Chapter 316

Chapter 316

The mansion became extremely busy with the news that Friedrich, now the Grand Duke, would be visiting. It was even more noticeable than when Queen Maria visited.

The employees were busy tidying up every corner of the mansion since this morning, and I was no exception. I couldn’t do anything properly because I had to get ready since early morning.

After all, even though he has handed over the throne, Friedrich was once a king. The transition might not have been completed properly, so his authority would still be fully maintained.

Therefore, it wasn’t just me; Adelia had the hardest time. She is my personal maid and also Friedrich’s hidden illegitimate child. This fact became known to everyone through a letter.

My mother also suggested that we might as well dress up since things turned out this way, but Adelia vehemently refused. She said it was fine to wear a maid’s uniform, but she would never wear a dress.

Even Nicole wears a dress for official events, so I asked why she didn’t like it, and she said it reminded her of her past, making her feel uncomfortable.

When I asked what she meant, she said she once wore a dress in the palace and heard people gossiping that she was pretending to be royalty despite being just a half-breed.

Since then, she avoided dresses and said it was one of the decisive reasons she became a knight.

Hearing about her unfortunate past, my mother had no choice but to step back. Instead, Adelia received a simple makeup.

In fact, she was so naturally beautiful that she didn’t need much makeup. Just a simple cream to give her skin a glossy look was enough.

Unlike Cecily or Rina, who had strong impressions, Adelia’s plain and puppy-like appearance suited even this minimal makeup.

“Are you nervous?”

“It would be a lie to say I’m not nervous, right?”

After all the preparations were done, Adelia and I waited in the bedroom for a while. Currently, Friedrich and Hiriya were talking to Lara, who has been staying at our house as a guest.

Since it seemed like they might be discussing something serious, we planned to let them finish their conversation first before joining in.

Like Queen Maria, now the reigning queen, Lara was also innocent. Honestly, the mere fact that this situation arose is unfair to Lara.

“Noona, what do you think Friedrich is going to say?”Visitt novelbin(.)co/m for the latest updates

“Well... I don’t know either.”

About 20 minutes had passed since Friedrich and Hiriya arrived at our mansion. Adelia and I were discussing what might happen next in the bedroom.

The most important point was why Friedrich came to the mansion and why he handed over the throne to Queen Maria.

I was curious about why Laos didn’t come, but it didn’t interest me as much. With Lara already at our mansion, if Laos also came, there would be no one left in the Kingdom of Teres.

The transition wasn’t fully completed yet, so it made sense not to leave Maria alone. This was something understandable.

“Why did he come? He could have just stayed still...”

Adelia murmured in a timid voice, fidgeting with her clasped hands. The usual confidence she exuded was completely gone.

Friedrich was the source of her trauma. I recalled her facing her family a year ago.

Even just looking at them made her break out in a cold sweat and show extreme anxiety. If her siblings caused her that much distress, Friedrich must have been even worse.

During the trial, Friedrich outright denied Adelia’s existence. Even though it was expected, it must have deeply wounded Adelia’s heart.

‘Honestly, it’s a bit infuriating.’

I can understand Friedrich’s position. As a king, if his honor and dignity were tarnished, lurking hyenas would pounce on him.

However, if he had set aside his honor for a moment and humbly admitted his mistake, the situation might have changed, even if just slightly.

He made mistakes in his youthful recklessness, but at least he could have shown that he was someone who took ‘responsibility.’

For high-ranking nobles like Friedrich, ‘responsibility’ is extremely important. There are countless people who stubbornly deny everything until their downfall.

In that sense, even though Friedrich barely managed to escape the pit of ruin, the resentment remains unchanged. If I weren’t Xenon, the situation would have favored Friedrich, and he wouldn’t have acknowledged Adelia’s existence at all.

It means that the situation cannot be viewed positively from any angle.

“Why now... It would have been better if he didn’t come at all, so why...”

Adelia murmured, her thoughts seemingly aligning with mine. I looked at her troubled expression and silently took her hand.

When I held her hand, Adelia flinched and slowly lifted her bowed head to look at me.

I smiled as if to say everything would be fine, and Adelia responded with an embarrassed smile.

“Now that the situation has reversed, you can say what you want to say, Noona. Okay?”

“I know, but... when I meet him, I don’t think I’ll be able to speak. Sigh...”

Adelia let out a frustrated sigh. Her sky-blue eyes were clouded with worry.

I gently wrapped my arm around her shoulders to help her feel more secure. Patting her back to reassure her was a bonus.

Noticing my comforting gesture, Adelia chuckled softly and spoke to me.

“Are you comforting me?”

“What else would I be doing? If you really want, I can do something else too.”

“Honestly... You’re so different from my first impression of you. I didn’t know you could be so sly. Does Nicole know?”

“Rather than sly, how about calling me warm-hearted?”

“If you couldn’t even speak, you wouldn’t be so annoying. But still, thank you.”

Despite her words, Adelia subtly moved her hips closer to me. Even though she spoke that way, she preferred emotional closeness with me the most.

So, I moved the arm that was around her shoulder to gently hold her head, slowly pulling her closer until our foreheads touched.

Even without deep physical intimacy like making love or kissing, Adelia was satisfied. For her, the most important thing was to wash away the stained wounds of her past.

After keeping our foreheads together for a while, we simultaneously pulled away. Then, looking into her sky-blue eyes, I spoke.

“Shall we go now?”

“Yes.”

We held hands until we got up from the bed, but once we stepped out of the bedroom, we let go. For a moment, Adelia’s face showed a deep sense of regret, but she quickly shifted into her role as a maid. She wore her characteristic calm smile, a practiced expression.

“I have no such intentions. I handed the throne over to my wife to prevent that very scenario. My wife and Adelia are complete strangers with no blood relation.”

“Even that stranger treated me well, but you all...!”

Adelia, who had been harboring much pent-up resentment, was on the verge of exploding. Her eyes were wide open, and her tightly clenched fists trembled. Though she didn’t fully erupt, her feelings were undoubtedly conveyed. I held her arm to help her temper her emotions.

Meanwhile, Friedrich remained calm under her intense glare, but Hiriya was not. She let out a high-pitched scream and shook violently.

“I-I’m sorry! I don’t expect any mercy, just please spare my life...!”

“No one is taking your life.”

It seemed the revolution had left a lasting fear. I responded with a look of disbelief and then turned my attention back to Friedrich.

He blinked slowly, and as soon as our eyes met, he quietly began to speak.

“So, I came here to say this, albeit belatedly.”

With those words, Friedrich pushed his chair back and slowly stood up. As he stood, both Adelia and I turned our attention to him. He then walked over to stand beside Adelia, looking at her face for a while. Adelia glared at him with a face full of complex emotions.

While a strange tension filled the air between the father and daughter—

Friedrich slowly knelt down.

“I apologize.”

He bowed his head, expressing his apology in a calm voice. Even though he had abdicated, this was an act of completely casting away his pride as a former king. Just kneeling was enough to tear his honor to shreds, yet he even pressed his forehead to the ground.

“I sincerely apologize for causing trouble by failing to abandon that one piece of honor.”

“··· ···”

“And...”

Friedrich slowly lifted his face.

Thud!!

“I’m sorry.”

He struck his forehead forcefully against the floor, making a loud noise that echoed through the drawing room. If his previous apology was from the position of a “king,” this one was as Adelia’s “biological father.”

Moreover, the forceful bow emphasized the sincerity of his apology as her father.

“I am sorry for treating you so coldly to protect that wretched honor. And I am sorry for never acknowledging you as my child. I regret it all.”

“··· ···”

“I won’t ask for forgiveness. But, I felt that if I didn’t take this chance, I might never have it again. So I came to you despite the rudeness.”

Adelia looked silently at Friedrich, who had bowed his head to the ground in front of her. I wanted to see her expression, but I couldn’t as she had turned her head away.

However, judging by her trembling body, it seemed she couldn’t contain her overwhelming emotions. Honestly, I would have felt the same way.

For a long time, heavy silence filled the room. It felt like an hour had passed, but only ten minutes had gone by. During those ten minutes, Friedrich remained bowed, waiting for Adelia to speak.

About five minutes later.

“It’s too... late.”

Adelia finally spoke, her voice heavy with a mixture of sadness and anger. Despite her words, Friedrich did not lift his head.

“I just wanted something ordinary. Even if you couldn’t call me your daughter directly, I just wanted to live a normal life. I wanted to laugh and talk like other children, and to be loved by adults.”

“··· ···”

“But you didn’t allow that. You didn’t do it, not even until the end. Couldn’t let go of that wretched honor? No. Even without that honor, you would never have acknowledged me. You didn’t give me even a shred of the ‘affection’ that others gave me. I will never forgive you.”

Bitterness can be resolved. But if it hardens, it’s impossible to break it apart without shattering the emotions entirely.

That’s exactly where Adelia stands. Though I am here to support her now, her hardened wounds continue to torment her heart.

The sharp edges of her pain cruelly gouge at her soul, and each gouge leaves another scar. Friedrich’s apology does nothing but add to Adelia’s wounds. It might tie up loose ends, but it won’t break her bitterness.

However, it serves perfectly to sever any lingering attachment.

“Now that we’ve tied up loose ends, disappear from my sight. Don’t come to me again, and don’t even think of approaching Isaac. I will live my life as Adelia Cross. Not as a princess of the Kingdom of Ters, but as Isaac Ducker Michelle’s personal maid.”

“··· ···”

“And if, just if, you ever cause harm to Isaac...”

Adelia clenched her fists tightly and muttered, her voice filled with all the pent-up anger inside her.

“I will become the sword of revenge and pierce your hearts.”

“··· ···”

“Like Envy in Xenon’s Biography, I will cut off your heads and turn the kingdom to ashes, no matter what. So please...”

Her voice choked up, and she paused for a moment before finally managing to continue.

“Please... don’t appear before me. Father.”

“··· ···”

“Even though our relationship is worse than strangers, even though you are the one who created my terrible past, I don’t want to kill my own blood. So...”

The lingering attachment that had tormented Adelia...

“Go. Now.”

...completely broke away today.

Translators note:

My stockpile of chapters run out but I will try to still upload daily, although there may be an off day every now and then, at least until I have some time to mass translate again.