Chapter 35
35
Cattleya Willston was the most beautiful child in the Territory of Dubled.
Radiant blonde hair that resembled her mother, a renowned beauty, and clear blue eyes like a lake, the symbol of Dubled.
When the doll-like child gently smiled, revealing her dimples, no adult could help but adore her.
A few days ago, Baron Willston returned to his mansion, greatly excited.
"An opportunity, an opportunity has come!"
The Baroness asked her husband, who was overjoyed.
"An opportunity, you say?"
"An opportunity for our daughter to become Dubled's Young Lady!"
"What on earth are you talking about? We were already rejected once, weren't we?"
Sending a child from a branch family to the main family for adoption was not uncommon, especially for an exceptional child like Cattleya.
The Willston couple's daughter possessed remarkable Divine Power. Because of this, she had been educated at the Temple since she was young, and occasionally, even people from the Temple in The Capital would come to check on her progress.
If she continued to grow like this, a high-ranking clergy position would be guaranteed, and with the help of Duke Dubled, she could even aim for the position of Cardinal.
To secure a foothold, the couple had asked the Duke to take their daughter in, but they were refused. The reason was that he already had more than enough children.
"The elders and retainers have offered to lend their strength."
"What reason could they suddenly have……."
"What else could it be? It's because of the Child of Destiny who can't even follow in our daughter's footsteps."
The Baroness frowned.
Her stomach churned at the mere mention of the Child of Destiny.
He said he had more than enough children, yet he adopted that child.
Even if it was at the Empress Dowager's request, the thought of a child who couldn't even compare to Cattleya stealing the position that rightfully belonged to her daughter filled her with resentment.
"Will the Duke change his mind this time?"
"He rejected us because he hadn't properly seen Cattleya back then. If he sees her alongside the Child of Destiny, he'll realize how foolish his judgment was."
The Baroness's lips curved upward at her husband's confident words.
Rumors that the Child of Destiny had been given the name of the late Duchess as a middle name were already widespread.
When that child grew up a little, she would take over the Dubled social circles in place of the Duchess.
The thought of being swayed by a mere commoner child was appalling.
But if Cattleya were to be registered in the main family and take that position instead...
She could interfere with the affairs of the main estate under the guise of helping her daughter.
She, who had been dismissed as a powerless Baroness from a mere branch family, would be able to reign over the haughty noblewomen.
The Baroness brushed Cattleya's hair back and said,
"Can you win over His Excellency and the Young Masters?"
At the question, Cattleya smiled brightly.
"Have I ever disappointed you?"
"No, our daughter has never disappointed her mother."
The Baroness chuckled and kissed her daughter's cheek.
……But then.
Cattleya gripped the hem of her skirt tightly.
The Duke moved the meat she had given him to LeBlaine's plate.
"Eat slowly."
LeBlaine widened her eyes and anxiously looked back and forth between herself and the Duke several times.
Seeing her sharply glaring at her, the child picked up the meat again and subtly placed it back on the Duke's plate.
"No, Gongzhanmi eat."
The Duke's face hardened. And he shouted to the butler.
"Call the taxidermist!"
Startled by the sudden words, people stared at the Duke with wide eyes.
But the Duke carefully picked up the meat that LeBlaine had put down again with a clean spoon.
"This is the first meat my daughter has given me."
Cattleya's face twisted.
I gave it to you first……!
\\
After the banquet, Cattleya, who left the castle with the retainers, gritted her teeth.
She was so angry that she couldn't bear it.
'What's so special about that thing!'
She was a toddler who couldn't even speak properly.
A mere toddler who was neither cuter than her, nor had stronger Divine Power, nor was smarter.
The humiliation of being pushed aside by that thing blurred her vision.
"Don't show tears so easily."
Cattleya was startled by the voice she heard from the side.
When she turned her head, the elder, whose face she had become familiar with by following her father, smiled gently.
"How can a child who will look after millions of territory residents as Dubled's Young Lady be so agitated by something like this?"
"Can I really become Dubled's Young Lady?"
"Of course."
"But the Duke didn't even look at me……."
Cattleya looked at the elder with a sorrowful expression.
Baron and Baroness Willston were equally uneasy.
The Baron asked the elder.
"His Excellency cherishes the Child of Destiny more than we thought. He looked at her with eyes as if she were truly his daughter."
"Is His Excellency the kind of person to be like that?"
"Then……?"
"The Child of Destiny has helped the family a few times by chance."
It was something that only a few people knew.
Telling them where orichalcum was buried and having them find Etwal.
'She was lucky.'
"He thinks highly of her because she gained profits thanks to that girl."
The elder patted the Baron on the shoulder and said.
"Don't worry. We will change His Excellency's mind."
Then, he bent his knees and met Cattleya's gaze.
"Young Lady, you only need to trust us. And repay us for this in the future."
It was a respectful remark, as if he were truly speaking to Dubled's Young Lady.
Only then did a smile return to Cattleya's face.
\\
The next day.
I leaned against the wall, glancing back and forth at Isaac and Henri, who were blocking my path.
"Kid."
"Yes……."
"I'm telling you this because you don't seem to know."
"Yes."
"I know how to eat meat too."
"……."
Henri was just smiling, but his smile was twice as bright as usual, as if he wanted to say the same thing.
It was unfair.
I had only returned the meat that Cattleya had given to the Duke.
That child, who was emitting an aura that she wanted to be loved by the Duke from all over her body, glared at me fiercely as soon as the Duke gave me the meat.
I didn't want her to hold a grudge over a piece of meat, so I gave it back.
Isaac said.
"If you discriminate like this, I'll discriminate against my brother too."
Against Henri instead of me?
I was so dumbfounded that I looked up at Isaac, who was making a serious expression.
Henri looked at Isaac as if he were a cockroach.
I sighed and rummaged through my pockets.
'Is there anything?'
As I rustled through my pockets, I found a few wildflowers that I had picked in the garden yesterday to give to Leah.
I couldn't make a bouquet because I bumped into Cattleya, so I just put them in my pocket.
The nameless wildflowers that had been in my pocket for half a day were tattered, but that was all I had.
I held out a wildflower to Henri and Isaac one by one.
Then the Young Masters widened their eyes.
"Are you giving them to us?"
"Yes."
At my words, the two of them accepted the flowers with trembling hands.
"The kid gave me……."
"Gave me a flower……."
Isaac shouted, "Taxidermist!" It was a tone I had heard somewhere before.
Henri also quickly opened the door, saying, "Excuse me," when a knight, Henri's subordinate, approached.
"The retainers have submitted a petition requesting permission for Young Lady Willston to release the Barrier of <Sleeping Mineral>."
'If it's Sleeping Mineral, is he talking about that?'
Dubled's heirloom.
It was an object that could only be released by someone with Divine Power because it was protected by a Divine Barrier.
I don't even know what it's used for.
The ancestor left the heirloom, stating that 'it can only be used when the daughter of the main family is born with Divine Power,' but all the daughters born since then were revealed to be possessors of mana and could not reveal it.
Isaac shouted.
"What nonsense is that! The Duke's daughter is the kid, so why is Cattleya Willston releasing the Barrier!"
Henri's expression also turned cold.
He asked the knight.
"Where are the retainers now?"
"They are in the audience chamber."
Henri and Isaac immediately left the hallway.
Many retainers were gathered in the audience chamber.
Most of them were powerful figures with jurisdiction over 3,000 square kilometers or more.
Cattleya, who was standing among them, smiled brightly at the Young Masters and me as they entered the audience chamber.
A luxurious box was placed between the Duke's chair and the retainers.
At first glance, it just looked like a large stone.
'Is that the Sleeping Mineral?'
The retainers opened their mouths towards the Duke.
"According to the predictions of the weather officials, a severe drought will occur next year."
That's right.
The Imperial Family, nobles, and even the Temple had predicted and prepared for it, but the drought would continue from the planting season to autumn.
"Now is the time when the power of <Sleeping Mineral> is needed."
"If this mineral can summon the Spirit of Water as speculated in the records, it will be of great help."
"And Young Lady Willston is a possessor of powerful Divine Power. She can release the Barrier."
After hearing the story, Henri looked back at the Duke.
"We cannot set a precedent of a branch family releasing the main family's sacred object."
I nodded inwardly.
In the future, the branch family nobles could use this incident as an excuse to target other sacred objects owned by the main family.
A man wearing the robes of the Council of Elders said.
"Of course, we are well aware of the dangers of setting a precedent. Internal strife may arise using that as an excuse."
Isaac twisted his lips.
"Why are you spouting nonsense when you know that?"
The elder's lips curved into a smirk.
"If you adopt Cattleya Willston into the main family, you can save the territory residents without setting a dangerous precedent."
'That was the goal.'
I looked at Cattleya, whose cheeks were blushing red as if she were embarrassed.
Isaac let out a hollow laugh.
"So you can't stand the kid presiding over the inner palace?"
At the words that hit the nail on the head, the elder laughed as if he were troubled.
"How can you say such a thing? We have only offered loyal advice for the sake of the territory residents."
"That's right. Would we have submitted such a petition if the baby could release the Barrier?"
"The baby, who has less Divine Power than even an ordinary Priest, will not be able to release the Barrier."
At those words, the pro-Duke retainers shouted.
"How dare you judge the baby so carelessly!"
"Then can you do it?"
"That's……!"
"But you see."
The elder's gaze turned to me, standing meekly next to Viscount Dubois.
"Does the baby really have Divine Power in the first place?"
