CH 9

Harmonious? That family can be harmonious? Underground filled with instruments of torture, and Kriella, who treated commoners as nothing more than trash,

“It’s not even funny that the baby in my womb has to call an illegitimate child as sister all their life.”

Magorit’s voice laughing at me, and…

“I love both of you.”

Endimion’s crazy words.

My heart was beating like crazy. How could that family be harmonious when they are filled with such people?

No, it can’t be. It might have been just rumors among the servants. Kriella was a woman who could kill anyone who spread bad rumors.

I couldn’t have stayed still. Rather than feeling this uncomfortable, I thought checking it with my own eyes would be better. Revenge still simmered in my heart, but my daughter’s safety still came first.

I hurriedly drank the water and spoke to Sera. “Thank you for letting me know. The meal… I will eat it myself.”

“Yes! Call me if you need anything else,” she replied bravely and left the room.

Finally left alone, I opened the wardrobe first. It was full of dresses, pajamas, robes, and various kinds of clothes. Among them, I took out a plain robe with no pattern and wore it. What I wore didn’t matter because I would go in through magic anyway.

I released my mana and applied transparent magic over my body. Soon, I felt a sticky, cold feeling, like a thick liquid poured over my body. Then I looked at myself in the mirror. Of course, nothing was seen in the mirror, as if I didn’t exist in the first place.

Great. Perhaps because of the power of my mana, the magic was working as I imagined, even though I hadn’t learned magic separately.

I closed my eyes. Then, I remembered the Hamilton March and the image of Merilly simultaneously. When I finally opened my eyes,

“Mother!”

My body was already standing in the middle of the Hamilton March.

“Merilly!”

As soon as I arrived, I shut my mouth. Five years had passed, but I could recognize it at a glance. That person must be Merilly. Before I knew it, the cute girl, who had grown up, was wrapped in Magorit’s arms.

I looked intently at Merilly. She was just like what I had seen in my dream. Isn’t she a little shorter than her peers? Her pretty eyes look exactly like mine.

My baby.

My eyes slowly turned red.

My pretty baby.

A sob leaked through my lips. Merilly looked so happy that it made me want to cry.

Magorit smiled brightly, looking at my baby as if she was lovely. Even after talking to me like that, did she eventually raise Merilly like her own daughter? When my doubts arose, Endimion approached the two of them.

“I’m jealous because you two look so affectionate.”

All three of them burst into laughter at his joke. They portrayed a perfectly harmonious family. There was no room for me to intervene. My lips trembled.

“To have a beautiful wife and such a cute daughter. Dad is such a happy man.”

“Haha, really, Endi.”

“Merilly happy too, right?” Endimion smiled brightly and asked Merilly.

Unfortunately, because her vision was obscured by tears, Lobelia did not see the expression of Merrily and Magorit change for a moment.

After an unnoticed silence, Merilly answered urgently. “…Of course, I’m really happy that Mother is my mother. She’s so beautiful and dignified.”

“I’m also happy that Merilly is my daughter. What a good daughter she is.” Magorit stroked Magorit’s hair as if she was lovely.

Dignified. My face hardened coldly. My emerald eyes flashed sharply. I’ll probably make a move sooner.

I looked at Merilly for a long time, then instantly went back to the duchy. I undid my invisibility magic and threw off the robe nervously.

I hoped Merilly would be well. But even though I saw the happy child with my own eyes, my heart wasn’t at ease. The confusion of what to do if my revenge was to ruin my child’s happiness cluttered in my head.

I brushed my hair and wept softly. I don’t want to put up with it. No, I can’t stand it. My wounds were too deep to let slide everything that had happened.  I’m sorry, Merilly.

Even if those wicked people raised my daughter preciously, I would choose the same way. It would be inevitable if that child chose Magorit even after everything was revealed, but the truth had to be revealed.  

I can’t give up.

What terrible things they had done.

Getting revenge on those scum. My eyes, determined to get revenge somehow, flashed like a blade.

I have to make a justification first. To stand right before my child, I needed status. My mana was powerful enough to cut off Magorit and Endimon’s throats and get Merilly back. But I didn’t like it that way. Apart from personal revenge, I wanted to bring Merilly back in a way that at least she could understand. Commoner status could never beat them.

I left the room immediately. Then I knocked on the door to Bella’s room.

“Yes?”

“It’s Lobelia.”

“Lobelia…? Ah, you’re my benefactor…! Come in!”

She opened the door with a loud cough. It seemed that Duke Gracie had already told her about me. Bella smiled broadly, hiding her bloody handkerchief behind her.

“Are you here to see me?”

“…Ah, yes.”

“Please sit here!”

She flapped her seat over a dustless chair. I quickly blinked my eyes, slightly taken aback by Bella’s somewhat exaggerated attitude.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I feel so happy because I wasn’t able to meet many people… It was a bit burdensome, right?” She scratched her back embarrassingly.

I answered calmly without showing any expression. “No, it’s just… I’m a descendent of a priest, so you can treat me casually.”

“No! I can’t do that. Lobelia is my benefactor. My body is so much better because of you. I even went for a walk last night…” Bella still poured out her emotion as if she couldn’t believe it. “It’s really, really a miracle…” The end of her speech trembled weakly.

I, who was staring at Bella, spoke. “I will fully heal you.”

“Yes…?”

“I’m sure you’re still sick. You even vomited blood. I can heal you completely.”

My eyes glanced at Bella’s bloody handkerchief. Even if her critical illness had been eliminated, she was still sick because of her remaining illness.

“R-really…?”

“Yes.”

“You really look like an angel from heaven…”

“What angel? I’m just treating you because there’s something I want too,” I answered firmly.

However, despite such a cold attitude, Bella jumped up and said brightly, “What do you want? I will do anything for you! Grandpa will listen to anything!”

“Ah, yes… That’s enough for me.”

I took Bella’s hand and led her to the bed.  “Lie down. I’ll finish healing you.”

“Yes…!”

She lay quietly on the bed like an obedient puppy. I gathered my power again. Originally, I had to divide the treatment over several days so my body won’t suffer. But I had no time. Only when this settled would I get my revenge faster.

Once again, a golden light enveloped my body with a surge of anger. It was a more wonderful and brilliant power than before. Finally, I poured all my holy power into Bella. Her body, which absorbed the light, shuddered greatly.

“Gasp…!”

The pain that was pressing hard on her chest quickly disappeared. She didn’t know much about medicine, but she could feel that her body was completely healed.

“It, it doesn’t hurt at all…! My body is totally—” Seeing miraculous power right before her eyes, Bella jumped up and shouted.

At that moment,

“Cough, cough…!”

Because I had poured so much power all at once, dark red blood poured out of my mouth. My body stumbled greatly.

“L-Lady Lobelia!” Panicked, Bella supported her with trembling hands.

I stammered while breathing heavily. “Please, call the duke.”

“Y-you don’t look well…! W-what should I do…!”

“The Duke…! Please call him, Princess.” I emphasized once again, clasping Bella’s wrist strongly.

Bella eventually ran straight out of the room and headed for Duke Gracie. Hearing the whole story, he hurriedly rushed into Bella’s room.

“Lobelia, you…!”

Upon seeing Lobelia, Duke Gracie’s mouth opened in astonishment. Lobelia was barely holding onto the wall.

“First, sit down. No, lie down…”

He thought it would be better to lay her down for now. He drew close to Lobelia.

Lobelia managed to let out a creeping voice. “Duke…”

“Stop…! Lobelia, you need to rest now…”

“I had cured Her Highness’s illness.”

“I told you, you need to rest…!”

“Lady Lobelia, please!”

“You said… you would do my favor.”

Despite the worrying dissuasion of Duke Gracie and Bella, Lobelia finally got her words together.

“Please adopt… me.”

As soon as she said that, she lost consciousness.