Chapter 15: Before the Wedding ⑭ ~Sparks Fly~

Raffaello Faberti, Count Faberti, had been forced to send only the invitation ahead due to sudden work, and upon hearing that his friend Edel had gone missing, his beautiful face twisted openly with irritation.
Inside a room of the Viscount Earclut’s mansion, the young man with finely sculpted features, blond hair, and blue eyes hurled vicious curses at the kidnappers.

“Don’t screw with me.
Of all people, you dragged Edel into this…!!
I don’t care who’s behind it, I’ll crush them.”

The crude language, completely unlike his usual self, made everyone around him pale.

“I agree completely, but crushing them is my role.”

The only one who said this without changing her expression was Aria.
Despite Edel’s wish, Aria had not stayed quietly in the castle and had rushed straight to the scene.
At the same time, Raffaello had also arrived, and upon being told that Edel and others had been kidnapped, he was now seething with rage.

“Count Faberti, you also believe Edel was caught up in this?”
“Of course.
At that point, there was no reason for Edel himself to be targeted.
I didn’t even know about your relationship with him, Margrave Lodnight, so I can’t imagine anyone else knowing either.”
“Edel should have been carrying your invitation.”
“Exactly.
There’s no reason to kidnap Edel just to deliberately make an enemy of me.
The real cause of this mess is that violin.
Someone probably kidnapped the Viscount and the chosen student because they wanted the violin.
Edel just happened to be there.
For some reason, he’s always getting dragged into that kind of trouble.”

Even the first time they met, Edel had been caught up in someone else’s mess and harassed by rough-looking men.
He always looked easygoing and prone to getting dragged into things, yet somehow came out unscathed every time, which was baffling.
He must have gotten tangled up with something strange again and ended up caught by this Empress as well.
Instead of sending a letter saying “I’m fine,” he should have written “Help me properly.”
If he had, Raffaello could have saved him before he fell into the Empress’s clutches.

“Stand down, Count Faberti.
Rescuing my husband is the duty of me, his wife.”
“My invitation was what put my best friend in danger.
Ensuring his safety is my responsibility.”

To those watching, sparks were visibly flying between the two.
If possible, they would also like the Viscount and the student to be rescued, but no one quite knew how to bring that up.
Well, if Edel was safe, they probably were too.

“Hmph.
Unfortunately for you, Count, you don’t have many people here to act as your hands and feet.
The ones I brought are elites even within our army.
They’ll find the hidden passages in this mansion in no time.”
“We’ll see about that.
This mansion is old.
Even the Viscount himself says he doesn’t know how many hidden passages there are.
My people, who have visited several times, are more familiar with this place.”

(…Please don’t compete over something this ridiculous.)

The inner thoughts of the members of the Viscount Earclut house, the Margrave Lodnight house, and the Faberti house were perfectly aligned.

At this very moment, Aria and Raffaello’s subordinates were racing through the mansion, searching for the hidden passages that had likely been used.
They were focusing especially on the room where the student named Jessie had been staying and the room where the Viscount had last been seen, but the passages were cleverly concealed and had yet to be found.
It seemed the mansion hid a vast space between its outer and inner walls, forming a maze-like structure.
The mechanisms concealing the entrances were so masterfully designed that, under normal circumstances, Aria would have praised the architect.

But this was an obstruction.
In an era long past wartime, such a labyrinth was unnecessary in a neighboring lord’s residence.

Aria had granted her subordinates permission for a certain amount of destruction in the name of ensuring her husband’s safety.
However, since many of them were exceptionally strong, that “certain amount” might go too far.
Once this incident was resolved, she intended to suggest that the Viscount rebuild the mansion, which would likely suffer damage throughout.
Naturally, the Margrave Lodnight house would cover the costs.
She would even arrange the materials and manpower if needed.

“There isn’t much time left before the wedding.
We must find Edel and bring him back quickly.”
“What?
Wedding?
Whose?”
“Obviously, mine and Edel’s.”
“…Just to be sure, which one of you is wearing the wedding dress?”
“Obviously, Edel.”
“I see.
That’s a relief.
Edel in men’s clothing would be impossible.”

(Wait—
Edel is the Margrave’s husband, right?
Husband equals male, right?
Men’s clothing?
What exactly is men’s clothing?
And who is supposed to wear the wedding dress again?)

The statement only deepened the confusion among those not belonging to the Margrave Lodnight house, but no one let it show on their face.
For some reason, it felt like showing it would be a mistake.
They all did their best to remain professional.

“Since you are Edel’s friend, I will send you an invitation.
On that day, you may admire a beautifully adorned Edel.”

As Aria said this with a triumphant smile, Raffaello clicked his tongue.

(Wait, so Edel is… male?
He is male, right?
Or… maybe not?)

Whether to support the Margrave couple or to support the bond of friendship between two men was a matter of personal preference.
And so, no one voiced their thoughts aloud.