CHAPTER - 02

• A FEW MOMENTS AFTER ANGELICA DISAPPEARED •

"Haaah, I can’t believe this… That bloody idiot! How could he do this to Onee-sama?!" Charlotte cried out, her voice trembling with rage. She glared at the ceiling of the royal palace, her eyes burning with fury and despair.

Ever since Angelica’s disappearance, the entire palace had been thrown into turmoil. Worry and unease spread like wildfire.

Angelica wasn’t just any ordinary fiancée of the crown prince—she was a highly respected figure within the palace. Charlotte, her younger sister, felt a suffocating weight pressing down on her chest. As Angelica’s sister, she believed it was her duty to protect her, especially in such dire circumstances. Heart pounding, Charlotte swore to find Angelica, no matter the cost.

That night, Charlotte slipped into Angelica’s study, searching for any clues that might explain her sudden disappearance. But the room was empty, save for a few neatly arranged documents on the desk.

She rifled through the papers, hoping to find something—anything—that could shed light on Angelica’s whereabouts. Yet, all she found were tedious official documents.

Just as frustration threatened to consume her, she heard hushed whispers echoing through the corridor.

Steeling herself, Charlotte crept towards the source of the voices—only to find the Crown Prince.

(Why the hell is he here, that bastard?!) she screamed internally, her fists clenching.

But as she observed him more closely, she realised he wasn’t alone. A tall, broad-shouldered man stood partially hidden behind a pillar.

"What are you doing here?" the Crown Prince demanded.

"Heh, didn’t think you’d notice me," the man sneered. "I’m here to ask about Angelica. What did you do to her? Depending on your answer, I might just—" His voice dripped with menace as a deadly aura filled the air.

The Crown Prince stiffened at the threat, but before the man could finish, he suddenly burst into laughter.

"AHAHAHAHA!!! THAT BLOODY NUISANCE, ANGELICA? I’VE WIPED HER OUT!!! DID YOU KNOW? EVEN IN HER FINAL MOMENTS, SHE STILL CALLED MY NAME! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

"You bastard!!!" The man lunged forward, dagger in hand, ready to behead the prince right then and there.

But before the blade could strike, someone suddenly intervened.

"Oi! Are you mad?! He’s the bloody crown prince of this kingdom—we can’t start a war here!" a voice barked. "Focus on the mission—finding Angelica Ojou-sama!"

"Let me go! I’ll kill this bastard right now!" the man roared, his grip tightening around the dagger.

"I get how you feel, but we can’t let emotions take over!" the other man insisted, trying to rein him in.

After a tense moment, the two men finally withdrew, vanishing into the darkness—shortly followed by the Crown Prince himself.

Charlotte, who had been silently listening from the shadows, was left frozen in shock. Her heart pounded violently, her mind spinning.

"T-There’s no way… Onee-sama is really…?" she murmured, her voice shaking with fear. She couldn’t bring herself to believe it—couldn’t even begin to imagine what had happened to Angelica.

But now wasn’t the time to lose herself to despair. She needed to think rationally.

Her mind raced, piecing together the fragments of conversation she had overheard. Angelica, the woman so beloved and relied upon in the palace, had been reduced to nothing more than an object of scorn in the Crown Prince’s words. And those two mysterious men—who were they? What role did they play in all of this? Questions swirled in her mind, each one more troubling than the last.

"I… I have to tell Father," Charlotte whispered, her voice quivering with determination. She couldn’t keep this to herself. Her father had to know.

—

When Charlotte arrived at the Duke’s residence, the entire estate was buzzing with activity.

"Ah, welcome back, Charlotte Ojou-sama," a servant greeted politely.

"Yeah, where’s Father? I need to speak with him," Charlotte asked urgently.

"The Duke is in his study—"

That was all Charlotte needed to hear. Without wasting another second, she bolted towards his office. Every step felt agonisingly slow, every passing second a torment.

Upon reaching the door, she knocked hesitantly before stepping inside, her heart pounding in her chest.

Inside, her father, Duke Maximilian De Valentin, was seated at his desk, scanning through documents.

"Father," Charlotte called out, her voice barely steady.

The Duke looked up and smiled at his daughter. "Ah, Charlotte. What’s the matter? You look troubled."

Taking a deep breath, Charlotte finally let everything out. She recounted Angelica’s disappearance, the conversation she had overheard in the palace corridor, and the horrifying words spoken by the Crown Prince. The weight of her revelation bore down on her, but she knew this was something her father had to hear.

Duke Maximilian listened in grim silence, his expression growing darker with every word.

"This is deeply concerning," he said at last. "We must act swiftly. Angelica’s life may be in danger."

Charlotte nodded, relief washing over her at her father’s support.

The Duke rose from his chair, placing a reassuring hand on Charlotte’s back. "We’ll mobilise the troops immediately. I’ll issue a kingdom-wide search for Angelica."

"I’ll use magic to aid the search," Charlotte added, her resolve hardening.

"Good. I’ll also bring this matter before His Majesty the King."

Charlotte exhaled, feeling a weight lift off her chest. At least they weren’t going to sit idly by. No matter what it took, they would find Angelica and restore justice to the kingdom.

❈ POV: ANGELICA ❈

Back in the present, Angelica sat in the residence of Hasegawa Ren, a renowned businessman on Earth.

A short while later, Hasegawa Ren entered the room.

"Welcome, Angelica," he greeted in a calm yet authoritative tone as he stepped into the drawing room where she had been waiting.

Angelica looked up at him, her expression tense. Her heart pounded with uncertainty. She had no idea what Hasegawa Ren wanted from her, and the unfamiliarity of her situation only heightened her unease.

Ren seated himself across from her, maintaining an air of composure. Then, his sharp gaze flickered towards the servants still lingering in the room.

"You’re dismissed," he instructed coolly.

The servants bowed and quickly exited, leaving the two of them alone.

Silence settled over the room.

Ren studied Angelica carefully, as though weighing his words. Angelica held her breath, anticipation making her chest tighten.

"Angelica," he finally spoke, his voice unwavering. "Tell me—what exactly happened?"