“Young lady. You must go to Lady Lorencia quickly.”

“I know.”

“Are you going to Lorencia?”

The man who had suddenly approached Illina and Balan asked.

“Do you know Lorencia by any chance?”

The man smiled brightly.

“Yes. I know her. I just escorted her to the reception room a little while ago.”

Illina nodded at the man’s words. And she checked the scabbard at her waist.

The man seemed to be a knight of the Spencer family.

“I see. I’m Illina of the Pol Heredian family from the Isuter Empire.”

“Ah, the Count Pol Heredian family?”

“Yes.”

“Welcome to the Isuter Empire. My name is Leanid.”

“Since you escorted Lorencia too, escort me to the reception room where she is.”

Illina boldly held out her hand. It was extended with the intention of acknowledging Leanid as a servant or knight.

“Understood, Lady Illina.”

Leanid smiled with his eyes and took Illina’s outstretched hand.

Illina looked at Leanid who was escorting her.

The man was more skilled at escorting than she expected, and his voice was good too.

“May I ask what kind of relationship you have with Lady Lorencia?”

“Lady Lorencia?”

Illina laughed softly at Leanid’s question.

“Lorencia is not a noble.”

Leanid looked at Illina with a curious expression.

“Oh my, judging by your expression, you didn’t know. Perhaps Lorencia has been pretending to be a noble lady at the Spencer Marquis residence. She’s been like that since she was young.”

“Lady Lorencia. What was she like when she was young?”

“While pretending to be all kinds of good, she enjoyed killing animals.”

“Animals?”

Leanid showed a startled expression.

“Yes. She abused the puppies I found cute and such. She was also good at lying. She was really a child not to be associated with, but I tried my best to embrace her somehow.”

“I see. If that’s true, then Lady Illina, you are a very benevolent person.”

When Leanid smiled and agreed, an excited Illina began to slander Lorencia.

“But it’s fortunate.”

“What is fortunate?”

“Lorencia stole the family seal and ran away, so we came here to find the seal, but because of that, I got to know you.”

Illina said, slightly blushing her cheeks while looking at Leanid.

“Both Lorencia and her mother were taken in by our family, but they betrayed that kindness, so I’m thinking of giving them a very cruel punishment.”

“What kind of punishment are you thinking of?”

The corners of Leanid’s mouth, which had been curved, suddenly became straight.

“What I’m thinking now is to take away everything Lorencia is enjoying as a noble and trample on her, then put her in the trash can… since she’s trash.”

“I see. I will respect Lady Illina’s thoughts. The idea of putting trash in the trash can.”

The corners of Leanid’s mouth lifted slightly again.

“It’s even a waste to call her trash. So, Sir Leanid, don’t get close to Lorencia either. Please spread what I said to the other knights as well.”

Leanid was maintaining his smile, but with rising anger, he wanted to take off his white gloves and throw them at Illina’s face, who was shamelessly lying.

He didn’t need to investigate to know from Teishar how Lorencia had lived her whole life as an illegitimate child of the Count Pol Heredian family.

How painful must it have been? More than that, how scary and lonely must it have been? Just thinking about it, he couldn’t even begin to fathom what Lorencia and Musila must have gone through.

He just felt heartbroken.

“By the way, which part of the Spencer Marquis family do you belong to, Sir Knight? Would you tell me your family name?”

Illina scrutinized Leanid from head to toe with sidelong glances.

She liked that he was handsome, but what she liked even more was his flawless escorting. Even if she couldn’t see well, he looked at least like the second son of some noble family.

“I’m not affiliated with the Spencer Marquis family. My family name is di Glosten.”

“If it’s di Glosten…”

It’s one of the three great ducal families of the Polroid Empire. Illina was so surprised that she swallowed her saliva.

Handsome and from an excellent family, isn’t he a man who suits her perfectly!

“Lady Illina. It’s here. Do you like black tea by any chance?”

“Yes. What about you, Sir Leanid?”

“These days, I prefer cocoa over black tea. My younger sister really likes cocoa.”

“Oh my, your younger sister and I have the same taste. I like cocoa the most too.”

Leanid smiled and opened the door to the reception room.

“Then I’ll bring you some snacks and cocoa.”

“Oh… Will you do that for me?”

Illina entered through the open door, but her gaze didn’t leave Leanid.

Anyone could see that honey was not just dripping but overflowing from her eyes.

Balan looked at Illina pathetically and swallowed a sigh inwardly.

“Illina.”

Illina turned around at the familiar voice calling her name, after seeing Leanid’s smiling face for the last time through the closing door.

“Lorencia?”

“It’s been a while, Illina.”

Illina couldn’t believe her eyes.

“You’re Lorencia? You’ve grown a bit taller since I last saw you.”

The Lorencia in front of her had skin as white and soft as lily petals, and her purple eyes sparkled like amethysts.

Anyone would see her as sophisticated and elegant like a noble lady. It was unacceptable. It was an unbelievable sight even after seeing it.

Even so, how can a person change this much just because they’ve grown taller and put on some weight? Moreover, the dress and jewels she was wearing all looked more expensive than what she herself was wearing.

“Sit down.”

Lorencia drew a gentle smile. However, unlike her, Illina’s face was full of undisguisable hostility.

“Is it really you, monster Lorencia, standing in front of me?”

“Yes, it is.”

Illina had a lot to say between her lips. Starting with the seal, there were mountains of things to question, but the words wouldn’t come out properly.

Lorencia’s smile, which somehow seemed joyful, felt ridiculous.

Realizing that it was a beauty from a far-off place that she could never reach, jealousy began to burn like a wildfire to the tips of her hair.

The beautiful appearance. The expensive dress. The jewels. The shoes.

These are all things that Lorencia should never have.

“Lorencia, you seem to be living beyond your means.”

“My means?”

“You’re not in a position to be living so extravagantly here.”

Illina called for Balan who had followed her in.

“Balan.”

“…”

“Balan!”

“Huh? Yes, young lady.”

Balan, who had been staring blankly at Lorencia without realizing it, was startled by Illina’s raised voice.

“Give her the edict and wait outside.”

Illina said irritably at Balan’s behavior.

“Yes, understood.”

Balan placed the edict Illina mentioned on the table, stealing glances at Lorencia, and left outside with a regretful look.

“Why do you think I’m not in a position to be living extravagantly here? Illina.”

“If the seal you have is real, as soon as it’s stamped on the edict I brought, you’ll no longer be the daughter of Count Pol Heredian.”

“And?”

“You’ll no longer be the daughter of Count Pol Heredian.”

“I know. That I’ll no longer be the daughter of Count Pol Heredian. And that I don’t share a single drop of blood with you.”

“You know that you don’t share a single drop of blood with our family?”

“That’s right. And I can’t tell you how fortunate that is.”

Illina frowned. As much as her appearance had changed, Lorencia seemed relaxed about losing her status as a count’s daughter.

No way.

“Did you find a noble family in the Polroid Empire to adopt you?”

If Teishar used his influence to find a noble family to adopt Lorencia, it would explain Lorencia’s relaxed attitude about losing her status as a count’s daughter.

“No.”

“No?”

“Illina. I found my real family in the Polroid Empire. So I don’t need to be adopted.”

“What? Real family? That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard lately. You seem to be mistaken about something. Didn’t you know that you and your mother were abandoned and ended up parasiting off our family?”

Lorencia picked up the edict Illina had brought and began to read it. Then she raised the corner of her mouth.

“Illina. Who gave you this edict? Did His Majesty Ruans really issue it?”

“Don’t change the subject and answer my question, you monster.”

“I did answer your question. Now it’s your turn to answer mine, only then will our conversation become a bit smoother, don’t you think?”

“Fine. He gave it to me directly.”

At Lorencia’s words, Illina bit her lower lip with her face reddened.

“I’ll ask again what I asked earlier. How does it feel to have been abandoned and become a parasite in our family? I can see why your real family accepted you. How much did your family agree to sell you to Marquis Spencer?”

Lorencia shook her head and put down the edict on the table.

“I’m telling you this because you’re making an absurd misunderstanding, but do you not know that it’s thanks to my mother and I being in the Pol Heredian family that your Pol Heredian Count family was able to eat well and live well?”

Lorencia continued speaking, watching Illina gradually losing her expression.

“Why are you asking questions that you know better, Illina? Did you want confirmation?”

“What are you talking about?”

“It should be written in Count Brant’s diary about me and my mother… You came here after reading the diary, right? Am I wrong?”

Illina’s expression hardened.

“Do you think I’m here without knowing anything? Illina.”

Lorencia spoke in a deliberately cold voice, suppressing the painful memories that were rising.

“I thought you would first ask why I have Count Brant’s will and the family seal…”

How foolish.

Illina’s face turned bright red. She clenched her molars tightly. Her jaw started to hurt and she tasted blood as her tender flesh tore.

“How dare you, who doesn’t even have the bloodline of the Pol Heredian family, move your lips in front of someone like this? You beggar-like…”

As Illina stood up and approached Lorencia threateningly, raising her voice, it was then that:

“Who are you to dare move your lips so carelessly?”

Blondy, who had been standing quietly behind Lorencia, spoke coldly while holding a sharp knife to Illina’s neck, as if about to stab her at any moment.

“Put, put the knife away!”

Illina, too shocked to even scream, trembled.

The aged maid who had put a knife to her neck was clearly standing behind Lorencia. But in an instant, she had approached her side.

“Don’t worry. I don’t intend to kill you like this.”

You shouldn’t die easily. You need to be punished while alive, for Anne and Brant’s share too.

“How can I trust you!”

“That’s right, Illina. You should always have the habit of doubting people, and doubting again, just like now.”

Lorencia smiled brightly.

“I really want to kill you like this… but I won’t.”

“I’m the one who brought the emperor’s edict. If you really kill me, it will cause a big diplomatic problem.”

“Do you think His Majesty Ruans would be sad or intervene for diplomatic reasons if you die, Illina?”

“He will intervene.”

“You still believe in that man?”

Lorencia approached Illina with a regretful expression.