I Like Another Man, Not the Male Lead - Chapter 52

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 52

After Rochester left, the news spread quickly. People fell into chaos at the word that Reina Regfield had gone missing.

Naturally, the news quickly reached Duchess Regfield, who was having tea time with other Noble Ladies. A maid burst into the peaceful pavilion, unable to hear the commotion outside. It was Jane, who cherished Reina dearly.

“My lady!”

Jane’s face was unnaturally pale. Duchess Regfield’s heart sank. Something had definitely happened.

“What’s the matter?”

“The, the young lady…, the young lady, no, the young lady…”

Jane continued speaking while choking back tears. The moment she heard those words, the Duchess’s hands began to tremble.

“She, she’s missing. While being chased by a Wolf Pack… The Minor Duke has gone to search for the young lady now.”

The Tea Cup slipped from her hands. The Tea Cup that fell to the floor shattered into pieces. Tea splattered in all directions. The hot tea soaked her skirt hem, but the Duchess couldn’t even register it.

“…What did you say?”

Her voice trembled.

“Reina… our Reina…”

The Duchess’s face turned deathly pale. Her lips turned blue.

“What happened to her?”

Duchess Regfield’s voice slowly grew faint.

“My lady! Please pull yourself together!”

The Noble Ladies around her hurriedly supported her. Duchess Regfield collapsed with a thud.

“Reina… our daughter…”

“My lady!”

“Call a Doctor! Quickly!”

The inside of the pavilion became chaos. The Noble Ladies screamed. Maids rushed over and a Doctor was summoned.

“Reina…”

Even as she lost consciousness, the only thing she called out was her daughter’s name.

＊ ＊ ＊

Around the same time, Duke Regfield received the news through official reporting channels.

As the commander of the Knight Order, he was overseeing the duties of the knights protecting personnel who weren’t participating in the hunt. Safety confirmation, security deployment, emergency response. That was his role. The urgent report flew to him as he was reviewing Documents in a separately prepared pavilion.

“Commander!”

His Adjutant burst through the door. Under normal circumstances, this would never have happened.

“What’s the matter?”

“Reina Regfield has gone missing!”

The strength left the Duke’s hands. The Pen he was holding left an ink stain on the paper. But he didn’t care.

“…Tell me the details.”

His voice was calm. It was the voice of a general who had roamed battlefields for decades. But his hands were trembling slightly.

The Adjutant explained the situation. Reina entering the Forest, the Wolf Pack. That combination alone made the air inside the pavilion terribly heavy.

The Duke listened to his adjutant’s report in silence. There was no change in his expression. But the pen he was holding snapped in half.

“…Rochester is.”

“Already out searching. And the Duchess fainted upon hearing the news.”

The Duke closed his eyes. He took a deep, very deep breath.

Reina. His daughter. His beloved daughter. She was like sunshine to the family. That child might be dying somewhere right now. The world felt distant.

“…Increase the search personnel.”

The Duke stood up. He picked up his sword.

“Send all the knights on standby to the forest. We must bring Reina back safely. And inform His Majesty the Emperor to stop the hunting competition immediately. If there are wolves targeting people, there could be other casualties.”

It was a rational command. The adjutant bowed his head.

“Yes, Commander.”

However, the Duke’s fingertips, which appeared rational, were trembling pitifully.

＊ ＊ ＊

When Rochester arrived at the forest, the sun was already setting below the horizon.

It was a scene that made one wonder if this was what hell looked like. The ground was stained red, and the smell of blood pierced his nostrils. But no one remained. Except for traces of fierce battle.

“Search the area.”

“Yes, sir.”

The knights began combing through the forest. And not far away, they found Matthias. He was searching the surroundings meticulously. Blood was seeping from Matthias’s shoulder. It was because even the makeshift hemostasis wasn’t done properly. But he didn’t stop.

“Rochester.”

Matthias spotted Rochester and approached with a heavy expression. His eyes were filled with regret and guilt.

Matthias was the first to discover Reina. But he couldn’t protect her. He couldn’t properly protect Caesar Prince either. The helplessness and fear of that moment were simply indescribable. Why couldn’t he overcome the wall that blocked him? What if Matthias had superior swordsmanship?

Matthias spoke with a trembling voice.

“I’m sorry. I… I should have moved faster…”

“Enough. Where did you last see Reina?”

Rochester cut him off. His voice was calm, but his eyes were dead.

Matthias led Rochester to the edge of the cliff. It was the spot where Caesar Prince had jumped off while holding Reina. Rochester’s face turned pale as he looked down at the fierce rapids swirling below.

“Caesar Prince jumped from here with Lady Regfield to escape the wolves.”

“What…?”

Rochester stood at the edge of the cliff and looked down.

The fierce current was creating white foam. If they fell from this height and were swept away by those rapids…

‘No.’

Rochester shook his head.

He shouldn’t think negatively. He might miss signs of Reina’s survival. Reina must be alive. Caesar Prince must have made that choice because he judged it would be safe. Caesar Prince wasn’t someone who acted without thinking.

“We’re currently starting a search going downstream along the river.”

“What about you?”

“I’m investigating the cause of the wolf pack’s behavior. They seemed to be controlled by whistle sounds. And Lady Regfield’s condition was the same. She couldn’t even recognize her own name. But she always reacted to the whistle sounds. Lady Regfield was definitely being controlled for some reason. I was looking for evidence and traces of the criminal.”

Rochester’s jaw hardened. A chill ran through his body as his blood ran cold. Rochester asked coldly.

“Do you think this was an artificially orchestrated situation?”

“…That’s right.”

Matthias nodded his head. Then he added.

“I believe this stage was prepared to harm Reina Regfield.”

Rochester spat out a curse.

Who on earth? Reina had never earned such resentment before. His mind became complicated in an instant. Setting aside the motive for now, he needed to narrow down the suspects.

To prepare such an elaborate stage, it wouldn’t be an ordinary person. Moreover, to have the audacity to do it at the Imperial Hunting Grounds? There was a high possibility they had quite a high status. The criminal was definitely somewhere near that pavilion. Most of those with status high enough to enter here were gathered there.

“What happened to the wolves?”

“Some died and some fled. It happened right after Caesar Prince fell down the cliff with Reina Regfield. The wolves that broke free from control must have acted on their instincts then. I believe the owner of the whistle fled as soon as their target disappeared. And I was searching in the direction Caesar Prince was heading to find the criminal before the situation became more serious.”

Loak pointed to the area he had been searching until just moments ago. Rochester surveyed the surroundings.

Wolf carcasses were scattered everywhere. It was the trace of a fierce battle.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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