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Chapter: 26
“To be cornered and then blame an innocent child—do you have no shame?!”
At that, Melisandre’s lips quivered, and she couldn’t continue arguing against me.
Heh…
In truth, the Duchess’s last words weren’t far from the truth, but what could she do? She had ruined her own credibility by continuously committing cruel acts and lying.
“Young Duke, is it true that the Duchess confined and abused you?”
Once the atmosphere calmed somewhat, the Empress asked again.
“It’s true.”
Adrian quietly rolled up his sleeve, showing the wrist still marked by the shackles.
“This… this is…”
Seeing the vivid bluish bruises and peeled skin, everyone’s anger flared.
“No matter how strong the bloodline of the Velas family is, even if he isn’t her biological child…”
“To do such cruel things to a child!”
The anger was even greater than when it was revealed she had tried to poison the family head.
“Adrian!”
Even in this chaos, it seemed Melisandre still had something to say.
“Oh, my little one! Do you know how pained I felt putting you there? It’s all…”
“Quiet! You witch!”
A noble in evening dress shouted, his face red with fury from head to toe.
“To harm your own child and still make ridiculous excuses!”
“Quickly drag her out and punish her, Your Majesty!”
By this point, the situation had clearly turned against Melisandre.
With a nod from the Empress, her attendants dragged Melisandre out of the banquet hall.
“Ahhh!”
Even as she was dragged away, the Duchess screamed incomprehensible curses and threats.
The servants who had assisted her under her orders were also dragged out one by one.
With a few people gone, the once-crowded hall felt a little empty.
Adrian stared blankly in the direction they had left.
That’s when I decided to check.
Holding my trembling heart, I silently mouthed the words:
“Status window.”
[Status Window – Adrian J. Velas]
Collared Beast
Status: Calm
Charm: B
Fame: B
Affection: 3
Sociability: 28
Darkening Rate: ?
With trembling hands, I pressed “Check Darkening Rate.”
[SYSTEM: Use 1 coin to check Darkening Rate?]
[Yes]
[Adrian’s Darkening Rate: 65]
…The quest condition was to reduce Adrian’s Darkening Rate below 70.
Success.
─Ding!
[SYSTEM: Congratulations. You have removed the poison rooted in the Velas family and saved the protagonist Adrian’s childhood.]
[We salute your wisdom and courage in never giving up.]
[QUEST: Find Melisandre’s hidden schemes in the banquet hall – Completed!]
[QUEST: Reveal the Duchess’s crimes at the Velas family banquet – Completed!]
[QUEST: Main quest completed.]
[SYSTEM: Penalty – ‘The Petals of the Poisonous Rose Fall Eight Times’ has been removed.]
[SYSTEM: Extra quest reward granted!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
The moment I had long awaited had arrived.
The system window, filling my vision, shone brightly before vanishing, leaving only one remaining.
[SYSTEM: Adjusting additional rewards…]
[Additional reward adjustment complete!]
[Entering reward phase.]
Reward phase!
How sweetly that sounded.
If there is a phase full of hardship and struggle to complete a quest, there should naturally be a phase to enjoy the rewards.
I savored the level-up effects, filling my vision with radiant light.
“Rothesia!”
At that moment, someone called my name.
“Cough, no, Miss Utel. Please forgive me for calling you so casually in my haste… cough cough…”
It was none other than Mrs. Stewart.
She seemed very frail, coughing heavily just from calling my name loudly.
Afterward, she slightly lifted her skirt to greet me before speaking.
“Are you alright? Were you not startled?”
“I’m fine.”
Of course, I wasn’t startled. I had been the one to toast with the Empress and orchestrate the moment exposing Melisandre’s malice.
But Mrs. Stewart didn’t know that, so she looked very surprised.
“It’s okay if you don’t always show such maturity.”
Her expression was worried, almost maternal.
“I never imagined the Duchess could be so cruel. Though our families weren’t on good terms due to rivalry…”
“It’s typical for such people to hide their true colors.”
Mrs. Stewart made a peculiar expression, then blushed and smiled beautifully despite her illness.
“To speak so wisely… Miss Utel, you must read a lot of books!”
Actually, there’s an adult inside me.
Realizing I had spoken beyond my age, my own face flushed.
“…Um.”
“Hm?”
A brown head suddenly popped out from Mrs. Stewart’s skirt.
It was still cute Nathaniel.
“I think we owe our thanks to Miss Utel, Mother.”
“Thanks?”
“Today, the Duchess’s plot was revealed thanks to Miss Utel’s actions.”
I was a little surprised.
I hadn’t expected anyone here to have noticed my intentions—and certainly not Nathaniel.
“One of the servants who confessed said that if the Young Duke had died, the Duchess planned to blame it on our Stewart family.”
“That’s right.”
Realizing how close it had been to ruining her honor, Mrs. Stewart’s expression turned serious.
“She shamelessly tried to pin her crimes on the Stewarts and Utel…”
“The Velas and Stewart families owe you, Miss.”
“That’s just a coincidence.”
She tried to dismiss it, but Nathaniel’s violet eyes gleamed with sharp insight.
“Before being dragged out, the Duchess claimed that she received a black potion from you.”
“….”
“No one believed her, but if it weren’t for you, she wouldn’t have had access to the Utel family’s potion.”
I was speechless.
How is this child so perceptive?
The Stewart family, having produced many prime ministers, had extraordinary intelligence and insight. Just as the Velas family had superhuman strength, the Stewarts had almost superhuman cleverness.
“You saw the Duchess’s true nature early on and found a way to reveal her scheme.”
Even so, to deduce this accurately from the outward situation alone… it was terrifying.
Why terrifying? Because later, this intelligence would be used to monitor and exploit Lexia.
Literally exploit.
‘Ugh, damn it!’
Amid the rush of rewards, my head suddenly throbbed.
To think such a cute child could grow up to be so cunning…
“Don’t worry, little one, I’ll keep lowering your Darkening Rate diligently.”
Though completing the quest greatly reduced Adrian’s Darkening Rate, 65 was still not entirely safe.
“Six more years until Lexia appears.”
I still had a long way to go to bring all three male leads’ Darkening Rates to safe levels and ensure my survival.
Clenching my fist, Nathaniel bowed slightly toward me.
His chestnut hair looked soft and fluffy.
“On behalf of the Stewart family, thank you, Miss Rothesia.”
─Ding!
[SYSTEM: Nathaniel’s affection has increased by 3.]
So thoughtful, even giving affection automatically.
“Call me Rosha.”
I couldn’t help but say it almost entranced.
“Nathaniel is usually shy, but he speaks well in front of you.”
Mrs. Stewart’s expression was both proud and wistful.
“Please come to the Stewart household someday and keep Nathaniel company. And…”
She held her skirt slightly and bowed deeper than before.
“Thank you for saving our family from disgrace.”
“Oh, no, there’s no need…”
Given the circumstances, she should be thanking me, but my Confucian upbringing made it burdensome to receive such excessive respect, especially from someone ill.
Then…
“Hey, Rosha.”
A few steps away, Erden called me.
“Let’s go home now.”
Next to Erden, my father looked at me with an unreadable expression.
Seeing that, I realized… I was in for a serious scolding at home.
“Come here, Rosha.”
“Yes…”
After all, my actions today were highly unusual. The Utel family rarely participated in social events, and even if we attended a banquet, we would never stay until the end.
I trudged to my father’s side, feeling the eyes of others upon me, accompanied by murmurs.
‘Hmm?’
Most were expressions of admiration, curiosity, and approval.
─Ding!
A system window appeared as if answering my question.
[SYSTEM: People overheard Nathaniel’s words and are admiring your achievements.]
[At the same time, your handling of the three families’ crises has left a clear impression in everyone’s minds.]
Heh.
[SYSTEM: Fame rating has increased to C.]
C-rating isn’t bad, considering it was previously unrated.
It was already something that people recognized me.
As I walked after my father, pondering what fame rating was used for, I felt someone’s gaze.
