"Huh?" Hector narrowed his eyes at the sound.
"Violet?"
Only then did he notice the tight hug he was in. Looking down, he saw Violet clinging to him.
She barely said a word, just pressed her sad face against Hector's chest.
It seemed she had no intention of letting go until she felt safe.
A few seconds later, she finally spoke, her voice weak.
"I will."
Bam nodded quietly and added,
"I don't work for free… don't forget to pay me!"
Hector froze for a moment, then quickly relaxed.
"Well… that's just how he is," he thought.
Slowly, he let his body relax and hugged Violet more comfortably.
Everything had probably ended.
The sun rose on the horizon as they flew toward the main castle of the Academy.
Even if she had used a tracking device, it was useless.
Something like that was dangerous—maybe he should just throw away the tracking coin Kevin had given him.
Being tracked was annoying, but he still couldn't throw it away because of his deal with Kevin.
All in all, he had a lot to take care of, and he hoped everything would go smoothly today.
And just like that, time passed.
That same day, shocking news spread, leaving everyone at the Academy stunned.
Several major facilities had been destroyed: the library, the gold vault, and the high-level training grounds.
Of course, no one knew who was behind it, but it might be connected to another shocking event.
Tenny had vanished from the Academy.
None of this would have seemed related if the Academy hadn't banned any investigation into the matter.
Clearly, they were hiding something… and the culprit had to be someone of high status.
And Tenny was one of them.
Rumors spread rapidly throughout the Academy as everyone gossiped.
Meanwhile, in the Haley clan, stuff was happening that outsiders knew nothing about.
Tenny had left the clan. Along with her departure, several rare artifacts had been stolen. She was now on the wanted list—worldwide.
…
"Sighhhhh!"
A long, drawn-out sigh drifted through the room.
"Sighhhhh!"
Again.
"Sir! You've sighed like that 20 times already!"
Wren adjusted her glasses, her tone flat.
"I know…" the Principal replied wearily, leaning back in his wooden chair.
He sighed again, staring at the ceiling.
"How am I supposed to explain this to a clan leader? He'll kill me!"
Wren gave a small nod, concern flickering across her face.
"I honestly didn't expect Lady Tenny to do something like this. We need to find her quickly—before she does something even more reckless, something even her father can't fix."
"Yet, she's vanished without a trace."
The Principal nodded.
They had sent countless people to search the Academy and the surrounding areas, but it was useless.
"Maybe she used a teleportation artifact…" Wren muttered, sipping her tea as she sat in another chair.
The Principal said nothing, tapping his fingers lightly against the desk.
After a moment, he finally asked,
"So… Lady Violet… how is she?"
Wren placed a glass of tea on the table and replied, a hint of worry and sadness in her voice,
"She's fine… just a few minor wounds… I left her to Wade."
Hearing that, he finally relaxed his muscles. If anything had happened to Violet, he would surely be dead.
Of course, almost no one truly knew Violet's actual state, except Hector, Bam, and Wade.
"I'm a bit busy, so I need to leave," Wren said suddenly, glancing out the window.
…
"Alright… you can go… but don't forget your mission. You've been getting distracted ever since you got a boyfriend."
Wren lightly shrugged and smiled seductively as she walked toward the exit.
"You can't ban me… I'm not young anymore, Father!"
In a luxurious bedroom, brightly lit by four mana lamps hanging at each corner,
A large bed in this space—big enough for five people. Yet only two girls lay on it, positioned near the top.
Beside the bed stood a grand closet crafted from rare wood and stone, filled with an array of feminine and alluring outfits.
Everything in this room suggested it was exclusively for noblewomen.
And importantly, a faint whimper had been floating throughout this room for some time.
As time passed, it was gradually weaker.
At that moment, a gentle voice, full of love and empathy, emerged.
"Don't worry… I'm here. No one can hurt you."
Wade softly rubbed the top of Violet's head, messing up her hair.
Violet hiccupped after crying for so long, still trying to smooth her hair neatly.
"D-Don't do that anymore…"
Ignoring Violet, Wade simply chuckled and rubbed her head even more.
"You're so cute like that…"
Then she hugged Violet again, resting her cheek against Violet's soft skin.
"I wonder why Tenny would do something so terrible to you…"
Her expression darkened at the mere mention of that name. In truth, she had never believed Tenny to be ruthless. Yet recalling everything that had happened, deep regret weighed heavily on her.
No.
At this moment, she truly regretted it. If she had always stood by Violet's side, none of this would have happened.
And now, everything made sense. Everything Tenny had ever given Violet had only led to trouble.
Violet had entrusted all of it to her, believing she could handle it.
If she ever met Tenny again, she would settle this properly. She didn't want Violet to carry that burden any longer. She would take it on herself.
Above all, she was truly grateful to Hector for everything he had done.
"You should thank Hector… He's a good boy," Wade said.
As soon as Violet heard the name, her expression changed.
Her emotions were in turmoil.
On one hand, she wanted to thank him sincerely.
On the other hand, she didn't want to face him after everything she had done.
She had nearly killed him, scolded him, even told him he should die.
Looking back, she felt a strange emotion swirling in her mind. All her actions had been reckless and stupid.
And worse—she had hugged him tightly for far too long, except her father.
She had never clung to a boy like that before.
Just thinking about it made her want to crawl into a hole and disappear.
Avoiding Wade's gaze, she looked elsewhere and spoke in an evasive tone,
"I-I'll just send… a maid to give that fool the money."
Immediately, Wade furrowed her brows and lightly pinched Violet's soft cheek, speaking seriously,
"Don't be stubborn anymore… If not, I won't play with you."
"I…"
Then Wade continued her moral preaching, just as she often did.
And so, she rambled on for hours until Violet reluctantly agreed.