“Alice was taken…..by who?”

“That is…….Blake-sama…”

“- What! That guy came here?”

“He had asked me a short while ago when you’d be away. It seems his objective from the beginning was Alice.”

“Alice was his objective…..”

That reminds me, when Claire brought Alice, Blake walked in on us. Maybe, he has been watching Alice from that time?

……No, I can ask questions later. Now I must help Alice.

“When was Alice taken?”

“…..Are you- are you planning on saving her? Do you know what will happen if you act against Blake?”

“….I know.”

Turning Blake into an enemy means turning Caroline into an enemy. I have to prepare for the worst.

But, still, I can’t just abandon Alice.

“Mary, this is an emergency, I’ll definitely help Alice. But, Claire can’t find out about this.”

I tell Mary this and quickly turn to run out of the room to help Alice. I stopped after hearing Mary call out to me.

“Blake took Alice this way, you should be able to catch up if you hurry. Please, bring Alice back.”

“You can trust me, I will definitely bring her back!”

I sprinted out the doorway and headed straight to the mansion. The sun had sank completely over the horizon and the road leading to the mansion had been dyed a pale blue from the light of the blue moon.

I run along the road leading to the mansion, relying on the light of torches put up alongside the path. About halfway to the mansion, I could hear the voices of Alice and a man arguing.

“Don’t think you’re in a position to defy me!”

“I’m not your slave, I belong to Leon-sama!”

“If you’re his slave, then you belong to me as well! Do not resist me, quickly take off your clothes and kneel!”

That disgusting older brother! What is he trying to do to Alice!?

I clench my fist and run toward the bush where the voices can be heard.

“Only Leon-sama is my master! I don’t care what you say!”

“Keep resisting. Do you not realize how terrible I can make his life?”

“——”

“Fuu, apparently I’ve found a way to make you cooperative. Now, do as I said earlier.”

“You coward!”

“………Coward, you say, I’m a coward!? You must be joking!”

I could hear a loud slap echo out from the direction of their voices, at the same time I could hear Alice let out a m.u.f.fled yell. Almost at the same time, I broke through the bushes and jumped out to a small clearing.

I could see Blake standing over Alice with his right hand held high. Alice was kneeling on the ground holding her cheek.

“….Alice!”

I rushed over to Alice.

“…….Leon-sama? Why are you here…….I’m fine, so please go back, Leon-sama.”

Alice’s eyes are filled with desperation. I immediately disregard what she had just said to me. It’s clear why she would say something like that, I could hear Blake threatening her earlier.

Good grief even at a time like this, this girl is worrying about me – I let out a bitter smile. I gently stroke Alice ‘s cherry blossom colored hair to make her feel safe.

“….Leon-sama?”

“It’ll be fine Alice. We made a promise together, remember?”

We’ll become happy together — I think to myself without saying it out loud.