"Aria has disappeared!"

Maria was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

She had searched the dining room for the third time.

The dining room—which wasn’t particularly large, lacked many pieces of furniture or potential hiding spots—had nonetheless been scrutinized with the meticulousness of a professional huntress.

But Aria was not there.

"It can’t be..." Maria whispered, clenching her fists in frustration.

If this was just a prank from the girl, she was determined to teach her a lesson about toying with the mental well-being of her maid.

But...

Why would Aria pull a prank like that now?

That was when something clicked in Maria’s mind.

It was impossible for Aria to do something like that...

Aria wasn’t that sort of person!

Panic began to settle in Maria’s chest, and her breathing quickened.

"Alright... I have to calm down... and think..."

Maria checked the library, the corridors, the gardens—she even peeked into the damn basement—but there wasn’t any trace of the girl.

"Damn..."

In a moment of desperation, her eyes turned toward Hugo’s door.

He was the last person in that mansion who might know something.

Maria didn’t want to bother him.

Not after that strange incident with the priestess.

But...

What if that priestess wasn’t really a priestess?

A shiver ran down Maria’s spine.

What if she was an assassin in disguise?

What if she had killed Hugo?

What if now Aria was also in danger?

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Maria had no evidence.

And nothing made any sense.

Yet in her current state, the paranoia building in her mind felt completely justified.

Determined, Maria walked up to Hugo’s door and knocked several times.

"Hugo!" Maria called, raising her voice a bit. "I need to talk to you!"

Silence.

Maria frowned and knocked again, this time harder.

"Hugo, I’m coming in!"

Nothing.

Her heart was pounding.

"Oh, no..." Maria whispered, placing her hand on the doorknob.

And with a lump in her throat, she pushed the door open and entered.

The first thing she noticed was absolute darkness.

A chill ran through her.

She couldn’t see anything—neither Hugo nor any sign of a struggle.

She bit her lip and, without further hesitation, whispered the name of her spirit.

In an instant, a floating flame appeared by her side, lighting the room with its warm glow.

And what she saw...

It was a mess.

The place looked as if it had been ravaged by a tornado.

Books lay open everywhere, crumpled scrolls were scattered on the tables and floor, and cups held remnants of spilled coffee...

And in the midst of it all, a figure coughing weakly.

"What... the heck... is going on...?"

Maria spun around and saw Hugo sitting on the bed.

He was wearing a bathrobe, his hair even more disheveled than usual, and an expression of pure annoyance.

Despite looking like a man on the brink of collapse, he was alive.

Maria felt a momentary relief, but before she could say anything, Hugo frowned.

"Why the hell did you enter my room?!"

His scolding tone made her flinch slightly, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry! But... but it’s just that..."

Maria bit her lip, remembering why she was there in the first place.

"Aria has disappeared!"

Hugo, who had already taken a breath to resume his scolding, suddenly stopped.

His frown deepened even more.

"Get out."

Maria blinked.

"What?"

"I said, get out."

Maria felt her patience snapping.

"But I’m telling you, Aria has disappeared!"

Hugo seemed ready to continue ignoring her… until his brain finally registered what she had said.

"Wait..."

Hugo looked up, now with a bit more interest.

"What did you say?"

Maria clenched her fists.

"That Aria has disappeared! She’s nowhere to be found!"

Hugo fell silent for a moment, then sighed deeply.

"Did you check the kitchen?"

Maria felt a twinge of indignation.

"Obviously! More than three times!"

The old man blinked in surprise.

"More than three times?"

Maria nodded frantically.

"Yes! She’s nowhere to be found!"

Hugo regarded her with an expression that mixed incredulity and irritation.

"... And what the hell were you doing before she disappeared?"

Maria felt her face flush red.

She couldn’t tell him that she had been spying on him.

"I-it’s... complicated to explain..."

Hugo raised an eyebrow, clearly suspicious.

"Uh-huh... sure..."

He ran a hand over his face, as if mustering the strength to deal with the situation.

Finally, he let out a long sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

"Give me five minutes."

Maria blinked.

"Huh?"

"Five minutes," Hugo repeated in a slightly hoarse voice. "Five minutes, and then we’ll look for her."

Maria felt a weight lift off her chest.

"Thank you!"

"Yes, yes, now get out."

He didn’t need to be told twice.

She quickly left the room, closing the door behind her.

Once outside, she leaned against the wall and let out a long sigh.

Her heart was still pounding, but at least now she wasn’t alone in this.

"Please... I hope nothing has happened to her..."

Maria clasped her hands together and closed her eyes, murmuring a prayer.

Because if anything bad had happened to Aria...

Maria knew that Esmeria and Elizabeth would never forgive her.