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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: The Twelve-Year Pursuit
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“…I’m saving it for later. You need to know how to be patient to reap greater rewards.”
“As expected, your thoughts run deep. Then this incident must not be allowed to leak out, if you wish to expose it at a decisive moment later. I understand. I will ensure the witnesses are kept silent.”
I looked pitifully at the butler, who had come to his own conclusion and even taken responsibility for the cleanup.
Adrian really did a number on this man.
“Luna, if there is anything you desire, tell the butler.”
“Huh? I was only doing what was expected of me…”
“Are you daring to refuse the reward I offer you?”
“Ah, no! Of course not! I will consider it carefully and let you know! Thank you so much, my lady!”
Luna waved her hands in denial, then cautiously approached. She knelt before me and neatly placed my slippers on the floor.
I pulled my nightgown closed and slipped on the slippers.
“I’ve sweated a lot, and I feel sticky. Prepare a bath.”
“…”
For some reason, Luna seemed lost in thought.
Ahem! The butler cleared his throat, and only then did she startle, not knowing what to do.
“I-I’m sorry! W-what did you say? C-could you please say it one more time…”
Terrified, Luna trembled like a leaf. Seeing her pitiful state, the butler glanced at me before subtly helping her out.
“Luna, her ladyship asked you to prepare a bath.”
“Yes! I understand! I’ll prepare it right away!”
As Luna headed for the bathroom, her back was soaked with sweat.
‘It seemed like she had something to say to me… Was I mistaken?’
***
The preparations, which had dragged on for a full hour and a half, were finally over.
It had only been two hours since I woke up, but I was already desperate for my bed again.
“Hand mirror.”
“Here you are, my lady.”
I took the hand mirror from Luna and meticulously examined my face and neck.
My throat had been squeezed to the point of fainting, so there should have been petechiae on my face and bruises in the shape of handprints on my neck.
And since I had scraped my elbow and face when I fell, there should have been wounds there, too.
But my body was clean, without a single scar.
‘This must also be Piache’s power.’
Normally, a cleric had to go through the process of reciting a prayer to manifest their divine power.
If there were many wounds, the prayer had to be repeated several times, and if the wounds were deep, the prayer became longer.
As far as I knew, the only priest who could heal an entire body with a single prayer was Owen.
‘Even Owen could only heal external injuries…’
Piache healed both external injuries and illnesses simultaneously with just the touch of her finger.
‘She’s too young and kind for the power she possesses. The role of a companion who can protect her from being swayed will be crucial.’
I needed information on Piache.
What was her relationship with Adrian? Did she even know what kind of power she had?
“Butler, prepare a report on Piache. There is something I need to confirm.”
“Understood.”
Though it must have been a sudden order, the butler showed no sign of questioning it.
Moreover, he was so competent that he completed the report in just half a day.
“My lady, the report you ordered this morning is complete. Would you like to review it?”
“Bring it here.”
A moment later, the report the butler handed me had a short title written on it.
It was a report summarizing information on Piache. As I turned the first page, I saw it was categorized by age.
‘Name: Piache Ivrante, of the Ivrante family… huh? She was a ward?’
Surprisingly, Piache had been registered as a ward of the family by Adrian about five months ago.
What kind of change of heart did Adrian have to decide to sponsor someone, with her personality?
I tilted my head in confusion and continued reading.
‘Age five, birthday… oh? It’s not far off, is it?’
Perfect. If it’s for her birthday, no one will think it strange for me to give her a gift.
I smiled silently and turned the page.
‘Wow, she was the prettiest child at the orphanage? Five nobles regularly sponsored her, and the number of adoption requests was… what? Thirty-three? Whoa, so many families wanted our Piache. But the director refused them all? Hmm…’
In the year Piache turned three, an adoption was approved.
The adoptive family was the House of Marquis Molten.
Their reputation is decent, and they currently have a seven-year-old only daughter.
“…That’s it?”
The record of her adoption was only three lines long.
The records after that were completely missing, only starting again from age four.
“Is this all? What about the records from when she was three to four?”
“There are no records from the period she was adopted.”
“So this is all the information you have? She’s not just any child, she’s an official ward of the family.”
“Ah… I sent people to contact the employees of that household, but I was informed that all attempts failed. It seems their loyalty is strong.”
“Butler, I’m not interested in hearing excuses right now.”
“My apologies. I will commission the information guild today. Things will likely be different if we go through professionals.”
Without a word, I turned the page of the report.
-Mutism persisted for one year.
-Diagnosed with nocturnal enuresis. Showed changes in personality.
-Mutism improved to the level of a severe stutter. Signs of depression.
-Underweight due to decreased food intake. Nutritional management required.
-Official registration as a ward of the Ivrante family completed.
Nowhere in the records was there any mention of Piache healing anyone.
That’s all well and good. But why are the records after the adoption was nullified in this state?
‘Did something happen at her adoptive home? This looks exactly like she was abused…’
Just as I was entertaining these ominous thoughts, I heard the butler’s voice.
“So, regarding the matter… My lady, are you listening?”
“…What did you say?”
“The Academy has sent a recommendation for Lady Piache’s admission. This is the second time they have contacted us. How should I handle it?”
The Academy? I raised my head.
“When did the first notice arrive?”
“They sent an application for admission as soon as she was registered as a ward of the family.”
I looked over the report again.
The date Piache was registered as a ward of the Ivrante family was about five months ago.
The subsequent records were all related to the child’s health.
Thanks to that, while the child was currently small for her age, her health was good.
However, there were no records of her education. Even though Piache was almost six years old.
“Do you remember why I postponed her admission back then?”
“You never gave a specific reason. However, your health was poor after you brought Lady Piache from the orphanage.”
“Ah, I remember now. I postponed all matters concerning Piache because I was unwell.”
I closed the report. Tapping my fingers on the cover, I asked.
“Can a five-year-old attend the Academy?”
“Currently, applications are accepted from the age of five.”
I wasn’t asking about the eligible age. I was wondering if it wasn’t too early.
“When you attended, my lady, the minimum age was seven, but it has been lowered significantly. I heard the admission age was adjusted a few years ago at the request of the nobility.”
My ears twitched for a moment.
‘So Adrian attended the Academy, huh?’
This was a golden opportunity to learn about Adrian. I feigned disinterest, riffling through the report.
“How is the Academy these days? Is it similar to when I attended?”
“Its prestige has grown much higher. Nearly all children of the nobility living in the capital attend the Academy. It’s a good opportunity to build connections from a young age and form ties with the imperial family. Was it not at the Academy that you, my lady, became close with *him*?”
“...!”
The ‘him’ the butler was referring to had to be a prince.
The current ages of the princes flashed through my mind at the speed of light.
The First Prince, 29; the Second Prince, 26; the Third Prince, 25. Which of the three was he talking about?
“Aren’t the current factions supporting the princes also divided along the lines of friendships formed at the Academy? Ah, excluding the Third Prince, who withdrew midway, of course.”
My mind raced.
If there was a reason Leonhart had no choice but to leave the Academy…
‘It was because of his asthma.’
“My memory is a bit hazy. Was I close with the Third Prince?”
“Rather than close, I would say you were very… interested.”
It seems the royal she befriended at the Academy wasn’t Leonhart.
“You wished to know his every move.”
“…Huh?”
“You were particularly interested in the Third Prince’s friendships. So much so that you set aside time each day to receive reports.”
“…”
“Even after the Third Prince left the Academy, you had people tail him to monitor his surroundings.”
That’s… isn’t that stalking?
“At the time, rumors were circulating that the Third Prince’s asthma was so severe he would soon die. That is why you ordered me to make contact with the servants of the Third Prince’s palace. Perhaps you believed that a parent’s health is a crucial matter when considering the succession.”
“Succession…?”
“Because you had long since singled out the Third Prince as a future son-in-law to be brought into our family. Naturally, you would have been thinking of the succession.”
Didn’t he say Adrian started attending the Academy when she was seven?
But who picks out a future husband at that age?
An ominous premonition prickled the back of my neck.
“How long did I do that for?”
“Until the Third Prince volunteered for the Demon King expedition, so… hmm… you did so for about twelve years.”
“Twelve years…”
“If the Third Prince hadn’t joined the expedition back then, he would likely be a son-in-law of our family by now.”
It was no wonder Leonhart despised Adrian to death.
‘He was stalked for a whole twelve years!’
