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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: I Will Prove My Worth (3)
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The day after Ariana arrived at Chase Castle. Duke Langsty White, the second son of the White family, and Count Pelos White, the youngest, arrived at Chase Castle almost simultaneously.
Theodore White explained Ariana's situation to them as they burst into his office.
Pelos, whose face was flushed crimson as he listened, exclaimed indignantly,
"Didn't I tell you, Brother? No matter what that woman said, I told you we should at least go to the Western Territory and check on how Ariana was doing!"
"It wasn't easy, was it? If Russell had moved to the Western Territory, do you think the Emperor would have taken kindly to that?"
"Mother, are you still taking Brother's side even in this situation? What kind of father neglects his child for fourteen years and never even visits her?! Whether the Emperor suspected us or we had to go to war with the Western Duke, we should have gone and checked if she was doing well!"
"Enough, enough. Russell regrets it now, doesn't he?"
Theodore White scolded him, but Pelos's momentum did not wane.
"What good is regretting it now? The time when she should have been showered with parental love has long passed!"
Every single word Pelos uttered pierced Russell to the core. They were all true.
He didn't deserve to be called a father. That's why, when Ariana called him "Eastern Duke," he couldn't dare ask her to call him "Father."
"I need to go see Ariana right away."
Pelos remembered the moment Ariana was born.
On the day Ariana was born, the entire White family gathered, eagerly awaiting the child's arrival.
Pelos already had one daughter, but when Russell emerged, cradling the tiny baby in his arms, he saw her faintly shimmering light blue hair and made a vow.
He would love her as his own daughter.
But she was taken by Rachel. Rachel fled to the Western Territory with Ariana without a word, sending only a single letter to request a divorce.
Pelos was always worried whether Rachel, who had always been looking for an opportunity to escape the Eastern Territory, would raise Ariana well.
Theodore White stopped Pelos, who was about to head straight to Ariana's room.
"Ariana is sleeping. She's been sleeping for quite a while, exhausted. Don't even think about waking her. She's constantly on edge when she's awake."
"Damn it! Why would a child be on edge when meeting her family? Does that even make sense? How did they raise her?!"
"I'm not deaf, so keep your voice down. Honestly, where did he learn that temper..."
"I learned it from Father, from Father!"
Finally, Pelos quieted down only after Theodore White smacked him on the back of the head.
Langsty, who had been sitting quietly until then, spoke.
"Is there no news from the Western Territory?"
Caradine White replied.
"No, not yet. We don't know if they know the child ran away or not."
"What about the situation in the Western Territory?"
"We've sent people, so news should come soon."
"Are you sure Ariana came to the Eastern Territory without any ulterior motive?"
At Langsty's sharp question, everyone present widened their eyes in surprise. Pelos, the first to regain his composure, snapped,
"No, Brother! How can you say something like that? Are you suggesting Ariana came here to act as a spy?"
"Do you really think a sixteen-year-old girl could travel from the Western Territory to here all by herself?"
"Of course, she can! Ariana is a White family bloodline! If you threw our Isabel in the mountains, she'd probably hunt bears and survive!"
"Isabel might, yes. But Ariana was only here for a few days right after she was born. After that, she lived in the Western Territory. Even the abuse could be fabricated if she wanted to. And they say she's mature beyond her years, don't they? What if she was raised and educated to fulfill a specific role..."
"Enough!"
Russell raised his voice, cutting Langsty off.
His blue eyes blazed with fury.
"Are you doubting Ariana right now?"
"Brother, it's a necessary suspicion."
"What kind of child fakes abuse?!"
"Because she's a child. A young child believes what her parents tell her and does what her parents tell her to do. Have you forgotten what Rachel did? What if that woman filled Ariana's head with bad things about the Eastern Territory and told her to work for the Western Territory? A child is unable to discern right from wrong and will simply do what her parents tell her."
"Even if that were true, she's still my daughter."
"Of course, she is. I also consider Ariana my niece. If Ariana truly was abused and ran away to come here, then... *sigh*. But Brother, you are the Eastern Duke. You must prioritize the Eastern Territory."
"Then you take the Eastern Duke's position. There is nothing more precious to me than Ariana."
Pelos, who had been glaring at Langsty, clenched his fists tightly.
"You're absolutely right, Brother!"
Langsty suppressed a sigh.
Of course, Langsty didn't dislike his niece. He was merely curious about her intentions.
The White family had a tendency to blindly trust their family members. That's why, even knowing the Western Duke harbored ill feelings towards the Eastern Territory, they still trusted Rachel when she became the Eastern Duchess.
The result of that trust led to the Emperor's suspicion.
Rachel, feigning the role of a Western Territory princess unable to adapt to the Eastern Territory, secretly siphoned off information. The White family members simply thought her distance from them was due to her still adapting and feeling awkward.
'Ariana was raised by Rachel, so she might have inherited Rachel's disposition.'
A child is like a blank canvas; their personality changes greatly depending on who raises them. Langsty worried that Rachel might have tainted the innocent Ariana.
Just then, Head Maid Effrin Roman entered, speaking in a frantic voice.
"Your Grace. Lady Ariana...!"
Russell shot up from his seat.
"What about Ariana?"
"She's burning up with fever. She seems very ill."
A commotion broke out.
Everyone in the office rose and rushed out, calling for a physician. Even Langsty did.
They ordered the White family's physician, and even renowned city doctors, to be called, then rushed into Ariana's room.
Lying on the large bed, Ariana looked particularly small. Her body was so thin her bones showed, her arms bore old scars, and there were bruises that had turned yellowish with time.
Her hair, damp with feverish sweat, clung to her forehead, and her pale lips were chapped and cracked, bleeding.
"How could this be...!"
Pelos had a daughter around Ariana's age. So he knew what kind of physique a girl of Ariana's age should have.
"How could this be... How could anyone possibly claim this was faked abuse!"
At Pelos's outburst, Langsty winced.
Even to Langsty, Ariana's condition did not look fabricated. His niece, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, was too small, too thin, and bore old bruises everywhere, making her look like a child from the slums.
"Look at this, Brother! How could this possibly be her pretending to be abused, pretending to run away?!"
Perhaps it was due to Pelos's shouting.
Ariana's small face, which already looked pained, contorted even more painfully.
"I... I'm sorry..."
Her small lips parted, and a hoarse, broken voice emerged.
"I'm sorry... Please forgive me... I'm sorry... Please... please forgive me..."
Desperate pleas, agonizing apologies.
The White family members froze.
Ariana's thin arm trembled and moved to cover her face. She moved so piteously, as if trying to shield herself from an onslaught of blows.
"Please... Mother..."
In the suffocating silence, where no one dared to breathe, the voice of apology directed at her mother echoed.
Even Caradine White, who had once wielded a sword alongside her husband on battlefields, couldn't bear the sight and clapped her hand over her mouth. Tears flowed from the eyes of the Grand Duchess, once known as the 'Witch of the Battlefield.'
It's okay. It's okay now.
They knew they should say that, yet they couldn't bring themselves to go near her. The moment they moved, it felt as if that frail, small body would crumble and disappear, so no one dared to move.
Just then, Yuriel, the family physician, entered.
"Oh dear. Oh my."
Yuriel, who had examined Ariana's condition beside the bed, murmured mournfully.
"This, this. Oh my. Why are there so many bruises... Oh dear."
She sighed mournfully throughout her examination of Ariana's condition. Russell, finally regaining his composure, carefully asked,
"Is Ariana alright?"
"Your Grace, this young lady... But who is this young lady?"
"She's my daughter."
Yuriel's eyes widened. She had many questions, but knowing that satisfying her curiosity wasn't the priority at the moment, she calmly explained.
"Your Grace, the Princess seems to have suffered from malnutrition for a long time. There are bruises all over her body, none of which appear recent, but it looks like she has been subjected to continuous abuse for a very long time. It will take a long time for the bruises to disappear. And judging by the injuries on her feet, it seems they were sustained from walking barefoot..."
Every time Yuriel spoke about Ariana's condition, the White family members flinched, their shoulders trembling.
"The reason for her high fever now seems to be due to the accumulation of long-term fatigue. Her body was already weak, so she likely couldn't withstand the fatigue. For now, she should rest deeply, and once she wakes, she needs to eat nutrient-rich meals and take medication to aid her recovery."
Russell asked in a choked voice,
"Will there be any problems?"
"There are already so many problems..."
Yuriel mumbled, then seemed to realize her mistake upon seeing Russell's expression and softened her tone.
"If she eats well and rests deeply, she will gradually improve. A child's body recovers quickly, so if she gets healthier by eating nutritious food, her scars will also slowly fade. I will return now to prepare the medicine."
Even after Yuriel left, no one dared to speak.
They simply gazed at the tiny girl lying motionless on the bed.
Pelos, who had been clenching his fists and gritting his teeth so hard his jaw muscles twitched, finally spoke, as if he could no longer bear it.
"I'll just... that madwoman...!"
Thwack!
Theodore White smacked Pelos on the back of the head, who looked ready to go after Rachel immediately.
"You, quiet down, you rascal."
"She left the child in that state, and you want us to just let it go? Huh?"
"What if we don't just let it go? Do you want to start a war?"
"We should! Do you think we'd need many soldiers to defeat those Western Territory scoundrels who just suck up whatever crumbs the Emperor throws their way? I can go alone. I'll go and kill them all, and bring that woman's head back, then Ariana will feel at peace."
Theodore White sighed.
His youngest son was too aggressive and short-sighted, which was a problem. But he couldn't say he didn't understand his feelings.
Because Theodore White himself felt like going to the Western Territory right now, dragging Rachel back, and making her kneel before Ariana.
