The Beloved Youngest Daughter of the Lord Family - Chapter 7
“Enter.”
At the brief command granting audience, the massive stone doors powered by magic rumbled open on both sides.
Inside the grand hall, illuminated only by thin shafts of sunlight filtering through stained glass, a long crimson carpet stretched out.
Walter advanced familiarly toward the throne, watching dust motes dance and shimmer within the beams of light.
“I have returned after completing the task you ordered regarding the Rose Palace. All entrances have been sealed, and troop deployments finalized.”
“For such a simple task, it took you quite some time. Perhaps you grew excited meeting an old comrade.”
“…No, my Lord.”
“You can’t afford such leisure these days, Walter. How goes the expedition preparation?”
The expedition was a large-scale battle against the monsters flooding the ‘Boundary,’ a vast region along the imperial-kingdom border, held regularly once every few years.
It was a crucial campaign personally led by the Lord, involving not only the royal knights but also the heirs of powerful noble houses.
“Preparations are proceeding smoothly. However, forward outposts near the Boundary report signs that monsters may soon surge.”
“Earlier than expected.”
“According to regular reports, the timing of monster outbreaks has been steadily advancing. I suspect this may be influencing the current situation.”
Vlad tapped the armrest of the throne thoughtfully, *tap, tap*.
Massive monster appearances along the Boundary typically occurred roughly once every ten years.
Expeditions were launched around those times, but recently the interval had steadily shortened to about once every six years.
“‘My instincts feel uneasy.'”
Though even if it came earlier, the kingdom’s military strength could still handle it, an unsettled feeling lingered deep within.
After all, the monster surges were essentially natural disasters beyond his control.
“This time, we must thoroughly cleanse the Boundary before returning. Ensure everything is perfectly prepared.”
“I shall oversee every detail to guarantee a smooth expedition.”
“Wilhelm will also accompany this expedition. As the eldest of the three, it’s best he gains real combat experience early. Send him the official dispatch at the appropriate time.”
“You mean… Lord Wilhelm?”
Startled inwardly, Walter involuntarily raised his head.
By human standards, Wilhelm was merely twelve years old.
Even as the Lord’s firstborn, sending him directly into battle seemed far too reckless for his age.
“‘He never seemed particularly interested in Lord Wilhelm before. What changed his mind?'”
Walter knew his master—whom he had served for hundreds of years—better than anyone.
Or so he thought.
Except, of course, for the recent events he’d utterly failed to anticipate.
“‘What on earth is he thinking?'”
From the sudden closure of the Rose Palace to the order dispatching Prince Wilhelm to war—
he even began to wonder if all this was meant to shield the Rose Palace from external threats.
Though his mind insisted it couldn’t be, instinct told him otherwise.
“‘Or perhaps he simply wishes to offer fair opportunity.'”
His master, Lord Vlad, was a strict monarch and an egalitarian.
He selected people solely by ability, readily appointing even low-born vampires to key administrative roles if they met the criteria.
The pureblooded high nobles disliked Vlad’s conduct but dared not openly oppose him.
Unlike humans, who easily betrayed or rebelled when displeased, their kin maintained absolute and blind loyalty.
Given this nature, perhaps Vlad had recognized Princess Bella’s potential and intended to grant her a fitting opportunity.
By sealing the Rose Palace, he feigned indifference toward Princess Bella while secretly increasing her protection; by taking Wilhelm on a long expedition, he reassured the nobles supporting him.
And by the time Vlad returned from the expedition, his beloved little princess would have grown strong enough to protect herself.
“Since your report is finished, you may go. Focus solely on your duties—no idle thoughts.”
“Everything shall be as the Lord wills.”
Walter struck his left chest twice in the knights’ formal salute.
Before leaving the audience chamber, he engraved in his eyes the image of his master—the strongest and most beautiful being in the world.
Vlad sat reclined on the antique throne, eyes firmly shut, resembling a statue carved by some master artisan.
Immeasurably solemn and still, giving no hint of hesitation or inner turmoil.
Yet whether his heart truly matched that calm remained unknown.
[This is the timeline separator]
Exactly one month after the Rose Palace’s closure order,
rumors reached my ears that Father had personally led the army on a large-scale monster-extermination expedition.
Sione, who had heard nothing about it from Walter—newly appointed supreme commander of the expedition—was utterly furious.
“Don’t worry too much. I, Walter, your closest friend and longtime comrade, will do my utmost to help you.”
Yet despite saying that so confidently, he’d departed on the long expedition with Father without a word, making him understandably resentful.
From Sione’s perspective, Walter was her only hope of lifting the closure.
“‘But perhaps this isn’t entirely bad for me.'”
Though daily life now meant complete cutoff from outside visitors and strict restrictions against anyone inside leaving,
from another angle, limited movement also brought greater safety.
Specifically, it completely blocked suspicious outsiders from approaching, thereby eliminating unnecessary attention toward the Rose Palace.
Sione, initially furious, gradually understood this situation and regained her composure; soon, we grew accustomed to living as if on a remote island cut off from the world.
And around half a year later, I finally began to notice signs of great change within myself.
My infant body had grown to that of a two- or three-year-old, and my speech had developed enough to form words.
But that wasn’t all.
The ability I’d longed for had finally begun to awaken.
“Sione! Hold this for a sec!”
Whoosh.
Just as Sione entered my room carrying a snack, she froze in shock at the blazing fireball hovering in midair.
She alternated glances between the fireball and me—grinning proudly with puffed-up chest—then staggered, pressing a hand to her forehead.
“Good heavens! Your Highness Bella! When on earth did you learn flame magic?”
“Huh? I dunno.”
My fingertips just felt itchy, so I spread them out—and poof! The fireball appeared.
After that, I could control fire however I liked.
“I can make it even bigger too!”
Delighted, I twirled the fireball like a firework, causing Sione’s face to turn even paler.
“P-Please! Put that fire out first, then we’ll talk!”
“Fine, fine.”
With an indifferent expression, I withdrew my magic, and the flames vanished with a *poof*.
After explaining my situation, she slowly regained her calm and asked carefully,
“So, to summarize—you woke up today and suddenly found you could use magic?”
“Yeah! It just came out easily, like pfft!”
“You’ve never learned spell formulas, magic manipulation, mathematics, or geometry, yet it dropped from the sky as if by miracle?”
“Yep! Guess I’m just a genius, huh?”
*Munch munch.*
I casually stuffed the cookies she’d brought into my mouth.
Though they looked like ordinary chocolate cookies, Sione’s ambitious baking actually produced special mana-infused cookies to enhance one’s magical energy.
As I devoured them, cheeks dusted with crumbs, Sione sighed and wiped my mouth with a handkerchief.
“I always knew Your Highness Bella was extraordinary… but I never imagined you’d grasp magic as naturally as breathing. To cast spells instinctively without any training—it’s not even spirit-summoning magic…”
“Huh? Spirits? You mean like this?”
*Poof!*
Pointing with my crumb-covered finger, I summoned a palm-sized spirit in a flash of white light.
The spirit, clad in a blue watery dress, fluttered her wings, floated midair, and snatched up the cookie—all under Sione’s dumbfounded gaze until she slumped weakly.
“Merciful heavens! A mage commanding spirits… Am I dreaming right now?”
My ability to summon spirits had only begun a few weeks ago.
Actually, to be precise, they’d simply started appearing naturally around me.
At first, I’d just thought someone kept stealing the cookies I left on the table—until I discovered the culprits were spirits.
“This isn’t a dream—it’s real. See, Baba does this too!”
*Giggle giggle.*
One of my summoned spirits—Baba, the especially mischievous wind spirit—teased Sione by poking her cheeks and giggling slyly.
Sione only snapped out of her daze after the spirit departed.
“Now I understand why Your Highness Bella could use magic without formal training. Ancient records say those who wield both magic and spirits learn spells as naturally as breathing.”
“Yeah! So it is!”
The flow of mana when using magic versus summoning spirits felt different yet similar.
Almost as if borrowing power from somewhere else.
Though I couldn’t articulate it clearly myself, I vaguely grasped what Sione meant.
“You’re likely the only person on this continent capable of using both magic and spirit arts. Mana and spirit energy are fundamentally incompatible—they resist coexisting in one place.”
“Ugh… that’s too hard.”
“I’ll explain slowly over time. And for now, it’s best to keep your ability to summon spirits a secret. Especially don’t summon them when others are nearby.”
“Eh? But they’re so cute! I wanted to show them off to the Maid Sisters too…”
Disappointed, I thought of Rosa, Roi, and Ronya—the trio of maids who, like me, came from the same orphanage.
Seeing my expression, Sione hesitated briefly before revealing something new.
“Actually, Your Highness—your mother wasn’t a vampire. She was of the Fae folk. That makes you half-vampire, half-Fae.”
Whaaat?!
Stunned by this completely unexpected secret of my birth, I gaped.
“‘For someone of the Lord’s standing to take a partner from another race… there must have been fierce opposition.'”
Before meeting Mother, Father had married twice—but both were purely political unions dictated by necessity.
In truth, the mothers of Wilhelm and Luka—the true heads of their houses—held no titles like concubine or secondary wife, nor were they burdened with duties as the Lord’s formal spouses.
Their marriages existed solely based on mutual need and choice.
But the Lord’s official Queen—the sole recognized Royal Consort of the Chepesu Kingdom—was different.
As ruler of his race, the Lord granted her equal status; during his long hibernations, she often exercised royal authority in his stead.
Entrusting such a vital position to someone of another race would surely have felt deeply humiliating to some.
“Only a very few nobles besides Walter and me know this. And even those who do usually keep silent.”
“Uh-huh.”
“If it became known that Your Highness carries Fae blood and can summon Fae spirits, it could cause serious trouble. Until you’ve grown strong enough, it’s safer to keep it hidden…”
Understanding her concern, I nodded firmly.
“Okay. I’ll do that.”
My decisive reply seemed to relieve Sione greatly.
She must have worried I’d be hurt hearing about Mother.
“I’ll teach you magic from now on. Unlike spirit arts, manipulating mana places significant strain on the body. It may seem a bit early, but consider it gifted education.”
“Wow! Sione’s gonna be my magic teacher?”
“Yes. Is that alright with you?”
“Yeah!! That’s awesome!!”
Overjoyed, I jumped up and down, beaming.
The kingdom’s top-tier instructor—how could I possibly refuse?
Thus began my magical training, and I absorbed spells at an astonishing pace.
From basic utility spells used by junior mages to quite advanced offensive magic, I mastered them all in one go—but Sione strongly recommended I first train in ice-element magic.
“Lord Vlad himself excels in cold-attribute mana. I’d also like you to start with this branch of magic.”
“But why? Fire magic is bigger and cooler!”
“Flame leaves obvious traces by burning things, while ice does not. It can immobilize enemies or serve as subtle yet effective deterrence.”
Ah!
So it was smart magic—capable of self-defense while erasing evidence.
“‘Plus, ice is surprisingly lethal.'”
Few methods matched ice for killing someone silently and cleanly.
Shape it sharp, and it becomes blades or arrows; melt it away, and all evidence vanishes.
Sione probably thought such explanations unnecessary for a child like me—but I, who grasped ten things from hearing just one, easily read between the lines.
While focusing on ice magic, I occasionally built snowmen with soldiers or had snowball fights with the Maid Sisters, enjoying delightful days.
Of course, the fact that the snow was conjured by me remained a secret between Sione and myself.
After all, early rumors of my magic skills would bring no benefit.
“‘Every day lately has been so joyful.'”
I steadily strengthened my magical control while basking in peaceful days filled with everyone’s care and affection within the palace—each moment brimming with happiness and contentment.
If true happiness existed in this world, surely this was it—like a dream made real.
I’d only just discovered how sweet a shared sip of hot chocolate could be on a cold day, or how warm a fur hat and scarf someone lovingly placed on me truly felt.
On a peaceful morning during one of Sione’s lessons,
while waiting in my room as usual, I spotted something puzzling in the book I was reading.
“‘Since I have questions anyway… maybe I’ll visit her myself today?'”
No matter my status, she was officially my teacher—surely I could pay her a visit.
Struggling with a book far too thick and heavy for my small frame, I neared Sione’s room—
when suddenly, an unfamiliar, strange pain overwhelmed me for the first time in my life.
“‘What’s… happening to my body?'”
Thump, thump.
My heart raced wildly, blood vessels constricting all over.
“Dizzy… can’t… breathe…”
Overcome by intense lightheadedness, I staggered and collapsed onto the floor.
*Thud.*
As consciousness faded, only the cold touch of stone against my cheek and someone’s sharp scream—having just discovered me—remained vivid.
In the next moment, I lost consciousness completely.
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Woww, what a great father he is.
Claimed to love the mother, but ignored their own child…. how great.
Oh, what’s happening? My poor baby Bella! I hope someone comes to help her quickly 😭💔