Grand Duke's Beloved Granddaughter

Vibr slowly started climbing up my arm. Blinking in wonder, I watched Vibr’s movements. Vibr, now perched on my shoulder, wagged his tail happily.

 

It was an incredibly cute sight.

 

I had never thought a snake could be cute before, but Vibr was an exception.

 

“By the way, earlier you said you helped me for the first time. Does that mean there will be another materialization task?”

 

I asked, recalling the events.

 

[There might be a time when it happens again.]

 

Vibr vaguely replied.

 

“But there’s also a possibility that it won’t?”

 

[That’s right.]

 

“Okay then. If there’s another materialization task next time, I won’t do it twice. Just stay in the pendant.”

 

I didn’t want to feel that sensation of my divine power draining and my life force being sucked out again.

 

[Try to avoid such situations as much as possible.]

 

Vibr responded with a sulky tone.

 

“But I’ll still learn the method.”

 

Vibr lifted his head weakly. His appearance was so adorable that I instinctively reached out and gently stroked Vibr’s head. Fortunately, Vibr didn’t seem to mind; he leaned into my fingers.

 

“Priest Pleon, is your work finished for today?”

 

“Yes, you must be tired from using divine power today, so you may go.”

 

Priest Pleon bowed his head towards me. I also bid farewell to him.

 

“I’ll escort you. It’ll prevent any suspicion from those who escort the saint.”

 

Lionel suggested as he matched his timing to mine. I smiled and turned to him.

 

“Please, Priest Lionel.”

 

Before leaving, I said my final goodbyes to the priests.

 

“I’ll be leaving now.”

 

“Just a moment, please.”

 

Archbishop Baron approached me. Wondering why he called me, I looked at him, and he handed me something.

 

“Earlier, Vibr materialized, and the pendant fell to the ground.”

 

Accepting it and checking, it was the pendant that Vibr had been trapped in earlier.

 

However, there was something different this time. Previously, the pendant had an engraving of the snake-shaped Vibr, but now it was empty.

 

I examined the pendant back and forth; without any engravings, it was impossible to distinguish the front from the back.

 

“Thank you for taking care of it.”

 

After thanking Archbishop Baron, I put the pendant in my pocket. Since Vibr wasn’t sealed inside, I didn’t feel the need to wear the necklace.

 

“I’ll be going then!”

 

“You may leave comfortably, Lady Saint.”

 

After bidding farewell once again, I left with Priest Lionel. We exited the temple and entered the training ground. Opening the door that connected the training ground to the outside, I entered the familiar path.

 

“Little Miss!”

 

“You’re out? Did training finish early today?”

 

Calina and Anita, who had been waiting on the bench, stood up when they saw us.

 

“Yeah, I’m a bit tired, so I want to go back early.”

 

I looked at Calina a bit nervously.

 

Vibr was openly on my shoulder. While Vibr had said that others wouldn’t see him, it was hard to believe that a perfectly fine snake would be invisible to others.

 

“Huh?”

 

At that moment, Anita glanced at me and smirked.

 

Did she recognize Vibr?

 

Swallowing my dry saliva, I checked Anita’s expression.

 

“What’s wrong, Anita?”

 

“Miss, your necklace is missing.”

 

Anita pointed to her own neck and spoke to me. She only seemed concerned about the absence of the necklace, not sensing anything strange.

 

I instinctively touched my empty neck.

 

“I put it in my pocket because it was bothering me during training.”

 

Anita quickly agreed, nodding her head.

 

“Then let’s go back. I want to rest quickly.”

 

“Yes, Little Miss.”

 

With Calina and Anita in tow, we left the temple. Although I had made the round trip from the training ground to the temple entrance several times, Lionel kindly guided me to the entrance.

 

“Until we meet again. Please go inside, Miss Mirabel.”

 

Lionel smiled gently and saw me off.

 

I gave a courteous response and put my pendant in my pocket after finishing my greetings.

 

Even though Vibr had confirmed that others couldn’t see him, it was inevitable that the gaze of Calina and Anita, who were aware of my actions, would make me uncomfortable.

 

After a long ride, the carriage finally arrived at the Duke’s mansion.

 

“Young Lady.”

 

With the help of the coachman, I got off the carriage. Benjamin Dearet, who usually managed Duke Crichton’s affairs and supervised me, cautiously spoke to me.

 

“Why?”

 

Wondering why he sought me out, I looked at Benjamin, and he smiled warmly.

 

“The Duke is waiting for you, Young Lady.”

 

“Grandfather? Will you guide me?”

 

“Yes. Please come this way.”

 

I followed Benjamin into the mansion.

 

Benjamin led me to Duke Crichton’s office.

 

Tap, tap. Benjamin, who had approached the office door, lightly knocked.

 

“Your Grace, the young lady has arrived.”

 

“Come in.”

 

Duke Crichton’s voice came from inside. Benjamin opened the door and took a step back.

 

“Go inside.”

 

After nodding once, I entered the office.

 

“Oh, you’re here. My dear.”

 

The first to greet me was Duke Crichton. Initially, I thought only Duke Crichton was present, but I belatedly noticed my mother and Brian sitting on the sofa arranged in the office.

 

“I heard you were waiting for me. What’s going on?”

 

With a puzzled expression, I alternately looked at the three of them.

 

“First, have a seat, Belle. It’ll be easier if we talk sitting down, won’t it?”

 

Brian suggested that I sit down.

 

“Yeah. It’s better to sit for now.”

 

Following their suggestions, I approached and sat next to my mother. In the meantime, a maid approached astutely.

 

“Milk, please.”

 

“Yes, young lady.”

 

The maid bowed and greeted quietly before leaving the office.

 

However, neither Duke Crichton nor Brian, nor even my mother, initiated conversation with me.

 

“Is there something wrong?”

 

Did something happen while I was away from the mansion?

 

“It’s not that. Still, it’s something we can discuss after you’ve had some milk.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“I’ve brought the milk.”

 

The maid entered with a tray holding milk and cookies. After placing the items in front of me, she greeted quietly and left the office. I reached out and took a sip of the milk.

 

“Now, tell me. What’s going on?”

 

“Well, a letter arrived for Mirabel from the Imperial Palace in Hwaseong.”

 

“A letter?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Brian, who had finished speaking, handed me a letter.

 

I reached out and accepted the letter Brian handed me. As expected, the imperial seal was stamped on the letter, confirming its origin from the imperial family.

 

Could it be a letter from Adrian? I examined it carefully, and finally, I could confirm who the sender was.

 

‘James Bazet Castro.’

 

The sender of the letter.

 

“The Emperor… sent this to me?”

 

Why would the Emperor send me a letter?

 

Apart from the time I met him during my visit to the imperial palace with my mother, I hadn’t met the Emperor separately.

 

Yet, he suddenly sent me a letter.

 

For what reason?

 

I broke the seal on the letter. Then, I took out the letter inside the envelope.

 

‘To Mirabel Crichton. Come to the Imperial Palace tomorrow at 2 p.m.’

 

Only two brief sentences were written on the large sheet of paper.

 

I wondered if there might be something else written in the margins, but there were no additional sentences.

 

“He asks you to come tomorrow at two.”

 

“What? By His Majesty the Emperor?”

 

Brian muttered with a furrowed brow.

 

“Yes. What should we do?”

 

“If His Majesty has sent it like that, you should go.”

 

Mother tightened her grip on my shoulder, pulling me into her embrace. I looked at my mother while being held in her arms.

 

“Don’t worry too much; I’ll go with you.”

 

Perhaps she thought I was looking at her out of fear, but my mother spoke to me.

 

“Yes, I’ll go with you.”

 

“Brian, rather than you, it’s probably better if I go with her. Your presence is likely to attract His Majesty’s attention.”

 

“Father, what a regrettable thing to say. Isn’t it essential for ‘Our Belle’ to have someone reliable to protect her? Since I have a certain position as the tutor of the Crown Prince, if I go, it would be less burdensome for our Belle, right?”

 

It seemed like they were about to have a big confrontation.

 

“Are you going to have a sword fight with His Majesty?”

 

“What a regrettable thing to say, Father. Still, I have some standing as the tutor to the Crown Prince. His Majesty has also interacted with me quite intimately before Cornelia arrived, so if I go, it will be less of a burden for our Belle.”

 

Whether they stopped here or not, it seemed that Duke Crichton and Brian were ready to have a serious argument.

 

“Are you going to have a sword fight with His Majesty?”

 

“What a regrettable thing to say, Father. Still, I have some standing as the tutor to the Crown Prince. His Majesty has also interacted with me quite intimately before Cornelia arrived, so if I go, it will be less of a burden for our Belle.”

 

Whether they stopped here or not, it seemed that Duke Crichton and Brian were ready to have a serious argument.

 

“Are you going to have a sword fight with His Majesty?”

 

“What a regrettable thing to say, Father. Still, I have some standing as the tutor to the Crown Prince. His Majesty has also interacted with me quite intimately before Cornelia arrived, so if I go, it will be less of a burden for our Belle.”

 

Whether they stopped here or not, it seemed that Duke Crichton and Brian were ready to have a serious argument.

 

“I’m fine!”

 

I intervened in the confrontation between Duke Crichton and Brian.

 

Both of them looked at me simultaneously. Before either of them could speak first, I opened my mouth.

 

“Grandfather, uncle, and mother don’t need to come with me.”

 

“What are you saying? Are you planning to go alone?”

 

Mother asked with confusion. I simply nodded.

 

“Yes. I’ll go alone.”

 

“That’s not allowed. No matter what, how can you go to the Imperial Palace alone?”

 

“He’s right, Belle. Even if the Emperor has reconciled with Cornelia, we can’t send you alone to the Emperor. At the very least, going with Cornelia…”

 

Brian expressed his concerns once again.

 

“Yeah, Belle, just in case, your mother will accompany you to the Imperial Palace. She’ll go with you until the entrance, and you can meet the Emperor in person.”

 

Mother spoke with a gentle expression.

 

“What do you think, Belle? Is that okay with you?”

 

Finally, Duke Crichton and Brian nodded in agreement. Mother then asked me.

 

“Yeah, I’ll do that.”

 

I quickly agreed and nodded my head.

 

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