Chapter 123
“Kale, are you crazy?”
At that moment, the Grand Duchess, who had thrown away all etiquette and honorifics, shouted in shock.
“My lady.”
“Surely, you’re not taking that child’s words at face value, are you?”
“Stella, please…”
“How can you believe that without any proof!”
“I’ll explain later. Just trust me…”
“No!”
At the Duke’s words, the Grand Duchess shook her head, her expression filled with terror.
“No, this can’t be. There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize my own child…”
I bit my lips tightly. My heart felt like it had been pierced by something sharp, leaving it in tatters.
At that moment.
“Oh dear. The daughter you desperately searched for came to you on her own, and yet you fail to recognize her right in front of you.”
A young man, clad in an old gray robe, leisurely stepped through the open door.
At the same time, a warm breeze, even warmer than the lit fireplace in the drawing room, swept through the entire space.
Though I had only visited a few times, a strange sensation washed over me as if I had entered a sacred temple. My body, which had been tense without me realizing it, slowly relaxed.
Then…
“Who are you? State your identity.”
The brief moment of peace shattered in an instant. A chilling aura emanated from Duke Elard, enough to make one feel that the previous atmosphere had been a mere illusion.
Before I knew it, the Duke had drawn his sword, aiming it at the mysterious man. That sight jolted me back to my senses.
Though all the servants had been dismissed from the drawing room, the guards and knights still stood vigilant outside the mansion.
Yet, for someone to bypass their watchful eyes and appear in the drawing room—where both Duke Elard and Bianca, renowned for their prowess, were present—without a single trace of presence…
This person was no ordinary man.
As I warily observed the stranger…
***
“Sheathe your sword! He is my honored guest.”
Grand Duke Belus stepped in front of Duke Elard.
Though the Duke frowned, he decided to observe the situation and lowered his sword.
Immediately, the Grand Duke turned to the young man and spoke.
“High Priest, are you saying that this child is truly…”
“High Priest? I quit that ages ago. You’re still as slow-witted as ever.”
The man, who appeared even younger than the Grand Duke, clicked his tongue in disapproval.
But it was only for a moment. Soon, he curved his lips into a smile.
“After all that searching, you’ve finally found her. She is indeed the Grand Duke’s daughter.”
“…!”
The sudden revelation was nothing short of shocking.
The man turned his head and met Lia’s gaze.
“What a lovely child. You look so much like your mother.”
“…You can see me?”
Lia stared at him in disbelief.
“Yes, I can. More precisely, I can see your soul. In all my years, I have never seen such a pure spirit before.”
The man, Raizel, responded as he extended his hand toward Lia.
Hesitantly, Lia took his hand.
He murmured something under his breath, and immediately, a radiant white light emanated from his body.
The light was so intense that everyone in the room instinctively closed their eyes.
Lia, who had also shut her eyes tightly, shivered at the strange tingling sensation running through her body.
Moments later, when the dazzling light finally faded.
She opened her eyes and froze.
The Grand Duchess was trembling, her lips quivering uncontrollably.
Her already pale face had turned even whiter, her chest rising and falling with ragged breaths. Her swollen, tear-streaked eyes overflowed with fresh tears.
“Why are you…”
Before Lia could even finish her sentence, the Grand Duchess took a step forward and reached out her hand.
But her frail hand trembled, unable to touch Lia, and instead fell limply to her side.
A bewildered Lia glanced around, searching for answers.
But everyone else was just as frozen, staring at her in utter shock.
“Why… why are you all looking at me like that?”
Lia was the only one unaware of the change that had occurred.
But their reaction was natural.
Because at this moment, no one could deny that Lia was the Grand Duchess’s daughter.
“Ah…!”
Before their eyes, Lia’s fluttering, pale pink hair began to shift, starting from the ends, gradually turning a soft brown. Her jewel-like deep pink eyes had long since changed to brown as well.
“Kugh!”
Raizel, who had been holding Lia’s hand, suddenly coughed up black blood onto the carpet.
The spilled blood instantly dissolved into dark smoke, vanishing into the air.
“How vile. That illusion spell was cast far too deeply.”
Grumbling that his divine power could only reveal Lia’s true form for a brief moment, Raizel’s youthful appearance disappeared, replaced by that of an elderly man.
“This old body is a hassle to move around in. Truly infuriating.”
It was a sight that defied belief, but in the face of undeniable truth, it hardly seemed important anymore.
“My child…”
Overcome with emotion, the Grand Duke could no longer hold back. He pulled Lia into his embrace.
He could feel her heart pounding wildly, as if she were still in shock.
She was truly alive.
A deep, overwhelming gratitude surged through him, making him hug her even tighter.
How many times had he longed to hold this child just once?
For so long, he had suffered in silence, never revealing his grief to his struggling wife or lonely son.
“Adriana, my daughter.”
At the sound of his low, trembling voice, Lia broke into sobs.
Relief spread through her, melting away the anxiety that had gripped her for so long.
From her heart to her fingertips, to the tips of her toes.
“Hic… hic… sob…”
Despite her efforts to suppress it, her crying grew louder, completely uncontrollable.
“It’s okay. Everything’s okay now. Daddy’s here…”
The warmth of his hand gently patting her back made Lia cling to the Grand Duke’s neck, seeking comfort like a child.
Holding her small, fragile frame close, he turned to his pale-faced wife and said,
“My love, this is our Adriana. Come, see for yourself.”
“I… I…”
At the sound of the Grand Duchess’s voice, Lia flinched.
She was terrified that her mother would say something hurtful again.
And when the Grand Duchess saw the child’s trembling hands and stiff shoulders…
A tear slipped down her cheek.
Unable to approach or look away, she began to weep softly.
Resting her face against her father’s shoulder, Lia hesitantly lifted her head.
The pain her mother had inflicted still stung, and a small part of her still resented her.
But more than that—seeing her cry hurt even more.
Yet, Lia didn’t know what to do to make her happy.
After a moment of hesitation, she fidgeted with her hands before slowly unwrapping her arms from the Grand Duke’s neck.
Then, she reached out toward the Grand Duchess.
“Please… hold me.”
“…!”
The Grand Duchess froze, her eyes widening in shock.
Seeing her reaction, Lia hesitated.
Had she made a mistake?
She had tried to imitate Diana, hoping to appear just as lovable.
But maybe such childish gestures didn’t suit her after all.
Just as her fingers began to curl back in regret…
Suddenly, the Grand Duchess grasped her hand tightly, as if afraid to let go.
“Do you… not hate me? For failing to recognize you…?”
Lia felt a slight sense of relief at the Grand Duchess’s voice, which was no longer as sharp as before, but she was also saddened by the deep, raw pain that was evident in it.
“I hate you.”
“…”
“Avoiding me, turning away, speaking coldly….”
“…”
“And saying that someone like me… isn’t your daughter….”
The more Lia spoke, the more the Grand Duchess’s expression twisted in devastation.
Lia’s voice, thick with sobs, trembled as she spoke.
Eventually, as the Grand Duchess slowly loosened her grip on Lia’s hand—
“That’s why… please hold me. And tell me… that you didn’t mean it. That even someone like me….”
“I’m sorry for hurting you. I’m truly sorry, my dear.”
Unable to bear it any longer, the Grand Duchess pulled the child into her arms.
She wept and repeatedly apologized, while Lia, too, burst into tears.
Watching the scene, Raizel clicked his tongue and spoke.
“Grand Duke, didn’t I tell you before? That there was a chance the child might be living without her pink hair? If you had told your family sooner, none of this would have happened.”
At that, the Grand Duke’s expression darkened unusually.
“When did you say that? You told me the child was… most likely not alive anymore. When I still couldn’t let go, you merely mentioned in passing that if I searched only for pink hair, I might never find her. That’s why I came up with the mana identification test!”
As the Grand Duke poured out his frustration, he suddenly realized that the Grand Duchess, who was holding and soothing the child, was looking at him.
“Your Grace… did you already know?”
“That’s… not exactly it. I considered the possibility, but… I’m sorry. You were already grieving, and I couldn’t bring myself to say something like this….”
As the Grand Duke faltered, the Duchess of Elard gently spoke while dabbing at her tears with a handkerchief.
“Regardless, this truly is an astonishing turn of events. Our Lia is the Grand Duchess’s daughter. Isn’t that incredible, dear?”
However, Duke Elard only looked back and forth between Lia and the Grand Duchess, his face still frozen in shock.
The Duchess gave a soft chuckle and then turned to look at Bianca, who stood to the side.
Bianca, who had been silently crying, now smiled brightly despite her tears as she watched the Grand Duke’s family reunited at last.
Realizing the Duchess’s gaze was on her, Bianca felt a little embarrassed and turned to Ascart, who was standing beside her.
“Young Master, you should go as well. You’ve missed your little sister so much, haven’t you?”
“…”
Ascart didn’t respond.
Bianca tilted her head in confusion and reached out to place a hand on his shoulder.
Thud!
Ascart’s eyes slowly closed, and his body collapsed to the floor.
He had already been unconscious for some time while still standing.
