This marks the start of volume 10 content. Updated the accordingly.

"Freed!"

I ignored Alex's voice that I'd heard from behind and with all my power ran to the room where Lidi should be having the tea party.

Even that small distance is frustrating.

If I had it as a return point of the return magical art I'd be able to leap there in an instant, but I don't usually use that room for meetings.

I didn't mind because inside the castle I could leap to my room or the courtyard, but it splendidly backfired.

Rather than leaping to where I can and running, it's by far closer to run from the office.

The door came into my sight. Perhaps having sensed something, the royal guards waiting by the door tried to enter the room. When they recognized my restless expression, they hurriedly yielded way.

"Y, Your Highness. We heard a woman's cry inside…"

"You stand by here!"

Saying that over my shoulder, I violently opened the door without knocking and burst inside.

"Lidi!!"

When I entered, I immediately noticed a woman crying her eyes beside the sofa. When she recognized me, saying, "Crown Prince…", she broke down crying.

I know this woman.

―― Miriallia von Lowe.

Bertrand's little sister and the young lady Lidi wanted to become closer with.

But, I don't care about such information. I'm searching for Lidi.

Where is my Lidi?

In search for my beloved I impatiently surveyed the room, but there was no Lidi anywhere.

"Where's Lidi!?"

When I pressed Bertrand's little sister, who probably knew the situation, she answered while heaving with sobs.

"I… I am sorry. Princess Consort was kidnapped. It's all… It's all my fault."

"Ah!"

I could tell my complexion changed right away.

The situation I'd been afraid of became reality.

Lidi's not here.

Understanding Lidi had been taken to a place unknown to me, I felt anger well up.

"… Who took Lidi away?"

I spoke in a low voice that surprised even myself.

The welling-up anger was too much to suppress.

Going by Bertrand's story from before, Lidi was taken away by Sahaja's Black. But, who's the mastermind?

When I thought that it could be Prince Maximilian, my whole body grew cold.

That man is aiming at Lidi. It's impossible he wouldn't try to obtain her.

When I thought of that, my head blanked out for a moment.

Lidi being stolen from me?

―― AS IF I'D ALLOW THAT!

"Freed! Calm down!"

The moment I thought fury would stain my vision red, Alex finally burst into the room and grabbed my shoulder from behind.

Shaken with considerable strength, I quickly returned to my senses.

"Please, calm down. Don't you understand your magical power was just about to run out of control?"

"Ah… yeah."

I pressed my hand to my forehead.

When Alex pointed that out, for the first time I realized I was trying to unconsciously release my magical power. I hurriedly suppressed it, but the situation had been quite dangerous. If I hadn't been stopped by Alex, I might have easily blown up even the Royal Castle.

I can normally control my magical power perfectly thanks to the Royal Flower, but I was so furious that apparently I completely lost control.

"I understand you can't calm down since Lidi was kidnapped. But, you won't be able to rescue her like that, right?"

"That's… right."

As Alex soothed me again, I took a small breath.

I got my breathing back in order and shut inside the fury that made me want to scream.

Certainly, as Alex said, there's no point in rampaging now. I must save Lidi as quickly as possible. I must get her back in my grasp. Everything else can wait.

"Say everything you know."

I sharply addressed the young lady who was sitting flopped down on the carpet before my eyes.

She hurriedly prostrated herself and, despite stuttering, began to talk about what had happened.

"… So it was Andre. Just when I thought we lost contact with him."

While listening to the story of the woman in front of us - Miriallia, Alex said so with a bitter face.

Hearing that she was contacted by Black at the victory celebration party and afterwards taken to meet Andre, I also felt bitter.

Andre. My cousin who showed up at the victory celebration party for the first time in a few years.

He was pacified by my uncle and withdrew. But now that this happened, I wish I had cut him down so he would never again appear before us.

Thinking that because I turned a blind eye to him at that time Lidi's not here now, I can only regret leaving him to my uncle.

Afterwards Andre was transferred to a different location, but on the way we lost contact with him. All the carriage escorts were killed and Andre himself went missing.

Andre, who doesn't have the Royal Flower, can't be set free, so using Alex and my subordinates I was searching for him, but ultimately, I couldn't grasp his traces.

By no means did I expect Sahaja's Black to shelter him.

He's still former royalty. I thought he still had some pride left, but apparently, he lost even that. Andre doesn't have a.s.sets to hire Black, and I heard from Cain that Black moves on the King's orders, so he's probably used by the King of Sahaja.

… Andre wouldn't notice anyway.

No, on the contrary, he might be thinking that he is the one using the King. In any case, Andre will only be used and discarded in the end.

But, in this case I'm becoming more and more worried about Lidi.

Black seems to move on the King's orders, so I don't think Prince Maximilian knows about it. He should be aiming for his chance.

While I was intently pondering, Miriallia said.

"L… Lord Andre said. That he wanted to make up with the Crown Prince. And for that he wanted to play a little prank. He wanted my cooperation with it."

Hearing her say that, Alex spat out words.

"A little prank? Even if Andre is royalty, there's no way he'd be forgiven for kidnapping the Crown Prince's fiancée. Moreover, Lidi has been granted the Royal Flower. Kidnapping her who's essentially the Crown Princess ain't a joke."

"Exactly."

I nodded to Alex's words.

Lidi already possesses the qualities of my princess consort.

Even if we aren't married yet, without consent he took away her, who's already recognized as my princess consort. Even if he's given death penalty, he won't be able to complain.

Moreover, Lidi is my mate.

For Wilhelm royalty, mates are one and only irreplaceable existences.

There's no way we could stay silent when they are s.n.a.t.c.hed away.

Sion came after Alex, and while holding his chin in his hand he asked.

"Was it Ms. Miriallia? You said Andre had put a deadly curse on you. I understand an ordinary woman like you could not go against having it put on you. It must have been heartbreaking to give Princess Consort the medicine. The evidence that had been gathered from your desk speaks of that. However, in that case, why are you alive now and able to talk with us?"

At Sion's question, Miriallia said "That's――" and her eyes moistened.

"It's because I received Princess Consort's help. The magic formation activated, and when I thought I'd have no choice but to die, Princess Consort disregarded that she was being kidnapped and helped me. I don't quite understand what method she used, but still, I'm confident that Princess Consort saved me."

"Lidi…"

At Miriallia's words both Alex and Sion closed their eyes.

Both of them understood.

To save Miriallia, Lidi probably used neutralization magic.

She herself was in danger, and yet she still chose to help Miriallia. Listening to the talk about Lidi, my chest overflowed with emotion. Thoughts that couldn't be put into words whirled in my head.

Lidi helped my father and mother, and even Glenn and Helene.

Knowing Miriallia might die, there's no way she could abandon her.

I understand. And yet I thought.

I wish she had called me.

That kind choice was just like Lidi. Even at the spur-of-the-moment she prioritized somebody else.

"That's why I want to keep you within eyeshot…"

I can't help but be anxious when I can't confirm what Lidi's doing with my eyes.

If I take my eyes off her even for a moment, I immediately become uneasy that she could be doing something beyond my expectations.

To be edited