MDRH 87

Chapter 87

At that, Mei’s curved eyes bent even more deeply.
“So, who is it then? This person?”
Curious, huh? Who could it be? Her mischievous question pressed on.

Lucilea couldn’t even bring herself to meet her gaze. She just scratched at her cheek.
Then, she thought back to how indifferent Elbadin had been toward Elise’s bookmark gift—
and at the same time, the words he had said to her.

—“Something like the potion you made me, that’s what’s truly precious.”
—“For me, the potion you made is worth more than any gift.”

Her chest tingled for no reason.
‘When he says things like that, it makes me want to make him something else…….’

So, Lucilea decided to try making a pendant.
Not the potions she often brewed, but this time, something different—something special.
It would take much more mana than a potion, but precisely because of that, it would be more meaningful.

As if speaking to herself, Lucilea replied to Mei.
“Well, it’s just that…… His Grace has many enemies, and he always faces danger, doesn’t he?”
“That’s true.”

Mei nodded as she sat down beside her.
Lucilea continued, her fingers separating the materials spread across the table.
“So, I thought, what if I made him a pendant? Something he can always keep on him, filled with functions that could help him in different ways……”
“Like how Noah enchants necklaces with protective spells?”

At Mei’s question, Lucilea’s face brightened into a smile, and she nodded.
“Yes! Exactly! I can’t cast high-level protection magic like my teacher can, so I thought I’d add different abilities instead.”

Mei looked at her and smiled softly.
“Then this will be His Grace’s very own necklace, won’t it?”
Lucilea chuckled quietly.
“That’s right.”

A pendant that wasn’t too big or cumbersome, yet had special abilities.
Something that could be worn on a chain around the neck, or tied to a leather cord at the waist.

As she sorted through the materials with that thought in mind, the corners of her lips twitched upward.
“Ahem. Though, I wonder if I’m starting something unnecessary when I’m already busy with potion-making!”

Nobody had asked, yet Lucilea cleared her throat with a fake cough.
Her tone was grumbling, but the smile tugging at her lips only grew deeper.

Mei, watching her, smiled kindly.
“With the care you’re putting into this, His Grace will surely love it.”
“Do you think so?”
“Of course!”

At that, Lucilea beamed at Mei.
But only for a moment.

‘But… I’m not revealed to be his real child. Won’t it seem like I’m overstepping?’

After all, Elise—who seemed to be his blood daughter—had appeared. That made it more likely others would see it that way.

Cautiously, Lucilea spoke.
“But Mei.”
“Yes, please go on.”
“I heard from Grandpa Arkel… that the Elite Corps was created to find His Grace’s child?”

Mei paused for a moment before nodding.
“That’s right. That’s also why he traveled across the continent with the corps for the past eight years.”

At that, Lucilea fiddled with a shard of magic stone.
“That means… it must be that important to him.”
“……Yes.”

Looking down at the shard, she asked another question.
“If his real child were to appear, would His Grace be happy?”
“……”

She wasn’t asking about Elise.
Since the word ‘real child’ excluded Elise entirely in her mind.

No—Lucilea was asking about herself.

Of course, Mei had no way of knowing that.
To her, this question had to be about Elise.

After a moment of silence, Mei’s smile faded, and she carefully replied.
“Well… if His Grace truly found his child, I think he’d be very happy. After all, it’s the blood relative he’s searched for over eight years.”

Her gaze drifted toward the night sky beyond the window.
‘Eight years… so long.’

After the body of the Grand Duchess Radia was found, Mei had wandered the mountains like a madwoman.
Running through snowfields, searching through blizzards.

But in the end, Radia’s last legacy could not be found.
And then Elise appeared, claiming to be the daughter of the Grand Duke’s house.
The evidence was flawless, and the witness who brought her was impeccable.

‘Then why do I feel like this?’

She should have been nothing but happy. At last, the wish of eight years might be fulfilled.
Yet instead, a strong sense of rejection welled inside her.

‘This is all Noah’s fault.’

That foolish, loose-mouthed mage.
—“I think Lucilea is the Grand Duke’s real child.”

He always played too much and said things without thought, so she brushed it off at the time.
But for some reason, that one line refused to leave her head.

Mei glanced at Lucilea, still toying with the magic stone.
Elise looked exactly like His Grace.
Lucilea—on the other hand—didn’t resemble him in the slightest.

‘Ah, but there was a transformation spell cast on her, wasn’t there?’
Then what was her real appearance like?
What lay beyond that ordinary face?

‘Could it be? Could it really be, just as Noah said, that you… you are His Grace’s daughter?’

If so… perhaps that would be better.

Compared to Elise, who stirred such rejection inside her, accepting Lucilea as his daughter somehow seemed easier.
Though she couldn’t explain why.

‘This is all Noah’s fault.’

Just then, Lucilea asked again.
“What kind of father… do you think His Grace would be?”

Her voice trembled faintly when she said the word father.

“If his real child appears, what happens to the others? Once he’s achieved his goal, will he not care about the other children anymore? Like Serdian, or me? Would we… be driven out?”

That was Lucilea’s biggest fear.
That because of her, Serdian might lose his heir’s position, be cast out of the Grand Duke’s house, and live a tragic life just like in the original story.

‘And then he’d eventually vow revenge.’
Just like in the original.

‘If that happens, not only my life, but His Grace’s and the entire household…’

Images filled her mind: the Grand Duke’s mansion burning in flames, people of the household lying wounded and bleeding, and Elbadin himself lying dead.

Just imagining it parched her throat.

So much had changed. She no longer cared only about her own life—now she worried about the entire household.

Seeing Lucilea’s face darken so noticeably, Mei answered without hesitation.
“No.”

Lucilea looked up at her.
“No?”
“Yes. His Grace would never do such a thing.”

Her eyes trembled faintly. Mei gave a soft smile and continued.
“Though he may look cold and indifferent, in truth he’s more responsible and caring than anyone. …I think you know that now, don’t you?”

Lucilea took a deep breath.
‘Yes… I know now.’
That His Grace was not truly cold or heartless.

“Especially,” Mei added, brushing aside Lucilea’s bangs,
“if his real daughter were someone kind and considerate like you, Lady Lucilea.”
“…Huh?”
“Just hypothetically.”
“Ah… r-right, hypothetically.”

“Yes. In that case… His Grace would never cast aside the Young Lord or the others chosen. Because his daughter Lucilea would never stand for that. Isn’t that right?”

Her words struck Lucilea hard: His Grace would never do what you despise.

Slowly, Lucilea nodded.
“Yes…”

“Yes. His Grace will protect everyone. That is simply who he is.”

Those words struck the deepest part of Lucilea’s heart.

The hope she had long denied.
The fragile expectation that perhaps, this time, her “father” would be different.

That maybe—
‘If it’s His Grace as he is now… he wouldn’t drive Serdian away. He would fend off the branch families and vassals who would try to use me.’
And maybe… he could create a future where everyone lived well together.

The story had already changed so much.
Serdian was no longer alone, no longer holding resentment toward the house.
Lucilea no longer wanted to become a villainess, so Elbadin would not need to cover up for the misdeeds of a daughter he had finally found.

—“His Grace would never do what you despise.”

If Mei’s words were true, if that really was the case…

‘Then even if I revealed I’m his daughter… it might be okay, right?’

At that moment—
a chilling sensation brushed around her eyes.

‘Huh…?’