｡･:*:･ﾟ★ Translated by Gon ｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
The sound of the teacup being placed on the table echoed through the room as Riley set it down with a sharp click. She looked up at Anna with a displeased expression.
“Did you say you’d trample me? Anna, that’s a bit harsh.”
“Who was it that suddenly appeared and turned my world upside down?!”
“Your premise is wrong.”
Riley stood up, brushing past Anna as she walked towards the window.
With a swift motion, she pulled the curtains shut, blocking out the sunlight that had been streaming in. The sudden dimness made Anna shiver. Riley had drawn the curtains to ensure that no one could see inside.
Simultaneously, Riley’s expression changed, causing Anna to swallow nervously.
“Who was it that appeared first, anyway?”
“W-What?”
“I remember it all too well. When I was overjoyed with my pregnancy, you and Theo appeared the next day, looking as if you were on top of the world.”
“You… you!”
“It would be troublesome if you get angry this early. We’ve only just begun.”
Riley whispered just loud enough for Anna to hear, and Anna’s whole body began to tremble. Memories of what she’d done to Riley came flooding back—memories of how she’d killed her child and ruined everything that had once made her happy.
Even the claim that Riley had lost her memory was a lie. The only reason Rayleigh had come here was for revenge.
‘No… This time, it can’t happen. I really have a child in my belly now!’
Anna instinctively sensed it. The look in Riley’s eyes was no longer the same as before. This time, Riley might actually kill her.
Clutching her stomach in fear, Anna took a step back. Riley, however, didn’t move closer; she simply smiled brightly from where she stood.
“So, go ahead and protect what’s yours as best as you can. Because I’m going to destroy everything from now on.”
“Aaah!”
Anna pushed Riley aside and fled, running back to her room.
She hurried into her room and began hastily writing a letter. After summoning a maid, and giving her strict orders to deliver it secretly.
After that, she nervously chewed on her fingernails, wrapping herself up in anxiety.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
“Theo Albert, come out immediately!”
The morning had erupted into chaos. Everyone in the duke’s manor was startled and confused as they rushed outside to see what was going on.
Riley, who had been sleeping in the annex, was jolted awake by the man’s voice and sat up in bed.
‘…No way, that voice…’
Peeking through the curtains at the gate, she saw the crest of the Tralor family. The sudden arrival of her father threw her thoughts into chaos.
‘Why now, after all this time…?’
He wasn’t supposed to find her yet. There was no way Theo would have contacted the Tralor family. He would have preferred to resolve everything quietly.
Riley’s return had undoubtedly put him in a difficult position, stirring up more scandal, which he would have tried his best to avoid.
There was only one possible explanation.
‘…Anna.’
It had to be her. She must have believed that summoning Duke Veriter would take care of Riley. How foolish she was. It was laughable that the best idea her mind could come up with was to call the Duke here.
Riley changed her clothes to go outside. There was no reason to run or hide. The timing had simply moved up.
As she was about to step out of the annex, she saw Theo approaching Duke Veriter.
*Smack!*
The sharp sound echoed as Theo’s head snapped to the side.
‘Did he injure his arm? That looks like a pretty deep cut.’
Riley let go of the doorknob and decided to watch the situation unfold. She didn’t like that her father was here, but she didn’t mind seeing Theo’s cheek turning red.
“I’ve been lenient with you, and this is how you repay me? Duke Albert, do you realize that hiding the Tralor family’s daughter from me was a blatant act of deception?”
“…Duke Veriter, I don’t understand why you’re suddenly making a fuss after all this time.”
Theo didn’t back down in the face of the Duke’s accusation. He suspected that the Duke was here only because of rumors. Believing that the Duke didn’t fully understand the situation, Theo assumed he would easily win this argument.
“My daughter’s power! It has manifested, and you dare claim you didn’t know? You couldn’t possibly be unaware that this means she belongs to the imperial family now.”
Duke Veriter’s words made Theo’s eyes widen. Only now did Theo realize why the royal family and the Duke had been so desperate to find her. He had kept her hidden not just to avoid splitting his estate but because he couldn’t bear the thought of sharing her with them.
Moreover, Anna’s behavior had become increasingly unbearable, making him miss the old Riley. But now, to hear that she was a power wielder… it was unbelievable.
“I haven’t noticed any other unusual signs. You must be mistaken.”
“The entire world knows you and my daughter are divorced, so why is she still here? Don’t tell me it’s not to use her powers! That’s absurd!”
Duke Veriter laughed bitterly, then turned serious. His demeanor suggested he might storm inside at any moment, and Theo blocked his way, his expression hardening.
“What right do you have to take her away? She stays because she chooses to.”
The Duke chuckled derisively at Theo’s response. The idea that Riley would willingly remain in a place where a mistress had miscarried her child was ridiculous.
“Bring my daughter here, now.”
The Duke of Veriter demanded Riley’s presence. From inside the manor, Anna watched the scene unfold, satisfied, as she sipped her tea.
“Hurry up and leave. You don’t belong here.”
Go back to being the abandoned daughter, the worthless Riley you are.
Anna longed for the day Riley would disappear from her sight.
Meanwhile, Kavan, the servant attending Anna, glanced around nervously. He seemed to have something to say, but in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to speak up.
Tension filled the air, and neither side showed any sign of backing down. Just then, Riley opened the door and stepped out of the guest house, walking toward the two men.
When Riley reached them, the Duke of Veriter roughly shoved Theo aside and rushed to grab her by both arms.
“This won’t do,” she said in a cold voice.
At that moment, Theo’s world went dark, throwing him into complete darkness. He yelled, but it was no use. While he thrashed around blindly, Riley looked at him with cold indifference before fixing her intense stare on the Duke.
“Why are you here?!”
“Riley, my daughter, I’ve finally found you!”
“Remove your hands.”
“…Riley? How can you speak to your father like—”
Before he could finish, an aura rippled around Riley, encasing her in a protective shield. The Duke’s hands began to burn as if scorched by invisible flames, leaving severe injuries.
Despite the pain, a twisted smile spread across his face.
“Haha! So it’s true—you have the power! You’ve saved our family, Riley! Now, come with me!”
“Yes, Father. I have the power you’ve always desired. I used to hate it, but now I’m glad. Because it allows me to bring you to your knees like this.”
As she stared at the Duke, Riley’s blood boiled with rage.
She slowly approached him, while he, like a madman, laughed in delight.
“Hahaha! You’ve come to understand the power, haven’t you? Everything I did, it was all for you!”
“You always said that, didn’t you? That it was for me. Did you really believe that? No, it was for the family—and for yourself.”
Her voice was sharp as a blade, and the Duke flinched.
She had never once dared to challenge him. Seeing her now, standing firm and speaking her mind, made the Duke click his tongue in irritation.
“Tsk. That man, Theo—he ruined you, hasn’t he? Turned you against your own father after all I’ve done to raise you.”
The Duke’s delusions seemed to know no bounds. Even as Riley stood before him, brimming with murderous intent, all he could feel was the exhilaration of having gained a daughter with power.
In his mind, she was his ticket to reclaiming his lost influence and power.
He was beyond reasoning at this point.
“Why did you have to come so early, rushing your fate, Father? I was planning to visit you myself.”
“W-What do you mean by that—ugh!”
The Duke collapsed to his knees, clutching at the floor as he gasped for breath. Riley’s hand was wrapped around his throat, squeezing the life out of him.
“Wait patiently. It’s not your turn just yet.”
Riley loosened her grip, resisting the urge to end him right then and there. As she released the Duke, Theo’s darkened vision began to clear, and his body felt weak as if drained of all energy. His entire body felt drained of strength.
In front of him, he saw the Duke of Veriter, struggling to breathe, and his throat was marked by Riley’s fingers. Theo instinctively realized something was terribly wrong.
He understood now that he had no choice in the matter.
