The Villainess Is Being Doted on by the Crown Prince of the Neighboring Country 153
- The Missing Princess
Tiararose has been sending correspondences to Phylargia via letters for a few months.
The princess of Phylargia has sent a reply saying that she’s very much welcomed and today she’s going to decide on the visit schedule.
Tiararose brought Luciarose to the garden.
Philiane, bodyguard Tarmo and a few knights were with her.
“The visit to Phylargia seems like it’d be decided soon without any issue, so that’s great isn’t it?”
Philiane poured in black tea while talking about Phylargia.
“Yes. Also, it would be good if there’s information about Slyph… but I’m worried if it’d go well.”
Of course it wouldn’t be right to ask the royal family members of Phylargia directly if the wind spirit is there.
“I guess I have to do my best to find information about it.”
“I will try to be of some help, Lady Tiararose.”
“Thank you, Philiane.”
Tiararose and Philiane looked at each other and smiled, they then looked at Luciarose, who was playing on top of the lawn.
-I will definitely not let Luciarose face any danger.
As a mother, I just have to protect my child.
“Au~?”
“Ah, Lucia, please don’t strand too far off.”
The sight of her playing on the lawn happily is cute, but if she goes outside of the boundary, there are stones which might injure her.
“Lady Luciarose is full of curiosity, isn’t she? I’ll carry her over.”
Philiane called Luciarose’s name and stretched her hands out while saying “Come here~”
Luciarose looked at Philiane and immediately stretched her hands out with a flower-like smile.
“Kyau~”
“Ah, how cute, Lady Luciarose!!”
Philiane is head over heels for the adorable Luciarose.
She immediately bent down to carry Luciarose up- but when she did that, she only grasped the air.
“Au?”
“-!?”
Immediately, everyone in the vicinity opened their eyes wide.
Luciarose suddenly fell into a hole in the ground; it was so sudden that everyone was taken aback.
“Lucia!?”
Tiararose called out with a frantic voice and Tarmo ran towards her.
“Report it to the King and call for the doctors!”
Tarmo instructed the knights and stretched his hands into the hole which Luciarose has fallen into. However, Tarmo was unable to reach Luciarose and he was grasping for air.
“What’s with this situation…!?”
The hole was not that huge and was just big enough for Luciarose to be in it. However even though Tarmo stretched his arms in, he could not touch Luciarose.
Tarmo bit his lips, trying to make sense of things.
“Lucia-Lucia’s fine, is she!?”
Tiararose came over to the hole and peeked into it- it seems like it’s impossible.
The hole, where Luciarose has fallen into, suddenly started to close up. As though it’s swallowing Luciarose up whole, the hole was closing up.
“The hole is…! What’s going on!?”
“Lady Tiararose, it’s dangerous! Please stay away!!”
“No! Lucia… Lucia’s inside!!”
How can a mother run away to a safe place at times like this?
“No, no… Lucia!!”
“Lady Tiararose, please leave the matters to the knights for now…!”
Screams echoed in the area and Tiararose was desperately trying to dig into the ground, not minding how her hand was covered with mud and soil.
Philiane’s plead of leaving the matters to the knights have not reached her ears.
Tiararose’s voice is shaking. Everyone’s confused, but they could only try to dig the covered up ground.
“Lucia-”
“Calm down, Tiara.”
“…Kei…th?”
Tiararose was desperately digging into the ground when her hands were grabbed by Keith, who has teleported over. His face’s serious and it’s clear that it’s different from his usual looks.
“Let’s retreat.”
Keith said that and placed his hand on the ground.
“The trees of Marineforest, use the roots to find the princess!!”
At that command, the flowers, plants, trees, earth began to shake.
It’s clear that the fairy king who oversees the forest is in anger right now.
Tiararose tried to suppress her tears and looked at Keith… but he just clicked his tongue and stood up.
“Damn, it escaped… it was probably the acts of the soil spirit.”
Keith took Tiararose’s hands and made her stand up.
Upon closer inspection, the hole in the ground has been covered perfectly as though nothing has happened; it’s unbelievable that Luciarose is in the ground.
Tiararose asked Keith for the reason why while she stands unsteadily.
“The soil spirit…? Why Lucia…?”
“I don’t know the reason why too… but whatever the reason, I don’t plan to accept it. Right, Aqua?”
She looked in the direction of Keith’s question and Aquasteed’s standing over there.
Right beside him is the sky fairy so he was probably informed of what has happened. From his facial expression, he’s furious.
“-Of course”
Aquasteed came over to Tiararose and gently hugged her; at that moment, tears started falling from Tiararose’s eyes.
“Aqua, Aqua… Lucia…!”
Tiararose has withstood it, but after being relieved at the sight of Aquasteed, her tears overflowed. She’s so worried and anxious about Luciarose that she cannot stand it.
Aquasteed gently rubbed Tiararose and calmed her down.
“Sorry for letting this happen when I said I’d protect her… Tiara.”
“…No. It’s not something that Aqua should apologize for.”
Tiararose clung onto Aquasteed and shook her head. Rather, she feels bad for not being able to do anything even though they were together.
Rather than blaming her for that, he hugged her to calm her down.
“Even if the opposite party is a spirit, I’d never forgive it for kidnapping Lucia away. I’ll definitely help out.”
“…Yes, yes! Me too, I’d do anything for the sake of Lucia…!”
Tiararose rubbed her tears, thinking that it’s not the time to cry now.
“Keith, where has Lucia been taken away to…?”
“Unfortunately, all I know is that she’s within Marineforest.”
“Oh…”
The only hope has diminished- while thinking about that, Keith pointed to a certain direction and said “Well, wait.”
“I cannot determine the precise location, but Lucia’s presence could be felt and she’s entering Lapis Lazuli from Marineforest.”
“In that case, if it’s Lapis Lazuli… then it could be possible that it’s the doing of the Gnome who might be located near Phylargia.”
Grail, who appeared via teleportation, continued Keith’s words.
“Even though magic is used for transportation in the ground, it’s physically impossible to cross several countries alone, not to mention bringing along someone else.”
In other words, the Gnome could be located in Lapis Lazuli kingdom or Phylargia kingdom… or in an area near them.
“I’ll head over immediately! If I don’t hurry, Lucia might-”
“Calm down, Tiara.”
“Aqua…”
Tiararose was in a hurry for preparations, but was stopped by Aquasteed.
-I want to go help her as soon as possible!
Why? The doubt grew stronger within Tiararose’s mind; however, they disappeared immediately when she looked into Aquasteed’s eyes.
His golden eyes make it clear that he’s desperately trying to suppress his own feelings and that made Tiararose at a loss for words.
Choosing the best method to save Luciarose out; those thoughts were reflected in his eyes.
-Aqua said that he’d definitely save her.
For a moment, she was swept away by reality and tried to save Luciarose, but that wouldn’t work.
Tiararose took a deep breath and calmed herself down.
“Philiane, please prepare for the letters that I’d write to father and Lady Akari. Elliot, can you send the letter via magic?”
“I’ll prepare it immediately.”
“Of course.”
Tiararose gave out the instructions and both of them immediately nodded. Philiane, who was crying, rubbed her tears and started preparation.
“Tarmo, I’ll stand by here so please check the condition of the horse immediately. Also, make arrangements so that I can switch horses in the middle of the journey.”
“I’d go check it out immediately!”
After listening to the instructions that Aquasteed has ordered, Tiararose realized that he’s going by horse and not wagon.
That is definitely faster and offers flexibility in times of trouble.
“I’ll go by horse. Tiara, the horse wagon-”
“I’m going to ride a horse too! Please, Aqua, let me be with you.”
“Tiara… I got it. However, it’s going to be quite tough, so please say it immediately if you’re reaching your limits, alright?”
“Yes!!”
While Tiararose was mostly move around with horse wagon, she can ride a horse and she’s glad that she practiced for it.
It’s the first time she’s that collected.
“I’ll go too.”
“Keith!?”
“Gnome has taken Lucia away, how cruel.”
。
Unlike Aquasteed, who’s bubbling with anger in silence, Keith did not hide his emotions; to the extent that the Gnome would probably worry over it.
However, at the same time, she thought that he’s very reliable.
“Grail, please take care of things while I’m not here.”
“…Tsk. I got it. Please go and not worry about the matters of Marineforest.”
“Yes.”
Whenever something happens, Keith would ask Grail to look over things so the latter smiled wryly.
Right then, Philiane came back in a hurry with the letter sets.
“Lady Tiararose, the preparations for the letter are done!”
“Thank you, Philiane!”
She immediately wrote a letter to Akari and her father, and it will be transported to them via Elliot’s magic.
In the letter, she wrote that Luciarose’s taken away by the Gnome spirit and that she’d be heading towards Phylargia kingdom. Also, she asked them to contact her if there’s any special information.
Additionally, she asked them to check out the holes underground and similar places.
“For now… this is all I can do. I hope that we’d get some information on the Gnome but…”
Tiararose clenched her hands and tried to calm her feelings down; if she doesn’t do that she’d probably dash out of the room.