“I’m back.”
That evening, Lloyd came home a little earlier than usual. As he crossed the threshold, he expected Chloe and her usual greeting of “Welcome home” to preempt his, but today, she wasn’t there.
Lloyd took off his boots and stepped further inside. “Chloe?” he called out, his voice echoing in the silence. No response from the living room, nor from any other part of the house for that matter.
Sinking into a dining chair, he crossed his arms and knitted his brow in contemplation. It’d been ages since he’d returned to an empty home. The silence was hollow, eerie; it wrapped around him like a cold, damp blanket. With every passing second, the unnerving echo of his disquiet grew louder and louder.
Something wasn’t right. He recognized this unease, a silent alarm forged from his past brushes with death and sharpened by the rigor of his knightly training. It was his sixth sense, a warning that struck him in moments of imminent peril—and it was currently screaming at him.
Chloe was a responsible and diligent housekeeper. As far as he knew, she’d never slipped up once in her tasks. Every night, he’d return to a home swept clean, meals prepared, and a bath drawn—unfailingly. The likelihood of her disappearing without so much as a note was as close to impossible as he could imagine.
The dreaded thought finally gnawed at him: Something might have happened to her.
Panic surged in his chest, and Lloyd shot to his feet. By the time his chair clattered onto the ground, he was already out the door.
Bursting from his home, Lloyd was propelled by a sense of urgency, his mind consumed with the compulsion to find her. A voice in the back of his mind tried to reason with him, suggesting he was overreacting. After all, it hadn’t been long since Chloe had opened up to him, and her tragic history was still fresh on his mind. Was he reading too deeply into her sudden absence, letting his emotions color his judgment?
Yet, he couldn’t shake off his fear. His training as a knight had taught him to always consider the worst possible outcome—and right now, that outcome was all that was on his mind.
So he moved. He moved because he was afraid, not of the possibility that he might be wrong, but of the unthinkable reality if he were right.
I’m a creature of habit is all. After you leave, I sweep the floors, do the laundry... Then, it’s off to the market for groceries. When I get home, I prepare dinner.
That was what Chloe had once told him. Considering she would likely be at the market at this hour, Lloyd quickened his pace.
✦ ✦ ✦
Chloe, where are you?!
Lloyd scoured the Quarter, combing through all the major thoroughfares, but Chloe remained elusive.
Calm down.
He halted, realizing he needed a better strategy than mindlessly sweeping every corner of the Merchant Quarter’s open market.
Think, Lloyd, think.
He strained his thoughts, trying to find any clue, any hint to follow.
Then, he remembered.
Well, I had hoped to take you to my favorite stall, but they’re closed today.
Chloe had a preferred stall. She’d told him she usually bought all her ingredients from there. Then, another memory sparked in his mind.
It’s for Miss Ciel.
Is that the stall owner you’re always talking about?
Yes, exactly!
Now he had a lead. A grocery stall run by a Miss Ciel...
With renewed determination, he set off again. Luckily, Ciel was well known. A passerby was able to point him in the right direction instantly and before long, he arrived at her stall.
“Welcome!” Ciel said, noticing Lloyd. “By the looks of that uniform, you’re a knight. What can I get for ya?”
“Apologies, I’m not here to shop,” Lloyd responded. Realizing this rather robust, gregarious lady before him must have been Ciel, he cut to the chase. “Do you know Chloe?”
“Chloe? The only Chloe I know is...”
“A young woman, in her late teens, rather petite, with pink hair?”
“That’s her! Hold on, you must be”—Ciel surveyed Lloyd from head to toe—“that knight of hers, aren’t you?”
“I am a knight, and I do employ Chloe as my housekeeper, yes.”
“I’ve heard so much about you!” Ciel whistled. “Well, now we know why she’s so hung up on ya—can’t say I blame her,” she said, nodding appreciatively.
“Um.”
“Ope, sorry, sorry. What were we talking about again? Chloe? Are ya looking for her?”
“I am. She’s usually home by this hour, but she’s nowhere to be found.”
“That’s strange...” Ciel replied, “She was here just an hour ago, all bubbly and giggly, excited to cook up something fancy for the night.” She stroked her chin thoughtfully. “You know what? It could be her business with that lady that’s keeping her.”
“That lady?” Lloyd echoed.
“Right. A noblewoman—she wanted to hire Chloe to do some embroidery work. They met just out front here and left together.”
Lloyd felt a chill run down his spine.
“Excuse me,” a new voice interjected, “but I happened to see them.”
A nearby shopper approached. He wore a pair of round, antique glasses and had the air of a gentle soul.
“And you are?” Lloyd asked.
“My name is Ian, I own a bookstore. Chloe is a regular customer of mine.”
“Do you know anything, Ian?” Ciel asked.
“Yes. About an hour ago, I was out sweeping my storefront when I noticed Chloe heading down West Avenue. In her company was a lady, as well as two other men.”
“Right, right. I remember those guys,” Ciel replied. “That lady, by the way, is the daughter of the Margrave of Ardennes!”
“Ardennes...?” Lloyd murmured.
My full name is Chloe Ardennes. I am the second daughter of the Margrave of Ardennes.
“Shit!” Without warning, Lloyd seized Ian’s shoulders. “Did you see where they went?!”
Eyes wide, Ian stammered back, “I-I saw them head down West Avenue, but as for their exact destination, I’m afraid I...”
Lloyd clenched his jaw. “I see...”
The lady in question had to be her family—the same people who had abused and confined her for years. Chloe was in their grasp now. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Lloyd turned towards West Avenue. He was running out of time.
“Hold on,” Ciel’s voice rang out, the seriousness of her tone arresting him. “Tell us, Mister Knight, is Chloe in some kind of trouble?”
Ciel, the master merchant, displayed a keen perceptiveness akin to Lloyd’s. From his reaction, she surmised that something was awry.
“Is she? I can’t say for sure, but it is extremely likely,” Lloyd responded. “As for what kind of trouble she’s in, I’m afraid I...can’t elaborate.”
“Have you notified the city guard?”
“I opted not to; I have my reasons.”
“I see.”
Lloyd remained tight-lipped about Chloe’s circumstances. It hardly seemed like the appropriate time and occasion to divulge her history.
“Things are complicated, eh?” Ciel added.
“They are. Sorry.”
“In that case, you were right to come to me.”
“Excuse me?”
Suddenly, Ciel took a deep breath. “Folks, I need your attention, please!” Her voice echoed across the open market, the volume catching Lloyd off guard. The bustling din of the market receded, and all the various shop owners, customers, and passersby turned their focus to Ciel’s stand.
When she was certain she had everyone’s attention, Ciel thundered, “Listen up, we need your help! Our dear Chloe has gone missing! If you have time to spare, please assist us in finding her!”
“What?!” someone shouted. “Chloe’s missing?!”
“This is an emergency!” another cried out. “We gotta go look for her!”
“What can I do to help?”
In no time at all, a small crowd had gathered around Ciel’s stand.
“What is...happening?” Lloyd said, utterly baffled.
“Think of it as calling in a few favors,” Ciel replied with a grin. She put her hands on her hips and laughed heartily.
“I...I can’t believe it. You’re incredible,” Lloyd confessed, his eyes glimmering with respect for the merchant woman.
“Well, to be fair, they’re rallying more for Chloe’s sake than for mine—they really do like her around here.”
Lloyd couldn’t help but acknowledge the truth in her words. Chloe possessed a unique allure, a magnetic charm that ensnared the hearts of those around her. Of this, he was sure—after all, he himself had fallen under that enchanting spell.
“Thank you all for gathering on such short notice!” As Chloe aficionados convened around her, Ciel began explaining the situation: they were seeking information, eyewitness accounts, help in spreading the word, and a commitment to refrain from involving the city guard. Almost immediately, information began pouring in.
“Me, I saw her!” a female voice shouted.
“I saw her too—while on a delivery run!” another added.
Hands flew up, one after another, as everyone eagerly offered their individual piece of the puzzle. With each account, a more coherent picture began to emerge: Chloe had been taken westward, to a hotel district frequently used by the nobility. That theory seemed to align with the nature of her company.
“I didn’t expect to gather all this testimony so quickly...” Lloyd remarked.
“Us North District market folk are a tight-knit community; we look out for our own,” Ciel responded.
A few more statements later, and they even had the name of the hotel Chloe had been taken to: The Hotel Revelion, as identified by a coachman.
“The Hotel Revelion... Now, that’s a fancy establishment. Even some counts stay there.” Ciel nodded in understanding.
Now that they had her location, there was but one thing left to do.
“Thank you for all your help,” Lloyd said.
“Don’t mention it. I owe Chloe one for the whole embroidery thing.”
“Then if you’ll excuse me.”
“Off you go, I’m sure she’s in need of her prince charming right about now.”
“I’m a knight, not a prince.”
“Is there an ounce of humor rattling around in that head of yours?”
After offering a bow to the smirking Ciel, Lloyd bowed towards Ian as well. “Thank you as well for your information.”
“Oh, of course! I’m just happy to be of help. Now, go and find Chloe.”
Lloyd turned to leave when a thought occurred to him: I’m up against a margrave...
With the sudden realization that he might not be able to handle this alone, he turned back to Ian. “Could I ask one more favor of you?”