Chapter 87,…………………………………
When Oswald and I entered the classroom, the children immediately fell silent.
In the deathly quiet classroom, Oswald pointed to one child and asked,
“Ryan, will you stand up?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Tell the duke exactly what you told me earlier. Don’t be afraid—it’s all right.”
“Yes, Headmaster.”
Ryan showed no sign of intimidation even when looking at me. He had impressively clear, steady eyes.
“After lunch, Piace said she was going to the restroom, but she never came back. We even checked the lower-grade restrooms and the ones on the other floors, but we couldn’t find her, so we went straight to tell the Headmaster.”
“You’re sure she didn’t return to the classroom? Maybe you just didn’t see her.”
“No, we were waiting right outside the classroom. Piace and we had planned to visit your laboratory together.”
I scanned the children.
“Who saw Piace in the restroom?”
“…”
“No one?”
Not a single child answered.
I couldn’t tell whether they were too scared of me to speak or if they truly hadn’t seen her.
Suppressing my simmering anger, I signaled Oswald with my eyes.
He stepped forward in my place, smiling kindly to soothe the children.
“Raise your hand if you saw Piace in the restroom. It’s all right, it’s all right—the Headmaster just wants to ask something.”
Among the children glancing nervously at each other, one girl slowly raised her hand.
“Me…”
“Oh! Esmeralda! So, did you see Piace in the restroom?”
“No…”
“No? You didn’t?”
“She didn’t go inside. I was standing at the sink in front because I got sauce on my clothes and was washing it off. But I didn’t see Piace.”
There were small sinks installed outside the restrooms for the children.
If Esmeralda had been at the sink, she should have seen Piace.
That is, if Piace had actually gone there.
Oswald glanced at me, then continued his questioning.
“Even if you didn’t see her, maybe you heard her voice? Think carefully.”
“Umm… no, I don’t think I did.”
So Piace never went to the restroom at all.
Which meant someone must have lured her away on the way there.
Who could that have been?
“All right, thank you for telling us. Did you see any unfamiliar adults near the restroom?”
“An adult? No, I didn’t.”
“When did you return to the classroom?”
“Just a little while ago.”
“Did anyone else see anything? After lunch, did anyone see a stranger around? If you did, tell me.”
The children all shook their heads. They truly hadn’t seen anyone.
Children are sensitive to strangers.
If an unfamiliar adult had shown up, there’s no way none of them would’ve noticed.
‘The culprit is an Academy student.’
Only another student could blend in without arousing suspicion.
“Headmaster…”
“Yes? Rosetta? Do you have something to say?”
“I saw Piace talking to an older girl earlier.”
“Do you remember when?”
“After lunch. I saw them in the hallway over there.”
“Do you know that girl’s name?”
“Um… I don’t really know her name.”
At the word “older girl,” one name came to mind immediately.
“Was she about this tall, with curly blonde hair and bangs that came halfway down her forehead?”
“Uh-huh? Yes, that sounds right. Her bangs were unusual.”
“Thank you for telling us. Headmaster, let’s go.”
“Yes, Duke.”
When Oswald and I stepped outside, Leonhart, Ruspell, and Owen—who had been waiting—approached.
“Well? Did you find Piace?”
“Where is she? Did you find out?”
“…You didn’t, did you.”
As expected, Owen was the sharpest.
Just from my expression, he knew Piace hadn’t been found.
Oswald bowed deeply in apology.
“I’m so sorry, Duke. You entrusted the child to us, believing in the Academy… I’ve no excuse.”
“Headmaster.”
“I’ll request soldiers from the Imperial Palace immediately. In the meantime, we’ll begin a full-scale search—”
“No.”
“Wh-what?”
I slowly clenched my fist.
“Bring me Bianca Molton. Now.”
Bianca entered the counseling room.
Her attitude was bold, with no sign of fear or guilt.
Oswald would conduct the questioning, while I observed from another room using Ruspell’s Paper Stone to project the scene.
“Talk to Piace today? No, I didn’t.”
Bianca was no ordinary child.
Her face was utterly convincing, not a flicker of a lie.
Had I not already suspected her, I might’ve thought we were accusing the wrong person.
Which left Oswald floundering.
After all, Rosetta had only said she saw Bianca talking with Piace—she hadn’t seen Bianca kidnap her.
Dabbing at his sweat with a handkerchief, Oswald asked gently,
“Think again. There’s another child who saw you talking to Piace.”
“Where?”
“At the end of the second-floor hallway. The one leading to the restroom. You know the place, don’t you?”
“No? I hardly go to the second floor, so I don’t know it.”
“Still, someone saw you with Piace. Why deny it?”
“Do you have proof?”
“…What?”
“Proof it was me talking to her.”
“Someone saw you.”
“Did that kid say my name?”
“No, but they remembered your face clearly.”
Bianca rolled her eyes, then twisted her expression.
“Why do you only believe that kid! Are they above me?”
Oswald blinked rapidly in surprise.
“Above you? What do you mean?”
“I’m a marquis’s daughter! Is their father higher ranked than mine?”
Seven years old, and already wielding her status.
Someone had clearly told her: without solid evidence, no one could press charges against the marquis’s only daughter.
“B-Bianca, calm down. This isn’t about your parents’ title.”
“Then why do you only believe them! I said it wasn’t me! I’ll tell my mother! Call my mother here! Waaah!!”
Bianca stuck to denial to the very end.
The moment Piace’s name was even mentioned, she started bawling and screaming so loudly it was impossible to ask anything further.
Finally, Oswald gave up, plugging his ears.
From the adjoining room, I had seen everything.
I stepped into the counseling room.
Bianca’s eyes widened at the sight of me.
Being so young, she hadn’t considered that I might’ve been listening in next door.
I stared quietly at her face.
For all her wailing and screaming, not a single tear stain marked her eyes.
She had only pretended to cry.
“H-Headmaster, I’m going home. Let me go!”
“Bianca, at least tell us what you and Piace talked about.”
“I—I didn’t talk to her! I didn’t talk to Piace at lunch!”
“Oh, Bianca, please stop shouting. You’re hurting my ears.”
Oswald rubbed his forehead, exhausted.
I lowered my gaze, locking eyes with Bianca.
“Be quiet.”
“—!”
“I never said you and Piace talked at lunch. How did you know it was then?”
“Uh…?”
Bianca’s eyes shook wildly.
A child was still a child—the blood rushed to her face instantly.
“Do you think we won’t find Piace if you don’t tell us?”
“…”
“I already know you locked her up. Somewhere very tight and very dark.”
“H-how…?”
“I’m a witch. That much is easy for me to know.”
Bianca’s shoulders trembled violently.
Yet she still refused to confess. Truly, a budding little villain.
“When we find Piace, we’ll ask her. Who locked you up? That’s when you’d better pray your name doesn’t come out of her mouth. If you want to escape a witch’s curse, that is.”
“Hiiick…! Waaaaah! I’m scared! Mommyyyy!!!”
I gave Oswald a look, and he carried Bianca out of the counseling room.
It was my fault.
Even knowing Piace had prophetic dreams, I’d let my guard down in just two days.
“What was it Piace said again…?”
She had told me the contents of her dream, but no matter how hard I racked my brain, I couldn’t remember.
‘Stay calm. If Bianca hid Piace somewhere, it has to be inside the Academy.’
It had to be within walking distance—somewhere she could return before class.
That meant either the main building, the annex with the magic practice hall, or the sword training grounds.
[Rian! She’s not in this building!]
[We checked even the basement, but there’s no trace of Piace’s energy anywhere.]
[F**, then it’s gotta be another building! There’s a small one next door. Should we check that?*]
So Piace wasn’t in the main building. That left the annex.
“Wait. Leonhart and the others are searching there.”
Before long, Leonhart, Owen, and Ruspell returned.
“Duke, she’s not in the annex.”
“You’re sure?”
“We asked the kids who have class there. Not a single one saw Piace. She’s probably still in the main building.”
“She’s not in the main building either.”
“How do you know? Did you already search it?”
“The spirits did.”
“Dark spirits can do that?”
“They can search for someone. Nothing more.”
“Duke, let me scan the entire building with magic. It’ll take a little time to do it thoroughly, but I’ll definitely find her.”
And in the meantime, we’re supposed to just sit here, tearing ourselves apart with worry?
Even now, Piace was surely crying, waiting for me.
“Hoo…”
To keep my fury in check, I covered my eyes with my hand and drew a deep breath.
Then Piace’s words flashed in my mind.
“It was so dark and dirty. I screamed because I was scared, but no one came. So I just cried. Because crying was all I could do.”
Dark, filthy, deserted…
“The garbage incinerator!”
