Shattered Innocence: Transmigrated Into a Novel as an Extra

Chapter 542 - 542: Sigh....

Thaddeus exhaled, letting the silence of the room settle after Lysander's departure.

But it did not last long.

Edran shifted slightly, his arms crossing over his broad chest. His sharp blue eyes flickered with something uncertain before he finally spoke.

"My lord… is this really okay?" His tone was careful, but his hesitation was clear. "That old man is a bit…"

He trailed off,

Thaddeus' gaze sharpened. "What?"

Lysander remained impassive. "It appears she left with Mister Lucavion. The two of them were seen getting into a carriage."

For a brief moment, the room was silent.

Then Thaddeus narrowed his eyes. "She left with Lucavion?"

The young maid beside Lysander stiffened. The butler gave her a slight nudge forward.

The girl swallowed hard before hesitantly stepping forward, bowing deeply. "M-my l-lord…" Her voice wavered, but she forced herself to continue. "I—I am the one attending to Mister Lucavion during his stay… and I—I saw Lady Aeliana leave with him."

The Duke's expression remained unreadable, but his golden eyes darkened.

"Lucavion…" he murmured, his fingers once again tapping against the desk.

Edran, who had remained silent, finally exhaled. "Shall I send knights after them?"

Thaddeus didn't answer immediately. He sat there, weighing something unseen.

Then, at last, he spoke.

"No. Not yet."

A slow, knowing smile curled at the edge of Thaddeus' lips.

Perhaps this wasn't entirely a mistake.

His daughter… she had always been resourceful, even when she was younger. Reckless, yes, but never thoughtless. If she had left with Lucavion, it meant she had her own reasons. Perhaps she intended to test something. Or to gain something.

'If nothing else… this will show me just how much she's grown.'

He leaned back in his chair, his golden eyes gleaming under the dim candlelight. "As long as they return before midnight," he said, his voice calm, measured, "send no one after them."

The tension in the room shifted. Edran, who had been ready to move at a moment's notice, exhaled through his nose. He wasn't surprised—he knew Thaddeus well enough to expect this response.

And he also knew Lucavion.

The boy was trouble. But not incompetent. If anyone could keep Aeliana from harm, it would be him.

"I see," Edran muttered, crossing his arms. "Then I won't waste men chasing after them."

Thaddeus gave a curt nod.

But his smile faded.

His fingers curled into a fist against the desk.

Aeliana hadn't informed him. Not even a single word.

Neither had Lucavion.

That damned reckless boy.

"Sigh…"

His jaw tightened slightly. It wasn't the leaving that angered him—it was the audacity of leaving without a word. Without permission. Without a single consideration for the fact that their actions would reach him eventually.

Lucavion he could expect this from. The boy had always been… independent to a fault.

But Aeliana?

She should have known better.

His fingers tapped against the desk once more, slower this time.

"You need a bit of a scolding it seems, my daughter."