EWOWMAIBTYPF Chapter 130

Chapter 130

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Meanwhile, at that very moment when Ria and Raizel were having their conversation…

In the study room of Duke Elard, the grand duke and duchess, the duke’s wife, and the duke himself, who had returned home early upon hearing of Ria’s arrival, were seated across from one another.

“So, once the academy’s graduation ceremony is over, we’ve decided to return to the grand duchy without delay.”

“…I see.”

The duke nodded gloomily at the grand duke’s words but then, realizing he might have shown too much emotion, awkwardly adjusted his lips.

Not missing this, the grand duchess sharply questioned him.

“Dominique, what exactly is your problem?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve been sulking this whole time. As if you’re not happy that I’ve found my daughter.”

“What nonsense. Of course, I’m happy! I’m absolutely delighted that you found the grand princess!”

The duke raised his voice, as if exasperated by the accusation, but the grand duchess remained unconvinced.

“Then what’s the issue?”

“…”

Faced with her pressing gaze, the duke clamped his mouth shut.

Seeing the grand duchess’s eyebrows arch in suspicion, the duke’s wife quickly stepped in to explain.

“It’s because he cherishes Ria very much. The thought of her leaving the ducal estate is making him feel sentimental.”

“Hm?”

Hearing this, the grand duchess widened her eyes in surprise, and the grand duke reacted similarly.

“This man, who only cares about his own family, is actually feeling attached to someone else?”

“Well, Ria is such a lovable child. How could we not dote on her?”

“Hmm… Well, my daughter does have that effect.”

Hearing praise for Ria, the grand duchess’s expression softened immediately. However, she failed to notice the brief hesitation in the duke’s expression when she said ‘my daughter.’

“But if you cared so much, why did you make her work as a maid?”

“You think I wanted that? She refused sponsorship, insisted on doing maid work, and when I secretly searched for an adoptive family—”

“What?!”

The grand duchess’s eyes flared with anger as she interrupted.

“You were looking for an adoptive family when her real parents were alive?!”

“I didn’t know it at that time…”

Caught off guard by being exposed, the duke hesitated only for a moment before swallowing hard at the furious expression on the grand duchess’s face.

Ria’s adoption had nearly been finalized with Viscountess Bardo, a woman who had neither married nor had children.

She had shown a strong desire to make Ria her successor, given her extensive knowledge of herbs, not just Splencia, but various medicinal plants.*I always referred to Bardo as a male, the previous translator did the same. However, now that her gender is clear, I will refer to her as such. Not that it matters much…*

‘I must never let them find out about Viscountess Bardo.’

Worried that unnecessary trouble might fall upon the skilled physician, the duke inwardly shook his head and fell into deep thought.

He was unsure how to explain to the grand duke and duchess what Ria had been through and what she had been doing until now.

He was concerned about their anger or shock, but more than anything, he worried that Ria might not want certain things to be revealed.

At that moment, the grand duke cautiously spoke.

“By the way, regarding the matter we discussed last time about taking Lady Elard as our goddaughter—”

“Let’s just forget about it.”

The duke shrugged nonchalantly.

“Now that we’ve found the grand princess, there’s no longer any need to deceive others or maintain the magical artifact. Besides, I dislike drawing unnecessary attention; it’s too troublesome.”

“…Even so, I won’t forget the kindness you showed in agreeing to it.”

The grand duke sincerely expressed his gratitude.

Despite the years of grueling research that had gone into mana identification, he showed no regret at abandoning it.

“And this isn’t just empty words. From now on, if Elard ever requires anything, Belus will assist without hesitation. If not for you, I don’t know when we would have been able to reunite with Adriana. That debt…”

“There’s no need.”

The duke quickly waved his hand, cutting off the grand duke.

“I understand your sentiment, but calling it a debt is unnecessary.”

“But…”

“Your grace, you do not yet realize how much my family owes Ria and how much kindness she has shown us.”

With a heavy heart, the duke finally began recounting the past.

From how he had taken Ria in after she looked after Diana at that harsh orphanage, to their time in the ducal estate and the capital.

The grand duke and duchess were momentarily shocked to hear that Ria had fearlessly confronted the deputy leader of the knights or had been the target of noble children’s bullying.

But their faces turned pale upon learning that Ria had been so severely mistreated by the maids that her mana went berserk, bringing her to the brink of death.

They now realized that the painful visions they had seen of their suffering daughter in their dreams had not just been illusions.

Yet there was no time to grieve over that revelation.

When they heard how Ria had saved the duchess’s life from poisoning, they could only gape in astonishment.

Though the duke believed that parents should know everything about their child, he now worried that he had shared too much—things Ria herself might have wanted to keep secret.

The grand duke and duchess’s reaction was unpredictable…

“That’s my daughter, indeed!”

The grand duchess clapped a hand over her mouth, her expression completely transformed. She then turned to the grand duke.

“Isn’t that right, Your Grace?”

“Indeed, my dear. Infusing mana into herbs to cultivate them… I’ve been called a genius since childhood, but compared to Adriana, I’m not even mediocre.”

The grand duke grinned so widely it seemed his smile might reach his ears.

The duke inwardly shook his head, thinking,

‘They really are hopelessly doting parents.’

Perhaps, given how many secrets Ria carried, it was a blessing that she had parents who loved her so unconditionally.

“But, Duke… What Adriana has done is her own achievement. However, the fact that you rescued my daughter from the orphanage and took her in—that is something I owe you for.”

At that moment, the grand duke’s expression turned serious.

“You may not understand how much I appreciate what you did when my daughter went missing. Back then, I thought I was offering help, but in the end, it was you who saved my daughter.”

“…That’s…”

“There’s no need to be reserved, Dominique. I’ve heard from Bianca about the kind of place Adriana’s orphanage was…”

The grand duchess added,

“You helped her escape that hellish place, and even if it was at Bianca’s request, you removed the scars on her body as well. I’m truly grateful.”

With both the grand duke and duchess sincerely expressing their gratitude, the duke felt overwhelmed and his face flushed with embarrassment.

The grand duchess, also feeling awkward about expressing such praise, gruffly added,

“That doesn’t mean I’m saying it was a good thing that your daughter was kidnapped.”

Though there was no risk of such a misunderstanding between them, she spoke cautiously, just in case.

The duchess, seeing her husband ready to retort with a ‘Who wouldn’t know that?!’, quickly held him back and spoke instead.

“We understand, Your Grace. And…”

“…?”

“I believe this was all fate.”

“Fate?”

“Yes. Though what happened to Diana was a tragedy, in the end, the people who were meant to meet have met.”

The duchess reminisced about nearly a year ago when a small, frail child first arrived at the duke’s estate.

A child who, despite being wary of her surroundings, acted as though she expected nothing, who awkwardly shut her mouth when shown kindness or praise, yet couldn’t hide the way her eyes trembled…

A child who, despite her young age, was far more mature than her peers.

That child had nestled into her heart before she even realized it.

The duchess wished for Ria’s happiness with all her heart.

“I know it’s presumptuous of me to say this, but… please take good care of her.”

Perhaps because of the sincerity in her words, the grand duke and duchess responded with warm smiles.

Just as the conversation was wrapping up on a heartfelt note…

“Waaaah!”

The study doors suddenly burst open, and two people barged in.

“Dad! That mister is trying to take my sister away from Dana! Kick him out!”

Sensing danger, Diana had immediately sought out the most powerful person in the house—the duke.

“Oh dear, my lady saint! That’s not what I meant at all!”

And there, sliding dramatically across the floor, was the great sage, bowing before the little girl.

 

***

 

‘How did things end up like this?’

I held my forehead, shaking my head in disbelief.

‘I originally planned to explain things to Diana more carefully…’

But Raizel had completely lost his composure upon hearing that Diana had recognized my true identity, and now everything had spiraled out of control.

“So, what you’re saying is… Lady Elard is the Saint?”

At my father’s question, Raizel nodded so vigorously it was a wonder his head didn’t fall off.

“Yes! She is the one I have waited for my entire life!”

With tears still in his eyes, he turned to Diana, who was clinging fiercely to the duke and glaring at him with unyielding hostility.

His face was filled with awe and reverence.

“She may not have awakened her powers yet, but her ability to see the purity of a soul remains. That’s why she recognized the grand duchess’s true identity. Surely, such an extraordinary trait must have manifested before now.”

Wasn’t that right? He turned to the duchess for confirmation.

However, to the duchess, Diana was nothing more than a spoiled and stubborn youngest daughter.

“Well… I’m not sure.”

She simply shook her head.

But I thought of something and carefully spoke up.

“Diana has always been afraid of or disliked bad people. The orphanage director, Sid Valerie, the former head maid…”

And even Kenneth Pettier, the one who had falsely accused me of theft and publicly humiliated me.

At my words, the duchess looked skeptical, as if she couldn’t quite believe it, but Raizel let out a triumphant shout.

“I knew it! I knew it!”

At that moment—

“I don’t care whether my daughter is a Saint or not, as long as it doesn’t put her in danger. But I would like a clear explanation as to why you are trying to separate Ria from Diana.”

Duke Elard asked in a cold, menacing voice.

I still think that it’s awkward for someone to be called Ria in English… How do you like it better?