EWOWMAIBTYPF Chapter 135

Chapter 135

***

 

Meanwhile, at the Amber County Estate.

“…Did you just say the Marquis has come?”

Clara, who had been brushing her hair in front of a mirror, was startled to hear that Marquis Diapel had arrived at the Amber estate.

“He’s not just the Marquis—he’s your grandfather, my lady.”

Her longtime nanny said with a gentle smile.

“It seems he wanted to see you since you rarely visit the marquisate.”

“…That can’t be it.”

“Then what other reason would the Marquis have to come here? Even if the young lord is staying at the marquisate, it’s still not the same as seeing his granddaughter.”

“Well…”

Clara thought about it. Ascart wasn’t particularly affectionate either, so he probably acted awkwardly, just like her.

Sensing her hesitation, the nanny quickly added,

“A while ago, even after hearing that the Grand Duchess had visited, your mother didn’t go to see her. He must have felt disappointed.”

“He’s not angry?”

“Of course not. Oh dear, the tea party is about to start, but we don’t know how long the Marquis will stay. He might even suggest taking you back to the marquisate with him…”

“Then I’ll just cancel the tea party. The ladies will understand.”

“Well, the Emperor himself respects Marquis Diapel. Even the guests from Belus Principality would acknowledge that.”

“…I’ll go see him. Where is he?”

“He’s in the first-floor drawing room, speaking with the mistress.”

Clara nodded and stood up.

As she walked away, the nanny called out,

“Make sure you call him ‘Grandfather’ today!”

She didn’t respond.

If that were so easy, I would have done it long ago.

Whenever she faced his large facial scar and overwhelming presence, the words got stuck in her throat. Forget calling him ‘Grandfather’, she could barely keep her lips from trembling.

At least she had been preparing for the tea party, so her hair and outfit were already neat.

No adult disliked a well-mannered child.

And, to be fair, Marquis Diapel had never actually been harsh or cold to her. He was just… blunt, fitting his appearance.

Unlike someone else…

Clara recalled the Grand Duchess, with her sweet, doll-like pink hair.

Despite her lovely appearance, she had an icy, temperamental personality.

Whenever Clara was around her, she felt as if she were being seen right through. It was unsettling.

In contrast, the Grand Duke was warm and kind.

Unlike her father, Count Amber, who often argued loudly with her mother, the Grand Duke never raised his voice.

Remembering how he booked an entire boutique every year so she could choose beautiful dresses and shoes, Clara felt a smile naturally form on her lips.

She looked forward to another enjoyable visit to the Grand Duchy this year.

Before she knew it, she had arrived outside the drawing room.

Just as she lifted her hand to knock, her mother’s sharp voice reached her ears.

“What do you mean my sister already returned to the principality a few days ago?”

“You heard me clearly. She went back after finding Adriana.”

“What are you saying?! Don’t tell me you found another pink-haired girl and got ahead of yourself again. Honestly, aren’t you tired of this? You’re just setting yourself up for disappointment when the temple proves otherwise…”

“That won’t happen. It really is Adriana.”

The certainty in his voice made Clara’s pupils tremble.

A ringing noise buzzed in her ears.¹It’s absolutely disgusting that they wish for a baby to be killed so much, just because it would be more convenient for them to take her things 🫤 or is there another reason?

 

***

 

“The temple already confirmed her identity…?”

Countess Amber, Regina, let out a breathless laugh.

“And why are you only telling us this now? You should have informed us sooner.”

“If you had visited your sister at the marquisate even once, you wouldn’t be hearing it so late,” the Marquis sighed.

Regina’s voice rose in frustration.

“So this is my fault now? Fine, whatever. More importantly, how did you find her? Where has she been all this time? No, forget it, since I’m heading to the principality after the graduation ceremony, I’ll just see for myself.”

“…About that.”

The Marquis hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Your sister asked that you don’t visit the principality for a while.”

“W-What?”

“She has spent her entire life away from her family. Now that she’s finally reunited with us, she needs time to adjust. Meeting new people right away would only overwhelm her. It’s best to wait until she’s settled.”

“You do realize how ridiculous that sounds, right?”

Regina glared, her eyes sharp with disbelief.

The Marquis averted his gaze.

Of course, he knew it was unreasonable.

But Lia still had brown hair and brown eyes.

They had said the illusion spell would take time to wear off.

While it didn’t sit right with him to keep the truth from his younger daughter, especially when even Duke Elard knew, he also remembered all the times Regina had spoken thoughtlessly, making things harder for her older sister.

He understood why his eldest daughter wanted to keep this a secret from her younger sister for now.

Even if it made him uneasy.

“Unbelievable. You’re already spoiling her rotten.”

“Regina, try to underst—”

“If you coddle her like that, she’ll never grow up properly.”

“…What?”

When the Marquis frowned, the Countess merely shrugged, then suddenly, her eyes narrowed as if something had clicked.

“Could it be… there’s something wrong with her? Is she too ashamed to be seen, so she’s telling us not to come? Well, my sister has nothing but her pride, so I wouldn’t be surprised if..”

“Regina!”

The Marquis raised his voice, furious at his younger daughter’s cruel words.

“How could you say such a thing? Don’t you feel even a little sympathy for your niece? That child has spent her entire life alone, without parents. How can you..”

“Enough. Just tell me for how long? Dor how long am I not allowed to go to the principality?”

“Forever! You are never allowed to go there!”

The Marquis, unable to contain his anger, stormed toward the drawing room door and flung it open.

“C-Clara…?”

Seeing Clara standing there, he hesitated, then awkwardly reached into his coat.

“Here, Ascart asked me to give this to you.”

“…From my brother?”

“Yes. Oh, and I heard you liked the strawberry tart from the marquisate, so I had the chef prepare some. You should eat it.”

“…”

After reuniting with Lia, the Marquis had become completely enamored with his newfound granddaughter. But every time he thought about how Clara still trembled in his presence, it left a nagging discomfort in his heart.

So he had tried, just this once, to reach out first.

But looking at the pale-faced girl clutching her skirt tightly, he realized he had only made things worse.

Perhaps it was better to just leave.

Flustered, the Marquis turned to go, and as he did, the Countess, who had been seething, finally noticed Clara.

“Clara, weren’t you heading to the tea party?”

“…”

“Never mind that. Sit down for a moment. I can’t believe—hey! Clara!”

Ignoring her mother’s call, Clara bolted up the stairs and ran straight to her room.

“Get out!”

She drove out the maid and the nanny who had been tidying up, then collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath.

‘…She’s alive?’

A girl with such a rare pink hair color and yet, they had never found her.

The entire empire, the whole continent, had been scoured.

The only reasonable conclusion was that she had long since died.

‘And now she’s back? Alive and well?’

Her fingertips trembled.

Shaking her head violently, Clara refused to accept reality.

“No. No, it can’t be. It must not be!”

A girl born to the Grand Duchess, who was the spitting image of the late Marchioness, whom the Marquis had adored.

The legitimate granddaughter of the powerful Belus Principality, ruled by the Grand Mage.

The true younger sister of Ascart Belus.

She could not—should not—have returned!

Clara felt as if everything she had was suddenly being threatened.

No. It wasn’t just a feeling.

Even now, the beautiful world she had basked in was rapidly crumbling.

Hadn’t her annual visits to the Belus Principality already been cut off?

Soon, the world would learn that the Grand Duke’s daughter had been found, and the entire empire would be in an uproar.

She was no longer the only granddaughter of Marquis Diapel.

Nor was she the younger sister of the most sought-after noble in high society, Ascart Belus.

Slowly, Clara lowered her trembling hands from her face and stared at the letter lying on her bed.

Ascart had never written to her before.

Her fingers twitched.

Why now, after finally finding the little sister he had longed for?

Perhaps Mother was right.

Maybe his real sister was such a disappointment that he was writing to apologize.²Really!!!

With shaking hands, Clara carefully opened the envelope and unfolded the letter.

Then.

Crack.

The letter crumpled violently in her grasp.

“Haha… ha… hahaha!”

A sharp burst of laughter rang out, startling the nanny waiting outside the door.

“My lady…?”

“He doesn’t want me to come.”

“Pardon?”

“He told me not to come to the graduation ceremony.”

Clara, laughing so hard that her shoulders shook, then suddenly fell silent.

“Tell them I won’t be attending the tea party. Say I caught a terrible cold and can’t move. I won’t be going to the Academy graduation. I won’t be going to Belus Principality. I’m just… too sick to go.”

 

***

 

It had been a long, long voyage.

Beyond the endless horizon, a grand castle stood atop a cliff.

“Mother, is that…?”

“Yes, my dear. That’s our home.”

Her mother smiled gently.