CHAPTER 280: ECHOES IN THE PALACE

The darkness of night was beginning to fade.

Dawn was near.

The early workers would be starting their shifts soon.

Shiao Yi teleported to one of the palace courtyards and choose a spot where the shadows beneath the plants were deepest.

He intended to stay there for a while, focusing on picking up the thoughts of the palace workers.

He himself had no magical power and the two magic stones he carried were sealed inside a magic-blocking pouch.

In this world, where people could sense the presence of magic, that made him practically invisible.

He pulled the collar of his black outfit up over his nose and blended completely into the darkness.

Even if someone happened to glance his way, they would never notice his presence.

Almost immediately, he picked up the thoughts of the palace guards who is currently changing shifts from the night patrol to the early morning watch.

He sensed kitchen staff and stable workers beginning their daily tasks.

Then, gradually, the flood of activity in the palace grew, and with it, the storm of thoughts filling his mind.

There were far too many people within the palace.

Searching through every single mind would be slow and inefficient.

So, he decided to set a search key.

The first would be "magicians," or "magic." Whoever had kidnapped Dominic using a teleportation spell had to possess an enormous amount of magical power and be capable of controlling highly complex magic circles.

Someone like that no matter how they tried to hide would eventually be mentioned somewhere.

Even if they weren’t inside the palace.

The second search key was Dominic himself.

He was tall, with a well built chest and a strong, perfectly balanced body.

His hair was golden, his eyes a clear blue.

A skilled swordsman.

His eyes were sharp, his nose straight, and when he smiled, his whole face would light up with such charm that it could steal anyone’s breath away.

His voice had a deep and rich tone.

Honestly, he was a truly handsome man.

Sometimes, Shiao Yi still couldn’t believe that such a man was his lover.

He was the kind of man who could make anyone man or woman, young or old turn their head to stare in admiration.

He was sincere, mature, and yet sometimes, he would act adorably needy.

Wait a second... this is just one big love rant!

His face flamed red as he buried it in his hands, sinking to the ground and writhing in embarrassment for a while.

"Calm down, Shiao Yi! Now’s not the time for this!" she scolded himself. "Refocus. Concentrate!"

Suddenly, Dominic’s face flashed vividly in his mind, his bright smile, his strong arms reaching for him and at the center of his muscular naked body.

"Ugh! Seriously? Am I that frustrated?" she groaned inwardly. "Sure, I miss him like crazy, but come on! I’m not some hormonal teenager! Stop the fantasies! Stay calm! Keep it together!"

Once again, he flattened himself to the ground like a mole while trying to regain his composure.

The second search key, then, would simply be "handsome man" or "good-looking guy."

The third key would be "something feels off."

If Dominic was being held somewhere inside this huge palace, no matter how well they tried to hide it, there would always be small signs of something unusual.

Something that people around him would sense subconsciously.

Even the faintest trace of that unease could become a major clue.

If he couldn’t find such a trace here, he would have to extend his search beyond the palace, to the royal capital, or even other regions.

But something in his instincts told him Dominic was here.

He could feel it.

Shiao Yi emptied his heart and mind as best he could, extending the reach of his telepathic senses.

Amid the endless sea of meaningless thoughts and scattered noise, one small fragment caught his attention.

"Alright, two meals again this morning. One of them’s a double serving, huh? Honestly, who eats that much? It’s strange, isn’t it?"

It was the thought of a woman working in the kitchen.

She seemed to be handing over meals to someone in charge of deliveries.

She also noted that this had been going on for two days now.

Since telepathy picked up both spoken words and the speaker’s internal thoughts, Shiao Yi couldn’t tell whether the woman had actually said the words out loud or only thought them.

He couldn’t catch the other person’s thoughts.

Whoever it was must have had an extremely calm and disciplined mind.

Their presence was buried deep within the chaotic storm of thoughts and emotions swirling all around her.

"There are men’s clothes in the laundry again. Fancy ones, too. Handle them carefully. Honestly, such a hassle. If they wrinkle or shrink even a little, it’ll be a disaster. I wish they’d stop sending these things."

"That’s two days in a row, right? Where are they coming from? Do we even have any guests who wear clothes like that?"

"That’s not for people like us to question. Just get on with your work. I’m curious too, but I’m keeping my mouth shut."

"Okay, okay. But still... these are royal quality, right? Could they be from Her Majesty’s quarters? Oh, wow... but no way I’m saying that out loud. That’s too scary."

It must have been the laundry area.

No matter what world it was, women always became lively when they gathered together and thanks to that, information leaked out like water through a broken pot.

Then, he sensed something in response to his "handsome man" search key.

Focusing on it, an image surfaced but it looked nothing like Dominic.

A man’s face appeared, gazing dreamily at his reflection in a mirror, thinking, "What a handsome man I am."

His eyes must have been broken, Shiao Yi thought.

He was a bit overweight, his face sagging, with dull reddish brown hair and pale brown eyes that lacked any sharpness.

That was his true appearance but through the strange filter of his own mind, he somehow saw himself as a dashing, well-built gentleman.

It was absurd.