I Don’t Want This Bad Ending

Cassandra immediately went to the room of Evelyn first thing in the morning.

"Is she awake?"

She asked at the maid that was standing in front of the door, waiting for any orders from their mistress.

"She hasn't awakened yet… Lady Cassandra."

The maid is one of the people that Evelyn personally picks up as her personal maid.

So, she is good at picking up on things and knows to adjust well when she senses it. 

Even yesterday night when she saw the lady in the arms of Sir Bern and saw the tattered look of the Lady, she didn't ask and just did her job and tended to the things that Lady Evelyn should have first.

Cassandra looked down at the maid with her droopy eyes.

"I see… I'll wake her up myself so prepare her breakfast and a warm bath."

The maid nodded and immediately walked away to do her orders, based on Cassandra's serious face, it seems that there is an urgent matter that needs to be discussed with the Lady.

'I should go back a bit later so that they can talk…'

***

Cassandra opened the door and saw that Evelyn was already up and was looking outside the window.

"So, you're already awake… how's your body?"

Turning around with a smile, Evelyn replied.

"I'm fine… I got enough rest so my strength came back…"

"That's good…"

Silence suddenly enveloped the room and the singing of the birds and the sound of the leaves touching each other and basking in the sun was what momentarily became the sweet noise in the background.

However, the silence broke when Cassandra walked to the reception area and asked Evelyn to sit down with her.

"Something happened?"

"... yes something did occur last night."

Cassandra started to tell what Chrisfold told them last night.

***

Last night at the dinner table, Bern. Cathy, Sir Erich as well as Cassandra was busy talking about the events that happened during the day as well as the possible future plans that they should set.

However, the door to the dining room was abruptly open and Chrisfold was seen sweating and seemed to have something urgent to tell to them.

"What happened?"

"They're haa not … haaa there"

"What? What's not there?"

"The haaaa... Saintess and haaa… Gil and Alisha… aaah"

"Huh?"

"What did he say?"

All eyes were focused on Chrisfold because they didn't catch what he said because of his breathing getting in the way.

Chrisfold was still panting when he gestured for them to wait as he tried to catch his breath.

"Let me catch a breath first… haaa"

"Alright…"

When Chrisfold confirmed that no staff was in the dining room, he immediately told them what he found out.

"The Saintess… she's missing."

"....."

As if the news was so sudden or that it was shocking or that they didn't understand what Chrisfold just said, no one uttered a word.

"She's not in the designated place that Gil and I agreed to put her and I can't even contact Gil or Alisha." 

Chrisfold continue when he thought that they needed further explanation.

"Wait… let me process this first…" Cathy said as she put both her hands in her head and thought that some variable sprouted that would mess with their plan.

Then, Bern whose arms were folded again in his chest were the one to assess the situation.

"You're telling us that Elise… I mean that proclaimed Saintess was nowhere to be seen? As well as Gil and Alisha who escorted her?"

"That can't be…" 

Cathy quickly links her consciousness to Gil and Alisha to know if the situation was true.

"Hey…! Gil! Answer…! Sister Alisha?!!!"

"I already did that a couple of times… they're not answering."

Chrisfold then scratched his head as an indication that he already did all possible means to try to communicate with them.

After a few seconds as if Cathy had run out of patience, she shouted that echoed in the dining room.

"Chrisfold! Explain!"

"I already told you… I went to the meeting place that was supposed to imprison Elise but they're not there… I even tried to feel their mana if they ever visited there but there was nothing..."

"What?! That can't be… so where are they?" 

Bang!

Cathy slapped the wooden table and was gritting her teeth.

"I'll kill them all if they did something to Sister Alisha…"

"Wait… let's not assume first." Sir Erich butted in.

"That's right… Maybe, they're still on the way?" Bern suggested.

"No… I also went back to the Temple but no one saw them… I searched everywhere near the Temple but no traces of Gil, Alisha and even that Elise was found."

"This becomes serious then… that old man can't be messed by just anyone…"

What Cassandra said made everyone think the same thing. 

If someone is to rank the spirits that Evelyn contracted then Gil would be in the top. Among them he was the first to be contracted by Eve and have more experience among the higher spirits.

And Alisha was a quiet spirit but once you struck a nerve, her patience was the thinnest. So, she's the most unpredictable in them.

Bern, Cathy, Sir Erich and Cassandra begin to ponder at the information that they just received.

"Does it mean that something happened in between?" Cassandra mumbled.

Cassandra abruptly looked up after she thought some things that must have happened when the two were just escorting Elise.

"Where were the last tracks you found?" 

"It was at the back of the Temple… specifically in the back garden."

"Did you find some indication that there must have been a fight that happened?"

"No… there's nothing like that. Their trail suddenly vanished in the middle of the garden."

Chrisfold were flustered at the sudden bombardment of question that came from the last witch which is Cassandra.

Though he knew that it was necessary because of the sudden news that they need to solve right away as they don't know what happened to them.

Still, he was not prepared because it was the first time that Cassandra talk to him first, usually she was always talking to Gil which she was familiar with as she live with him and Evelyn for almost three years.

"Who could it be?" Cassandra mumbled.

Chrisfold, Cathy and Bern immediately thought of someone however because they knew it isn't the time yet they keep their mouth shut.

They felt frustrated because of the restriction that they have after the new Evelyn resurface in this life.

"For now, try to contact Gil and Alisha all the time, we should at least make sure they're safe. Chrisfold and Bern, do me a favor and investigate at the Temple."

Cassandra saw their frustrations in their faces but decided to ignore it. Even if she has the skill of clairvoyance, there are still things that she doesn't know and things that can't be said out loud.

That was why she decided not to ask and propose a plan.

"... we could get a clue if we know where they were last seen … also try to investigate the area where their mana was last used."

Bern and Chrisfold nodded, even if she didn't say it, Bern and Chrsifold already had plans to go back and see the last footprint that they left in the vicinity of the Temple.

The two immediately leave the mansion. The urgency of the matter was on another scale.

If Gil and Alisha countered an enemy that the two of them can't win, then they need to know who it is. 

And if the person that they thought was really involved and decided to reveal himself earlier than the past times then they sure need to prepare themselves for what is to come.

***

"That's what happened…"

Cassandra explained what Chrisfold told them as well as their thoughts.

It was still early and the sun had just risen but Evelyn already had a list of things to do.

"I see… I'll contact Chrisfold later to find out the result of their search, meanwhile, did someone from the palace contact us?"

"The palace?"

Seeing that Cassandra didn't know what she meant about the Palace means that the news of the rebellion was still a secret and the citizens still didn't know about it.

But like a fateful coincidence, the personal maid of Evelyn knocked in urgency.

"Come in… what is it?"

"Lady Evelyn… It's this crystal ball… umm"

"Oh… give it to me…"

"Here it is…"

After Evelyn said her thanks and the maid left, she answered the crystal ball that she named as a video device.

It was ringing and was colored in red that means it came from either Edickart or her cousin Silvester.

Evelyn put her mana and a projector like thing was up in the air.

"I see… I greet your Majesty, the King. May the sun lead you to the right path."

Edickart only smiled.

"I'm still not yet crowned so I'm just acting as one…"

"Is that so..."

"We should discuss the important matter first."

"I agree… then please…"

"Eve… please stop talking so formally. We're the only ones here so you can talk like before… I'm still your friend even though I'm just an ex-fiance"

Hmm… technically, they're not the only ones hearing their conversation because Cassandra was still in the room with Evelyn.

"But how can I talk informally to you, your majesty."

"Eve… for old times sake..."

Evelyn was trying to make use of her etiquette, especially that the male lead, and her former fiance is now the King of the Levinstone Kingdom. She thought that her attitude needs to be adjusted now that Edickart is the one in the throne now however it seems to be in vain.

She sighed as she knew how could persistent Edickart can be when he decides on something.

"As you wish then… Edickart"