Chapter 132 Still Missing

Chapter 132 Still Missing
A chilly night wind swept past, biting against my skin. The daytime temperatures were cool, but nighttime brought a sharp freeze, it made perfect sense why crops thrived so well in this unique climate.

I stepped to the side as a group of three guards marched past in formation. Realizing I wasn't going to find him wandering around randomly, I decided to head back to our room. Unsurprisingly, Azi wasn't there either.

Fine. Be that way. I'm going to sleep.

I dusted off the woven mat and arranged the two pillows, shoving Azi’s pillow as far away from mine as the mat allowed. It was spacious enough that we wouldn't have had to crowd each other anyway.

There was a folded blanket left for us, just one, clearly intended for a couple. I pulled it over myself, turning onto my side with my back facing Azi’s empty spot.

Outside, the wind continued to howl gently against the wooden shutters.

I closed my eyes, trying to force my mind to rest, but thoughts of him kept creeping back into the quiet space. Where did he wander off to?

"They take away everything I value..." Azi’s voice echoed vividly in my mind. "If there's something I am sure right now... that is... I value you. If possible, I want you... I want you to be a secret. My secret."

He knows he can't have that. It's impossible to keep a secret from a world like this. And even if he somehow could... I don't think I'd ever want to be one. I don't want to step off that ledge. I don't want to risk everything on a lie.

I'm sorry, Azi... but I can't just be someone's hidden secret.

I woke up during the quietest hours before dawn, alerted by the muffled sound of footsteps passing by outside our quarters. I turned over to check the other side of the mat. Still empty. He hasn't returned all night?

Feeling sticky and uncomfortable, I grabbed a fresh set of clothes from my bag and decided to step out. I was immediately greeted by the sight of shirtless guards marching past in the dim light, likely doing their morning warm-up drills to shake off the chill.

"Oh! Heading out to wash?" Mrs. Dawsey appeared from around the corner.

"Ah, yes, ma'am. I'm just not quite sure where the washrooms are."

"Come along, I'll walk with you," she offered kindly. "Most of the handmaidens are busy in the kitchens preparing breakfast right now. How did you sleep?"

I fell into step beside her. "It was quite cold, but the quiet made it easy to sleep deeply."

My eyes kept darting around the open pathways, hoping to catch a glimpse of Azi’s tall frame. Where on earth did that idiot go?

Mrs. Dawsey leaned in slightly, nudging my arm with a mischievous smile. "I'm sure you and your husband found plenty of ways to keep each other warm before bed," she teased in a soft whisper.

I could only shake my head, suppressing a faint sigh.

She led me to a clean, well-stocked washroom equipped with a basin of warm water to fight off the biting morning air. As I washed up, my mind refused to let go of Azi. What is he doing? What if something happened?

When I finished, I hurried back to our lodge, fully expecting, or at least hoping, to find him sitting there waiting. But the room was as cold and empty as I had left it. Not a single footprint or displaced item suggested he had stepped inside even once.

I squeezed my eyes shut, frustration bubbling up in my chest. Where the hell are you, Azi? Surely he wouldn't just abandon me here in the middle of an unfamiliar clan... unless he was already executing his phase of the mission alone.

I hope to God that's what he's doing...

I quickly finished getting ready, determined to go look for him myself. A heavy pit was beginning to form in my stomach. He better not have left me behind.

"Don't you dare, Azi..." I muttered under my breath.

I walked with hurried steps through the village, asking a few guards for directions to the main hall, only to be told it was closed until full daylight. That meant he wasn't there.

"Good morning!" Yorick’s smooth voice called out. He looked much more put-together than he had the previous evening after his muddy farm shift. "How was your first night here? Wait, have you had breakfast yet?"

I shook my head, my anxiety making food the last thing on my mind. "I... I don't really have an appetite..."

"Oh, come on now. That's not good for the baby," he said gently. He noticed where my eyes were wandering and paused. "Are you looking for someone again? Oh, wait. Don't tell me Max is missing again?"

I swallowed hard. It was barely dawn, but the emotional weight on my chest was becoming unbearable. "We... we just had a small disagreement. You haven't seen him around, have you?"

Panic was starting to take root.

"Hold on. I'll have the guards search the grounds—"

"No, please don't," I blurted out, reaching out to catch his arm to stop him before quickly pulling my hand back. "Don't trouble yourself, Yorick. Thank you, though."

"You're going to search for him all by yourself?" He raised his eyebrows as if I'd suggested something completely absurd. "Calm down first, Kina. It's much better for you to go back to your room and rest. I'll have the servants bring you a hot meal, and I'll send a healer over to check on your vitals."

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. I took a shaky breath and stepped back. "No. I'm fine..."

Shit. Azi, where are you?!