I examined the child who declared herself as the “real daughter” with eyes ablaze.

This baby somehow seemed like a tiny bird. As if she couldn’t have anticipated being left alone, the child blinked her eyes.

I offered the child a warm cup of tea. The child, seemingly flustered by drinking warm tea, nibbled at her fingers.

In the meantime, I carefully observed the child. I measured her body dimensions and meticulously checked the color of her eyes and hair.

Of course, there was a plan.

Firstly…

“You know, Ted Kyeong!”

“Yes?”

“Originally, the kinship test is something only Lord Yotter can do, right?”

Ted, who was beside me, quietly replied, “Yes, that’s correct, Lord Cian.”

I clenched my fist. There was a reason why Lord Yotter was acting so tyrannical.

‘Currently, the only institution in the Empire that can conduct the test is Yotter Viscount, which competes with mighty capital!’

However, I had a moment of doubt. Among the nobles of the Empire, many committed adultery. Was that all? Even the major families and ordinary commoners were no different.

The “kinship test” industry seemed to be a blue ocean no matter how you looked at it.

Even at the top, where there were many with excellent technical skills, why was Lord Yotter the only one conducting kinship tests?

Just as these questions were swirling in my mind, that very moment arrived.

Perhaps because I had left the window open.

From outside, or precisely from the direction of the square, I heard the murmurs of people. It was clear that the situation had reached its climax.

‘My dad told me to wait for ten minutes. So, I need to extract as much information as possible from this child before then!’

In fact, it wasn’t even ten minutes.

Based on my intuition, it seemed like it would be within three minutes.

Slightly impatient, I addressed the child in front of me with the first words.

“What’s your name?”

It was a straightforward investigation.

I stared at the child intently. The child looked at me with an anxious and vacant expression, repeating her words.

“I am Lord Matthias’s real daughter.”

“What’s your name?”

“I am the real daughter.”

It was as if a malfunctioning clockwork was repeating only that phrase. I looked down at the child, tilting my head slightly.

Shall I deny that statement?

“…No, I’m the real daughter.”

“On an unrelated topic, please perform the test right away, Lord Yotter!”

It seemed like something had been forcibly inputted.

Narrowing my eyes, I whispered to her.

“Sister.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s try to detain her.”

For now… I need to catch her.

I stood up and approached her. Then, I gestured to the maid sister.

“We… should we embrace her once?”

I embraced the child gently and firmly grabbed her hair. However, even when my hair was pulled, the child didn’t flinch.

“Why is she so strangely docile?”
I gently embraced the child and firmly grabbed her hair. However, even when my hair was pulled, the child didn’t flinch.

‘Why is she so strangely docile?’

I scratched my chin in contemplation, lost in deep thought. However, that was precisely when it happened. With a creaking sound, the door opened.

“Lord Cian!”

Dad’s subordinate, Mr. Sam, with a menacing impression, rushed into the room.

I turned my head with a puzzled expression. As I did, the subordinate approached me and cautiously said, “Princess, Her Highness has returned to the palace.”

“What?”

“Lord Yotter has also taken this child. So, please rest assured.”

I felt something was odd right from that moment.

The princess, who had been acting tyrannical until now, had returned. It was unbelievable.

Until just a while ago, she seemed clearly uninterested in returning.

“Why did she go back?”

Having sensed something suspicious about this child, I had been thinking of various ways to bring back the princess.

To return so futilely and easily!

“Oh, Lord Matthias was very persuasive.”

“…Huh?”

“He said she easily went back.”

Sniff, sniff.

I wrinkled my slightly swollen nose.

A suspicious smell lingered.

“Goodness, you’re too much like a puppy…”

“So cute…!”

…The murmurs of the maid sisters disturbed my thoughts, but I couldn’t ignore my suspicions.

At that moment, Dad began to enter with a calm expression.

“Cian.”

“Dad!”

“Now, let’s… no, let’s send that friend back. There was a misunderstanding. It seems like a mistake.”

It didn’t seem like a mistake or misunderstanding; it felt intentional.

I stared at the child who kept murmuring, “I am Lord Matthias’s real daughter,” like a broken clockwork.

‘Very, very suspicious!’

However, Dad seemed oblivious. Dad firmly grasped my shoulders and turned my gaze towards him.

“We’ll leave the kinship test to another top institution.”

“Huh…?”

“We need to make sure that you are truly my daughter, Si-en. But Dad finds it a bit hard to trust Lord Yotter.”

Something seemed a bit off.

‘Dad’s kind thoughts are strangely similar to my villainous self!’

I, too, wanted to entrust the kinship test to another top institution, not Lord Yotter.

But…