I was knocked up by the ML and currently running away.

Chapter 4 - Runaway daughter

Duke Reynold was standing by his office window, staring at the sky. His hand was holding a letter. It was the letter handed to him by his son a little while ago.

He let a small sigh.

There was only three people in his office at the second floor of his ducal residence. His son, Gregory, was walking back and forth with an anxious look on his face. His wife, Duchess Arianna, who rarely enter his office, was sitting in the sofa. There was a cup of tea that already went cold on the table in front of her.

My Lord, she really did it again. That tomboy princess of mine. He lamented internally.

He sighed again, recalling the content of the letter.

***

Dear Father, Mother, and Greg,

I'll be going for another adventure! Do not look for me, OK?

I've been secretly planning for a trip across the continent since so long. Now everything is prepared, it's time to realize my childhood dream!

I don't know how long it'll take for me to visit all the countries in the continent, so I'm not sure when I'll be back. I brought Sarah and Glen this time, so do not worry too much, OK?

When everything is over, I'll be staying in Cloude for a while. You'll know where to find me.

But don't notify them yet, I really don't know when I'll be going there.

I'll write letters. I promise!

I love you all!

Love,

Allyssa.

***

"She went out while disguising as me last night when I was asleep. This morning when I was going out for training, the night duty knights was surprised to see me coming out of the house. They said I told them I won't be coming home when I went out last night."

Gregory can't hide his shaking voice when he spoke. He then continued.

"I instantly run to Lyssa room. That silly girl! Who else could it be besides her?! And this was what I found on her desk."

"Well, at least she left a letter this time."

Duke Fredrick Reynold recalled the first time his daughter disappeared.

She was 12 years old. The house was in a total chaos, thinking that someone had kidnapped the precious and gifted daughter of the duke. He remembered his wife cried until she fainted. He led the search team himself, preparing for the worst. And where did they finally found her after a whole day of desperation?

She was carefreely strolling around the bazaar in the outskirt of the capital, with kebabs and other commoner's street-foods in her hands, while disguising as a commoner boy.

"I don't want to study anymore. I've read every books. I mastered every lessons. Now all I need is the experience in real life! You've always deny my request to go out, so I ran away!"

She said that innocently, almost accusingly, without even an ounce of guilt for the massive commotion she caused. They were speechless. His wife blamed herself and him for putting their daughter under too much pressure when educating her. He felt guilty too. He criticized himself for not understanding his own lovely daughter.

They grounded her for a month, but they never pressure her to study ever again. They let her do whatever she want. They knew she often sneaked out of the house to venture the capital, so they appointed a talented knight, Glen, as her guard. Although, Glen often reported that she would always tried to slip away from his supervision.

The second time she disappeared was when she was 14 years old. They were calmer that time since Allyssa had told her personal maid, Sarah, that she'll be going for an overnight adventure outside the capital. They became restless on the third day when she did not come home. But just before the Duke order for a search, they received a news from Cloude Kingdom that their daughter was currently in Cloude, staying leisurely at his wife's cousin, Duke Clifford von Cloude's estate. She stayed there for two weeks before going home.

"This is the forth times, isn't it?"

The quiet Duchess suddenly broke the silence. She looked calm, but her voice was breaking.

"Yes, mother. The last time was 3 years ago, when we were sixteen. A few weeks before our debut into society. She disappeared to Kannes villa by the coast of South Kingdom, enjoying the warmer spring sun by herself there. Hah, I wished she could've told me! I would've accompany her!"

Gregory frustratingly replied.

"I thought she has become more docile lately. She became more womanly since her debut. She started to attend some parties and socializes. She even accepted courtships and made some friends. I heard rumor that they nicknamed her "Nightflower of high society" whatever it meant. I guess I still don't know my own daughter well enough."

"No, dear. You know her well. Allyssa is just being Allyssa."

Duke Fredrick sat by his wife side, comfortingly caressing her shoulder. He actually was comforting himself as well.

In fact, he knew Allyssa has been behaving well lately. She obviously still far away from being the typical image of a noble daughter, but that was exactly why he was so proud of her. Fierce. Free-spirited. Charismatic. Confident. Her every trait was the traits the Ducal House Reynold took pride of.

Her personality was just like himself, Fredrick Reynold. In contrast, other than her hair and eye color, she looked so much like her mother. Kind and soft droopy dark pink eyes. Graceful facial features. The kind of look that makes people want to protect her. A look very contradicting in comparison to her personality.

"So what should we do now, Fred?"

Duchess Arianna asked her husband.

"Hm. We should let her be. At least for now. If there's no news from her in three days, we'll notify our people throughout the continent to be on a look out."

"Very well. She might be feeling a little stressed, so that's why she need to get away. Like last time."

"Don't worry to much, my dear. Allyssa should be fine."

The duke continued comforting her wife.

Then, Gregory suddenly spoke after being quiet for so long. It was almost like he was talking to himself.

"But, isn't it weird?"

"Hm, what is?"

"I don't know. The letter's content seemed suspicious. I understand if she just want to get away and take a breather if there was something stressing her out... but, the content of the letter didn't seemed like that."

He paused for awhile. Giving time for his parents to process his words.

"It said that she had been planning for the adventure for a long time, but she disappeared so suddenly. And it didn't look like she had made preparations for a long time like she claimed. I would definitely noticed if it was the case. If you ask me, I think she went away in a rush."

Silence filled the room. Gregory then drop a bomb to kill the silence.

"When I read the letter, I got the feeling that she never plan to come back."

Duchess Arianna gasped.

The duke looked at Gregory with a grim face.

Gregory mind was a mess. He had a bad feeling since the morning. And his feelings when it comes to his twin sister was never wrong. He called it the twin's intuition.

What are you up to this time, Lyssa?

He thought of someone. That hateful person who had been monopolizing his adorable little sister's attention lately.

"He might know something."

He thought out loud.

"Who?"

The duke and duchess asked in unison.

"That buffoon. Lucas Maxwell."