains—far from the Duke’s estate, though not too far from Bianca’s own home.
Though frustrated that they had been running in the wrong direction all this time, Bianca was relieved that at least Ancia could rest.
Even so, she still hesitated.
Who had orchestrated all this?
If Nathan was behind it, she planned to rescue Ancia as soon as she recovered. But if Ancia had chosen it herself, Bianca wanted to help her escape safely.
She wanted an answer directly from Ancia. But Ancia was barely conscious, and Nathan never left her side—Bianca couldn’t approach.
Still… once they stay in the village, there should be a chance.
Holding her robe tightly, Bianca followed them from a distance.
But her expectation proved naïve. Within less than an hour of entering the village, she saw them step into the inn.
“Rare guests, I see.”
Tom, the innkeeper of Tom’s House, smirked at the exhausted noble couple.
Most commoners bent their backs before nobles, but in a small mountain village like this, there was no reason to flatter them. Instead, it was an easy chance to snatch valuables.
“It won’t be enough, you know?”
The innkeeper eyed the warming magic stone Nathan offered, holding back his greed.
“You can stay the night, sure—but the young lady doesn’t look well. If you want to call a herbalist, you’ll need more money. With two or three more stones, I could even exchange them for gold coins.”
“I see…”
Nathan regretted taking out the magic stone so quickly. His desire to put Ancia in the best room as soon as possible had made him reckless.
He reached for more stones—but then a clear, refreshing voice rang out.
“If you need a place to stay, I’ll guide you.”
Everyone turned.
A beautiful woman with flowing brown hair entered the inn.
Nathan frowned at the familiar face, then quickly brightened as he realized.
“Ah, you’re Ancia’s…”
“Yes, I’m Bianca. Let’s go outside first.”
She walked up and helped support Ancia from Nathan’s other side.
The innkeeper tried to call after them, but no one listened. He clicked his tongue, disappointed, but comforted himself—there was nowhere else in this village to stay. If not today, he’d get his hands on those magic stones soon enough.
But Bianca led them instead to an empty house nearby.
It looked shabby on the outside, but the lock worked, and though dusty, it wasn’t broken inside.
After laying Ancia on a bed and covering her with a robe, Nathan finally turned to Bianca.
“How did you get this empty house? And how did you find us here?”
Bianca was honestly shocked—he didn’t recognize her, though they had crossed paths many times on the way here.
“This place is close to my village. Just one mountain over—I often came to play here. I know the owner of this house, so I borrowed it cheaply. I’ll pay them later.”
Nathan, surprised at her saying “just one mountain,” asked again,
“How did you find us?”
Bianca hesitated. Nathan’s constant attention on Ancia made it understandable he hadn’t noticed her before. But since she still half-suspected him, she wasn’t sure how much to reveal.
When she didn’t answer right away, Nathan stepped protectively in front of Ancia’s room. Bianca was touched by his protectiveness but also a little indignant.
“Getting full marks for protecting Madam—but if you kidnapped her without her consent, that’s a failing grade.”
Bianca was too straightforward to play at schemes. Watching silently for days had been frustrating enough.
And Nathan, just as she expected, looked dumbfounded.
“Kidnapping? Do I look suspicious enough for that?”
He gave a bitter smile, tinged with some strange relief.
Bianca pressed again.
“Then… are the two of you running away together?”
“No.”
His answer was firm, almost angry. Bianca tensed.
“I would never do anything to damage An—Ancia’s honor. This is an abduction and abandonment by the coachman—an absurd situation.”
Nathan’s face was weary and pained as he recalled their hardships, but his voice was steady and determined.
