Night of Eden 70

 Chapter 70

***

It must have been the scattered rain of the previous morning. The forest path was damp and the hoof prints were clear.

Dana was able to spot Rothesandra not long after entering the forest.

At first, she was overjoyed and trotted over to the horse. But at the slightest rustle, it was startled and took off running.

Dana didn't give up and continued to chase after the horse, deliberately stepping only on soft, leafless soil because she didn't want to repeat the same mistake.

Luckily, the footprints continued.

The second stop was a flat area with a small stream of water. Rothesandra was there, licking and drinking.

Dana held her breath, waiting for the right moment.

The horse paced nervously back and forth, trotting alone and slapping the water with its forelegs.

Dana approached, slowly, very carefully. Slower and more deliberate than a turtle, she was within reach. She waited patiently, resisting the urge to snatch the reins right away.

But then a new problem arose.

Snap!

There was a sharp sound and something flew out of the bushes. It could have been a bird, or it could have been a flying squirrel. Whatever its true identity, it was enough to startle the sensitive horse again.

"Ah...!"

Rothesandra took off again, leaving only Dana's stricken screams to echo in the empty air. Then the horse stopped again, this time not too far away.

Before following, Dana looked in all directions.

The sky was growing darker by the minute. Butler Stan had always warned her not to roam the woods so late. So it was only right to try one more time, and if it didn't work, turn back.

Dana walked slowly, as if for the last time. She paused behind a wooden post to watch the occasional wagging of the horse's tail, and before she knew it, sweat was pouring down her forehead. Her head was filled with despair that she would miss again.

Dana gave up and just stretched her arms out toward the line.

Surely she would miss again, she thought. But the reins, which she had been clinging to so desperately, were too easily grasped.

She jerked back, expecting the horse to struggle, and then realized that nothing had happened. Her tightly closed eyes slowly opened.

"Huh?"

Rothesandra turned to face Dana, her eyes squeezed shut as if she'd been running away for a while. A smile slowly tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"If I knew this was going to happen, why did I bother?"

Part of her was pleased; this would free the lady from feeling indebted to her fiancé.

"Thank you."

Dana patted the horse on the back and started walking back the way she had come.

In the distance, she could see a large wooden sign.

It led to the Shore. Deeper in was Etia's hut.

...Should she just take it to the Shore?

She stared at the sign, then shook her head. To be sure, it would be better to take it to the lady herself.

Dana continued walking in the direction of Belvida. The path narrowed, and instead of soft dirt, she stepped on tree roots and stones. The trees on all sides grew denser.

As Dana made her way down the sloping path, grabbing onto trees to keep from slipping, she stopped dead in her tracks.

...It was strange.

The smile faded from her face.

‘Where... should I go?’

The landscape before her was strangely unfamiliar.

The fog was rolling in from all directions.

***

"She’s not back yet?"

Liana stood frozen in place. She blinked, her long lashes fluttering, her dark blue pupils coldly rigid with each movement.

Stan could only tilt his head in confusion. Why was the lady here, looking for her maid who was supposed to be her guide?

"Didn’t she come with you….?”

Stan stared into the strangely pale face of the young woman.

"Liana."

One of the ladies glanced toward them as she untied her hat.

"Has the girl come back with Rothesandra?"

It was an odd question indeed, and Stan noticed that the young woman didn't frown, but flinched as if she had been caught stealing.

"Uh... No, but don't worry. Back at the stables... now... I'll take care of it."

With that, the young lady went white and didn't even turn her head toward her friend. Stan could guess now what had happened. His throat stiffened with shock.

"Tobias."

Stan frantically called for the coachman.

"Come here."

***

Edwin stepped through the tumultuous hall. He staggered slightly as he walked along the corridor.

His body was slightly staggered as he walked down the hall. The faint intoxication was snowballing.

He didn't shy away from people, but the situation in Pemburg was not completely resolved. The resistance movements that had been spreading like wildfire across the continent lately were alarming and not something he could handle alone.

Edwin was supposed to accompany the Minister of State to see the King as soon as the party was over.

That wasn't the only thing he had to do.

In three days, he had to visit Archduke Eston and meet with the banker to double-check the size of the debt.

He also had to practice for the Continental Cup qualifiers. In truth, he didn't have much desire to compete. But the rest of the team was risking their lives for this match, and he wanted to win as much as Theodore did.

He also had to prepare for Liana's wedding. Seeing their father, who hadn't been home in two months and didn't know when he'd die, was also at the top of the list of priorities.

He was so tired his eyes felt like they were going to fall out. He had to catch up on sleep when he could, even if it was only for a few hours.

But for today, he wanted to see Dana.

He had to soothe her anxiety about Marcus, ask her why she hadn't worn the new clothes he had bought her, why the head maid hadn't given her an assistant, and so on.

In just a few days, she had changed again. Her eyes were calmer, and she had a pensive look in them, like a mournful bird. The curves of her maturity, which he had thought of as cute before, were becoming increasingly noticeable.

What made him more impatient than anything else was the fact that he didn't want to be vague with Dana any further.

He had to make sure she knew that the only reason he wasn't seeing her was because he was suffocatingly busy. He was afraid she would get discouraged and give up on him, especially now that she had a man to marry.

How surprised would she be if he showed up unexpectedly like this?

He must confess that he missed her, that he couldn't stop thinking about her.

...What kind of a man she’s going to marry, anyway? She doesn’t really love him deeply, does she?

As he staggered along with his thoughts, someone stopped in front of him. A face that had been smiling to itself, looking off into thin air, slowly lifted up.

"Master!"

Stan's face was contemplative.

"I have something to tell you. It's urgent."

****

The search needed to be as stealthy as possible.

Tomorrow's match was a qualifier for the Continental Cup polo tournament, and the Continental Cup was a very important event, involving even the royal teams of other countries.

Theodore's team, the Liberty Club, was the runner-up in the last tournament, and the number of reporters who had come to cover it could be counted on the fingers of one hand. Under the circumstances, it would do no good for the horse and maid to be known to be missing.

Stan gathered only the servants who were tight-lipped and secretly summoned them to the stables.

"Let's divide them into sections."

Head trainer Watkinson stepped forward.

"We'll start at the beech tree, the beginning of the Corinthian Forest, and from there, the waterfall, the cedar grove, Ronda's Cliffs... where else?"

"Shouldn't we go as far as the Rocks?"

"Up there?"

"Don't you remember, the buggy once ran away on a walk, just like Rothesandra, and was found on the other side of the Corinthian forest."

Stan's face took on a serious glow.

It would take an entire army of servants to search through thousands of acres of forest, and they couldn't be preoccupied with finding a maid before such a big event.

"Only go as far as the cliffs. It's too far to the hot springs or caves, and it's dangerous."

Everyone nodded.

"We'd better split up into groups of two."

A dozen men nodded and each mounted a horse. There were also several hounds.

"Let's go!"

"Yes, let's go!"

Waiting for the men to disperse, Stan turned to the two shadows a few paces away.

"Thank you, Master Theodore. Your telling us to focus on finding the maid rather than Rothesandra has put our minds at ease."

"Of course, the people before the horse."

Tilly replied, stepping forward.

"I and the master can find Rothesandra easily. Of course, if they find it along the way, so much the better. Now that we've sent a man to the Shore, the Shore's servants will be on their way."

Meanwhile, Theodore was already on his horse.

Edwin, who had been watching wordlessly, rode up to him. He looked very confused and helpless.

"I'm sorry, Teddy. We have a big game coming up... I can't believe I put you through this...."

Theodore's eyes were black as night as he looked down at Edwin.

"...I'm sure Liana's upset, too, and I'm sure she's realizing how stupid she was and regretting it immensely."

"...."

"I'm going to go to her and give her a firm talking-to, scolding if necessary. So, Theodore, please... I hope you don't blame Liana for my sake. And... Dana...."

Edwin ran a hand through his hair roughly as he spoke.

"...I'll find her somehow,... I'll... somehow...."

His words trailed off. Theodore spurred on his horse and galloped away without waiting for him to finish talking.

"Master!"

Tilly called after him, panting.

His hooves pounded frantically on the polished stone.

****

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