Chapter 16- Found

"Haah!" Her eyes were stretched wide and her chest was heaving up and down as she breathed unsteadily.

"What am I…" She left those words at that as Veronica planted her left hand on her wet forehead.

Sweat had soaked through her nightdress, clinging to her skin. Her disheveled hair framed a face flushed with exhaustion, and the once-refined young lady now appeared utterly undone.

That night…changed many things in her life.

Ever since her engagement was annulled Veronica couldn't sleep well. She couldn't talk to her family members as she used to do in the past. Even when she tried to focus on something else, her mind always returned to what happened that night.

Carlisle tricked her…no, he just showed her true face in front of others. She couldn't blame him even when she wanted to.

In the past, Veronica had assumed Carlisle was the type who enjoyed being mistreated. It was a strange belief, especially considering how much he clearly loved being pampered by his family. Yet, it seemed she had shaped that assumption to fit her own perspective.

She was wrong…it seems.

Her words did affect him…and when he assumed that things were going out of hand, he broke up with her…

She still couldn't forget how he looked at that time when he said that he no longer wanted to see her face.

Utterly emotionless.

'I am thinking so much about him these days…' Saying so, she picked up her phone from the table and mindlessly began scrolling the social media using her alternate ID.

She has created this id to follow those people whom, as the lady of an esteemed family, she couldn't. Like actors, pranksters, and all.

"Hmm?" Suddenly, she came across a post of a person who posted pictures of random couples on the street.

Veronica's brows drew closer as she read the caption and saw the picture.

[Found a random cute couple~~~]

In the picture were two children of the same age as hers—having ice cream while walking side by side.

"Carl…and isn't that girl the daughter of his servant…"

Until now, she thought that because he was fed off her loud mouth that caused their break up…however, now,

"You…dumped me for her?" 

*******

"Fuck, stop already!" Shelly heard the groan of the soldier who was behind her.

Someone who has been running all her life until she met her mother and father, Shelly knows how to use her surroundings to her advantage. Controlling her magic to augment her body was something she learned from her elder sister.

While she was far from exhausting her mana, she knew her pursuer was already exhausted after chasing her for the past fifteen minutes. 

To not have them lose confidence in this case, she purposely slowed down a few times and even stumbled intentionally to give them the false hope of nearing their prey.

However, every time, she got away before any hand could touch her.

*BZZ*

Hearing the buzzing sound, a shiver ran down her spine.

And not so long after,

"Come in, Troy? We need assistance here! Troy?!"

Just as she feared, the effect of the EMP has already worn down, and their devices have regained their functionality.

Shelly gritted her teeth…this was too soon and if they returned now, they would surely become a hindrance for her young master.

'I can't let it happen!'

With that thought, Shelly turned on her feet and wore a white mask.

****

The advantage of being Ravenshade—they can get their hands on any map they want.

That's why, finding the map of the church that falls under Ravenshade's jurisdiction was no big deal.

Carl and Victor were making their way inside the church with inaudible footsteps.

They were using the map to navigate through the barely visible gallery. Although they had night vision glasses, to wear them, they had to remove the mask. However, that would be a risky move.

"We can't leave any evidence…most probably, Father would be told to investigate the matter," Victor muttered in a hushed voice.

Carlisle nodded, as he asked, "How far is it?" They were currently heading toward the place which was named 'Storage Room' since Victor believed they should have stored the imprisoned elf in that room.

Well, there weren't many rooms where they could have held her so even if they didn't find her there, they would search the other places as well.

"There," Victor muttered, raising his torch and pointing to the door on the left.

Carlisle gave a short nod and stepped forward, his pulse steady but alert. He reached for the doorknob, hesitating just long enough to assess it.

It… wasn't shining at the top. His stomach tensed. Slowly, he crouched and checked below. A faint glimmer.

"Possibly acid or venom—meant to make the intruder scream," he murmured. Keeping his breath even, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, wrapped it around the knob, and twisted from the bottom.

Click.

The door creaked open an inch—then stopped.

Victor's hand shot out, gripping the door before it could move any further.

Carlisle froze, his eyes flicking to the man in silent question. Victor didn't speak. He simply lifted a finger and pointed upward.

Carlisle followed his gaze—and then he realized.

A thin, near-invisible thread stretched across the top of the door frame. If he had opened the door even a fraction more…

A silent breath left him. That had been too close.

Carefully, he stepped back, heart hammering. "Good catch," he muttered.

Victor smiled at his younger brother before he took a small knife, and, after holding the thread carefully, he cut it from the middle.

Once they ensured that they had removed all the possible traps, they slowly pushed the door and entered the store room.

The room was huge and there were several things kept under covers.

Victor and Carlisle slowly began searching around the place while being cautious about where they were stepping.

Carlisle's eyes landed on several ornaments and decorative pieces which were expensive.

He was about to turn and check the other side, when Victor called out, "Carl."

The said boy turned towards his brother, only to find him standing before a big cage.

Approaching the cage, he found a very thin blue-haired elf sleeping inside. Her face was pale, and because of the cold, she was curled up in the middle. 

Carlisle sighed. Unlike what he believed, he was actually nervous about whether she was alive or not.

Guess, he was lucky.

******

A/N:- Thanks for reading. Add the book to your collection.