Nicol makes the decision to go through with an arranged marriage. Although he meets many prospective partners, all he can think about while talking to them is Catarina, so none of them get past the first meeting. Then, one day, his sister Sophia recommends that he read some romance novels for a change of pace.

Catarina is feeling thrown off by her sudden awareness of Geordo, so when she's back at home during a break from school, she spends her time working her fields for a change of pace. When she's done, she heads to Keith's room to show him the vegetables she's grown... but Keith isn't there, and instead she finds a letter in his room saying that he's running away.

Catarina and a few of her friends set out on a journey to find Keith, assisted by Larna. Catarina still believes Keith left because of her. She tries her hardest to find some sort of clue in the first town they stop in, but there's no useful information to be found. In the midst of all this, the captured Keith worries about the sister he left behind.

Upon learning that Keith was kidnapped, Catarina heads to the mansion that Alexander indicated to save him. The group enters the mansion even as Maria detects powerful dark magic there. After slipping past the many guards, they arrive at a hidden room, where they find Keith lying on the floor with his hands and feet bound.