"Right, let's not think about unhappy things. Come on, you keep eating; I'll keep you company," Margaret said with a sweet smile, continuing to enjoy her meal. After a few bites, she paused and asked, "Mother, where's Father?"

  "He and your brother are dealing with some matters on the island; they'll be here soon."

  "Is it really necessary to handle things this early? I'll go call them," Margaret said, wiping her mouth with a napkin. Ignoring her mother's protests, she dashed toward the governor's office.

  As she passed through the corridor adorned with crystal chandeliers, she made her way to the garden, where her father's workspace was located on the other side.

  There were few flowers that could thrive underground, but here, various valuable blooms vied for attention. The fragrant scent lifted Margaret's spirits as she reached the edge of the garden and was drawn to the lights outside the fence.

  The governor's residence was built atop the highest peak in the island's center, offering a panoramic view of the lights from the homes of the islanders below.

  As the third-largest island in the Sea of Earth, the landmass was vast, nearly the size of half a continent. Margaret squinted into the distance, barely making out the blurry lights of the port area.

  "Father's island has a port area too. Maybe I could send a telegram to Mr. Charles to come here; that way, I might get a chance to see him."

  Margaret's mind wandered to the young man with black eyes, and a faint blush crept onto her cheeks. Their time together hadn’t been particularly harmonious; he preferred discussing various ship and cannon knowledge with that talking mouse rather than paying her any attention. The few times he did call on her were merely to help him with bandaging. Just thinking about it made her furious—she was the governor's daughter, yet she felt like a servant.

  But for some reason, she couldn't stop thinking about him lately.

  Leaning against the railing, Margaret sighed, staring into the distance, lost in thought, her expression shifting between happiness and sadness.

  Ten minutes later, a middle-aged man in a suit approached her from behind, slightly bowing. "Miss, it’s a bit dangerous here; please be careful."

  Startled by the voice, Margaret turned around and realized it was the butler.

  Feeling a bit embarrassed, she stuck out her tongue. "Sorry, Mr. York, I was a bit distracted."

  "Miss, are you here to admire the flowers? Don’t stay too long; you have etiquette class this morning."

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Suddenly remembering, Margaret's expression changed to one of panic as she lifted her skirt and hurriedly ran toward the garden exit. "Oh no, I came to call Father for breakfast!"

  When Margaret reached the door of the governor's office, she saw a line of armed guards standing at attention on either side.

  Taking a moment to calm her racing heart, she raised her hand to knock when a loud crash erupted from inside.

  "Worthless! Worthless! Worthless! How could you mess this up? If you can’t do it, then get out!"

  Hearing her father's furious voice, Margaret hesitated, pulling her hand back. "Father sounds really angry. What happened?"

  After a moment of careful consideration, she pressed her ear against the door.

  The guards stood still, seemingly unfazed by the commotion inside.

  "You’re the head of the police department for the entire island! You’re telling me a living person has just vanished? I’m telling you! He’s the grandson of Peter, the finance minister! Not some garbage from the port area!"

  Daniel's roar made Margaret's ears ring.

  "I’ve tried everything, Governor! I even hired those madmen from Fortan, but he’s just gone! It’s like he disappeared into thin air."

  "I don’t want excuses! My family lives on this island; I can’t let them be in danger! You have three days to solve this problem! If anything happens to my daughter, I’ll crush your skull! Now get out!"

  The heavy wooden door swung open, and a sweaty, balding man rushed out. Upon seeing Margaret standing outside, he bowed respectfully and hurried away.

  Margaret cautiously stepped inside, looking at Daniel, who was sitting behind a large desk. "Father, what’s going on?"

  Seeing his daughter, Daniel's anger immediately dissipated. "It’s nothing, just a minor issue. What brings our precious gem here?"

  "Mother said to call you for breakfast," Margaret replied, moving closer to the massive desk.

  In the next moment, her gaze fell upon several photographs scattered across the disordered desk. One photo caught her attention—a stunning woman with the same black eyes as Mr. Charles.

  "Father, who is this lady? She’s so beautiful," she asked, picking up the photo.

  "She’s the new wife of that dead guy. What a shame; such a beautiful wife, and she died right after they married. Who knows if they even shared a night together?"

  A young man who bore some resemblance to Daniel walked over and snatched the photo from Margaret's hands.

  Daniel shot his son a disapproving glare. "Is that appropriate to say in front of your sister?"

  The young man shrugged, unbothered by his father's reprimand. "That guy is dead; half of his estate goes to this widow."

  "It’s not that simple. Peter is a miser; he won’t let an outsider easily take his inheritance."

  "Father, the marriage law was personally signed by the founder of our family."

  "That applies to commoners! Peter can make someone disappear without breaking a sweat."

  "Ha, that doesn’t sound like something a ruler of an island should say."

  "Whether it sounds right or not, that’s the reality."

  Margaret stared blankly at her father and brother, confused by their conversation.

  Noticing her bewilderment, Daniel gently patted her head. "Why don’t you head back? I’ll have a word with Jack and then join you."

  "Okay, but please hurry," Margaret nodded obediently and turned to leave.

  As she left, Daniel’s expression darkened as he looked at his son. "So, did you find him?"

  "I did. A group of pirates operating near the Paradise Whirlpool has been targeting fishing and cargo ships. Margaret was taken by them."

  "Good. Send the Royal Titan over. Leave no one behind; we must make those who provoke Hefa pay the price!"