Chapter 291: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (84)

The Sword Duke’s visit was sudden.

He walked straight to the manor’s front gate without any forewarning. At first, the servants were perplexed, not even recognizing his identity.

The Sword Duke did not rebuke the servants who stood in his way.

He simply etched letters into the air.

Crimson mana flowed down, etching geometric patterns.

Though no one understood its meaning, there wasn’t a single person unaware of the origin of those characters.

The Dragonblood Script.

It was the symbol of absolute authority over the Empire and a legacy left behind by the great dragon race, the revered teachers of humanity.

Greatly astonished, the servants could only immediately kneel.

The owner of the Dragonblood Script was no different from a representative of the Emperor.

Even making eye contact was considered impolite.

Blocking his path was out of the question.

Thus, without any trouble, the Sword Duke entered the Percus manor.

The Percus family were the ones thrown into chaos.

They couldn’t afford to mistreat an owner of the Dragonblood Script. Instead, as loyal subjects of the Empire, it was their duty to offer him the best hospitality possible, though even that might not be enough.

After all, wasn’t the Sword Duke a revered elder of the Imperial family?

They were obliged to treat him with utmost respect.

However, it seemed that the Sword Duke had not come seeking luxurious reception.

This was evident from the fact that he summoned me to the reception room as soon as he entered the mansion.

His purpose for visiting me was simple and clear from the beginning.

To have a conversation with me.

Any other matter seemed unnecessary to him.

He barely spent a few minutes speaking with my parents, the lords of the Manor.

It was a relief, in a way.

The Percus family was merely a rural viscountcy.

We neither had the means to entertain an imperial guest who so suddenly arrived , nor did our servants fully understand the proper etiquette for receiving such a guest.

It was far better to engage in a straightforward discussion than to risk offending him over some trivial matter.

The Sword Duke likely expected as much when he came.

He was the only Master of the Empire and the Emperor’s uncle. If he wished, he could acquire anything he desired.

There was no need for him to waste time troubling a humble family.

Perhaps that is why he visited without any prior notice.

As I knelt to pay my respects, the Sword Duke offered me a quiet greeting.

“There’s no need for unnecessary formalities. Besides, this is the second time we’re having a proper conversation.”

I was momentarily at a loss for words at that statement.

It seemed he spoke with me before.

I, however, had no memory of ever having a conversation with the Sword Duke, no matter how hard I tried to recall.

There was no way I would forget an interaction with such an important figure.

That left only one possibility.

The Sword Duke must have spoken with the ‘me’ from the future.

Why hadn’t I been informed of something so crucial in advance?

I felt a surge of resentment towards a certain someone, but managed to suppress it.

I instead simply pretended to be calm and expressed my gratitude to my benefactor.

“Thank you for your help last time, Your Excellency, Sword Duke.”

“Oh, it was nothing. If anything, this old man is sorry for being late. If it were in the old days, I would have arrived much sooner...”

The Sword Duke wistfully trailed off as he picked up his teacup.

The Sword Duke’s expression grew intrigued.

No one would be comfortable knowing that intelligence agents were being assigned to monitor their family.

While one might feel relieved to avoid punishment, it was natural to feel some bitterness about the situation.

Indeed, if this had been a typical situation, that would have been the case.

But instead, I went a step further and bowed my head in gratitude.

“Rather, I am grateful. Thank you for going out of your way to look after us...”

“...A sharp fellow, indeed.”

The Sword Duke’s satisfied smile deepened as he let out a light chuckle.

After all, there might still be an unidentified individual lurking in the Percus manor.

The masked assailant.

Since their identity hadn’t been uncovered, the possibility that they were still within the manor couldn’t be ruled out.

Thus, surveillance by the Imperial Intelligence Agency was something I should actually welcome.

Their watchful eye meant that, in case of an emergency, they could also protect us from danger.

It finally felt like I had one less thing to worry about.

To be honest, I found the Imperial Intelligence Agency more reliable than Dame Irene.

Just looking at Senior Neris’ skills, who was only an apprentice, was proof enough.

Although she might seem foolish at a glance, she was someone who had a certain level of expertise in her field.

This showed that, fundamentally, the Imperial Intelligence Agency was a competent organisation.

While they might have their quirks, they were at least more suited for protection than the forces I could muster.

In many ways, it was a relief.

Power, when close at hand, could indeed be quite useful.

However, it seemed that the Sword Duke’s business wasn’t over yet.

In fact, it appeared that his true purpose had yet to be revealed, as he hesitated slightly.

I couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

I couldn’t fathom what could cause someone of the Sword Duke’s stature to hesitate.

But the words that came from the middle-aged man’s mouth next were enough to catch even me off guard.

“...She might still be alive.”

It was a sudden statement.

I looked at the Sword Duke with a puzzled expression, but he only gazed back at me with even deeper, more contemplative eyes.

He sighed as he handed me a few documents.

They were tightly sealed papers.

This indicated they were classified documents.

My curiosity deepened further.

But as the Sword Duke continued to speak,

“Your ‘real’ little sister.”

My thoughts came to a halt.

My mind went completely blank and I couldn’t think of anything for a moment.

I could only blankly stare at the Sword Duke.

He sighed deeply, as if expecting this reaction.

“...Refer to the documents for more details. Though, we haven’t been able to pinpoint her exact whereabouts.”

Suddenly, the few sheets of paper in my hand felt overwhelmingly heavy.

With trembling hands, I stared at the small stack of papers, no more than three or four pages.

My ‘real’ little sister?