Ophelia returned to the Nocturne estate, her face ashen, and immediately sent her servants out to find news of Eleonora.
But everyone came back empty–handed.
No one knew where she was.
“That bitch! That damn bitch!” Ophelia screamed furiously in the courtyard, no longer caring who might hear her.
She had always thought Eleonora was easy to control–a spineless pushover.
She never expected that girl to stab her in the back at such a critical moment.
What now? If she couldn’t come up with the money…
All of her dirty secrets would be exposed.
And then there were Eleonora’s parents… and Sebastian…
She forced herself to calm down and returned to her room.
Not long after, Eleonora’s parents and Sebastian pushed open her door and entered.
Ophelia quickly put on a smile, pretending nothing had happened.
“Father, Mother, Your Grace–you’re here.”
As usual, her mother fussed over her for a while, then glanced around the room with a puzzled
frown.
“Huh? Eleonora didn’t come with us?”
Ophelia’s heart skipped a beat.
She
Mother.”
lifted her brows and forced a bright smile. “No,
“Ellie handed all her businesses over to me. Maybe she’s finally relaxing and went out for a bit.”
Father sighed. “That girl–still as disobedient as ever.”
“All we asked was for her to help you out, and she starts making excuses.”
Then he turned to the butler. “Go look for her.”
But the butler looked hesitant.
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“Sir, we’ve already searched. Everyone says they haven’t seen the young lady.”
“Not seen her?” Father frowned. “Then she really must have gone out.”
“What is wrong with Eleonora? Acting like helping Ophelia is such a huge deal. Who knows what she’s upset about this time,” Mother said, clearly annoyed.
Ophelia stood to the side, the corner of her lips curling up.
See, Eleonora? This is exactly what I wanted.
Even if you hate me so much you could cough up blood-
I’m still doing just fine.
So what if your shops and land are protected?
Your parents, your husband–they’ll still give me more than enough money to spend.
After a few more words of concern and some questions about her health, her parents left.
But something felt off.
Ophelia couldn’t shake the feeling that, for some reason, their attitude toward her had changed
Meanwhile, Sebastian had just returned from the palace, exhausted.
He sank into a chair, closed his eyes, and tried to rest–but the fatigue clung to him.
“Ellie? Bring me a cup of coffee.”
Silence.
He sat up, looking around.
It hit him then–Eleonora hadn’t been home in three days.
“Someone come in,” he called.
A servant entered. “Your Grace, the Duchess hasn’t been seen in days. The Nocturne family is searching for her as well.”
Sebastian frowned. “She’s been gone for days?”
Now that he thought about it… he hadn’t even noticed her absence before.
Why hadn’t he?
Chapter 6
His eyes swept the room. He was often busy, but the space was always clean and tidy.
On the desk, Eleonora’s handwritten notes still lay scattered–most of them reminders to take care
of himself, to rest more.
He rarely read them. Some he had even tossed aside.
His chest tightened.
It dawned on him just how much he had neglected Eleonora over the years.
He had met her during their coming–of–age ceremony. That was also when he’d met Ophelia.
If he had to describe their personalities-
Eleonora was like a still lake, calm and composed no matter what happened. She was meticulous in handling affairs and business.
Ophelia, on the other hand, was lively and carefree, cheerful and full of energy–like a little rabbit bouncing about.
Whenever he met with Eleonora, he always seemed to “coincidentally” run into Ophelia, too.
Her sweet, thoughtful gestures and perfect timing made him pause more than once.
But did he really love Ophelia?
Not really.
Eleonora never sought praise or clung to him. But Ophelia had no hesitation showering him with
compliments.
He had simply gotten swept up in the sweetness of it all.
Deep down, he knew–Eleonora was the one who truly cared for him.
He had always seen Ophelia as a sister. They were all family, after all. It didn’t seem right to push her away too harshly.
But then Eleonora had started acting like she’d gone mad–constantly targeting Ophelia. She’d
never been like that before.
And now, she had vanished.
Sebastian sighed.
Eleonora used to always come home. Never once had she disappeared like this.
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Maybe she really was angry at him this time…
Sebastian headed into the bathroom for a soak.
She was probably out trying to clear her head. Surely, she’d be back in a few days.
