abcnovels
Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Chapter 65: To the Imperial Palace (2)
The kids’ appetites seem to have grown along with their size, haven’t they? I’ve already had to set the table four times.
“Yum, yum.”
With her height doubling, it seems her appetite has doubled as well.
Should I call it a ‘growth spurt’?
A phenomenon where growth occurs rapidly at a certain stage, rather than gradually over a long period.
I’m not sure if pureblood dragons experience this, as I haven’t observed it, but interpreting it that way seemed appropriate for now.
Although I don’t have any women’s clothing, I did dress her in my uniform.
Seeing her like that, she looks quite cute.
It would be perfect to enroll her here just like that.
“Brian?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“We’ll probably head to the palace by tomorrow. Get ready for departure.”
“So, you’re going after all? Understood!”
Brian went outside to prepare for the journey.
There will be much to do, including carriage maintenance and various other tasks.
[What are you going to do with that little girl?]
Kaeram asked, looking at me with a sullen expression.
“Would you believe she’s the new youngest member of the Vert family?”
[Why not just say she’s your daughter?]
No good ideas come to mind, only empty words.
It’s impossible to carry her in my arms when she’s grown so much.
“If she’s disguised as a maid, she could pass…”
Of course, it was said in jest.
With those horns, wings, and tail, who would see her as an ordinary human maid?
If only she could hide them…
“Ah, I’m full!”
After finishing her meal, Nana happily patted her stomach.
– Flutter –
In an instant, like a bird folding its wings, Nana’s horns and wings vanished as if by magic.
“…?”
Both Kaeram and I looked at her suspiciously.
[What’s up, little one? Where did your horns and wings go?]
“Oh, really?”
As she stretched, her hidden horns and wings reappeared.
“You can hide those?”
“Huh? Seems like it? It just happened suddenly?”
Nana effortlessly moved her horns and wings as if it were natural.
Was this also a result of her rapid growth?
Despite being somewhat bizarre, it was an incredibly fortunate situation for us at the moment.
“What about your tail? Can you hide that too?”
“My tail? Let me try.”
With a determined look, she clenched her fists and concentrated.
– Swoosh –
Like a snake quickly slithering into a hole, her tail disappeared seamlessly.
Seeing this, I immediately grabbed Nana’s shoulder and said.
“Nana?”
“Yep?”
“Let’s go out for a walk.”
* * *
– Crash!
With a loud noise, the door of the mansion burst open.
It didn’t just open, it seemed to have been smashed.
Despite the senior knights being present, none of them moved.
The navy-blue hair fluttering in the lonely cold wind.
It was fierce enough to stimulate human instinctual fear, yet at the same time, it had a dual beauty to it.
The knights exchanged uncertain glances, unsure of what to do.
“Where’s the lady of the house?”
Some of the knights recoiled at the chilling tone.
“She, she’s on this floor.”
Without hesitation, she strode into the mansion.
After a while, she reached the second floor and without knocking, she opened the door to the lady of the house’s room.
Caught off guard, Lady Margaret Erzeth revealed herself.
“A-Alice?”
It was Alice Vert, the second daughter of the family, who had been elusive for three years.
There was an inexplicable fierceness in her eyes.
“I-I don’t know how long it’s been? Where on earth have you been without any notice?”
Margaret greeted her with an awkward smile, but Alice just stared at her without saying a word.
Awkward silence filled the room with only the two of them.
“You’ve been well, mother?”
Alice soon broke the silence with a bright smile.
“I’ve missed you so much during my absence. It was unbearable. So, I’ve prepared a little gift.”
“Oh, really? You could have just come back. Why bother with a gift…”
While they were mother and daughter by relation, they weren’t particularly close.
Despite finding Alice’s sudden warmth strange, Margaret couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation at the mention of a gift.
– Snap!
A crisp sound echoed.
A gift that Margaret couldn’t have imagined in her wildest dreams.
One side of her face burned red, accompanied by a stinging sensation.
Her pupils shook intensely in her bewilderment, while Alice’s eyes, consumed by anger, were sharp and piercing.
“N-Now what’s the meaning of this, you mad girl!?”
Margaret, her hand clenched around her cheek, glared at Alice and shouted.
“Mad? Me? The madness lies with you, Lady Margaret.”
“What?”
Alice’s tone showed a complete lack of respect towards her.
“I don’t understand you. As a pure noble, you probably never saw me and Cyan as anything but thorns in your side. Yet, I still tried to treat you as a mother! I tried to show at least some courtesy and respect! But now, you pull this absurdity?”
“What on earth did I do to deserve this? The absurdity lies with you right now!”
“You tried to kill Cyan!”
Alice erupted with pent-up emotions.
Margaret was left speechless in an instant.
“What crime has that child committed? He’s just a kid who could grow up fine if left alone! What’s so wrong with him that you wanted him dead?”
“Sh-Show me evidence! Do you have any evidence that I tried to kill Cyan!?”
Alice’s eyes were resolute.
“Brian Kendrick!”
“…!”
“He was a Velias’s knight who, two years ago, received orders to assassinate Cyan, correct? And now, he’s serving as Cyan’s guardian knight.”
Margaret’s hand trembled as if it were about to go mad.
“Did you think you could just get away with it because Cyan didn’t say anything? How have you had the audacity to live like this until now? Do you think Father would stay silent if he found out?”
For a moment, Margaret, trembling with anxiety, stopped shaking,
But then, with a sudden clarity, Margaret, who had been wavering, opened her eyes wide and said,
“It’s all because of you rootless rascals running amok! If those with uncertain origins inherit the noble lineage, they’ll live like you. How dare you speak without knowing your place? From the start, Cyan was an unnecessary presence in this house!”
*Thud!*
With a sound of distortion, Alice’s hand headed towards Margaret’s chest.
*Cough!*
Caught by the throat, Margaret was instantly dragged forward, her face meeting Alice’s.
“An unnecessary presence, you say? How amusing! Shall we settle this once and for all right here?”
“W-What are you saying?”
“If we were to fight to the death here and now, I wonder how Father would react? Are you curious about whose side he would take, between you, the Lady, and me, his daughter? Can you guarantee that the Duke would favor your words?”
“Of course! I am undeniably the rightful one in this household!”
Alice’s grip tightened even more.
“Don’t delude yourself, Duchess! You know better than anyone what this household is like! As long as they can maintain the family’s legacy, whether it’s a daughter, a wife, or even a rootless son, it doesn’t matter! Our father is that kind of person!”
“Ugh!”
As the grip on her throat was released, Margaret, losing her balance, collapsed.
Alice’s eyes still brimmed with a crazed murderous rage.
“I’m warning you, Duchess! Don’t you dare touch Cyan again! If anything happens to that child again, you won’t just get slapped, but you’ll receive an even greater ‘gift’ next time!”
With a warning filled with sincerity, Alice left the room.
Alone, Margaret couldn’t bring herself to stand up easily.
“Hah! How dare these worthless beings…”
She repeated incomprehensible murmurs, not of defeat, but of unknown frustration.
“An unnecessary existence? They’re all worthless in front of that child anyway! No matter how much they act up, they’re nothing to that child…”
An eerie laughter filled the room.
It was truly unsettling, as if listening to the whimper of a devil.
* * *
After concluding her negotiations with the Duchess, Alice stepped out of the mansion, where she was approached by a female knight.
“Congratulations on your return, Lady Alice.”
A bit of an awkward situation to use the word “congratulations.”
Alice responded nonchalantly.
“It’s been a while since we last met. How have you been, Cecilia?”
“I’ve been the same as always.”
Cecilia Lien, a senior knight of the Order of Light, was more than just a former maid who had once attended to Alice.
“I don’t know if you anticipated this situation, but the Duke is currently looking for you, Lady Alice.”
“My father?”
It was a rather early summons for her, considering she had just arrived at the estate.
Although she was slightly surprised, there was no reason for her to be embarrassed.
Alice replied with a confident gaze.
“Alright, understood. Let’s go, Cecilia.”
Cecilia promptly escorted Alice to the gate, accompanied by the knights who were waiting nearby.
Despite crossing the boundary of the human realm, she had no hint of hesitation.
Upon finally arriving at the rear camp barracks where Duke Vert resided, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves.
“Phew…”
Alice entered without hesitation.
The Duke was busy with his duties, but a seat was prepared for her.
“Welcome, Alice.”
“It’s been a while, Duke.”
The atmosphere was somewhat stiff for two individuals meeting after several years.
The somber atmosphere of the battlefield only added to the tension.
“Did your journey go well?”
“Yes, it went smoothly.”
The journey itself was not the issue.
It was what happened afterward that was troublesome.
“You seem quite angry for someone who just returned.”
“You already know what I did at the mansion, don’t you?”
The Duke responded with silence.
“I’ll be straightforward about this. Duke, no, Father!”
Even in a setting that wasn’t private, she addressed him not as the Duke but as her father.
That alone indicated how angry Alice was.
“Did you know about the Duchess’s attempt to assassinate Cyan?”
“…”
The Duke maintained his silence.
Alice knew all too well that his silence was an affirmation.
“How? How could you! No matter how important continental peace is, how could you let something like that happen to your own child…!”
“I have no excuses, Alice.”
The Duke’s tone was cold and heavy.
“From the moment I took this position, I’ve always prioritized protecting the continent from the demons. You know that too, don’t you? The way of the Vert family is like that…”
It felt like she couldn’t speak, knowing all too well.
The Duke continued.
“Why did I allow it to happen knowing about Cyan? There’s no grand reason. It’s simply because I knew that child wouldn’t die from something like that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why do you think that child was able to kill six knights and even make it to the academy alone? Because of a changed guardian knight? Do you really believe that?”
Even Alice, who had heard being called a genius as easily as eating, seemed to need some time to grasp her father’s words as much as she does now.
“Are you saying, Father, that ‘Cyan killed all the assassins who tried to kill him with his own hands’?”
The Duke’s eyes were calm yet firm.
“Your brother may be much more remarkable than you think.”
“But, but that child is still…”
Without saying more, the Duke handed her an envelope.
“It’s an invitation from the royal family. As always, I can’t go, so I’d like you to go. Go and clear your head a bit.”
Having finished his business, the Duke rose from his seat.
“Then I will return to the camp. Take care, Alice.”
It took less than three seconds for him to disappear after leaving his daughter behind.
As Alice stood alone in the barracks, Cecilia approached her.
“I received permission from the Duke to take a break unintentionally. He asked me to stay by your side for a while, Alice.”
Alice looked at the invitation left by the Duke with a stern gaze.
“Cecilia.”
“Yes, Lady Alice.”
“Are there any other siblings attending this banquet besides me?”
“Prince Aschel is attending, and there’s talk that Princess Arin Sevellerus personally sent an invitation to the youngest prince.”
“Princess Arin?”
She turned her head as if surprised, but then firmly closed her lips as if she had made a decision.
“Let’s go to the palace, Cecilia.”
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