Chapter 11
11
Turba confessed everything even before the interrogation began.
He said there was a relic he needed to obtain to trade with the Pope, but it cost an astronomical amount, so he needed money by any means.
What kind of ridiculous Ponzi scheme was this?
'Just what kind of relic would drive Turba to commit such a reckless fraud?'
I wondered what it could be, and Noth brought a drawing of the relic that Turba's merchant guild had been keeping.
When I saw it, I was so surprised that my eyes widened.
'Etwal!'
It was the very relic that allowed Mina to wield such powerful Divine Power.
The Hexagram Star, with colorful jewels embedded at each point, and a circle surrounding the star and jewels.
It looked exactly like Etwal, the relic that allowed Mina to perform all sorts of miracles with her Divine Power.
'But Mina's Etwal is a different color.'
Mina's clearly had a platinum chain and pendant, but this one was gold. The types of jewels embedded at each point of the Hexagram were also different.
'It's not Mina's Etwal that the Temple is currently keeping.'
Was there a matching relic?
'But why wasn't it revealed in my previous life?'
Etwal was a symbol of the Neriad Order. If a second Etwal existed, there would be no reason for the Order not to reveal it.
'It would have been more advantageous to reveal it to secure it. The owner would have handed it over to the Temple, even if they were wary of public attention.'
At that moment, the Duke narrowed his eyes and muttered.
"A second Etwal."
"Then I understand why Turba did such a crazy thing. Etwal was the decisive factor in making the Neriad Order the state religion of the Empire."
"So, where is this Etwal now?"
"It's sleeping in the sea. The only way to get it is to salvage it. But the problem is..."
Noth presented a map with a troubled expression.
"It's not within the Empire's territorial waters. It's just 10 meters into the territorial waters of another continent."
The Duke scoffed.
"So, the Order couldn't directly intervene."
"Yes, if they did, they wouldn't be able to avoid war."
As for the Pope, he couldn't violate the doctrine of [Thou shalt not kill. A blade is needed only for moments of protection.].
The reason Turba needed a national budget-level of funds was probably because his trading partner was none other than the king of another continent.
He wouldn't allow his territorial waters to be violated for just any amount of money.
"What shall we do?"
"If it's something like Etwal, we should secure it."
"Will you trade with the king?"
"Why would I?"
"Then..."
The Duke tossed the documents back to Noth and said.
"We can just start a war."
His expression seemed to say, 'Why bother with troublesome mind games?'
'Wow.'
I was so taken aback by his amazing solution that I stuck out my tongue.
"Good. There's no need to look for a separate Anniversary Celebration gift for the Emperor. We can just send him the heads of those royal bastards from the other continent."
Noth grinned and looked at me.
"It's all thanks to the Little Miss. If Newt hadn't been broken, would we have known about the existence of the second Etwal? Also, you prevented a fraudulent deal by reading the Ancient Language."
As expected of Dubled's top aide, who was called a villain. He looked so happy that things had been resolved easily, even though a war was about to break out.
I was a little taken aback to see this hidden side of Noth, who usually seemed so friendly.
But it wasn't a bad thing for me.
'If it's Etwal, then I did a good job.'
As the saying goes, 'The irony of fate'; Newt was broken, but it created an opportunity to get an even better Etwal.
When I broke Newt, I had half given up on being adopted, but it was really fortunate.
Adoption... maybe I don't have to give up.
I glanced at the Duke. His expression wasn't bad.
'Should I test the waters?'
Just then, Noth said, "Well, shall we go?" and tried to hug me.
I shouted, "No!" and ran to the Duke, hugging his leg.
"LeBlaine wanna be with Gongzhanmi. (LeBlaine wants to be with the Duke.)"
Then Noth groaned with a wounded expression, "Ugh."
I clung to him and wouldn't let go, and Noth had no choice but to give up on me and leave the room.
Now alone with the Duke, I raised my arms high.
"Hug pwease. (Hug me please.)"
The Duke stared at me for a moment, then reached out his hand.
'Good, we've gotten close enough that he doesn't mind being asked for a hug.'
Then maybe I can bring up 'that word' now.
Come to think of it, it's been a month since I came to Dubled. The Empress Dowager will start asking how the adoption is going.
'Now is the chance, while he's in a relatively good mood.'
I'm a little scared, but I mustered up my courage and opened my mouth.
"Leubu, be a good girl. (LeBlaine, I'll be a good girl.)"
I won't bother you, and I can grow up well on my own.
So, Duke-
"Be my abadi. (Be my father.)"
A week later.
I focused all my concentration on my fingertips and gritted my teeth.
If I give up in a place like this, I won't be able to achieve anything, let alone escape.
Let's not disappoint myself anymore. I mustn't blame myself.
Having experienced death three times, this soul must have accumulated will and experience.
I quickly pulled up 'that'.
'I succeeded, putting on socks!'
Thunderous applause erupted around me, and Leah kissed my cheeks several times as if she was proud of me.
"You're so amazing. You've worked so hard, Little Miss!"
"I only taught you a few times, but you're already putting on your socks by yourself."
"You're a genius after all!"
I wiped the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand and sighed, "Ahyo hyo..."
It was a success after six attempts.
'Good. I've grown.'
Then the preparation is complete.
I grabbed the remaining sock and shook Leah's sleeve.
"Wanna go Gongzhanmi. (Wanna go to the Duke.)"
"Yes, show it to your master."
Leah smiled contentedly and took me to the Duke's office.
The Duke, who was looking at documents with his secretary and vassals, took off his glasses and looked at me.
I held up a small white lace sock like a ginkgo leaf.
"Leubu can wear socks now! (LeBlaine can wear socks now!)"
He rested his chin on his hand and said, "Let's see," so I swallowed hard.
The day I asked him to adopt me, the Duke didn't say anything. But it certainly wasn't as negative a reaction as before.
The fact that he, who was so ruthlessly firm, didn't answer meant that 'I might be adopted if I do well.'
'So, this is a kind of interview for me.'
It's a place to appeal that I've grown this much and I'm now a child who requires less attention, so it's okay to adopt me.
I plopped down on the floor and grabbed the sock with both hands. The vassals and secretary looked at me with pleased expressions.
'Widen the hole with your fingers.'
I did a good job of widening it.
'Okay, next, gather your toes well and put them in the widened hole.'
I kicked my leg up and gathered my toes as pointedly as possible.
'Now, if you pull it up with force at once-'
Well, in one go-!
'……Huh?'
The sock got caught on my heel and wouldn't go up.
Again.
Again.
No, again!
I rolled around and struggled to pull up the sock, but the sock caught on my heel just wouldn't go up.
One of the vassals sitting around the table lowered his head and shook his shoulders.
I looked at the Duke with an uneasy expression. The corners of his lips slowly turned up.
Pfft.
It was a clear sneer.
I wanted to crawl into a rat hole. The dignified me who came for an interview was nowhere to be found, and only a defeated soldier remained.
'I'm pathetic...'
As I became gloomy, Leah said in a laughing voice.
"You succeeded just now. And I only taught you twice."
Hearing that, the vassal exclaimed, "Hoo."
"You are indeed extraordinary."
"Is that so."
As the Duke leaned back deeply in his chair and muttered, everyone added their words.
"You also remember difficult words. We received a lot of help this time."
"Well..."
"It's actually very difficult to follow along as you teach."
Meanwhile, I was staring forlornly at the sock dangling from my toes.
'I failed.'
Then the interview also failed...
That meant that the days of being anxious about when he would send me back would continue in the future.
Having been in this castle for over a month, I realized that the Duke was as impregnable as the territory's castle.
I tried to get close to him somehow, but progress was very slow. The only gain was-
"Leubu."
He shortened my name.
"Yes..."
As I picked up the fallen sock and trudged over, he looked at me.
"I cannot condone having no improvement while being in my castle."
'Yes, I know.'
He was incredibly cold to his three sons as well.
The three sons were taken away by the previous Duke as soon as they were born and he couldn't raise them directly, and the full authority of education still belonged to the Council of Elders, but they were still his blood relatives.
The sons were already receiving education at the capital's academy for gifted children. Even the eldest son, Yohan, was at a boarding academy far from the Empire.
"Practice while I'm away on a tour of the territory."
"Yes..."
"Can you do well?"
"Ung, Leubu gonna be Gongzhanmi's daughter. (Yes, LeBlaine is going to be the Duke's daughter.)"
For some reason, the corners of the Duke's lips seemed to lift slightly.
