Chapter 117
***
A few days later
This afternoon, Bianca was set to visit the ducal estate, so I quickly made an excuse about feeling unwell and asked the maids to look after Diana.
By now, Diana, who had been reluctant to leave my side out of concern, should have just arrived at the training grounds.
I could faintly hear Allen getting frustrated, insisting that I had to come, but there was nothing I could do about it.
Honestly, how could I not want to see Bianca, the person I had admired all my life, demonstrate her mana control and swordsmanship up close?
If this were the past, I would have snuck in no matter what to seize the opportunity.
But today, I had no choice but to head to the marquis’ estate instead of the training grounds, even if it meant lying.
‘I have to confirm it today.’
Ever since I noticed the necklace I was wearing in the mirror a few days ago, I hadn’t been able to sleep.
It had no special ornamentation and looked rather plain. It was just a simple red gemstone, its colour deep as blood.
I had worn it for as long as I could remember, since I was too young to recall anything else. I had always believed it was something my parents had given me.
That’s why I never took it off and treated it as my most precious possession. Aside from showing it to Diana once by chance, I had never let anyone else see it.
At the orphanage, I had hidden it under my clothes so the director wouldn’t find it. Even in the guild, I never revealed it to the other children or the executives.
I thought I was protecting something important, but now I regretted it.
‘If this really is the key to finding my parents…’
I should have shown it to Marquis Diapel much sooner.
But my hopes were shattered.
The next day, I deliberately touched and revealed my necklace while watching over the Marquis’ treatment, trying to catch his attention.
Yet, he didn’t say a word.
It seemed he had no knowledge of the necklace at all.
I was a little disappointed, but I refused to give up hope.
‘The Marquis has spent most of his life guarding the border and has rarely visited the principality.’
So it was possible he simply didn’t know about the necklace.
That’s why I decided to show it to the Grand Duke, the Grand Duchess, and Ascart.
But that was easier said than done.
Ascart had been busy with some important matter alongside the Grand Duke, making it difficult to see him.
The Grand Duchess, on the other hand, would observe me from a distance but immediately turn away whenever I tried to greet her.
It stung, but I endured it.
More than anything, I was worried about her.
Since I couldn’t meet the Grand Duke or Grand Duchess directly, I tried befriending the maids who had come from the principality to gather whatever information I could about the Grand Duchess.
What I learned was troubling…her health was in a dire state.
She suffered from severe headaches, insomnia, and difficulty eating. Her stamina was so weak that even breathing became labored, and at times, she complained of a sharp pain in her chest.
Hearing how much she was suffering, even those around her felt heartbroken.
I felt the same.
Unlike the previous Duchess’ illness, which was caused by poison and had a clear cure in the form of an antidote, the Grand Duchess’ illness wasn’t physical.
It was an affliction of the heart, an illness born from longing for the daughter she had lost at birth.
And it wouldn’t heal until she found her child.
“…”
Suppressing the heavy emotions in my chest, I clenched my fists tightly.
I had also spent my whole life longing for my family.
For both the Grand Duchess’ sake and mine, I needed to settle this quickly.
“Lia, you’re here already?”
“Hello, Steward.”
As I passed through the familiar gates and entered the main building, the Marquis’ steward, who had always been fond of me, greeted me warmly.
Perhaps he looked upon me favorably because I had helped with the Marquis’ treatment.
“But Lia, the master was summoned to the imperial palace this morning. I’m not sure when he’ll return.”
“Oh…”
The steward looked apologetic.
But today, I wasn’t here to see the Marquis.
Clasping my hands together, I looked at him earnestly.
“Steward, is the Grand Prince busy today as well?”
“The Grand Prince?”
“Yes. I have something I must discuss with him.”
He could have seen me as an insolent servant overstepping my bounds, but perhaps because Ascart had always treated me kindly, the steward simply nodded without question.
“In that case, I’ll inform him at the annex. Please wait here for a moment.”
“Thank you.”
I quickly nodded and anxiously watched the steward walk away.
“It would be nice if the Grand Duke were there as well.”
Rumors had it that Ascart was conducting some kind of magic research with the Grand Duke at the annex.
If only they would call me there…
Just as I was hoping for that, I heard a commotion inside.
“She was supposed to be resting in her chambers. Where did she go?”
“Could she have gone to the Elard Ducal estate? Marietta just left for there a while ago.”
“That’s impossible. She took medicine for her headache before resting.”
“She might have gone to the Grand Duke. Let’s search the manor first.”
“I’ll check if any carriages have left.”
“…!”
As I strained to listen, I realized the maids were looking for the Grand Duchess, their voices filled with worry.
My heart dropped.
Had she collapsed somewhere?
The moment the thought crossed my mind, I was already moving.
I wasn’t even aware that I was wandering the Marquis’ estate without permission.
Rushing through the halls, desperately searching, I suddenly stopped in front of the greenhouse where Ascart and I had once shared a tea time.
As I carefully opened the door and stepped inside, my shoulders flinched involuntarily.
In the greenhouse filled with pink roses, the Grand Duchess was reclining in a plush chair, her eyes closed, half-asleep.
Her faint, irregular breaths made my chest tighten for some reason.
Aside from our brief meeting in the reception room with the Marquis, I had never been this close to her before.
‘Could such a beautiful person really be my mother?’
I couldn’t believe it, yet my throat felt tight, and my eyes began to sting.
The fact that she wasn’t moving away even as I approached only made me feel more sorrowful.
“…Ria/Lia.”
The Grand Duchess frowned slightly, murmuring in a faint voice with her eyes still closed.
I froze in place.
“Adriana.”
Her whisper, as if it had slipped out between sobs, stirred emotions I couldn’t define.
“…Mom.”
A word I never thought I would say came out of my mouth before I even realized it.
At the same time, my vision blurred.
I felt like I was about to burst into tears, but I held them back and instead gripped the Grand Duchess’ hand tightly.
I desperately wanted to hold it, this hand, I truly wanted to hold it again.
“Adriana… my daughter…”
At that moment, the Grand Duchess’ limp hand weakly but unmistakably tightened around mine.
Overwhelmed, I squeezed my eyes shut, my heart swelling.
‘Please… recognize me like this…’
If she did, I would ask for nothing more.
But just then–
“How dare you lay a hand on me? Let go immediately.”
A cold, icy voice rang out from above me.
Startled, I opened my eyes wide only to meet the Grand Duchess’ gaze, her face now as rigid as frost.
Her expression was devoid of any warmth, like a lifeless mask, and she glared at me with fierce intensity.
I was too shocked to let go, remaining frozen in place.
“Hah.”
The Grand Duchess scoffed in disbelief before yanking her hand away from mine.
“Why are you here?”
“…”
“You’re not even a servant of the Marquis’ estate. Did the others truly allow you to wander in and out so freely? This won’t do. I must reprimand them at once. Guards!”
Had she truly found our encounter so unbearable?
Hearing her call for the attendants with such anger, the brief moment of joy in my heart was swept away by an overwhelming tide of resentment and sorrow.
“…Please, don’t do that.”
“What?”
“They did nothing wrong. I came here on my own.”
“Then you’re the one who should be punished. No, I am not your master. I will inform Duke Elard instead, he must ensure his servants are properly trained.”
“Please… please don’t do this. You can’t treat me like this.”
I grasped at my hazy thoughts, desperately pleading.
But the Grand Duchess scoffed and raised her voice.
“How arrogant. Just because my father and Duke Elard dote on you, you’ve begun to think you’re someone of importance?”
“No!”
I cut her off, my chest heaving.
“That’s not it. I just… I just thought you might regret this later, that you might suffer and grieve…”
“And who do you think you are to say such things?”
Even in the face of my desperate words, she only looked down at me with cold, narrowed eyes.
The sight filled me with a bitter, twisted feeling I couldn’t suppress.
Consumed by sorrow and resentment, I spoke impulsively.
“Because I’m your daughter.”
“…What?”
“Because I’m Adriana.”
The moment the words left my lips, the Grand Duchess’ face turned deathly pale.
“…What… are you saying…?”
She stared at me, breathless, unable to form another word.
Seeing her like that, I hurriedly reached inside my clothes and pulled out my necklace.
“This necklace. Don’t you recognize it?”
