One Day, My Dad Disappeared - Chapter 15

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 15
“Ugh…”
Even with my eyes closed, the light was blinding. Reflexively, I pulled the blanket over my head and turned away, then snapped my eyes open.
What time was it? I’d slept deeper than I had in ages. I rubbed my eyes and stared at the clock on the wall.
“Damn, it’s already this late?”
I’d gone to bed later than usual yesterday, but still—I couldn’t believe I’d slept until the sun was high overhead.
Maybe the bed was too soft, or perhaps exhaustion from days of traveling had finally caught up with me.
Why hadn’t anyone woken me? It was well past the time Aidan would’ve been up and about his business.
I ran my fingers through my tangled hair and tied it back carelessly. On the narrow desk, yesterday’s dust-covered clothes had been laundered and lay folded, giving off a pleasant scent.
“They could’ve woken me when they brought these.”
I was bound to get an earful from Aidan this morning. It’d be hard to digest breakfast while being lectured, but I’d brought this on myself.
“Ah, you’re awake, miss.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Thanks to Father, I’d managed to gain a noble title, but I still wasn’t used to servants using formal speech with me. After all, it was only the title I’d inherited, not the substance.
A small cottage on a hill in the village—Father and I were the only ones living there. Naturally, there was no one to treat me like a noble lady, and I preferred it that way.
At the Academy, nobles typically spoke informally with each other regardless of rank, yet some had insisted I address them formally.
Of course, I’d ignored them all.
“Young Master is waiting for you in the dining hall.”
“Ah, understood.”
“I’ll show you the way, please follow me.”
As I walked behind the servant, details I’d been too tired to notice last night came into view.
The Wis Region, famed as the most beautiful part of the Southern Region—the empire’s premier tourist destination—with its picturesque coastline.
The Winslow Family Villa, nestled in this prime location, commanded a sweeping view of the sea.
From its location alone, to its architecture and materials, the villa’s scale rivaled the Imperial Palace itself.
It would be wonderful to have a place like this. A summer vacation here with Father—now that would be something.
Just the thought felt good. But reality was harsh: I still hadn’t paid off the loan on our place in the Capital.
The bitterness settled on my tongue. I’d spent such a short time in that house before spending months searching for Father, yet debts kept piling up.
“Young Master, Miss Cynthia has arrived.”
The servant announced formally before an ornately decorated door at the end of a long, straight corridor.
“Show her in.”
Aidan’s voice came through the door. I couldn’t help but check my clothes for wrinkles and smoothed them down with my hands.
What was this feeling? I was more nervous than I’d ever been submitting an assignment to a professor.
Aidan sat at a dining table wider than ten of our home tables put together, his expression rigid and stern. Though Aidan always looked like that, I felt a pang of guilt at having slept so late and lowered my head.
I’d learned during our time working together just how much Aidan despised wasting time.
He was definitely going to lecture me.
Something like, ‘Making someone wait this long shows a complete lack of dignity,’ or ‘Don’t you know basic courtesy? You certainly slept well in someone else’s home,’ delivered with that characteristic mocking gaze.
“I began the investigation as you suggested yesterday.”
But what came out was completely unexpected.
“Ah… yes.”
My response was delayed, but Aidan didn’t seem to mind as he pushed a map toward me.
“I asked my father to look into it, and he was thorough.”
The map showed Central Neodymium with a circle marked on it, and right beside our current location was an X scratched in dark lines.
“The closest location is the Seg River near here. A fisherman discovered it.”
“A fisherman?”
“Yes. But first, sit down.”
At Aidan’s words, I realized I was still standing in the doorway. Just then, the servant returned with a tray laden with steaming dishes.
Any hunger had vanished the moment I heard we’d found a lead, but now that food was right in front of me, my stomach betrayed my resolve with an embarrassing rumble.
“Should we talk while you eat?”
“No, no, please—tell me now.”
At my urging, he nodded and continued.
“The fisherman caught a fish with an unusually distended belly, so he opened it up. Inside, he found a red gemstone. He thought it was a Ruby at first and took it to a Jeweler, but of course it wasn’t.”
Red? Could it be a Southern Region Core?
“But it wasn’t worthless either. The Jeweler said it was clear and brilliant—even more so than a Ruby—and perfectly valuable as a gem, so they agreed to purchase it.”
“So it’s with the Jeweler now?”
“No. His wife wanted to sell immediately, but the fisherman insisted they return home first. Whether he thought letting time pass would increase its value, or whether he wanted to check prices elsewhere, I’m not certain.”
“That makes sense.”
I understood. Without proper knowledge of gems, it would’ve been difficult to sell outright on someone’s word alone. Some dealers tried to lowball unknowing customers that way.
“But in the end, they decided to sell to a Jeweler in the village. The Jeweler provided a substantial Advance Payment upfront, and they agreed to complete the transaction the following day. That night, the gemstone disappeared without a trace.”
“It disappeared?”
“Yes. And now the fisherman is locked in the lord’s dungeon.”
“Could it be that Aclo’s people smuggled it out?”
“There’s no way to know for certain. But thinking back on what Aclo said when we met yesterday, they didn’t seem to know where the Core was either, did they?”
I turned the silver spoon over in my fingers, lost in thought.
They accepted the advance payment and then it vanished? Why would someone hand over such a large sum upfront, only to collect the gemstone the next day?
Normally you’d give the advance and receive the goods immediately.
“In any case, it’s not a gemstone, but if it looks like one, the odds it’s a Core are quite high. The color matches too — that same red from the Southern Region.”
“Seems worth investigating, doesn’t it?”
I nodded.
“Even if we went to Central Neodymium, we’d have nothing but the footprints to go on. Like you said, tracking these sudden occurrences will probably be faster. So let’s eat well first and then set out.”
“All right.”
We needed to hurry. If Aclo had heard even a whisper about this mineral, they’d be moving at once.
I stuffed my mouth full of stew. It had cooled somewhat, but the moment it touched my tongue it seemed to melt away, rich and savory. The hunger I’d been holding back suddenly crashed over me.
Even as I shoved fresh-baked bread into my mouth, I studied the map and documents Aidan had laid out.

* * *

“Excuse me.”
The door creaked open at the sound of my voice, scraping against its hinges.
A gaunt woman stood in the doorway — likely the Fisherman’s Wife. Her skin was burned dark by the sun, her face scattered with blemishes.
She looked hollow-eyed and thin, as if she hadn’t slept properly in days.
“Who are…?”
“I wanted to ask you something.”
I smiled as gently as I could, trying to seem unthreatening. Yet wariness and fear still flickered in the woman’s pupils, trembling faintly.
“Imperial Special Audit Division. We’ve come to ask a few questions about the red mineral you found in the Seg River.”
My effort at diplomacy dissolved as Aidan, standing behind me, abruptly produced an Imperial Seal Identification.
When the ornate golden seal flashed in the sunlight, the woman’s face drained to ash in an instant.
“It’s not fair! We didn’t do anything wrong!”
The woman dropped to her knees, her voice breaking into sobs.

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