Chapter 38 — Elizabeth's Daughter
Chapter 38 — Elizabeth's Daughter
Translation: Godtl
"The wet nurse who raised me told me. She said my mother gave birth to me and begged Princess Iris."
"Continue."
"She said Princess Iris's baby was stillborn. My mother begged for my life. So Princess Iris switched the babies..."
"..."
"She said it was to deceive Emperor Lydios."
Lelia spoke with her head bowed.
No response came from Duke Superion.
'So he doesn't believe me after all...'
Lelia cautiously raised her head to check his reaction.
But the moment she lifted her face, Lelia bit her lip hard.
Duke Superion was weeping with a face full of despair, as if his world had collapsed.
His eyes, once fierce as a lion's, now looked terribly frail.
"It's my fault... Because I couldn't protect her. I let that child..."
Duke Superion crumbled as he wept.
Lelia's heart ached too. She couldn't even begin to fathom what it felt like to lose a child. It must be a grief that made one wish for death yet continue living.
"Very well, then where is that wet nurse now?"
Duke Superion asked after composing himself from weeping. Lelia answered cautiously.
"She left the imperial palace when I was young."
"What? Then..."
Duke Superion's brow furrowed. The unspoken question was: then how on earth did you survive?
"I lived alone..."
"Did Lydios neglect you?"
"...Yes."
"That bastard deserves to die!"
Duke Superion's face transformed terrifyingly, like an angel of death. One could see how deep his hatred for Lydios ran.
Even though he had already killed Lydios and avenged Elizabeth, the bruise of blood congealed in his chest would never fade until his death.
That was the nature of revenge.
Lelia kept silent about the fact that Lydios had sent her to the temple. If she spoke of it and violated the spell of forbidden speech, she would die.
"Poor thing..."
Lelia smiled faintly as she looked at Duke Superion gazing at her with pity.
"But... I was okay."
"...You poor child."
Duke Superion held Lelia and stroked her hair. Holding his granddaughter for the first time, he shed tears as if his world was falling apart.
"..."
Lelia wiped away the tears that kept falling and smiled.
She had worried she might be suspected, but it was an unnecessary fear.
To think he believed her words without a single doubt. Lelia was even moved.
Moreover, held in her grandfather's broad embrace, she had the illusion of being held in her mother's or father's arms.
Enough to make her want to act like a spoiled child.
'But he's my grandfather, so it should be fine, right?'
She thought it wouldn't hurt to be a little childish.
"Tell me more details, won't you? How you've lived all this time, more specifically."
"..."
Lelia cautiously began to speak.
Since she couldn't speak of going to the temple, she lied.
She told him about secretly going in and out of the palace and meeting good friends.
She chattered about how many fun memories she had made with those friends.
Also about how they called her "boss," how they made wicked adults squirm, and how they ate lots of delicious food.
She slightly modified the only happy memories she had.
She didn't want to speak of the unhappy past.
Being so hungry she swallowed leaves and dirt, being kicked by Crown Prince Leo, having her shelter taken by the twin princes and being forced to apologize to Julianna.
She couldn't bring herself to speak of things so terrible she wanted to forget them.
Because bringing up those stories would only make her grandfather's heart ache that much more.
She wanted to keep those facts secret forever.
As granddaughter and grandfather comforted each other's wounds, the carriage approached Duke Superion's castle.
After the carriage stopped.
The Duke stepped out with a hardened expression, as if he had never cried. However, he couldn't hide his reddened eyes.
Perhaps because of his fierce appearance, fortunately, the Duke looked more angry than like he had been crying.
Following behind, Lelia stepped down with red eyes and nose. The knights' expressions were filled with shock.
'Looks like he made her cry.'
'Yes... I thought he was being too lenient. He's not one to be generous with children.'
Looking at Lelia's obviously tear-stained face, the knights thought.
However, the moment Lelia stepped down from the carriage, she firmly grabbed Duke Superion's hand.
The Duke looked down at Lelia and gave a small smile.
Lelia looked up at the massive castle with a trembling heart.
As befitting a great noble family that had stood with the empire since its founding, the castle's scale was enormous. It felt intimidating, and Lelia felt her heart shrinking.
As she entered the castle with a fearful heart, servants lined up and waiting bowed their heads simultaneously.
And standing among them was a beautiful woman in a white uniform.
As Duke Superion, holding hands with some unknown young girl, approached, her expression twisted.
When he came within arm's reach, her face turned red and pale.
"Father! Who is this child? Surely you didn't bring home a child you fathered at your age?"
"Seeing you spout nonsense the moment you see me, I assume you've been well."
"...I'm asking who she is, Father."
The brown-haired woman frowned as she looked down at Lelia. Her eyes held wariness and a trace of malice.
Lelia avoided that gaze, frightened by it.
Duke Superion, now carrying Lelia in his arms, headed somewhere.
Behind them, the brown-haired woman followed, huffing in irritation.
"Father, who on earth is this child?"
"Where are your brothers?"
"The eldest brother isn't here yet. You arrived earlier than planned, Father. Brother Karius arrived a few days ago, so he'll come soon. He said he drank heavily yesterday."
She answered the Duke's question curtly.
Held in the Duke's arms, Lelia cautiously looked around. The interior was even more splendid than the exterior.
Seeing the inside decorated like the imperial palace's main castle, Lelia clicked her tongue internally.
By the time she came to her senses, she was seated on a soft sofa. It appeared to be a drawing room.
"Wait here for a moment."
"...Yes."
Duke Superion said that and went somewhere.
"Father!"
The brown-haired woman followed Duke Superion, huffing with irritation.
Left alone, Lelia swallowed nervously.
'I really made it all the way here. Without being caught at the checkpoint too.'
Perhaps this was the safest place from the imperial palace's pursuit. Emperor Perseus was wary of Duke Superion, after all.
'And he would never imagine the Superion Duke's family would hide me.'
Thinking that, she felt somewhat at ease.
However, the Superion Duke's household was not a place to be trifled with.
'I can't reveal my identity to everyone. Then the Emperor would find out... But Grandfather seems to intend to tell them.'
Lelia worried about what to do. But more than that, the fatigue from the journey began to overwhelm her.
A little time passed.
At the sound of the drawing room door opening, Lelia, who had been nodding off, bolted upright.
"..."