So the Duchess Disappeared

36. Reachable

Psyche’s expression crumbled in an instant.

Although their voices sounded somewhat distant, Psyche was more astonished by the fact that the duke was present here.

Encountering him at such an unexpected moment, she stiffened.

However, more surprised than her was Johnny and his group.

“Th-That… isn’t that the emblem of the Central Nobility?”

One of the attendants quickly recognized the duke’s emblem from behind and exclaimed.

However, unaware that it belonged to the duke, they could only be amazed.

Johnny also turned his head towards that direction.

Just by looking at the pattern that seemed to be from a high-ranking noble, Johnny felt a sense of dread for no apparent reason.

‘…’

Upon the duke’s entrance, Johnny, now pale with fear, sat trembling in shock.

While facing Psyche, there was nothing in this world that frightened him, but now, it was an entirely different story. It was as if he were a different person.

As he was typically weak to the strong and strong to the weak, facing nobles from the Central Region made him tremble in fear.

If he knew Psyche was the duchess, it might have been different.

Even now, he could do anything if he could find a way into the Central Region, but unfortunately, he couldn’t gather the courage to approach the vicinity of the Central Region.

Neither did he have a title, nor did he possess tremendous wealth. Moreover, he wasn’t a person with significant influence.

He was merely someone who took advantage of those weaker than him and bullied them for anything they had.

Knowing his personality, Psyche chose to be more firm with him today.

Regardless, Johnny, who sensed that his situation was unfavorable, scowled in annoyance.

There was no need to waste time here. It was wise to leave a losing battle quickly. That’s what he thought.

“J-Jeez…”

He muttered curses under his breath.

In fact, Johnny had never believed that Psyche married a noble from the Central Region. He had thought it was just a baseless rumor.

Why would a Central Region noble bother to propose to Psyche and offer her marriage? That was his reasoning.

However, when he arrived at the castle today, the reality struck him. Psyche was alone.

Although Johnny, who believed Psyche married someone just for show, looked down on her husband as an insignificant person, his perspective changed upon facing Clint.

Now, he was realizing that Clint was not an ordinary person.

‘…’

Johnny tried to rise while still holding Kane. At the same time, he opened his mouth.

“Wha-Well, I’ll just leave for now!”

His voice was tinged with frustration.

He raised an uninjured hand, instructing Kane to support him. Kane, distractedly looking towards Clint, finally supported Johnny when he expressed his displeasure.

After that, as if he had never been there in the first place, Johnny swiftly vanished through the back door.

It couldn’t help but be an anticlimactic conclusion.

His escape was strangely rapid, silent, and stealthy, almost comical. However, Psyche couldn’t find amusement in Clint’s appearance.

Eventually, only the Duke’s party, Psyche, and Claude remained in the room.

Psyche glared at the Duke’s party, holding her breath.

If they had noticed her, they would have come straight away, so what made them realize something was amiss?

“He definitely looked directly at me…”.

Despite Clint and Psyche locking eyes at first, he strangely did not move and observed the surroundings in detail.

It seemed like he was looking at something for the first time.

Approaching Psyche, Claude whispered, “Doesn’t something seem off?”

Psyche nodded silently in agreement.

Initially, when they first encountered Clint, he was easily exposed. However, his gaze and movements seemed peculiar.

“What should we do?” Claude asked again in a whisper.

“Wait.”

Psyche put her hand to her mouth, then pointed with her index finger towards the direction of the Duke.

Then Clint began to move slowly.

Alejandro and the other knights also remained vigilant, brandishing their weapons. They crouched low, holding their swords as if they had entered enemy territory.

Observing them, Claude spoke in a hushed tone, “It seems like an illusion charm.”

“….”

Psyche also thought so, and she nodded, conveying her agreement with the assessment.

[It seems that we heard a noise as if people were leaving in a hurry.]

Standing still, Clint spoke while staring ahead.

His voice echoed as if it were a reverberation.

The fact that his voice was heard even though he was nearby meant that the illusion charm had worked effectively on him.

In an unfortunate situation, it was fortunate.

Well, if chasing Johnny out with their appearance was the harvest, then it was a harvest.

If the illusion charm worked correctly on Clint as well, there seemed to be no need to worry further.

“Yeah…”

Psyche acknowledged the fact and cautiously spoke.

However, the opponent was the Duke.

“It does seem to work, but… it seems a bit weak. I hoped our castle wouldn’t be visible at all, but it only looks different. Even we are not visible.”

Psyche added, “It seems like he hears it clearly… but a bit weakly. I was hoping that our castle wouldn’t be visible at all, but it only looks different. We aren’t visible either.”

If illusion charms were used on those who underwent rigorous sword training or physical training, it occasionally led to such results.

When used on ordinary people, it often showed landscapes entirely different from reality to their eyes.

Psyche hoped the illusion charm would have the same effect here.

She did not want their castle to be exposed.

But if the illusion charm worked slightly less effectively on physically capable individuals.

Landmarks were visible, but they appeared as different shapes.

So, Clint and the knights probably mistook Alister Castle for another building.

Fortunately, all the things inside the illusion’s effect were also not visible, so Psyche and Claude were unrecognizable. Still, if they lingered here longer, they might be found out.

[Wasn’t there a castle around here?]

[It seems so.]

[Did we take the wrong path?… I’ve never seen ruins like this before.]

[Weren’t you lost when you first came here, only to meet the lady?]

Then, Clint, who came to Psyche’s mind again, nodded his head strangely.

“We should probably go back. The atmosphere is always eerie in this forest, but it feels particularly uncomfortable every time we come.”

Alejandro feigned excessive shivering as he spoke.

Clint squinted his eyes even more, scanning the surroundings. Scanning the air with his eyes, he precisely stared at where Psyche was standing and slowly spoke.

“Why is there no one here? It feels like I can sense the lady’s presence.”

Psyche shivered as he looked directly at her. A dry gulp passed involuntarily through her throat. She had to be cautious not to breathe too loudly, for fear of being discovered.

He truly was a man with beastly instincts.

“Oh, that can’t be.”

Alejandro shrugged dismissively, showing an indifferent expression.

Who knows how it might backfire on him later.

“Hmm, don’t you feel it? The lady’s scent?”

Clint took a few more steps towards Psyche.

He was getting closer to Psyche because she was precisely in that direction. Claude, surprised, widened his eyes and looked at Clint.

Clint continued to survey the surroundings, taking a few more steps.

As he walked, he gradually approached Psyche.

Her heart was beating too loudly. She gripped her hands tightly in fear that even he might hear it.

“Over here…”

Clint made an odd face and took another step closer to Psyche.

Now, if he took a step closer, he might touch her.

As the contact between the illusion outside and the illusion inside lengthened, the illusion charm’s barrier would break.

Psyche wanted to escape right away, but if she moved, she felt she might really be caught. She stood there frozen, like a statue affixed to the ground.

“Clearly…”

Clint moved again.

Now, he was right beside her.

Psyche looked at the man standing right in front of her, hoping that he couldn’t hear the sound of her heart. It felt like her body was trembling in anticipation of the thumping sound.

Clint stared at Psyche for a long time, as if he was certain she was there.

Eventually, unexpectedly, Alejandro, who hadn’t been seen, approached.

“Do you see any strange illusions?”

“….”

“But there’s nothing here.”

Alejandro spoke indifferently.

Then it happened.

*Ugh…!*

Suddenly, Clint, who had been standing still, reached out his hand as if trying to grab something. As if trying to grab something like a person.

In an instant, his hand swiftly reached towards Psyche’s face.

‘I’ll get you…!’