"Yes. Let's go," Lawrend replied.
…
Back when Lawrend left the mansion.
"Mmm… Good morning, Ma—"
Aleshia stopped and stared at the empty space beside her. Her master wasn't there.
"Master woke up early?" Aleshia murmured to herself.
She slowly sat up and looked around the room. The sky outside had already partially brightened. Before long, the sun would appear on the horizon..
"Sister Aezel, let's go. Master must be waiting for us." Aleshia shook Aezel's shoulder.
Aezel's eyelids trembled, and she opened her eyes. She stared at Aleshia groggily.
"Okay…"
Aezel sat up and stood up on the side of the bed. Aleshia did the same, and the two of them changed clothes before they walked downstairs together.
"Hm? Master is not here," Aleshia said as she looked around the empty living room.
"Maybe he's outside," Aezel replied.
The two of them left the mansion and headed towards the gates in their maid uniforms. The guards quickly noticed them approaching.
Even though Aleshia and Aezel were wearing a maid uniform, the guards knew better than to disrespect them. They stood still in attention.
"Did you all see Master?" Aleshia asked after not seeing Lawrend here.
The guards looked at each other before one of the guards walked forwards. He was a staunch old man with the aura of a swordmaster. In other words, he's a powerful Hill Sword.
"Master Lawrend left a message. 'I will go alone. Don't worry about me. I won't die so easily as I'm already strong now.'," the guard said.
"Master, no!"
Aleshia's calm face turned grim after hearing the message. It was a simple message, but Aleshia knew that Lawrend could be in danger right now.
"Let's go, Sister Aleshia!" Aezel grabbed Aleshia's hand and pulled her.
The guards opened the gates. They already knew that this was gonna happen.
Aleshia and Aezel ran through the streets before stopping a carriage. They rode it, and it carried them until they reached the Undrasil Monster Forest.
"How are we going to find Master??" Aleshia asked Aezel in a panic.
Aezel had never seen this kind of face from Aleshia. The first time they met, she had a strong and prideful aura around her that doesn't want to lose to her. Now, she's panicking.
"When did Master leave?" Aezel asked Aleshia as she knew that Aleshia is an assassin. She must've felt it when Lawrend left.
"I… Let me think," Aleshia said before she closed her eyes and remembered what happened earlier.
A minute later, she opened her eyes. It was hard for her to remember as she was half-asleep that time.
"It was very dark. Master said he was gonna go drink," Aleshia said.
"Tsk. We're late then."
Aezel clicked her tongue in annoyance. Contrary to what you'd expect, she's very nervous right now. She loves her baby, and she loves her master. She can't give up either of them.
She'd rather they die together. At least, they can have one final moment together. But this… this is too much for her. She doesn't want the baby to die if he dies. It will be the only proof of their love together even if it wasn't created due to love.
"Let's go back. We can ask Elena. She knows Master's aura the best. Maybe she can track him," Aleshia said.
Thus, the two of them returned to the city and the mansion.
"Mmm? What's going on?" Elena asked as she walked down the stairs groggily. Aleshia and Aezel just entered the mansion.
"Master! Master left on his own!" Aleshia replied hastily.
"What?"
Elena widened her eyes in shock. She stared at the two of them in disbelief.
"Let's wake up the others. We need to find Master and help him. I won't be able to forgive myself if something happens to him," Aleshia said as tears slowly fell from her face.
"Eh? I'm crying…"
Only then did Aleshia notice. She looked down at her hands and caught the droplets of tears.
"For now, let's believe in Master. He will surely return safely," Aezel said as she rubbed Aleshia's back.
She wasn't only saying that to Aleshia. She was also saying that to herself. It's the only thing she could do to calm herself.
"I-I believe in Master. I trust him. I told myself I'll trust him no matter what, so I'll do just that," Aleshia replied as she stared at the floor in a daze.
Elena panicked after seeing that. She quickly realized that this wasn't a joke. Their master really did something careless.
She ran inside their room and woke up the others.
…
"Master left on his own?" Humility asked.
All of them were sitting at the dining table. This was an emergency meeting.
"It's all my fault… I should've known…" Aleshia said.
She then explained to them that she allowed herself to become careless and allowed Lawrend to leave.
"It's not your fault Sister Aleshia. I'm sure I would do the same. I trust Master too," Elena said in a comforting voice.
Aleshia wiped the tears in her eyes and nodded her head.
"I don't think we have to worry," Humility said calmly.
"What?"
Aezel stared at her in disbelief. She couldn't believe that those words just came from her mouth.
"D-Don't look at me like that. I simply believe in Master. I know he will… After all, his baby is inside me…" Humility said nervously.
"!?"
All of them gawked at her in shock.
"You conceived Master's baby!?" Aleshia asked in disbelief.
"The Royal Family has a secret technique that lets the woman know if they are pregnant. I tried it as soon as I woke up earlier like I was doing for the past few days," Humility explained.
"Then… Master has another heir…"
Aleshia felt uncertain. She didn't get pregnant with Lawrend's baby the first time he came inside her. Now that he's missing, it made her anxious. What if she doesn't get the chance to ever again?
"That's why I believe in Master. He will surely come back for our baby and the rest of us," Humility said solemnly.