EWOWMAIBTYPF Chapter 125

Chapter 125

 

The two people’s faces hardened in fear at my question.

‘So it really is true.’

Suddenly, a scene from an old memory resurfaced.

It was the sight of Jack, leading a victorious battle at the border, returning amidst the cheers of the people.

As one of the empire’s three great knights and a sword master, Jack was the hope of the common folk.

Watching from afar, I had realized that unlike Jack, who lived proudly under the sun, I had already become someone from another world.

‘Right. Someone like me, who lived in the shadows, becoming a grand duke’s daughter doesn’t really suit me…’

“Our little one is asking such a foolish question.”

At that moment.

A large, warm hand covered my own, which was clutching the blanket.

“You are precious simply by existing.”

As I hesitated and looked up at the Grand Duke, the Grand Duchess asked with sad eyes.

“My dear, are you the one who is disappointed?”

“Huh?”

“Because your mother… is a fool who couldn’t even recognize her own daughter.”

“No!”

I was so startled that I denied it in a loud voice.

“Disappointed…? There’s no way I could ever feel that.”

As my voice trembled with unexpected tears, the Grand Duchess’ eyes also glistened.

“Me too. You don’t know how grateful I am just that you are alive. So please, don’t say such things.”

“…Okay.”

When I obediently nodded, both the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess smiled.

It was strange. I had been so hurt, so sad…

Yet what exactly was family, that even wounds I thought would never heal could be soothed so quickly with just a single smile?

“Then, will you call me now? ‘Mother’?”

“And ‘Father’ too! Call me ‘Father’ as well.”

“Uh…”

Faced with their sudden request, I hesitated with my mouth slightly open.

I had impulsively called the sleeping Grand Duchess ‘Mother’ once before, but now, when I had to say it again, the words wouldn’t come out so easily.

Sensing my hesitation, the Grand Duke patted my head and spoke gently.

“It’s okay. You can take your time.”

Even as he said that, both of them looked slightly disappointed, making me feel a little guilty.

Then, as if to change the subject, the Grand Duchess asked.

“Have you ever thought about what kind of parents you’d like?”

“Huh?”

“I mean, like what kind of people they’d be, or things you wished they would do for you.”

“Oh! I have.”

Compared to the previous question, this one was much easier to answer, so I quickly nodded.

“Really?”

Seeing the Grand Duchess’ face brighten, I suddenly felt excited as well.

Without even thinking, I blurted out my thoughts.

“I wished they wouldn’t get angry or hit me when I made mistakes!”

“…”

“That they would give me food, even if I didn’t eat a lot, and that sometimes, just sometimes, they would praise me…”

And then, realizing how foolishly I had been rambling, I saw their faces and instantly regretted it.

‘What am I doing? Even if I’m dazed from the medicine, how could I say the same thoughts I had as a little child in the orphanage?!’

As I hesitated in embarrassment, the Grand Duchess quickly forced a smile, loosening her stiff expression.

“Um… Is there anything else?”

“…A storybook.”

For some reason, my voice came out small and wistful.

I had always been envious of Diana, who fell asleep every night to the sound of the Duke and Duchess reading her bedtime stories.

The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, who had remained silent for a long time, hooked their pinky fingers around mine and made a promise.

“Once you’re better, we’ll read you a story every night.”

“…Okay.”

And that night.

As I fell asleep to the gentle voices of my parents reading a bedtime story, I dreamed a very happy dream—one where I held my brother’s hand as I drifted off.

 

***

 

Worried that even the smallest noise might wake the child, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess carefully closed the door, holding their breath.

They couldn’t say a word.

Because their hearts ached too much, yet at the same time, they were overjoyed and grateful to have finally found their daughter.

After standing silently by the door for a long while, they checked on Ascart, who was sleeping in the next room, before heading to the reception room of the marquis’ estate.

As if he had been waiting for them, a man sat on the sofa with his legs crossed.

“High Priest.”

As soon as the Grand Duke addressed him, Raizel scowled deeply.

The Grand Duke quickly corrected himself.

“My apologies, Great Sage.”

“Do I really have to ask you to call me that with my own mouth? The temple *****s are already looking for me everywhere, I feel like I’ll die of anxiety. I bet you’d be thrilled if I got caught and dragged back.”

The grumbling man glanced sideways at the Grand Duchess, whose expression remained cold.

“It seems Her Grace is still angry.”

“…I understand that His Grace had no other choice. I know it was a decision made for my sake.”

All she and her husband had known about their daughter was that she had pink hair.

With only that clue, they had searched the entire continent, tirelessly looking for children with pink hair for years, yet they had failed to find her.

If she had known that their child’s hair wasn’t pink after all—she wouldn’t have been able to endure it.

“But just because you understand it in your head doesn’t mean your heart can accept it. And it seems… you have hurt the child deeply.”

Raizel chuckled as he spoke, spinning his words playfully, while the Grand Duchess glared at him. Caught between them, the Grand Duke cleared his throat and changed the subject.

“More importantly, does this mean you can already change your appearance again?”

Though his hair was still stark white, Raizel now had the tanned, healthy look of a young man.

It was strange. He had refused to come to the marquis’ estate, saying that the demonic energy from Lia was hindering his divine power’s recovery, and instead demanded a room at the duke’s residence. So why was he here now?

“About the Elard duchy… The moment I arrived, I noticed the energy there was unusually good. I only rested for a moment, but my divine power replenished quickly. So, since we needed to talk anyway, I figured we should just get it over with.”

Shrugging his shoulders, Raizel’s face suddenly turned sharp and cynical.

“Let’s get to the point. It’s confirmed that the ones who kidnapped the Grand Princess are ‘them.’ That illusion magic, overflowing with vile demonic energy wouldn’t be possible without the power of a demon.”

“We already expected this. It wasn’t a kidnapping for ransom, after all.”

“Exactly. That’s why I was almost certain the Grand Princess was dead.”

Casually speaking of Lia’s death, Raizel made the Grand Duke and Duchess glare at him fiercely.

But he remained unfazed.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Isn’t it obvious? They held a grudge against the Grand Duke and were waiting for a chance for revenge. On top of that, she was the daughter of a Grand Mage, a baby with immense mana. She was an irresistible offering.”

“Enough of this talk…”

“Why didn’t they kill her?”

Raizel propped his chin on his hand, his brows furrowed in thought.

“It doesn’t make sense. If they weren’t going to kill her, they could have used her as leverage against the Grand Mage. Why go through the trouble of casting illusions and then abandon her?”

“‘Abandon’ is a rather unpleasant word…”

“You must have seen the child before I arrived. Did you sense any traces of illusion magic or mind control?”

Raizel was toeing the line, but the Grand Duke merely sighed and shook his head.

“I did not. Mental magic is extremely advanced, and it always leaves no traces….”

For even a Grand Mage to find no evidence meant the caster’s magic was far beyond his own.

“To be honest, I had been blaming myself, thinking that if I hadn’t left the castle, this wouldn’t have happened. But today, I realized something. If I had been there, I would have fought with the resolve to die.”

Even then, the Grand Duke wasn’t sure he could have protected his child.

Hearing her husband’s words, the Grand Duchess turned pale.

“What if they come after Adriana again, now that they know we’ve found her?”

The Grand Duke had already been worrying about the same thing.

That was why they had used every means necessary to search for their daughter while keeping their actions discreet to avoid drawing attention.

But if they publicly announced her return, it was easy to predict what those who had once targeted her would do next.

“If we lose her again… I won’t be able to go on.”

“Neither will I.”

As the Grand Duke tightly grasped the Grand Duchess’ trembling hand, a rare cold determination settled on his face.

“This time, I will protect her. And I will make those who hurt my daughter pay.”

While the couple silently vowed to exact the most gruesome and painful revenge on Lia’s kidnappers, Raizel, who was lounging on the sofa, spoke up.

“Bring the child to me tomorrow. I need to take a proper look at her.”

“…You’re certain there’s a reason they kept her alive.”

“Yes. And she can’t live under that illusion forever. We need to purify her. It’s incredibly strong magic, so who knows how many years it will take.”

The Grand Duke hesitated for a moment, then stood and bowed.

“Thank you, Great… Sage. When you visit the Grand Duchy, I will offer you the fourth-best room.”

“Isn’t this the kind of situation where you should just give me the best room? It’s lonely being a bachelor, you know. And if you’re going to call me that, say it properly instead of hesitating!”

“It’s just a habit…”

Seeing the Grand Duke’s awkward smile, Raizel shook his head but refrained from further scolding.

Today was the day the bright-eyed boy who had once eagerly called him ‘High Priest!’ had finally begun to emerge from his deep sorrow.

 

***

 

Meanwhile, at the Duke’s estate…

“Aaaaahhh!”

Duke Elard clutched his head and let out an anguished scream.

“How… How could that sweet Lia be Stella’s daughter?!”

Even now, the Duke remained in shock.

 

That’s it for now ~