Chapter 198
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 198
“She’s a genius. My granddaughter is truly a genius.”
Grand Duke Asis Frezier shook his head repeatedly in admiration. He was not a man easily impressed. In fact, as he grew older, the number of times he was truly surprised could be counted on one hand in any given year.
But lately, things were different. He couldn't even count how many times Tulia had left him stunned.
Marquis Aster spoke coldly.
“She is my daughter.”
Grand Duke Asis snorted.
“I’m the one who sired you.”
“You’re claiming you gave birth to me, Father?”
Marquis Aster let out a scoffing laugh.
“Mother gave birth to me. What exactly did you do?”
“If you’re going to be like that, then my daughter-in-law gave birth to Tulia. What on earth did you do?”
The two glared at each other before simultaneously snapping their heads away.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door, and Marquis Robens, along with several other high-ranking nobles, entered the room.
“Your Grace. Marquis.”
“Sit.”
Marquis Robens, who had lost a significant amount of weight over the past few days, couldn't even meet the Grand Duke’s eyes as he spoke.
“His Majesty the Emperor is also taking this matter very seriously.”
This was largely because Prince Klaus had made his displeasure quite clear.
“That necklace wasn't given to her simply because it was beautiful and she is a beauty. It is one of the top five rarest treasures in the entire Summer Continent. I gifted it to Lady Tulia Frezier—who is of similar age to me and holds the highest status in the Spring Continent—as a gesture of grand significance. And it was stolen?”
A mere necklace—granted, an incredibly expensive one—had somehow been elevated into a legendary artifact symbolizing the connection between two continents...
Marquis Robens felt like fainting right then and there.
Is this all just a dream?
Of course, it wasn't.
“I have dispatched all the private soldiers and knights of the House of Robens.”
“Hmm.”
“His Majesty has issued a strict order to recover the necklace even if we have to scour the entire continent.”
It seemed the Emperor was beyond displeased at having lost face in front of Prince Klaus, the representative of the Summer Continent’s delegation. Breaking into a cold sweat again, Marquis Robens wiped his brow.
“Not only the kingdoms already in alliance with the Brillant Empire, but dozens of other kingdoms hoping to expand trade into the Summer Continent have also pledged their cooperation...”
As Marquis Robens rattled off a long list of updates with a pale face, Grand Duke Asis Frezier sat there like a cold, stern king, as he always did.
Nearly every kingdom on the Spring Continent was sending knights and soldiers.
All to find a missing treasure. Public order and security would become airtight, and troops would be patrolling even the remote mountains and rural areas that usually escaped a ruler’s gaze.
Consequently, the matter of the heretics in the cave of the Belus Territory would be resolved.
With startling perfection.
First.
‘The possibility of children under fifteen being kidnapped as human sacrifices will drastically decrease.’
Second.
‘It will become much easier to intercept the movements of suspicious heretics.’
Third.
‘Taking advantage of this, the knights of the Grand Duchy can travel across the entire continent to accelerate the hunt for the fanatics' leaders.’
Since the Temple would be entirely in the dark about the underlying motives, it was even safe.
Grand Duke Asis slightly arched an eyebrow.
‘My granddaughter really is a genius.’
He suddenly recalled the conversation he’d had with his foolish eldest son back in the cave of the Belus Territory.
“I will find a way.”
“The deadline?”
“I believe I will need a week.”
“I can give you up to ten days to be generous, so find a way within ten days.”
“Yes, Father.”
Grand Duke Asis instinctively thought of his wife.
‘She would have been so delighted to see our granddaughter.’
* * *
“The young lady has been sleeping with her door locked lately.”
“Well, she is a teenage girl, isn't she?”
“Her coming-of-age ceremony isn't far off, so she’s probably feeling a bit restless. Besides, even if it’s the annex, there’s a very handsome foreign prince staying in the same mansion...”
“Who gave you permission to speak so carelessly about the young lady?”
The maids, who had been whispering and giggling, immediately straightened their backs.
“H-Head Maid...!”
Adel, who had approached soundlessly, spoke in a solemn voice.
“Are you finished attending to the young lady?”
“Y-Yes...!”
“Then what is it you should be doing right now?”
The two maids turned pale. Naturally, they were supposed to return to their quarters, wash up, and go to sleep early so they could assist their mistress, Tulia, with her morning wash and grooming.
Adel gave a cold warning.
“If you cannot break the habit of gossiping about your mistress, remember that your only other option is to go down to the Underground Tower.”
The Underground Tower was where the laundry rooms were located.
They couldn't afford to lose a comfortable, high-paying job serving the young lady only to spend their days covered in lye and hauling heavy laundry.
The maids quickly apologized and scurried away.
Adel let out a deep sigh and looked worriedly at Tulia’s door, which was locked tighter than usual today.
* * *
“Hey, no matter how much I think about it, you’re the root of all evil.”
I sat cross-legged on my bed, arms folded, looking down at Kim Ddong-byul.
At first, Kim Ddong-byul had been like a cloud in the sky—completely out of reach—but things were different now.
As I raised my stats and cleared all sorts of quests, I had eventually become able to grab Kim Ddong-byul.
Meaning, it had gained a physical form!
‘I remember how amazing that felt. Though I didn't dare throw it around before completing the quest for fear it might break.’
The day I hit the Main Quest, I’m going to bounce you around like a rubber ball. You hear me?
I had snatched this thing out of the air as it floated leisurely and placed it on the bed, staring at it intensely.
“Why on earth do those heretics, those lunatics, have a star on the crown of their heads? And why are you a star? Huh? Answer me, you brat.”
Furthermore, the man whose hair my mother had supposedly ripped out also had a star on the crown of his head...
‘I didn't realize Mom was such an extraordinary person.’
From her personality to her hidden birth.
“Surely my mom isn't something like a Saintess, right? Haha. No way.”
That makes no sense. None at all.
Among the endings of The Milk Bread, there was a Transcendence Ending where Corico is reborn as a Saintess.
Being a Transcendence Ending, the difficulty was absolute hell, but of course, I had cleared it and seen it.
Corico is the Saintess of this world, so how could Mom...
How could Tulia’s mother be a Saintess?
“Wait, is my mom actually Corico?!”
...As if.
Like that would ever happen.
I flopped back onto the bed, still clutching Kim Ddong-byul. Looking at this star, which was getting larger and more ornate by the day, only made my mind more complicated.
“A Saintess... there’s no way...”
Then, I suddenly bolted upright.
The name the heretics had been screaming in their madness came back to me.
“Animus! Our God!”
“If there are two gods...”
“Living while clinging to the husk of a god who has already lost its power! You insignificant, ignorant, pitiful things! When Animus truly descends, he shall chew your flesh and swallow your blood!”
Wouldn't it also make sense for there to be two Saintesses?
A sudden chill ran down my spine.
* * *
The next day.
“Teacher. What is this?”
I tilted my head as I received a dangling flower necklace from Schuls Schmidt, who had come to visit the mansion.
“The world is in an uproar over the theft of your Blue Diamond, My Lady. So, I brought one for you. It’s a trifle, so feel free to use it as a decoration.”
“No, it’s pretty. Are these real flowers?”
“Mages have treated them with magic, so they should last for several months.”
“Then I definitely have to wear it. Thank you.”
A quick-witted maid immediately placed the bright blue flower necklace around my neck.
Schuls Schmidt gave a rare, faint smile.
“It suits you well.”
“Thank you. But as you know, because of my necklace theft incident, there’s no longer a need to work the Crown Prince to the bone. So why are you here?”
“Hmm? I didn't come because I wanted to.”
“Pardon?”
Schuls Schmidt asked back with a look of genuine confusion.
“Did the Crown Prince not contact you separately, My Lady?”
“What contact...? Adel?”
Adel, standing behind me, also shook her head.
“That’s strange. He sent me a letter saying he planned to visit the Frezier mansion today to grant that fellow’s request, and told me to be here.”
‘He told me to blackmail him, but I guess he decided to do it himself?’
I felt a brief surge of satisfaction at being treated like a senior or a prized pupil, but it was short-lived.
I witnessed the Assistant Butler running toward the drawing room, his face pale.
“L-Lady Tulia! His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!”