TDOWD Episode 132

Episode 132

The morning of the second day of the Founding Festival dawned.

Since only the high-ranking nobles who held sway over the Terium Empire were invited to today’s banquet, the Imperial Family’s preparations were on another level.

“Wow—.”

I let out a small gasp of admiration as I entered the banquet hall of Leche Palace.

Unlike yesterday, where the grand hall was packed, today’s gathering was smaller in scale to match the number of attendees.

But its splendor was beyond words.

Leche Palace was traditionally the place where the Emperor hosted banquets for trusted nobles.

And the second day of the Founding Festival had always been held here.

‘One whole wall is covered in gold…’

The dazzling interior of the hall almost made me grimace.

Today, some major figures showed their faces — people I hadn’t seen yesterday.

First was the Duke of Millane.

Amidst the crowd, I spotted a man smiling warmly.

His long green hair was tied back, and the pince-nez glasses perched on his nose gave him the unmistakable look of a scholar.

‘I’ve only ever heard about him, but this is my first time seeing him in person.’

And with that, Jenna’s final male lead had made his appearance.

In the visions, the Duke of Millane had only shown up toward the end, but he had fallen for Jenna almost instantly.

Yeah, he was what you’d call a classic “falls in love at first sight” type.

Though he was overshadowed by the brilliance of Ludwig and Lucion, I remembered how he had lavished Jenna with extravagant gifts, being from the Empire’s wealthiest house.

There was even a running joke that if you combined all the hidden assets of House Millane, it would equal the treasury of a small kingdom.

And then…

“Sierra!”

“Lady Catherine!”

I couldn’t hide the joy on my face at seeing them again after so long.

Another heavyweight present at the banquet was none other than the Count and Countess of Chetwind.

“I’m so happy we get to meet again like this.”

Catherine clasped my hands, smiling brightly like a child.

“You must’ve had a rough journey coming from so far away.”

At my words, the man beside her — her husband, Harry — grumbled,

“What choice did we have? It’s mandatory. Old folks like us have to drag ourselves here even if it’s far.”

“Harry, but you’re happy to see Sierra, aren’t you?”

Catherine laughed gently, and Harry gave an awkward cough.

“You’ve been doing well, right? You seem to have grown since we last saw you.”

Catherine said, measuring my height.

I hadn’t noticed it myself, but it seemed I had grown noticeably.

While exchanging light greetings with the two, I quietly called for Askan in my mind.

‘Askan.’

[What is it?]

Since forming our contract, I could call on him whenever I wanted.

‘Askan, are you certain? That Lady Catherine and Lord Harry are my mother’s family?’

[Yes. They’re clearly close blood relatives of Sionna. And naturally, part of the Disel line.]

Askan’s firm voice echoed in my mind.

[It looks like the Countess is a descendant of the Disel family.]

Catherine had come from a fallen noble house.

That’s why, when she married Count Chetwind after a long romance, it had been hailed as a real-life Cinderella story.

And Catherine was indeed a descendant of the Disel family — the same family once beloved by spirits, who had faded from history when the spirits disappeared.

“……”

It felt surreal, somehow.

The people I had thought were just a fleeting connection back in the South… were actually my grandparents.

‘Now that I think about it, according to my visions, the Count and Countess Chetwind will soon…’

Pass away.

“……”

‘I really hope that vision turns out wrong.’

Thankfully, Catherine and Harry still looked healthy and full of life, but the ache in my chest wouldn’t go away.

In the visions, half a year after the death of the Chetwind couple, a woman claiming to be their long-lost daughter would appear.

But she would turn out to be an imposter.

‘The real Isabella Chetwind is Mother.’

I wanted to restore my mother’s true name.

I wanted to prove that she had a family who had been searching for her, waiting for her desperately — that she had never been abandoned.

And I needed to tell Catherine and Harry about my mother, about myself.

The lifelong search they had endured needed to reach its final conclusion.

For that, the first step was clear: I had to confirm the blood relationship between me and the Count and Countess of Chetwind.

The only person who could perform a bloodline test was right here at the banquet.

‘The Tower Master.’

After losing his own son in the past, he had obsessively researched bloodline tracking magic.

The research was only half-successful: he failed at tracking the child’s location but succeeded in confirming a blood relationship between two people standing face-to-face.

I shifted my gaze to a man with hair as blue as the sky and eyes like the deep sea.

He was the 52nd Tower Master — Lisburn.

‘Looking at him like this, he really does look just like Desar.’

Actually, the way Jenna uncovered Desar’s connection to the Tower Master had been simple.

First, there was their appearance.

Even at a glance, anyone could tell Lisburn and Desar looked incredibly alike.

That initial suspicion, based on their looks, eventually led to questioning if they were blood relatives.

The deciding factor was when Jenna discovered that both Desar and the Tower Master had matching half-pendant necklaces — each holding a piece.

Finally convinced, Jenna had revealed Desar’s existence to the Tower Master.

‘If I use Desar, I can get what I need from him.’

It was a little cruel, especially considering Desar had no lingering attachments to the father he never knew, but there was no other way.

I waited for a gap while Catherine and Harry were chatting with other nobles, then approached Lisburn.

“Lord Lisburn, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Sierra Drenihan of House Drenihan.”

At my greeting, Lisburn studied me with curious blue eyes.

“A pleasure, Lady Sierra. We’ve crossed paths a few times, but this is the first time we’re formally speaking. Is there something you wish to discuss?”

I smiled and spoke straightforwardly without beating around the bush.

“I would like to make a deal with you, Lord Lisburn.”

“A deal?”

“I know you have mastered all forms of magic, and especially excel in bloodline confirmation magic. I would like to use that ability to confirm a blood relationship.”

Lisburn looked at me with a surprised expression — as if he hadn’t expected that.

“You are a direct descendant of the prestigious House Drenihan. Why would you need a bloodline confirmation?”

“I wish to confirm my maternal lineage.”

“Maternal side, huh. Then…”

He seemed to recall that my mother had been from an orphanage, and nodded in understanding.

“But do you know this? Once the bloodline magic is used, it cannot be used again for at least a year. The ritual is a one-time-use spell, and crafting a new one takes that much time.”

“I am aware.”

“My missing son could resurface within that year. And you think I would waste my ritual for your sake?”

“A deal means giving something to get something in return. In exchange, I can tell you where to find your lost son.”

“……!”

I glanced at the half-pendant hanging from Lisburn’s neck and said,

“I’ve heard about that necklace. That the other half belongs to your son.”

“……Something like that could easily be forged. I’ve had more than enough con artists try that trick already.”

“Of course, I’m not relying on just the necklace.”

Appearance, aura, magical talent.

All of it proved the blood tie between Lisburn and Desar.

In the visions, too, Lisburn had immediately recognized Desar as his son the moment he saw him.

But I didn’t bother mentioning all that.

“The choice is yours, Lord Lisburn.”

“……”

I spoke confidently, but Lisburn’s silence dragged on.

He studied me with an unreadable gaze.

And finally, Lisburn opened his mouth, as if having reached a decision.

“I’m curious to see why you’re so sure of yourself. I’ll take the gamble.”