Alesha was sitting on Ritter's desk, reading a short letter that appeared to be addressed to Delia. Apparently, the girl didn't hesitate to contact him for help.
"So, he has something more important to do..." Alesha says.
"It's rude to read someone else's mail." Ritter takes the letter from her.
"I was just curious. Poor friend of yours, you lied to her," she mocks.
"Actually, no, I didn't lie to her. I do have more important things to do..." Ritter observes her from his seat.
But his hand slides under the skirt of Alesha's dress.
"I see... May I ask what is so important?" Alesha holds the albino's hand to stop what he was doing.
"There is nothing more important than pleasing you. If I leave, I fear you might find someone else and that is something I would not forgive."
Ritter takes the opportunity to stand up and rests his hands on the desk on either side of Alesha, keeping himself close to her face.
"I don't think there is another man capable of replacing you, at least not for now."
Alesha runs her hands over Ritter's face and takes off his glasses. Taking advantage of this, Ritter captures the girl's lips in a passionate kiss.
A reply letter had arrived at the palace. Delia hurried to open it, knowing it was from Ritter. Perhaps he already had news of her father, but disappointment showed on her face after reading the letter's brief contents.
"If the palace guard is looking for him, my intervention is not necessary. I have extremely important matters that I cannot leave unattended just to look for one person."
Delia put down the letter and began to cry. She couldn't believe that Ritter could be so cruel to her. Even though it is only one person, it is her father. Ritter knows him, he must feel at least a little concern for him. Johan, who was entering the room, notices Delia's state and hugs her to calm her down.
"Lord Ritter won't help me. He says the guard can take care of it..." she sobs.
"What? How can he be so unempathetic?" Johan sees the letter and reads it. This only angers him.
He can't believe that this man, who has known the Marquis since childhood, doesn't feel a bit of concern for him.
"Don't worry, I'll send out as many troops as possible. Your father will turn up," Johan promises.
Even so, Delia can't help but feel hurt by Ritter's rejection. She still considers him a friend, but apparently, he is still resentful of what happened between them.
The search continued for a few days in the northern territory, until they finally found the carriage. The guards who were with the Marquis that day assured them that this was the carriage, so they searched the surroundings and the forest, until they finally found a body that had been dead for at most two days. Apparently, everything seemed to indicate that the Marquis had gotten lost in the forest and chose to take his own life. Delia asked them to investigate further, it was not possible that her father could not have gotten out of that forest, let alone take his own life, so Johan asked for an investigation to be done, until finally it was concluded that bandits were the ones who were possibly there until the Marquis died and made it look like a suicide, but by then it was impossible to know which group of bandits had done it.
"I'm sorry, if only I had found him sooner..." Johan laments.
"It's not your fault, Your Highness... He was in a remote territory and the knights couldn't get there sooner." She sobs with her hands covering her face.
"If only Lord Escalante had helped him, he could have found him sooner," he says annoyed.
"It's not your fault... I understand that Lord Ritter also has his occupations..."
Johan can do nothing but hug Delia. Soon it will be the Marquis' funeral, so to help, he himself has taken care of everything.
Shortly after the funeral, news of the Marquis' death was all over the capital and the outskirts, which delayed the celebration of the Prince's and Delia's wedding. Both were to remain in mourning for a month, but Delia was sad; her father would not be there to give her away at the altar. However, as a consolation, the Emperor offered to be the one to walk her down the aisle to the temple, thus relieving Delia's heart a little.
Even though she was in mourning, the Empress did not suspend Delia's classes; she was very strict about learning, since Delia lacked certain manners.
"Mother, she's going through a difficult time, she can continue with everything after the wedding," Johan pleads with her.
"Son, I won't let you be embarrassed at the wedding. I have accepted your marriage, but in return she promised to educate herself. One or two losses should not stop her, this is how an Empress should be, standing firm in the worst of times, just like Lady Alesha Von Hansen, who came out with her head held high, even though she was exiled."
The Empress does not agree with what she did, but she admires the pride that Alesha possesses, for she did not lower her head at any time after receiving her sentence, while Delia only cries and lowers her gaze before everyone, waiting to be rescued.
"Mother, please, I know you always liked Lady Von Hansen, but what she did is unforgivable," Johan assures her.
"Was it really her? I still can't believe she was so obvious as to leave the evidence in plain sight. Anyway, your fiancee must show up for her classes tomorrow, there are no excuses."
The Empress did not wait for her son to make another complaint, for she was not going to change and that girl must receive her classes.
Alesha looks at the nobles' newspaper, there was the news about the Marquis. She knew perfectly well that without evidence they couldn't do anything else. At that moment she thanks that this time, there is no advanced technology.
"You look happy, I suppose you've already read the headline."
"Poor Marquis. You know, I have another great idea, one that will serve very well," Alesha says with a sly smile.
Ritter sits down next to her on the sofa, willing to listen to her idea.
…
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