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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Unfinished Danger (3)
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The Western Duke's acceptance of her request for a meeting brought Victoria a sense of relief. Even as his granddaughter, he wasn't someone easily accessible.
Furthermore, an unpleasant incident had just occurred in the Empire. For him to receive the granddaughter of the 'Bronte family' at such a time meant that the Western Duke's recognition of the Bronte family hadn't completely vanished yet.
‘Now, the only person I can trust is Grandfather.’
She had known from the beginning that her parents' affection was strangely directed only towards Helena. However, her parents' attitude when she was taken by the Chief Investigator's office cemented Victoria's conviction that they couldn't be trusted.
‘No matter how hard I try, I'll never surpass Helena.’
It turned out that the foundation of that love was guilt.
The guilt of having to raise Helena as the daughter of a woman from a lesser noble family. As long as that guilt remained, Helena would always be her parents' first priority.
‘They were never anything remarkable anyway.’
This incident made it clear.
Her father, Jacob, was an incompetent fool, and her mother, whom she had thought so formidable, had been utterly defeated by Ariana.
‘They’re not people I can rely on.’
At best, they were just the Duke and Duchess of the Western Territory. Her mother had been a princess of the Western Territory, but that was before her marriage. And a princess's power ultimately stemmed from her father, the Western Duke's, patronage.
‘Grandfather must be very disappointed in Mother after this. He won't shield her like before. But I'm different.’
Victoria walked with an unyielding, upright posture. Imitating the dignified bearing she had once seen in Ariana, she walked with the haughty grace of a royal, stopping before the Western Duke.
She wasn't wearing an extravagant dress.
She wore a simple dress that nevertheless enhanced Victoria's pure beauty. Her hair was half-tied, and her shoes had low heels.
Standing before the Western Duke, appearing like a delicate young girl, Victoria curtsied slightly.
“Your Grace, the Western Duke.”
Hearing his granddaughter's clear, resonant voice, the Western Duke quietly observed Victoria.
While the Duke and Duchess Bronte were lenient with Helena, the Western Duke had always favored Victoria. Her beauty was far superior, and her mind was sharper than her older sister's.
Between his two granddaughters, Victoria was the more useful pawn.
“What brings you here?”
Victoria considered asking about the Western Duke's well-being but decided against it. The Western Duke didn't appreciate such empty flattery.
She had to win the Western Duke's favor. Only then could she show that wretched Ariana hell.
But she had no intention of setting a trap for Ariana directly. She now knew that Ariana was no longer such a naive girl.
Victoria raised her head, met the Western Duke's gaze, and spoke calmly.
“Grandfather, I came to ask you for a favor.”
“A favor? Tell me.”
“Please make me Empress.”
The Western Duke gazed intently at his granddaughter, who spoke such dangerous words so casually. It didn't seem like a childish remark.
“So, you wish to be Empress.”
“Yes, Grandfather. I must become Empress.”
The Western Duke had only daughters. His daughters had each married dukes and counts, bearing several daughters and sons.
The Western Duke had plans to select a few of them and send them into the imperial palace.
Of course, he also intended to educate the most promising girl well and aim for the Crown Princess's position.
Victoria was the one he had most in mind. Victoria was the most intelligent and beautiful of his granddaughters.
The problem was the Crown Prince.
‘The Crown Prince is close to the Northern Duke.’
Before he knew of the Northern Duke's animosity, it would have been simple enough to marry one of his granddaughters to the Crown Prince. But now the situation had changed.
The Northern Duke harbored animosity towards the Western Duke and had made that fact clear. Under such circumstances, it was impossible to predict how the Crown Prince, who had deep ties with the Northern Duke, would act.
The Western Duke had another plan.
“The path to becoming Empress will not be easy. The current Empress is no easy opponent…”
“Grandfather. I am prepared to walk even a path of thorns with a smile. And I have a few ideas already.”
At a nod from the Western Duke, Victoria gracefully approached and whispered something into his ear. The Western Duke's eyes gleamed with a sinister light as he listened to Victoria's plan.
Eventually, the Western Duke spoke.
“If you walk that path, you won't be able to turn back.”
“If I can become the highest woman on this continent, why would I need to turn back?”
The Western Duke smiled contentedly at Victoria's audacious reply.
“Indeed, you are the best of my granddaughters. But wait a little. The current Crown Prince is a lost cause. Soon, someone suitable will approach me. Until then, hone yourself. So that no one dares to find a flaw in you.”
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
After receiving such a favorable answer, a peculiar smile appeared on Victoria's lips. Inside the carriage, Victoria clenched her fists, recalling Ariana's smile.
That radiant smile she had seen the moment Victoria was arrested.
‘Ariana, you must be happy now. Enjoy that happiness to your heart's content.’
Victoria's eyes gleamed.
‘While you're enjoying your happy time in the Eastern Territory, I'll be acquiring a power you can never possess.’
Victoria recalled the abilities of Paganus.
The power of Amantal that Paganus possessed. The things she had to do to obtain that power.
She didn't want to be treated like a dirty heathen, but she craved that power. Since the Western Duke had given his approval, there was nothing to hold her back now.
She smiled coldly, imagining the day she would stand victorious over Ariana.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
Catherine, her lady-in-waiting, had prepared Ariana's bath water. The bathtub, filled with lemons and oranges, exuded a fresh scent that made her feel as though her fatigue was melting away just by inhaling it.
Ariana took off her clothes and stepped into the tub.
The temperature was perfect.
Once in the tub, Ariana examined her body. The ointment Isaac had given her was highly effective; the scars that had appeared in various places were slowly fading. Eventually, her body would be as pristine as if nothing had ever happened.
Though the riding accident had left her feeling unsettled, she decided not to think about it while bathing. Cyrus had said that resting was important.
‘I wonder if Louis and Noah are doing well?’
As she soaked, she recalled the makeshift bathtub they had created for her during their journey. That tub, prepared solely for Ariana, had been truly warm and comforting.
That had been the most comfortable time she'd had to date.
She hadn't feared enemy attacks, nor did she need to be wary of hidden foes.
‘To think that journey felt safer than this castle, where so many people cared for her.’
She didn't want to think about the riding accident, but the memory kept resurfacing, dropping dark ink into her mind.
Familiarity didn't mean it wasn't frightening.
Every time she jumped from a carriage or fell from a horse, it was always terrifying. She feared the pain that would be inflicted upon her body.
‘It would be easier if I knew who was targeting me. Is it the Eastern Duke, after all?’
Ariana recalled the names of the Eastern Territory nobles she had memorized when helping the Third Prince. No one particular person came to mind.
‘What a headache.’
She couldn't reveal such facts to the Eastern Duke or his family.
Even if they cared for Ariana, her time with them had been brief. It was questionable whether they would even believe her, and even if they did, she didn't want to become someone who stirred up trouble the moment she became a princess of the Eastern Territory.
Precisely because the Eastern Territory was peaceful, it was difficult to bring such matters to light.
‘She couldn't let them think she was the cause of unrest in the Eastern Territory.’
For now, they might treat her well out of pity, but if problems kept arising because of Ariana, people would surely start to frown upon her.
For the time being, she had to act like an innocent, yet slightly clever girl.
“Ariana, I’m coming in!”
A cheerful voice broke through Ariana's thoughts. Before Ariana could reply, the bathroom door burst open with Catherine's voice exclaiming, “Oh, miss! You can’t do that!”
“Look at this, Ariana. This is the dress you’ll wear tomorrow. Isn’t it pretty?”
Isabel was holding a lavender dress. It was a dress that started in light lavender at the top and gradually deepened in color towards the bottom. The dark purple at the hem of the skirt was intricately studded with diamonds, making it look like starlight in the night sky.
“Yes, it’s truly beautiful.”
Isabel smiled with relief, handed the dress to Catherine, and entered the bathroom completely. Isabel pulled a small chair next to the tub, sat down, and spoke.
“Tomorrow, you’re the star, so you have to be the prettiest. I even picked out some accessories. Decorate yourself so beautifully it’s almost excessive, okay?”
“Okay, I will.”
“But Ariana. I couldn’t ask before because of the atmosphere, but…”
“Hm?”
“What about the Northern Duke? Is he really as handsome as his portrait?”
“You’ve seen his portrait too, sis?”
“Of course. Every portrait shop has at least one of him. Some noble ladies even paid a hefty sum for his portrait, I bet.”
“You too, sis?”
“Ugh, no, not me. So, what’s he like? Is he really that handsome? Does he look like the God of the Moon?”
Ariana recalled Cyrus’s face. His features were so perfect it was almost excessive, and his red eyes shone with a terrifying beauty.
— “I need the Eastern Duke’s power. So, Ariana, if you want to repay me, establish yourself properly in the Eastern Territory.”
Suddenly, their last conversation came to mind, and her mood soured. She didn't want to say anything good about Cyrus.
“He’s just… okay.”
“Huh?”
“He’s just ordinary. Rumors are just rumors, I guess.”
A clear look of disappointment appeared on Isabel’s face.
“What? Really? Ugh, I knew it. There’s no way someone could be that beautiful. How does he compare to Averster or Jeor?”
“Of course, those two are much better.”
“Ugh, so he’s really nothing special then. What about his skill? The Northern Duke saved you from the ruffians, didn’t he? So you must have seen him fight.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Is he strong?”
“Hmm. Yes, he was strong. Very.”
Isabel’s eyes sparkled.
“Oh, really? He’s that strong, you say? If he fought our dad, who would win?”
“Count… Uncle Pelos is that strong?”
“Extremely. He can’t use magic like the Northern Territory people, but even without it, he could probably take on several Northern Knights by himself. I once followed him to a battlefield and saw him fight Paganus. Until then, I just thought of him as my silly dad, but that day, I saw him in a new light.”
Isabel, boasting about her father, shone so brightly she was dazzling.
Isabel was as headstrong as Helena, but there was something about her that Helena lacked. Something like clear, cheerful starlight.
A girl raised with such boundless love truly grew up beautifully.
Without realizing it, Ariana reached out to Isabel. Her wet fingers brushed Isabel’s cheek.
Isabel tilted her head, as if asking why. Ariana offered a faint smile.
“Just… you look really pretty, sis.”
