“She is the Kreutz Duchy’s legitimate daughter.”
Knox reiterated, his tone firm and unwavering.
“The Lady? You’ve found the Lady? But… I haven’t heard anything about that…”
The Marquis flinched, visibly startled by the term “Lady.” After a moment of hesitation, he stroked his prickly chin and forced a smile.
“Ah, so you’re the Duke’s child.” His lips curled into a sinister grin as he regarded me.
It seemed he had already heard about Calypse adopting a child.
“Well, well. It’s been five years since the Duke lost his family… He must have been lonely.”
Taking a step closer, the Marquis knelt before me.
“Child, do you have any abilities?”
The Marquis’s face, now up close, looked even more wrinkled, resembling that of a greedy, old monkey. Ugh, how unpleasant.
I leaned back and answered, “No, I don’t.”
“Oh, you don’t? So, you’re just an ordinary child without any special abilities, huh? Hahaha!”
The Marquis’s laughter echoed through the high-ceilinged hallway, causing the maids around us to tense up. No one dared to say anything.
Of course, no one would. I was an unrecognized Lady, and he was the father of an ability bearer.
“Do you want to see my ability?”
Suddenly, Tex, emboldened by the mention of abilities, puffed out his chest and approached me. I was about to shake my head, not wanting to see it, when—
CRACK!
“Eek!”
“Ah!”
The maids screamed, covering their ears as a loud crack reverberated through the hallway. A massive icicle had formed right in the middle of the corridor.
It was clear that Tex wanted to show off to me, up close and personal.
If I hadn’t clung to Knox’s leg like a cicada, I would’ve been skewered by that icicle.
“This is an ability,” Tex said smugly, lowering himself to my level as if to enjoy the frightened reactions around him.
“Well, since you’re part of the Kreutz family, I’ll consider accepting you as my little sister when I become the successor.”
But—
“No. You’re disqualified as a successor.”
I replied without a moment’s hesitation.
“…What?”
“Do you know why the Kreutz Duchy is respected by the people?”
Tex frowned, confused by the sudden question, and then casually answered, “Because we have ice abilities?”
“No. It’s because the Kreutz Duchy has protected people with those abilities that they’re respected.”
I pointed at Tex with my finger and said, “But you threatened people with it. That’s why you’re not qualified to be a successor.”
“……”
For a moment, the entire hallway fell silent. The Marquis’s sneer faded, the maids were shocked, and even Knox, who had been watching passively, stood frozen.
“…What do you know about anything?!”
Tex, stunned by my unexpected response, lunged at me, trying to grab my collar—
“She is the legitimate daughter of the Kreutz Duchy.”
A large hand intervened, separating Tex from me.
“If this threatening behavior towards the Lady continues, no matter how noble the Lilith family is, we will have to take action,” Knox said coldly, his gaze piercing the Marquis.
The Marquis, who had been watching everything unfold, pressed his lips together tightly.
Even though I was adopted, I was still recognized by Calypse as the official daughter.
“Tex, let’s go.”
“But Father!”
“I said, let’s go!”
The Marquis, realizing that any further commotion would only tarnish his reputation, harshly grabbed Tex’s hand and pulled him away. He glared at Knox, his expression dark.
“…Knox.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“The fact that an adopted orphan speaks like that suggests that you must have drilled those ideas into her head.”
The Marquis jabbed Knox’s chest with a sharp finger.
“If my Tex grows up to be the successor and head of the Duchy, I’ll make sure you learn my ways.”
Despite the Marquis’s intimidating presence, Knox didn’t flinch.
“Of course, I look forward to it.”
“Tch! How unpleasant…”
With that, the Marquis could do nothing more. He glared at Knox, then at the surrounding maids, and finally at me, before dragging Tex out of the Duchy.
As the Marquis and Tex disappeared—
“Why did the Marquis visit again?”
“Who knows? He treats this place like his own home.”
“Ugh, it’s so stressful every time he comes.”
“But… does this mean that Young Master Tex will become the successor?”
“Well, once the Duke returns from the monster hunt, he’s supposed to hold the successor’s test… so maybe it’ll be announced then.”
“But wasn’t Lady Aisha adopted as the Lady?”
“…But does Lady Aisha have the ice ability?”
Their sighs filled the hallway as conversations broke out among the staff.
Ah, now I understand.
The reason why Knox didn’t want to acknowledge me.
‘Even if I’m the princess, without the ice ability, Tex will still become the successor.’
I thought, stroking my chin.
In fact, when it became clear that the lady couldn’t be found, I had considered the possibility of looking for the Duke’s son instead.
‘But what if the son is also missing, just like the lady in the original story?’
If that were the case, even the Duke, who had believed in me until now, would inevitably be disappointed.
‘I need to find the Duke’s son without bringing it up…’
As I pondered, unsure of how to proceed, I turned my head and saw Knox walking away, his shoulders heavy with burden.
I watched him quietly, feeling a pang of sympathy when—
“Hmm?”
Something on the floor caught the light and sparkled.
I approached it, finding a gold fountain pen.
‘Is this the Marquis Lilith’s?’
He must have dropped it while roughly pulling Tex away earlier.
“…Ruth?”
However, the name engraved on the pen wasn’t “Lilith” but “Ruth.”
“Ruth? Is that a nickname for Marquis Lilith?”
It wasn’t uncommon. Nobles often engraved their nicknames on personal items.
But then…
“Ah.”
As I picked up the pen, a good idea came to mind.
If I can’t say it first…
…then I should make the other party curious enough to ask me first, just like this pen.
* * *
A few days later.
“Will you be visiting Lady Aisha? Should we prepare some tea?”
The mood at the Duchy had gradually returned to normal after the Marquis’s disruptive visit, though the staff still seemed uneasy.
However, Knox, still frowning, shook his head.
“No. Today, I’d like to be alone.”
In truth, Knox’s mood had been at its worst since that day.
‘For a branch family to come and go as they please…’
He knew that the Marquis Lilith was eyeing the successor’s position, but for him to visit the Duchy without permission was unacceptable.
This would never have happened if Duke Calypse were present.
‘No, if even the Duke’s son were here…’
Knox shook his head, realizing the futility of such thoughts.
“Tell Lady Aisha to stay in her room until dinner. I wish to be alone.”
“Yes, I’ll let her know.”
After parting ways with Mai, Knox headed toward his private office.
“……”
But as soon as she was out of sight, he changed his direction.
‘I can’t just sit around and sulk. I need to do something.’
Though the Marquis’s actions were out of his hands, there was still something he could investigate.
Aisha.
‘I can still uncover the truth about that little spy.’
He walked toward the castle wall, where he could see Aisha’s bedroom window.
‘But you threatened people instead. That disqualifies you as a successor.’
Aisha’s words suddenly echoed in his mind, making him pause.
To be honest, in that moment, Aisha truly seemed like a lady.
No, he even thought she would be a better successor than someone like Tex.
“…No, that’s not right.”
But Knox shook his head, dismissing the thought.
“It could be an act.”
His monocle glinted ominously as he stared at the window.
Why do people who deceive others for a living get called professionals?
It’s because they receive specialized training.
Of course, Knox didn’t trust the little spy from Pose Duchy.
Is she cute?
Well, spies are often attractive.
Does she chirp about the Pose Duchy like a little bird?
That’s just to disarm people.
Does her face puff up adorably when she eats?
Spies are experts at disguising themselves.
‘I thought if I stuck close to her, I’d find something.’
At first, he had watched her 24/7, hoping to catch her in a lie. But there was a problem.
By sticking so closely, he was preventing the spy from doing her job.
‘If I leave her alone, maybe she’ll reveal her true nature.’
He had already informed Mai, so Aisha should be alone by now.
Who knows what she’s doing in that room.
And if she’s writing a report to the Pose Duchy…
That would give Knox the perfect excuse to kick her out.
“…Hah. Climbing the castle wall like a thief…”
The only thing bothering him was his pride as the Kreutz Duchy’s advisor.
He thought about his career up to this point.
The youngest advisor in Kreutz Duchy’s history.
The first expert in monster breeding.
The president of the “Monster Lovers Society.”
‘But this has to be done.’
Adjusting his monocle, he steeled himself and began scaling the wall.
