Chapter 196
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 196
“Aster Frezier.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Are you not giving Tulia a proper allowance?”
Grandfather’s expression twisted into a stern scowl.
“Why is the child constantly driven to earn her own money?”
“I give her three times as much as both her brothers combined. Do you truly believe I am neglecting Tulia? That is preposterous…”
My father, who had been countering in a cold voice, suddenly faltered. He turned to me and asked, “Tulia. Is your allowance perhaps insufficient?”
Before I could even answer, Grandfather barked at him.
“Do you even have to ask? It’s obviously not enough, which is why she’s doing this!”
Father immediately replied with a chilly tone.
“I was not asking you, Father.”
“You thoughtless fool. Tulia is such a mature child; how could she ever bring herself to say she’s short on money to your face?”
I was actually just about to say it, Grandfather…
“And what? You give her more than those twins combined? You say that as if it’s something to be proud of? The amount I personally set aside for her every month is likely far more than that!”
“Do you think I only provide her with cash? Father, you always seem to think you’re the only one raising the child well. And yet, do you have even one grandchild who acts cute around you?”
“I have Tulia!”
“Tulia is my daughter.”
“Are you even close to her? Tulia has spent far more time with me than with you!”
I briefly looked away, glancing at Luc and Adel. I also caught a glimpse of Max, my father’s trusted aide.
Adel maintained her usual neat, expressionless face, while Luc was simply smiling gently. Only Max was shaking his head, wearing a smile that looked like he was about to cry, much like I felt.
* * *
In the end, the minor commotion concluded with the agreement that I would come home early.
The formal dinner, where Grandfather, Father, and I were all gathered, was quite lavish.
The leafy greens were drizzled with a tart dressing to whet the appetite, followed by thinly fried oysters, spinach, and mushroom dishes.
The crispy texture stimulated my palate, and the deep, distinct aroma of the mushrooms was so exquisite that I happily cleared my plate.
Next came bite-sized beef stew, prepared so as not to be too heavy on the stomach for an evening meal, and we were given a choice of soups.
I chose a grain soup loaded with rich cream sauce to warm my belly.
But why did they both choose the same menu as me? Doesn’t Grandfather usually prefer chicken soup?
Were they following my lead?
A mischievous thought crept in—maybe tomorrow I should try a spicy soup with pepper and chili flakes just to see what they’d do.
“By the way, Tulia.”
“Yes?”
I jumped and answered, startled by Grandfather’s call, thinking he had read my mind.
At that, Father said coldly, “Father, you’re startling the child by calling her so abruptly.”
“…”
How has Father survived all this time without picking fights with Grandfather? He does it as naturally as breathing…
Of course, Grandfather completely ignored Father’s remark, but the look in his eyes when he turned to me was different. If anything, he looked a bit cautious, to the point where I felt like I should be the one apologizing.
“I forgot to mention it. From tomorrow on, take more guards with you whenever you go out.”
“Guards?”
“Yes. I’ve already made the arrangements; they will escort your carriage.”
“I mean, sure. I don’t mind… but did something happen?”
“Let’s move to another room to finish this conversation. Luc?”
Luc, who had been standing by, stepped forward and spoke in a polite tone.
“I shall escort you to the tea room.”
What’s going on for them to act like this?
“Tulia. You know that your father and I visited ‘that cave’ in Belus Territory, right?”
“Ah! Yes. You told me about it. Did you find something strange there?”
“I intended to tell you properly as soon as we returned to the Imperial Capital, but as you know, there were many distractions, such as the annulment of your engagement to the Crown Prince.”
I nodded.
In fact, Grandfather, as the Family Head, and Father, as the Next Family Head, had been constantly visiting the Imperial Palace because of that matter. There had been endless meetings as well.
“We found something strange in that cave.”
I felt my heart instinctively sink.
The place where I had rescued Klaus.
The place where I had brought the already dead Klaus back to life using a ‘Benefit.’
And those fanatics who kept crying out to an unknown god and screaming at me that I was a woman from the ruined continent…
Everything I had witnessed in that cave was a series of unknown fractures that I had never seen even once in The Milk Bread.
The more I heard from Grandfather about what they had learned through the fanatics, the more I felt like I was falling into a labyrinth.
What on earth is Animus? I get that it’s their god, but…
The reason I couldn’t dismiss them as just a common heretical group was that I had obtained the ‘White Tulip Seed’ from them.
The White Tulip Seed, which was one of the core special rewards in The Milk Bread.
And they had already been in the process of sacrificing Klaus, a hidden male lead.
There was definitely a role those heretics were meant to play.
“Tulia.”
It was then that my father’s heavy voice reached me as I was lost in thought.
“I have something to tell you privately.”
“Privately?”
Surprisingly, Grandfather didn’t say much; he just lightly patted my head and left the room.
Whatever it was, it seemed Grandfather already knew.
“It’s about your mother.”
In an instant, my eyes widened.
“My mother?”
The stiff line of Father’s mouth suddenly softened.
“Yes. Your mother.”
“What about her?”
“You know your mother was… from the Summer Continent, right?”
“Of course.”
I held my breath and listened intently to Father’s following words.
And gradually, I fell into a state of shock.
A star mark on the crown of the head?
The person from the tribe who took my mother away when I was an infant also had a star mark on their crown, and the heretics this time had the same mark on their heads?
That was shocking enough, but at the mention of a ‘star,’ I reflexively looked up into the air.
A star.
A star…
Don’t I have a star as well?
If I stand perfectly still…
Right above the crown of my head.
There was that holy bastard, Kim Ddong-byul, faintly fluttering with a golden glow.
Surely it’s not that, right?
But usually, it’s the ‘surely’ that gets you.
I wanted to stare blankly at Kim Ddong-byul, but I had to focus on what Father was saying.
“So, they’re kidnapping only children under the age of fifteen for human sacrifice?”
“Yes. However, your grandfather and I share the same opinion. Since it’s a heretical group performing human sacrifices within Belus Territory, it would be best not to inform the Temple.”
Since Belus Territory was officially my property, any bad rumors would damage my reputation.
Father was worried about that point.
“We’ll need a plan, then.”
Father stroked his chin with a contemplative expression.
“The war with the barbarians is still in full swing. If we use the strategy as an excuse to station the army as loosely as possible on the outskirts, we should be able to catch that suspicious heretical group one way or another.”
“But, Father.”
I knew there was a flaw in that plan.
“Of course, security gets weaker the further you go into the outskirts. But with that method, you can only look out for the children near the borders. Above all, the Spring Continent is too vast to handle everything using only the troops you command.”
“But this is the best method I can devise right now.”
“Father. You know what?”
“Hmm?”
“I… like money.”
Father smiled broadly.
“I’ll increase your allowance further.”
“Huh? Thank you. But that’s not the point. I’m saying I like my money. When making a plan, if you can use someone else’s money, there’s no reason not to, right?”
Father looked puzzled, wondering why a business talk was suddenly cropping up.
I spoke with a smile that felt a bit more commercial than before—a smile full of greed.
“Why don’t we just use the Imperial Knight Order?”