YOWV~18

Chapter 18

“Her Grace, the Crost Duchess.”

Knox repeated himself.

“A duchess? Y-you found the duchess? No, wait, I never heard anything about that…!”

At the word duchess, Marquis Lilis visibly flinched, even his shoulders jerking in surprise.

But after stroking his scruffy chin a few times—

“Ahh. So you’re the Duke’s child.”

He looked down at me, the corners of his mouth twisting upward in an eerie grin.

It seemed he had at least heard the news that Duke Calypse had adopted a child.

“I see, I see. It’s already been five years since the Duke lost his family… I suppose he must’ve grown lonely.”

Taking a step closer, he bent one knee before me.

“Little one. What’s your ability?”

Up close, the Marquis’s face looked even more wrinkled.

Like a greedy, big-nosed monkey.

Ugh. Gross.

I leaned my head back and answered bluntly.

“I don’t have one.”

“Oh-ho! You don’t? None at all? No special power, no talent… just an ordinary little thing! Hahaha!”

Marquis Lilis’s laughter rang loudly through the high-ceilinged corridor.

Everyone’s expressions darkened, but not a single person spoke up.

Of course they didn’t.

I was an unrecognized duchess.

He, on the other hand, was the father of an ability wielder.

“Want to see my ability?”

That was when Tex, swollen with pride at the mention of powers, swaggered forward with a smug shrug.

I was about to shake my head and say no—

CRAAACK—!

“Eek!”

“G-good heavens!”

The maids shrieked, clapping their hands over their ears.

With a deafening roar of freezing water, a massive icicle erupted in the middle of the hallway.

And apparently, he had wanted to show it to me very closely.

“……”

If I hadn’t jumped in shock and latched onto Knox’s leg like a cicada—

I might have been skewered by it.

“This is power.”

Tex grinned as though savoring everyone’s screams, then bent down to my height.

“Well, since you’re a Crost too… when I become the heir later, I’ll graciously accept you as my little sister.”

But—

“No. You’re disqualified.”

I answered without even a second of hesitation.

“…What?”

“Do you know why the Crost Ducal House earned people’s respect?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Tex frowned before giving a careless answer.

“Because we have ice powers?”

“No. It’s because Crost used ice powers to protect people.”

Then I pointed straight at him.

“But you just used yours to threaten people instead. That means you don’t deserve to be heir.”

“……”

The corridor fell silent in an instant.

Even Marquis Lilis, who had been sneering moments ago.

Even the shocked maids.

Even Knox, who had stood by like an observer.

“…What would you know?!”

For a brief second, Tex looked completely stunned, as though I had struck him where it hurt.

Then he lunged to grab me by the collar—

“Her Grace is of the direct bloodline.”

A large hand cut between us.

“If you continue threatening the direct duchess, then no matter who the House of Lilis may be, we will have no choice but to take action.”

Expressionless as ever, Knox fixed Marquis Lilis with an icy stare.

Watching everything from behind Tex’s shoulder, the Marquis’s mouth snapped shut.

No matter that I was adopted—

I was still the official duchess recognized by Calypse himself.

“Tex. We’re leaving.”

“B-but Father—!”

“I said, we’re leaving!”

It seemed even the Marquis understood that causing more trouble here would only worsen rumors.

Grabbing Tex’s hand roughly, he shot Knox a venomous glare.

“…Knox.”

“Yes.”

“Seeing an orphan who was only just adopted speak like that… you must’ve done quite the thorough job with your indoctrination.”

His sharp finger jabbed hard against Knox’s chest.

“If our Tex grows into the heir and becomes Duke someday, I’ll personally teach you my methods of education.”

A big-nosed monkey of a man looming that close should’ve been intimidating—

But Knox didn’t even blink.

“Yes. I’ll look forward to that day.”

“…Tch! Insolent bastard…!”

After that, there was nothing Marquis Lilis could do.

He glared at Knox.

Then at the nearby maids.

And finally at me—

Before storming out of the ducal castle, dragging Tex behind him.

The moment Marquis Lilis and Tex disappeared—

“…Why does that Marquis keep coming here anyway?”

“No idea. He just struts in like this is his own home.”

“Ugh, every time he comes, it’s exhausting.”

“But… does that mean Young Master Tex will really inherit the heir position?”

“They said the Duke will hold the heir selection trial once he returns from subjugating monsters… so maybe it’ll all be officially announced then?”

“Didn’t the Duke adopt Lady Aisha as his duchess?”

“…But does Lady Aisha even have ice powers?”

Sighs and whispers spread all around me.

Ah.

Now I understood.

Why Knox had been so reluctant to acknowledge me.

‘Whether I become duchess or not, if I don’t possess ice powers… then Tex becoming heir doesn’t really change.’

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

Honestly, when they failed to find the lost duchess, I had briefly considered suggesting they search for the young master instead.

‘But what if the young master, like the duchess, is also missing from the original story?’

If that happened…

Even the man who had always believed in me would inevitably be disappointed.

‘I need to find the young master… without ever bringing him up first.’

Turning my head in frustration, I caught sight of Knox’s back as he walked away in silence, letting out a quiet sigh.

I was staring at him with pity when—

“Hm?”

Something on the floor glinted.

When I moved closer, I saw it—

A gold fountain pen.

‘Did Marquis Lilis drop this?’

He must have lost it while roughly yanking Tex away earlier.

“…Lus?”

But the engraved name wasn’t Lilis.

It was Lus.

“Lus? Is that Marquis Lilis’s nickname?”

That wouldn’t be unusual.

Nobles often engraved their personal nicknames on possessions.

But—

“Oh.”

The moment I picked up the pen, an idea struck me.

If I couldn’t be the one to say it first—

…Then I just had to make them curious about me instead.

A few days later.

“You’re going to see Lady Aisha, right? Shall I prepare tea beforehand?”

After the uproar caused by the Marquis’s visit, the ducal castle had done its best to pretend nothing had happened and return to normal.

But Knox’s expression remained grim.

“No. Not today. I’d like to rest alone.”

Truthfully, Knox had been in the foulest mood ever since.

‘A branch family entering the ducal castle as if it were their own home…’

He had known Marquis Lilis coveted the Crost heir position—

But he hadn’t expected him to show up uninvited.

If Duke Calypse had been here, such a thing would never have happened.

‘No… even if not the Duke, if only the young master were still here…’

Knox shook his head sharply.

There was no point in such thoughts.

“So tell Lady Aisha as well. Until dinner, I’ll be alone. She is to stay quietly in her room.”

“Yes, understood.”

After parting ways with Mai and heading toward his private office—

“……”

The second she disappeared from sight—

He turned around completely.

‘But I can’t just sit around wallowing either. I need to do something.’

Unfortunately, Marquis Lilis was beyond his authority.

But Aisha—

‘Investigating the truth behind that little spy brat… that’s something I can do right now.’

His destination was not his office.

It was the castle wall.

More specifically—

The side where Aisha’s bedroom window could be seen.

But you just used yours to threaten people instead. That means you don’t deserve to be heir.

The memory of her words suddenly resurfaced, making Knox falter for a moment.

To be honest—

For that brief instant, Aisha had truly seemed like the real duchess.

No—

He had even found himself thinking that, compared to a brat like Tex, he’d much rather Aisha become heir.

“…No.”

Knox forcefully shook his head.

“It could all be an act.”

The monocle over his eye gleamed ominously as he stared at her window.

Why did the shameless act of deceiving others for information carry the title of profession?

Because spies were trained specialists.

And naturally—

Knox did not trust that little girl, who came from the Pose Duchy’s line of spies.

Her cute face?

Spies were usually attractive.

The way she chirped endlessly like a baby bird while casually talking about House Pose?

A tactic to lower people’s guard.

Even the way her cheeks puffed adorably while eating?

Spies could alter appearances as easily as breathing.

‘Sticking close to her all this time, hoping to catch something… and yet.’

At first, he had monitored her twenty-four hours a day, hoping to uncover even the tiniest clue.

But there had been one major problem—

By staying glued to her, he was actually preventing the brat from doing her supposed “real job.”

‘If I give her some time alone like this… maybe she’ll finally reveal her true colors.’

Mai had delivered the message.

Which meant Aisha should currently be alone in her room.

Who knew what she might be doing in there—

But perhaps…

Perhaps she was writing a report to send back to House Pose.

If so—

That would be the perfect excuse to throw her out.

“…Ha. Scaling castle walls like some common thief.”

The only thing bothering him was his pride as Crost’s aide.

He thought about the career he had painstakingly built.

The youngest aide in Crost history.

The first monster-raising specialist.

President of M.A.S.M.

(Monster Adoration Society: Monsters Are So Marvelous.)

‘But this must be done.’

Adjusting his monocle, Knox steeled himself—

And grabbed hold of the stone wall.