The Queen Who Shares Love
Chapter 47 New Expressions

Gerald exhaled a long breath. "Your daughter contacted me using a magic stone. She thought that I was a tower witch or a palace witch. He told me that you were kidnapped. So I came looking for you, Empress."

Leticia admired her daughter's actions. Despite being in a state of panic, her daughter still remembered calling for help. Leticia got off that chair immediately. 

"Are you directly looking for me or meeting my daughter first, Grand Duke?" ask Leticia.

"Of course I pretended to have coincidentally gone to the capital. Then accidentally met your daughter and helped in the search, Empress. I have also asked Isabella to contact the palace witch and the tower witch to level their statements. The one receiving the call from your Princess is the palace witch."

Leticia was grateful that Gerald was acting cautiously. It could be dangerous if he did a secret search and met with one of Leticia's bodyguards. Gerald could be suspected of being the mastermind of this kidnapping because of bad rumors about him. It could be that all their efforts to restore his reputation would be in vain. Or there will even be rumors about the two of them.

"Then this can be a good thing for you. Your reputation will increase because you saved the Empress."

Gerald didn't really care about it asking anything else, "What's the reason they kidnapped you, Empress?"

"They were people whose business was ruined because of my father. They wanted revenge by kidnapping and torturing me. They told my father to watch me being tortured, Grand Duke," Leticia said.

Gerald looked at the kidnappers with a sharp look. 

"Their plans failed, you can go home now, Empress."

The sound of footsteps could be heard. Leticia's bodyguards are looking for Leticia. 

Gerald reached out to help Leticia walk. Leticia received Grand Duke Faust's helping hand. He had to pretend fear in front of his bodyguards. 

They came out of that shack. Leticia saw the kidnappers who fell unconscious on the floor. Gerald managed to defeat them. Leticia's bodyguards came along with her daughter. He looked at his daughter who looked chaotic with teary eyes. Judith immediately ran to hug Leticia.

"Mothers... I'm afraid something's happened to Mom."

Leticia hugged her daughter tightly. 

"Mom's okay, honey. I'm safe."

Leticia patted her daughter's back and stopped crying. Judith took off her arms and looked at her mother's tired face. Leticia held her daughter's face with a smile. Judith smiled.

Judith's smile faded after finding out her mother's hand was injured. "Mother's hands bleed, should be treated quickly. We need to get back to the palace right now."

"Before that, there's something you have to say to the person who helped you find your mother." Leticia saw Gerald.

Judith followed her mother's gaze. He immediately lowered. "Thank you for your help in finding my Mother, Mr. Grand Duke. Sorry, for my disrespectful actions just now."

"It's nothing, Princess. There's no harm in crying because it's nice to meet your mom."

Gerald's face looked the same as before expressionlessly. However, Leticia realized something was different. His lips seemed to be smiling thinly. No one noticed it except, Leticia. Leticia was stunned to see that. This is the first time Leticia has seen this.

Leticia realized that she had not thanked him. "Thank you, Grand Duke. If it wasn't for you maybe I'd still be held captive by those kidnappers." Leticia's a little down.

Gerald's down. "I'm just doing my job to help people in distress, Empress. Let me handle this. You can go home."

Leticia and Judith resign. They walked away from the hut accompanied by bodyguards. Leticia looked back. Grand Duke Faust gathered the kidnappers together and tied them up. I don't know why his heart is beating. Maybe his fear of being kidnapped just now.  

***

"Is Leticia okay?" dale asked the person beside him.

"I don't know either. Leticia hasn't met yet" replied Isabella. 

Isabella told her what her master had told Dale. He had to come to the temple to tell the tower witch. He also asked the tower witch to tell the palace witches to liken their story. Rose's been told Leticia was kidnapped last night. Now he's looking for Leticia with the bodyguards.

"Why are you so relaxed, instead of your friend Leticia?" ask Dale.

"I'm also worried, but Leticia isn't as weak as you think she is. He has his own power. He could definitely avoid that problem. My master has also assisted in the search for Leticia. Trust me Leticia's gonna be okay."

Isabella actually wants to help with Leticia's search, but she has to crouch here with a shitty person. 

Piere looked back and forth to find Dale. He looked at Dale and walked over to him. 

"It looks like you trust me," Dale said with a smile.

Isabella was again astonished to see the drastic change in Dale's attitude. He looked very worried now like a menacing person.

"What you say is true." Piere felt his voice too loud to close his mouth. He turned to Isabella, feeling that he should not continue his words because he was heard by others.

"Look down, he's my friend. We better get to a quiet place."

Isabella snorted in annoyance. He didn't feel Dale was his friend. He followed Dale and Piere.

They were already in a deserted place.

"Paul used the drug. He has admitted it to me. Can Paul be healed?" ask Piere.

"It all depends on him" replied Dale.

"Would you help or not? I doubt all your words yesterday were true. You may be in a plot with Count Blaire, "accuse Piere.

"Regardless of the drugs it all depends on the self of each user. If the user is not determined to stop, we cannot do anything" Isabella said.

"Then do I ask the Pope for help? The Pope can definitely help and calm Piere." Piere wasn't sure Dale and Isabella could help him.

"I'm not sure if that's the right thing to do. How do you think your friend got the cure? Shouldn't the priest here not come out unless there's an assignment? The only person who can come out is the Pope. I think the person who introduced the drug to your friend is the Pope" Dale explained.

Piere jerks. He was angry, "Are you crazy to accuse the Pope of being a plotter of Count Blaire?"

"We don't have any evidence now. We're gathering evidence. Did you know that Count Blaire donated a large amount to the temple?" Dale tried to convince Piere.

"That's..." Piere was speechless.

"Ask your friend the reason he used the drug. He must have had a big problem to run away using the drug. You can keep him company and make him trust you. Then, you can ask who the person who introduced him to the drug was. You can prove whether our allegations are true or false" Isabella added.

Piere held his head. He digested all the information that filled his brain.

Dale patted his shoulder giving his spirit. He gave a magic stone to communicate.

"You can call me if there's a problem. Then if our guess is correct, I hope you'll let me know."

Piere. "What's your name?"

"I'm Dale, the tower witch."

"Thank you, Mr. Witch. I'm Piere." Piere.

He left that place. Dale and Isabella are now.

"Are you sure the Pope introduced the drug to his friend?" ask Isabella.

"Either it is just a guess. If you're in doubt, why did it help me convince the priest?" Dale smiled at Isabella.

"Because the most suspicious is indeed the Pope, the leader of the temple," replied Isabella cf. Iirih.

"It looks like our temple investigation is over today, Countess. As usual I'll meet you while training Judith." 

Isabella wasn't looking forward to that. He was not happy to meet Dale. But he doesn't hate it. Although it sucks, there is a side of Dale that makes him feel curious.