Chapter – 64
“Let’s take a short break.”
I nodded, leaned against the carriage, and opened my pocket watch to check the time.
Nigella and the maids’ carriage should be arriving at Ferrarium soon.
Even though I was already exhausted, my mouth felt painfully dry.
We had left the capital, Elcard, and entered the outskirts of Pyiront.
We had already changed carriages three times and used two teleportation scrolls.
We were deliberately traveling in many short stretches, but although I’d known Elkium was large, I never imagined it was this vast.
Now I truly understood why teleportation scrolls were so expensive.
Maybe thanks to all that effort, nothing had gone wrong so far.
We were still safe.
But we had to keep moving.
Our destination was Deboshu, the southwesternmost village in all of Pyiront.
The farther we traveled, the more anxious I became, so I desperately tried to think positively.
“Ah! Annie, did you know? They say there’s a gigantic bear statue in Deboshu!”
“I think I’ve heard that before. Yeah, I remember hearing there’s some huge statue.”
“They say that a giant bear monster appeared in Deboshu long ago, and after a hero defeated it, they built the statue to honor him. They said it’s as tall as three people standing on each other’s shoulders. We have to go see it!”
“Sure. Oh, I do know Deboshu is famous for its brandy. Once I drank several bottles of brandy I bought there, and when I woke up the next morning, every bit of my money was gone. Seriously.”
“You’ve got some nerve.”
“Oh, it wasn’t just nerve. He was my ex-boyfriend… well, ex-ex-ex-boyfriend. I dated him without realizing he was practically a beggar. He cleaned me out and disappeared. Ugh, just thinking about it makes me mad again.”
Annie brushed back her hair and clicked her tongue.
I couldn’t help smiling as I listened.
“Shall we get going again?”
She tugged hard on the reins.
The carriage wheels began rolling once more.
After changing to two more carriages, we stopped briefly at a small village to eat.
Honestly, my anxiety had dried up my throat so much that I didn’t think I could swallow anything, but Annie firmly believed that I needed food if I wanted to keep a clear head.
“Eat. Don’t skip it just because you don’t have an appetite. Whether you’ve eaten or not makes a huge difference when you need to think.”
“Okay.”
I nodded and set down the damp handkerchief beside me.
Cold sweat kept forming on my palms, and I’d been clutching the cloth so tightly that it had become completely soaked.
Apparently, my courage was even smaller than a chick’s liver.
By now… had Noah realized?
The carriage should have arrived at Ferrarium already.
Had he already sent people searching?
We absolutely had to make it at least halfway through Pyiront today.
Until then, I couldn’t let anyone discover me.
“Ah… silly me.”
As Annie spooned up some soup, she suddenly rummaged through her large bag.
“What is it?”
“See? Eating helps you remember things. I should’ve given this to you back in the carriage, but it completely slipped my mind.”
She pulled out a sealed document envelope and handed it to me.
I untied the string securing it.
Inside was a name I’d never seen before.
Levian Nishitar.
Age: 25.
Female.
Born in the Castalt region.
It also listed the academy she’d attended, her department, what she’d done after graduation…
It even recorded that she’d once worked briefly at a restaurant.
It was an entire person’s life condensed into a file.
“…Levian.”
Would I have to get used to this name now?
Hazel Love—the name I’d become accustomed to after hearing him call it dozens of times every day—
I was abandoning it today.
As for the surname Hadid, I hadn’t even known it myself, so I didn’t feel attached to it anyway.
I lightly waved the documents and smiled.
“It’s a pretty name. Kind of rabbit-like.”
“I spent quite a while choosing a nice one.”
“But… this wasn’t originally someone who actually existed, right?”
“It was.”
I looked at her in shock.
“But even the eye and hair color are the same as mine! Look—it says she has golden eyes and reddish-gold hair…”
“Everything was taken into consideration when we created it. The identity is real, but no one uses it anymore.”
“Hmm…”
“It’s better if you don’t know.”
I didn’t understand what she meant, but she was probably right.
Knowing more likely wouldn’t do me any good.
“…Levian. Then please call me Levian from now on.”
“Alright, Levian.”
Levian.
Levian Nishitar.
From now on…
That was my name.
The carriage carrying Kylerus came to a stop.
The gate stood directly before him.
There were still about thirty minutes before Hazel was due to arrive.
Waiting didn’t feel tedious.
His mind was already busy making plans.
Maybe they should spend the weekend at the villa.
Or perhaps travel somewhere together.
Hazel hardly ever left Ferrarium because of work.
As far as he was concerned, however long they traveled together…
…it would never be too long.
As he waited leisurely, a hazy light spread around the gate like drifting fog.
Moments later, the magic circle flashed.
A carriage emerged from the gate.
Five minutes passed.
Yet the carriage remained completely still.
Even the coachman, who should have stepped out after passing through the gate, never appeared.
Kylerus wasn’t the only one who sensed something strange.
“They must be chatting inside. I’ll go check.”
Sid had been eagerly awaiting this day as well.
His impatience made him practically bounce in place.
What could they possibly be talking about that they hadn’t even realized they’d already arrived?
Surely Hazel had seen the carriage he came in.
Maybe she was hiding on purpose just to play another prank.
Hazel loved practical jokes.
Sometimes she’d hide behind the door and jump out the moment Kylerus entered.
Other times she’d collapse dramatically on the bed, pretending to be dead.
What was she planning this time?
A smile naturally formed on Kylerus’s lips.
“I’ll go.”
If Hazel wanted to play a prank…
Of course he’d play along.
“Yes, sir.”
Sid hurried down and opened the carriage door.
Kylerus strode toward the carriage where Hazel should have been waiting.
For a fleeting moment, he thought he saw her silhouette inside.
Even as he approached, however, the carriage remained unnaturally silent.
Just as unease began creeping into him…
He spotted Nigella and one of the maids sleeping peacefully inside.
Kylerus chuckled.
So Hazel must be pretending to sleep on the opposite side.
Then something felt wrong.
With every step forward…
More of the carriage interior came into view.
The number of passengers…
Didn’t add up.
His brow twisted sharply.
Grasping the handle, Kylerus threw the door wide open.
“…”
Standing close behind him, Sid immediately sensed something was wrong when Kylerus froze.
Kylerus’s broad back blocked the entrance, preventing him from seeing inside.
Sid sidestepped around him.
The instant he looked in…
His face turned deathly pale.
Kylerus slowly took one step backward.
Seizing the opportunity, Sid climbed into the carriage and began shaking Nigella and the maid awake.
“Hey! Wake up! Get a grip! Where’s Lady Hazel?!”
Behind him, he could feel Kylerus’s gaze.
Sid swallowed hard.
He shook Nigella’s shoulders roughly.
She groaned before slowly opening her eyes.
The maids and even the coachman gradually woke as well.
For several moments, they looked dazed and exhausted.
Then their eyes suddenly became clear.
“…Sir Sid?”
“Nigella! Where’s Lady Hazel?! Why isn’t she in the carriage?!”
“Huh…? Who… are you talking about?”
Nigella frowned, utterly confused.
“What nonsense are you saying? How can you not know the person you serve? Where is Lady Hazel?! She was supposed to be riding with you!”
“I… I don’t understand what you’re talking about. Who is this person…?”
Only then did Nigella notice Kylerus standing behind Sid.
Her shoulders trembled violently as she sat up straight.
The maids were no different.
Despite Sid’s frantic questioning, they could only stare blankly.
They looked completely lost.
As though they had no idea why they were even there.
The coachman looked just as bewildered.
“What in the world…”
Sid stepped back out of the carriage in disbelief.
Nigella, the maids, and the coachman all climbed down as well, trembling in fear.
Every single one of them wore the same vacant expression.
Their faces held nothing but terror.
Like fools who couldn’t comprehend what had happened.
Sid searched every corner of the carriage.
Even the luggage compartment.
Hazel was nowhere to be found.
No…
It was as though she’d never boarded in the first place.
Otherwise…
None of this made any sense.
Everyone surrounding the carriage had stopped thinking.
Hazel Love had disappeared.
“My lord… I have no idea what’s happened. Perhaps something occurred back in the capital…”
But the moment Sid saw Kylerus’s icy expression…
A terrifying thought flashed through his mind.
No way…
Did she realize it?
Otherwise… how could she have vanished like this?
Nigella and the others have had their memories erased. This is clearly no ordinary incident.
Could it really be…?
“…”
The muscles along Kylerus’s jaw tightened.
At that moment…
Sid thought only one thing.
We’re screwed.
