51 TURNING A BLIND EYE

[Seven years ago…]

"FORGIVE ME, Your Grace."

Hendrix shut his eyes tight after hearing those words from Gerald Godric– the captain of his private army. His personal knight didn't have to finish his report for him to know that they had failed.

Again.

"We didn't find the Madam– not even her trace."

His wife, Tabitha Evangeline, disappeared the day the late empress gave birth to the royal princess.

It was also the die that the empress died, and the royal princess disappeared.

Of course, he could tell that those two unfortunate events were orchestrated by people who were eyeing the throne.

He was a person who was already satisfied with his current position. His household had everything– money, power, influence. He thought those things were enough to protect his family, to make people think twice before they touched his household.

But he was wrong.

Perhaps he should have paid more attention to the forces fighting for the throne.

[I shouldn't have let Tabitha become the head of the empress's ladies-in-waiting.]

But Tabitha cared for the late empress a lot. Thus, he didn't have the heart to stop his wife from entering the palace to look after Empress Liane.

"My lord, we won't stop searching for the madam," Gerald Gordic said firmly. "I swear on my life that I will find Lady Tabitha."

"Send your men to observe House Wilson's movement."

He heard his knight gasp.

Hendrix opened his eyes.

He was standing in front of the window. From his spot, he could see Zoe sitting under the tree with pink flowers called 'Corales.'

In the past, Tabitha and Zoe loved having a picnic under that tree.

But right now, his daughter was alone.

And he could tell by Zoe's trembling shoulders that she was crying while holding the diary that Tabitha had left behind.

The sight squeezed his heart painfully.

[My daughter misses her mother as much as I do.]

"My lord, sending our men to observe House Wilson is practically declaring war against them."

He knew that very well.

But he also knew that out of all the noble households in the empire, House Wilson was the greediest. The Wilsons were the only people capable of ruining the Royal Family and oppressing Emperor Rino this way.

After he retired as a war hero, he was determined to live peacefully with his family.

But it was different now.

"Everyone who's observing the politics in the empire knows that only House Wilson could orchestrate the death of the late empress along with the disappearance of the royal princess," Hendrix declared, then he turned around to face Gerald who looked surprised by his bold accusations against House Wilson. "I know in my heart that Tabitha is still alive. But she might have discovered something that she shouldn't have while serving the late empress."

Gerald gulped hard before he asked. "My lord, are you saying that House Wilson might be involved in Lady Tabitha's disappearance?"

"Only the Wilsons are capable of touching our household," Hendrix said firmly. "They have to pay the price for abducting my wife…" He turned to the window. His heart got broken again when he saw Zoe still crying under the shade of her mother's favorite tree. "And for making my daughter cry."

***

"MY LORD, Lady Zoanne has been abducted!"

Hendrix's heart sank to the floor after hearing Anderson's report.

He immediately stood up from his seat and met his secretary halfway while the latter was approaching him. Then he grabbed Anderson by the shoulders.

"What happened?" Hendrix asked, panicking. "How did Zoe get abducted?!"

"I haven't grasped the full situation yet, my lord," Anderson said in a frightened voice, then he raised his trembling hands while holding a letter covered with blood. "Sir Godric sent a messenger to our manor to relay the message. It seems like Sir Godric's entire squad was wiped out. But the assassins left him and a messenger alive to deliver a letter for you–"

He immediately grabbed the bloodied letter from his secretary, then he read the content without missing a beat.

Ah.

His knees buckled as soon as he read the message.

No, it wasn't a message– it was a threat. And he didn't need to guess to know who was behind his daughter's kidnapping.

[They want me to stop looking for Tabitha in exchange of Zoe…?]

He was devastated.

Of course, it wouldn't be easy for him to give up looking for his beloved wife. But he knew Tabitha so well.

[If you were here, you'd choose our daughter over your own life, wouldn't you?]

Tabitha would definitely hate him if he made the wrong choice.

So, with a heavy heart, he made the most difficult decision of his life.

"Tell our people to stop looking for Tabitha," Hendrix declared in a defeated voice, his throat hurt from swallowing his tears. "And from now on, my wife is dead."

***

HENDRIX was starting to get anxious.

It was already past midnight and Zoe hadn't returned home yet.

Earlier, his daughter left the mansion to visit the temple and pray. These days, Zoe had found solace in the temple, so he let his daughter visit often. He thought it was her way of coping with her mother's "death."

But now, he was starting to regret his decision to let his daughter roam the capital freely. Not entirely 'free' because he sent her two guards with her. But if he knew this would happen, he would have sent his entire army with her.

[Did I make the wrong decision again?]

He already mobilized his whole army to look for Zoe.

And yet, no one had found his daughter yet.

"My lord," Anderson said as he rushed into his office. "Lady Zoanne has already returned… my lord!"

His secretary didn't get to finish his report as he ran past him quickly.

He went straight to the mansion's main entrance to greet his daughter. When he arrived at the grand staircase, he composed himself before he walked down the stairs. He also put on a tough face, determined to scold his daughter for coming home late.

"Zoe, what time do you think it is?" Hendrix said coldly when he saw his daughter enter the mansion. "And why did you run away from your guards…"

He trailed off when he saw fear in Zoe's eyes.

And aside from that, his daughter was also looking at him like she didn't recognize her. She was afraid, and her trembling body confirmed it for him.

[She is not my daughter.]

That was what his gut feeling told him.

He knitted his eyebrows. "Who are you?"

"I-I'm Zoanne," his "daughter" said. Then she smiled awkwardly at him. "F-Father, don't you recognize me?"

He clenched his hands tight.

Zoe only referred to herself as 'Zoanne' in front of the servants and other nobles. But to him and his wife, she would always be their little 'Zoe.'

Hendrix felt gutted.

[This 'Zoanne' isn't my daughter.]

***

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