Chapter 446
Ian:
“Where is she?” I demanded the moment I entered the mansion.
I found the two council leaders, the siblings, sitting together and enjoying a feast. They wore strange smiles, as if they had achieved something important in the past few hours.
“Wait, are you Ian Hunt?” Lady Sylvia asked calmly, acting as if she were genuinely surprised to see me.
“Cut the bullshit and tell me where the fuck Clementine is,” I yelled. “Where the fuck is my mate p>
That was when Haiden and Troy entered as well, while my father was still on his way.
“What are you talking about?” Roberto questioned. “And young man, how dare you speak to us in that tone?” He slammed his fork on the table and rubbed his index finger and thumb together as he stared at me.
“Where is Clementine?” Haiden demanded, repeating the question while ignoring their angry looks.
“How would I know?” Lady Sylvia replied. “She must have gone to the North. Isn’t that how Crusaders live? You go to the North, the ones who survive come back, and the ones who die do not p>
She shrugged and reached for a grape, trying to appear clever. I slammed my hand on the table, knocking the bowl away and sending the fruits scattering across the floor.
“That is enough,” Roberto warned as he placed both hands on the table and stood up, his eyes telling me not to lose control.
“Enough is enough,” Troy stated. “We will find out what you did to Clementine, and you better hope she is fine p>
His threat made the siblings exchange a glance before glaring back at us.
“Are you threatening us?” Lady Sylvia asked calmly. “Are you entering the home of council members and threatening them? If so, young man, you are in danger. You are committing a crime, and not even your academy or all the monsters you have killed will save you p>
Her calm tone was what disturbed me the most. It was her confident way of telling me she had succeeded, that she had done exactly what she wanted by taking Clementine from me.
“Who do you think you are to barge into our sacred mansion and question us?” Lady Sylvia snapped. “You three are no longer even alphas. It is our kindness that we still refer to you as that. If anything, you are just crusaders. Crusaders meant to go to the north and die there p>
Lady Sylvia, who usually spoke gently and softly, dropped her false affection and spoke harshly. I was breathing heavily and no longer cared about her words. She could bring in all her warriors, and it still would not stop me from tearing the mansion apart to look for Clementine. I was ready to do exactly that.
Before I could move, my father barged in.
“Where is Clementine?” he demanded. “One of my best crusaders is missing, and it seems you were the last people to see her p>
My father sounded calm, but the force in his voice made it clear he was here for answers. The disappointment on Lady Sylvia and Roberto’s faces did not last long.
My father later told me he had been considering saving Clementine. I knew that would not have been enough for her. She wanted to do the right thing. She wanted to save everyone, and I respected her for that with everything I had.
“Headmaster, I did not expect you to come here. However, let me be honest. I am very disappointed that you came here asking us the same questions your son is asking, as if we would know where your daughter-in-law is,” Sylvia spoke carefully.
I had already figured her out. She was a cunning woman who knew how to create tension between people. Her words immediately caused strain between Troy and Haiden. They shifted uncomfortably, turning slightly to look at me.
“I received information from a very trusted source that the last time she was seen, she was meeting with you two. Where is she?” my father asked.
He did not fall for any distractions. He continued questioning them. They looked unsettled again, as if they truly believed everything they had done was right.
As if being part of the entertainment was something that should have been considered acceptable for any alpha or beta.
Because my father had once agreed to it and had built the Academy himself, his questioning now clearly unsettled them.
“I don’t think you can come here and ask me these questions,” Lady Sylvia replied. “Did you not see the news? I’m sure you have. Your son exposed the Academy and the alphas. You should be busy protecting yourself from angry people. As for us, we were never mentioned p>
She smirked and shrugged her shoulders.
My father stared at them silently before repeating himself.
“Where is Clementine? Tell us p>
“You had these children with you. Weren’t you supposed to take care of them? And by that, I mean weren’t you supposed to send them to the north to fight monsters?” Sylvia commented.
“Why would we know where she is?” Roberto asked. “Wasn’t it decided they would go there and die? Everyone knows this. It’s not a secret. It’s not forbidden. People have known for ages that they sacrifice themselves for the sake of the mainland p>
He spoke boldly, trying to normalize it, as if forcing us into it was acceptable.
“Troy, Haiden, Ian,” my father said. “Go ahead. Turn the mansion upside down. Check every document and look for anything that suggests Clementine was here p>
That was when my father finally took a step that changed Lady Sylvia’s expression.
“Wait, you cannot do that. You don’t have our permission,” she protested as she stood up with Roberto.
“Guards,” Roberto called out as he moved toward the door, but my father stepped in his way.
Roberto immediately stepped back. He knew my father was not someone to challenge, though he continued staring at him in shock.
We had no other choice. It was clear they were not going to help us willingly.
So I rushed down the hallway to look for Clementine.
However, in the next few minutes, we practically turned the entire mansion upside down. By the end, we found nothing.
With no hope left, I went to the last place we had not checked. The basement.
The moment I stepped inside, I knew something was wrong. The basement had been cleaned thoroughly.
There was no scent left behind, no trace that anyone had ever been there. I already knew this was not a good sign.