Carius emerged from Lellia's room, composing the redness around his eyes, and made his way to the Duke's study.
After receiving permission to enter, the Duke looked at Carius with skeptical eyes.
"What exactly happened that you'd cry at your age?"
"...."
At the Duke's words, Carius fidgeted with the back of his neck, looking embarrassed.
"Not only are you unmarried at that age, but now you're even crying in front of your niece... How am I supposed to take this?"
"Please don't scold me too much. I'll tell Lellia everything."
"...."
At those words, the Duke's eyes narrowed even further.
Always glaring at Lellia as if she were some mortal enemy, and now calling her name so affectionately.
He wondered if the man had finally truly accepted that child.
"...I apologized to Lellia. That child is definitely my sister's daughter."
"I told you that before, but you wouldn't believe it."
"That's not what's important right now. Father, are you really not going to inform the Emperor of this fact?"
"Would you want to tell him if you were in my place?"
"...."
Honestly speaking, no.
Especially since Carius had seen with his own two eyes how deeply Emperor Perseus cherished his adopted daughter, Juriana.
Blood is thicker than water—once he learned that Lellia was his niece, that fact weighed heavily on his mind.
"Emperor Perseus is completely devoted to his adopted daughter. He seemed ready to hand over the very throne."
"Pathetic fool... I shouldn't have sent Elizabeth to him in the first place!"
Anger and resentment settled in the old Duke's eyes. Carius likewise gritted his teeth hard enough to make his jaw jut out.
"You're right, Father. Emperor Perseus is unfit to be a father! Not only did he fail to recognize Lellia, but he even drove her away...."
"That's exactly what I'm saying!"
"Do you know what that child went through in the imperial palace?"
"...Did Lellia tell you about it?"
The Duke's brow furrowed. He knew.
He knew why Lellia wouldn't confide in him about the wounds she had suffered all this time.
She must have been worried that the old man would be heartbroken and harm his health over it.
For a mere ten-year-old child, she was remarkably deep-hearted.
That was why it hurt. Because she had matured too quickly, unnecessarily fast. Because she had come to understand the world.
"Yes. She told me everything. But she won't tell you, Father."
"...What?"
The Duke's expression grew even more distorted. Carius lifted his chin smugly and spoke.
"Lellia told me not to tell you. She said you'd be heartbroken."
"Then why bring it up in the first place? Are you mocking me right now?"
"Just letting you know. Lellia seems to know too. That I was the family member her mother liked most."
"No, this brat..."
After thoroughly teasing his father, Carius resumed speaking in a serious tone.
"That's not what's important right now. Father, did you know that Lellia has a talent for alchemy?"
"...Alchemy?"
The Duke's expression turned serious.
While alchemy was perceived as a heretical practice, not everyone thought so.
Those without deep faith in the Kreuz Church.
In other words, people who didn't believe in the gods evaluated alchemy differently.
The Duke, who had researched alchemy to cure his wife, was no exception.
He hadn't been able to cure his wife with alchemy, but his perception of it wasn't negative. Rather, it leaned toward the positive.
The two men began discussing the matter with serious expressions.
If Lellia wanted it, they intended to let her do whatever she wished to her heart's content.
However, for the child's safety, they must not be discovered by the Temple.
While they were discussing alchemy at length.
Carius suddenly slammed his fist on the table with a bang!
The things Lellia had suffered suddenly came to mind again.
"The more I think about it, the more furious I get! Emperor Perseus is one thing, but... Cedric, Damian, those bastards...."
As Carius ground his teeth, the Duke narrowed his eyes and spoke.
"Why! Did those bastards perhaps torment Lellia?"
"...."
"No, no. They certainly would have done more than enough tormenting...."
The Duke felt like a fool for not having thought of that sooner.
Carius spoke after some deliberation.
"That's not all. Those bastards are just like their father. They became completely infatuated with their newly gained younger sister... all three, father and sons, made a complete mess of things as if they'd all lost their minds."
"...."
The two men heaved deep sighs. It was a deplorable situation.
If they were to reveal the truth saying "Lellia is actually your daughter" because they couldn't stand watching that spectacle, Emperor Perseus wouldn't just sit idly by.
If he learned that Elizabeth's daughter was alive....
He would do whatever it took to bring Lellia back to the imperial palace.
"We absolutely cannot send Lellia back to the imperial palace."
"I agree."
"We cannot inform Cedric and Damian either. If those bastards say they're coming to the territory to visit, Father, you must absolutely stop them."
"...Very well."
Cedric and Damian were very precious to the two men. They were the sons Elizabeth had left behind.
That was why Carius felt even more frustrated.
He resented those bastards who couldn't recognize their real sister, Lellia, and had even tormented her.
'If they were right in front of me, I'd at least beat some sense into them....'
It was then.
Thwack!
Suddenly, Duke Superion flicked Carius hard on the forehead. Carius clutched his forehead at the unexpected pain.
"Ah! Why would you do that, Father!"
"Now that I look at you... you treated Lellia exactly the same way, and now you're acting like this!"
"Ah! Stop hitting me! What kind of disgraceful behavior is this at your age!"
"You brat!"