Chapter 17: Finding the Heroine.

Lady Evelyn, Lord Ein and a tired looking Lady Serene were out and about looking through parts of the common dorm, asking questions if they've seen the familiar blonde figure that you can't miss.

"Have you seen Miss Analissa Blanchet?"

"Have any of you ladies seen Miss Analissa?"

"Ugh have you commoners seen another commoner that looks like you but like decent looking?"

The three had their own ways of interrogating the commoner peers but none differently.

Every girl they've asked said, 'no we haven't seen her since this morning.'

It was a mess and the first one to give up was Lady Serene who rolled her eyes waving her hand dismissively. "Clearly she went out if she's not anywhere in the dorms."

Lady Evelyn thinks, where could Analissa have gone since this morning.

She remembers that she has a job after class but... surely she wouldn't go there and leave the egg alone unattended, it seemed that it was not in her nature to do so.

"I'll go check one more time." (Lady Evelyn) mutters walking around the halls of the girl's dormitory for commoners.

Lady Serene's face puffed, she can't believe that her childhood friend was giving this much effort into trying to find a mere commoner. "Ugh! Evelyn! You don't even know this commoner girl-!"

The blue haired companion sighs, placing his hands by his hips looking at the wandering figure of the villainess. "I'll do the same. It must be heavy carrying that egg so you can just stay here. We'll meet up before nightfall."

"Lord Ein, I may have expected you to do this but at least remember your status. You think others will take kindly to your actions?" (Lady Serene) warned him but he just shrugs, finding all the lines of monarchy something to laugh about.

Lord Einsel Loucrat.

The current heir for the dukedom of their home.

His story was supposed to be a well respectable knight like all the other men in his family. Their line of knights came from their great-grandfather who was nothing more but a commoner that enlisted through the demon-human war about a hundred years ago.

He discovered a sword that could Pierce through easily of a demon's skin.

By a thousand kills of records, the blade of the sword has claimed so many souls it was considered one of the remaining divine weapons left in the world that can place humans having an equal foot in terms of power against demons.

He was truly a golden child that respected and uphold everything he needed to until he failed bringing his duty by keeping the most important family heirloom, the divine weapon safe.

"They don't matter to me. My family wasn't always of nobility, we climbed up and earned our place in the line of monarchy for serving the royal family. A line of gallant brave knights, and one that doesn't leave their comrades behind." (Lord Ein) walks away and then leaves to run after the villainess.

The red haired girl was making a confused look.

Everyone seems to have grown attached to Analissa Blanchet?

Her childhood friend was not always like this... sure she was the type of person who cares for her subjects but usually she would just order someone to find what she needs.

This... is something new. The dark purple haired girl looking for her determined to look even on her own. Lady Evelyn seemed to clearly have been subdued!

"Evelyn and even him were wrapped around that commoner's little. I have an inkling she's using witchcraft for such!" (Lady Serene) shakes her head angrily, still carefully holding her egg.

"Hmm..." The red haired girl looks around the commoner dorm hall, she sees that no one was around so she leans into the egg and whispers, "Well at least I have you to accompany me, little one. We can wait here while they find the commoner. I do hope you're warm enough seeing that it's already late in the evening. It can be cold and I worry you'll freeze."

The noble girl huddles up the egg into a gentle embrace before waiting for the two to come back for her in that same spot.

Meanwhile in another place...

Lady Evelyn was walking around the dorms and saw that the blue haired figure was following behind her. "Determined to find her now are we?" (Lord Ein) has finally caught up with the frantic looking girl a little out of breath.

"You seem to be the same. Are you sure you don't see her as more than a friend? Don't think I haven't seen the two of you conserving for a while." (Lady Evelyn) scoffed and still continued walking double checking the dorm halls.

Lord Ein rolls his eyes at the assumption. How utterly ignorant, he certainly questioned the blonde girl's taste in women. Really, he wondered if that baboon just fell for Lady Evelyn's looks.

"Just because we were talking does not mean I am pursuing her. Can't a man have a friendly relationship with the opposite sex?" he asks the villainess who never wavered her look towards the boy.

"Perhaps I thought if you made your claim on Miss Analissa, the crown prince won't be able to come near." (Lady Evelyn) tells Lord Ein who scoffs at her words because of how idiotic it sounds, clearly she's not one to talk.

"Listen to yourself, have you forgotten you two are engaged? At the start he shouldn't be even coming near the girl but- he did at one point and when he looked... out of it. I can't seem to explain it but it was dazed with a bit of..." (Lord Ein) recalls the way that he looked at Miss Analissa who was just doing her duty at her job at the restaurant she worked in.

The crown prince's expression wore, it looked like he couldn't take it anymore and wanted to pounce his claws at Analissa. "He didn't look right."

"He never did, Crown Prince Dereck and I cannot seem to agree on anything. Our engagement is troublesome but it is what my parents wanted of me and I cannot let them down. I cannot let the kingdom down." (Lady Evelyn) muttered the last part of her sentence in a low mutter, the memories of being put in a small box resurfaced and she clenched her fist.

"I know the duty you bear is not light, but if you ever decide to break free from the chains. Know I will-" he stopped talking the moment the villainess held up her arm to stop Lord Ein moving forward.

"What's wrong?" (Lord Ein) asks, a bit surprised, leaning to look at the girl who's expression turned serious.

Lady Evelyn stopped walking because she heard someone say Analissa's name in a very rude manner. "Lower your voice down. Listen... there's people talking on the corner of the hall." she shushes Lord Ein and motioned for him to listen in.

There were several girls talking and laughing among themselves and again, they heard Analissa's name being ridiculed and talked behind her back-

"Jeez I can't believe the likes of Analissa would take the crown prince's attention. Like what does she have that we don't? She's getting too full of herself too."

Lord Ein's eyes widened in disgust. These commoners were the one dragging her name in the mud behind her back, it was distasteful. Clearly Analissa Blanchet has been commendable and hasn't done anything wrong to deserve this.

She was even trying to get away from the crown prince- not get closer.

He was about to reveal himself and teach those girls some manners but a hand stopped him once more. "No. It's not worth it, I believe it's not worth our time and certainly for Analissa's sake we should continue finding her-"

"Ugh I wonder if she's still locked in the bathroom?"

"Who knows? I heard it was under renovation or something. There was a sign and all that- I didn't hear any yelling or anything either."

"Oh- that was my doing- I put the under renovation sign on the door. Besides, someone will probably come in to check it anyway. I'm sure she's fine. Did you guys remember when she said- stop, let me out!"

"Certainly! Oh my she deserved to be-"

When the villainess heard of their laughter, she couldn't finally help herself and imagined the heroine in a bathroom stall, all alone not being able to breathe- trapped and shivering from the cold.

It was just like... That time in the box.

Step! Step!

"You. Did. What?" (Lady Evelyn) walked up to the girls with haste and held one of the girl's uniform collar.

"Where?! Which bathroom stall?! How could you leave her there?!" she aggressively shaked her while the bully panicked in confusion.

It's not always you see a random girl you don’t know just casually grabbing your collar and shaking them.

"E-Eh?!" The commoner girl was now having her uniform pulled up, she looked at Lady Evelyn in confusion. "L-Lady Evelyn! W-What-"

"The girl. Tell me, where is the girl?!" (Lady Evelyn) tightened her hold onto the collar some more seeing that the girl was too afraid to answer she clicked her tongue.

 

How unladylike for her to yell. She put the commoner girl down, the girl groaned and fixed her collar immediately with haste. Lady Evelyn tilts her head slightly and asks, "Apologies, I meant to ask where Analissa Blanchet is?"

The four girls looked at each other all worried. One of them spoke up in a stutter hoping she could save herself from the drastic situation at hand- "A-Analissa? We haven't seen her since this morning you, milady-"

"If you lie again, I will have your tongue cut. I heard you four say her name more than once, and even slip the fact that you locked her where-? Which bathroom is it?" (Lady Evelyn) pushed further and the four girls didn't realize they were covering their mouth with their hand when the noble lady threatened them that she would cut off their tongue.

Fear went inside through their body- one of the bullies could not handle it and immediately snitched. "S-She's in the east wing! A-Agatha ordered to lock her in with a chair! A-And even ordered us to destroy her uniform!"

The girl named Agatha with brown hair glared at her accomplice. "Britney you bitch! You snake! How could you?!" she yells over the almost in tears Britney who pleads and begs for mercy towards the villainess.

"I-I'm sorry milady please don't cut off my tongue!" (Britney) almost kneeled down to the floor but Lord Ein stopped the girl from kneeling. He was watching the whole thing and was surprised that Evelyn- would even utter a threat like that.

Perhaps she's not as heartless as many people would perceive.

"How about instead of begging for forgiveness. Show us where you've locked up Miss Analissa- preferably with haste- she hasn't been into class the whole day meaning-" (Lord Ein) didn't finish his sentence because truly he didn't want his fears to come true for the worst.

He wishes that Analissa has successfully come out of the bathroom lock and is resting at a much safer place like the medical wing of the school...

He stares at the villainess who seemed to be thinking the same thing as him.

"Quickly, take us to her!" (Lady Evelyn) ordered and the girls scampered to lead the way.

"R-Right!"

Agatha and Britney were walking as soon as they could with their other two accomplices in tow and the noble group who was worried for the blonde girl.

When they got to the door of the bathroom stall for commoners- the under renovation sign was still there still it was so quiet- no one was screaming for help or anything.

"N-No one was screaming for help so we assumed she got out." (Britney) told the villainess who angrily glared at her before quickly barging the door open.

Bam!

"Miss Blanchet! Are you here-" (Lady Evelyn) calls at the blonde girl's last name and her heart stopped when she walked inside the bathroom, "No..." she ran towards one of the bathroom stalls that had a chair blocking its way out.

"No... no... no..." she frantically pulls out the chair and opens the door.

"Miss Blanchet!" she ran towards the blonde girl who was in her nightgown and was now laying on the ground breathing heavily with a reddened uncomfortable face. "Are you alright? Wake up... you need to stand up- the floor is cold and-" she felt the girl's arms and it was hot.

"?!" (Lady Evelyn) checked the weak breathing girl's forehead and realized she had a fever.

The noble girl frowned, for the whole day- she was stuck here... in such a cramped and cold place with no food or water.

No wonder she was this weak to call or scream for help anymore!

The four bullies came behind the noble girl who was found kneeling beside Analissa's weak breathing body. They were shocked to find out that she was this easy to be afflicted with a fever.

"Nngh..." (Analissa) grumbled in her sleep, feeling that someone was holding her arms. It felt cold and comforting, she wanted to be enveloped by it in a hug... but strangely, she can't seem to lift her arms up.

"N-No way- what happened to Analissa-" one of the bullies muttered looking horrified.

The others leaned into the stall viewing Analissa's weak breathing. "W-We did this? We thought she- but- oh-"

"I-Is she dead?"

The last question angered the villainess and decided to take the matter into her own hands.

"She's not dead, she's with a cold. If only you fools have the brain cells to even think-! I might have stayed quiet when I heard someone messed with her uniform but this?" (Lady Evelyn) looks at the small cramped stall once more, feeling weak.

The dark room, the hard to breathe places, and to think Miss Blanchet has been stuck... since this morning with nothing to eat.

"This... is going too far." the villainess muttered holding Analissa's back and putting her arm under her legs wrapping her arms around her for support.

The bullies looked down at the ground while the villainess went outside the stall, Lord Ein who was not allowed inside the girl's bathroom waited patiently outside his back pressed against the wall.

When he heard the commotion being over he saw Lady Evelyn carrying a blonde girl around her arms. "Give her to me, she might be too heavy for you milady-"

Lady Evelyn looked at Analissa's suffering expression and frowned.

It feels like if she gave her to Lord Ein she wouldn't be able to contain her worry if she can't see the girl closely- so she shakes her head at the offer. "She's light... No need, I am strong enough to carry Miss Blanchet." (Lady Evelyn) tells Lord Ein who couldn't help but grinning at the scene.

"If you insist, milady. Do give her to me if you're feeling tired." (Lord Ein) tells the girl who now became more determined to quickly get into the medical wing of the school.

"Ngh... stop..." (Analissa) mutters in her sleep proceeding to have a nightmare. She felt like someone put her into a really scary place, it was all dark, no one was there and there were only needles.

Men and Women in white, telling her to stop squirming and let them take a shot.

The hospital was the last thing she wanted to be in.

"No... stop..." the blonde girl squirms around slightly in the villainess' arms.

Lady Evelyn frowns slightly looking at Analissa with a cold, she seems to be in pain and it breaks the villainess' heart wishing that she would stop.

Lord Ein sighs looking over the two love birds. "It seems she's having a nightmare, a common thing with people with fevers." he reassures the girl who nods. Lady Evelyn was certainly a surprise today, first a princess carry now looking worried over the commoner girl?

He always thought she was one of those goody two shoes pawns you can move but she proves to be something more. He takes back what he said where Analissa fell in love only for the looks, her heart is not that bad from the looks of it.

Seeing that the sun was now going down, the sky was turning into an orange hue. Lord Ein was afraid that the medical wing of the school might be closed.

"The medical wing should be closed- its late in the afternoon why don't we take her back to her room?" he suggested seeing that she needed to rest into a comfortable bed, and if he tried to offer for Analissa to stay at his place surely the crown prince will know and will not let him live after knowing.

It's one thing to fear a man, to fear a man madly in love is another thing.

Lady Evelyn looks conflicted, if she leaves the girl to the commoner dorms where it's cramped out of space, cold and even prone to bug bites her mind will not cease to relax. "I will have her in my dorm. I will ask my maids to take care of her- and many of the other nobles would be out at this time."

Lord Ein understands and follows but remembers a grumpy girl who was left behind in the commoner halls in their dorm. "Well then I will go back to Lady Serene's side and tell her of your plan. I do feel horrible for leaving her behind with her little egg, she must be tired waiting for your return."

Lady Evelyn felt guilty forgetting her friend. It seems that she has been so busy looking for her project partner she ignored everything that was in her surrounding.

"That... would be nice. I do apologize for the inconvenience, I would be thankful for your assistance, please do tell Serene of what happened." She tells Lord Ein who smiles looking one last time at Analissa breathing weakly with a slightly reddened face, trusting the villainess for her safety and decides to go in the other direction.

"Be safe now milady, I'll see you in class." (Lord Ein) waves his goodbye before completely disappearing. 

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