Rose de Rosmund's intention to drag her worthless younger brother out from under the earth if necessary wasn't just resolute.
It was fanatical.
If earlier Rose could afford doubts or regret, after his escape, something inside her seemed to have finally broken. Only cold, stubborn determination remained.
And it was precisely this determination that kept the House of Rosmund afloat in the following months.
Because a real nightmare had begun in their lives.
The next few months turned into an endless, exhausting nightmare for the women of the Rosmund family, woven from lies, anxiety, and desperate hopes.
They searched for Gilbert.
They searched everywhere.
Every seedy tavern in the capital. Every dirty inn along the highways. Every northern village where rare travelers stopped. Every southern port where one could disappear among sailors and mercenaries.
They hired people to find him.
Even outright swindlers who, for a handful of coins, were ready to swear they had seen the missing heir just yesterday, even in the middle of the desert.
But Rose didn't care.
The main thing was to search.
And when that wasn't enough, they went even further.
The House of Rosmund paid a huge sum of money to the best private detective in the Empire.
Such a sum that it could have funded a search for the kidnapped heir to the Emperor. But certainly not for some runaway boy from an impoverished count's family.
And yet they paid that money without hesitation.
Let them pawn the last family jewels if necessary.
But they would find that scoundrel.
Find him and drag him home!
For all five of these months, Rose and her mother existed in a state of constant nervous breakdown.
And it was no wonder.
Because their lives were literally hanging by a thread.
After all, several months ago, two events were supposed to have taken place.
Two celebrations.
Two triumphs that were meant to forever change the fate of their family.
The ceremony transferring the title to the new Count — Gilbert de Rosmund.
And his wedding to the heiress of the House of Valentino.
The jewel of the ducal family.
Two incredibly important events.
This was the day that was supposed to bind the House of Rosmund with one of the most powerful families in the entire Empire.
But on the eve…
the main participant in both of these celebrations simply disappeared.
Vanished into the night like a ghost.
Leaving behind only a pathetic, tear-stained letter on his pillow.
And all of this so that Rose and her mother would discover this "pleasant" surprise the next morning and nearly turn grey with horror.
The morning of that day became a true ordeal for them.
An ordeal that, perhaps, no politician in the Empire could have withstood.
The Countess Rosmund, gathering the last remnants of her composure, personally went to the mansion of the House of Valentino.
She played her role impeccably.
A trembling voice. Reddened eyes. Fingers nervously clutching a handkerchief.
She told the Duke Valentino the terrible news.
Her son.
Her precious Gilbert.
Had suddenly been struck down with a severe fever.
The illness was so serious that he could barely breathe, let alone get out of bed.
Naturally, in such a condition, there could be no question of any title-transfer ceremony.
And the wedding…
The wedding would also have to be postponed.
Fortunately for them, the Duke Valentino turned out to be a noble man.
He merely sighed heavily and shook his head.
Theoretically, the marriage could have been conducted in absentia.
Signatures. Seals. Witnesses.
Legally, that would have been enough.
But the Empire's traditions were not empty words.
A wedding of aristocrats of such level was an event that all the nobility attended.
It was a demonstration of power.
It was a political statement.
To deprive the House of Valentino of such a ceremony would have meant an insult.
Therefore, the Duke, with a heavy heart, agreed to postpone the wedding indefinitely.
The problem had been temporarily stifled.
But it was only a patch on a sinking ship.
First and foremost, they needed to find Gilbert.
At any cost.
Five months.
Five long months of searching.
Five months of sleepless nights.
Five months filled with curses directed at the runaway idiot.
And finally…
luck smiled upon them.
One morning, a call rang out in the Rosmund estate.
The very call they had been waiting for so long.
"Lady Rosmund."
The detective, who entered the drawing-room, looked as if he himself didn't quite believe what was happening.
"We have found your brother."
The Countess immediately clutched her heart.
The maids had to urgently bring a sedative.
While her mother was recovering, Rose took charge of the conversation.
She was prepared for anything.
For Gilbert working as a stable boy in some remote village.
For him having joined a monastery.
For him having left the Empire altogether.
"Speak," she commanded.
Her voice sounded calm.
But it rang with steel.
However, the detective's words turned out to be more unexpected than any of her assumptions.
"The thing is…" the detective nervously fidgeted with the brim of his hat. "Your brother… changed his name."
Rose blinked.
"What?"
Something inside her went cold.
"That's why the search took so long," the detective continued. "He completely changed his identity."
So that's how it was…
He hadn't just run away.
He had even renounced his family name.
His family.
Everything.
Did he really dislike the idea of marrying the Valentino heiress that much?!
So much that he decided to erase himself from the Rosmund family?
"Here is the report," the detective handed her a folder.
Rose opened it with trembling fingers.
The pages quickly flashed before her eyes.
Dates. Cities. Witnesses.
And finally…
one name.
"Payns Ravilius."
Rose laughed quietly.
The laugh was short and bitter.
So that's how it was.
Gilbert de Rosmund.
The last hope of their family.
Now bore this pathetic, rootless name.
But the detective still wasn't finished.
"Your brother not only changed his name," he continued cautiously. "He also moved south."
"What?!"
The Countess paled.
"He is currently in the city of Elton."
Elton.
A southern city known for its gardens, mild climate, and wealthy aristocracy.
But Rose felt a bad premonition.
Her younger brother…
this eternally indecisive boy…
had managed not only to change his name but also to move to the other end of the Empire.
He had turned his life upside down.
Just to avoid fulfilling his duty to his family.
"And what exactly is he doing there?" Rose asked coldly.
The detective paused briefly.
"Lord Gilbert…" he said.
"...has submitted documents to the Arden Academy."
"WHAT?!"
This exclamation escaped both Rose and the Countess simultaneously.
The Arden Academy.
One of the three most prestigious educational institutions in the entire Empire.
A forge of ministers. Generals. Future rulers.
A place where only children of the highest aristocracy studied.
And her brother…
that very brother who from childhood complained that history lessons were too boring…
who said that mathematics was torture for normal people…
that very brother had somehow gotten in there?!
"That's impossible!" the Countess breathed out.
"Unfortunately, the information is confirmed," the detective replied calmly. "His documents are masterfully forged. But it was precisely the academy's verification that allowed us to pick up his trail."
Rose was silent.
Blood pulsed heavily in her temples.
"Rose…" her mother squeezed her hand. "What are we going to do now?"
A good question.
While they were here going mad with fear…
while her mother was drinking sedatives…
while detectives were scouring the entire Empire…
this little scoundrel was most likely sitting in a cozy academy cafeteria right now, sipping tea.
To the entire world, he was a seriously ill young man, confined to his bed.
But in reality — he was apparently enjoying student life to the fullest!
Just thinking about it made Rose's jaw tighten.
But it was precisely at that moment that a plan was born in her mind.
Crazy. Dangerous. Almost suicidal.
But there was no other way.
"Mother," Rose said calmly, covering her mother's hand with her own. "Everything will be fine. I will bring Gilbert home soon."
"But how?!"
The Countess looked at her with horror.
Rose smiled slightly.
"I will enroll in the Arden Academy."
"WHAT?!"
"I'll enroll there, find my brother, and bring him back. It's simple."
"Simple?! Rose, do you have any idea what you're saying?!"
At that moment, the detective coughed awkwardly.
"Lady Rosmund… forgive me for interfering."
Rose frowned.
"What?"
The detective spoke cautiously:
"The Arden Academy…"
He hesitated.
"You are aware, aren't you, that this educational institution is intended only for men?"