Chapter 30
Bleria rose from her seat after a brief conversation.
“I just stopped by for a moment, so I’ll be on my way now.”
“It’s a shame, but I understand. You must be very busy.“
“By the way, I heard your children are busy preparing for their weddings, so I brought something for them. I left it with the steward, so please accept it without feeling burdened.“
There’s no harm in planting a favorable impression.
The nanny’s eyes sparkled more brightly than ever since meeting Bleria. Her voice rose with excitement, and she sounded breathless.
“How thoughtful of you! Thank you, my lady. I’ll use it gratefully.”
The nanny escorted Bleria to the door with quick, eager steps. Before Bleria left the drawing room, the nanny gently tugged at her sleeve.
“Nanny?“
“Actually, someone strange visited recently,“ the nanny whispered, glancing warily toward the window.
“They subtly asked about you as a child. I gave vague answers and sent them away, but it seemed suspicious. Please be careful.“
Bleria’s gaze grew cold, but she kept her expression neutral. It likely didn’t show much. She embraced the nanny warmly and whispered softly, just like Gopher would.
“Thank you, Nanny.”
It was worth the expense.
***
Bleria’s next destination was the Nebula Mountains within the Heaven Duchy, often used for hunting.
Her knights tried to dissuade her, but unless another member of the Heaven family appeared on the spot, they couldn’t override her decision. Using the excuse of wanting to recall childhood memories, Bleria requested a guide from the groundskeeper.
“There’s a patch of dream grass nearby, so avoid the side paths,“ he cautioned.
“Thank you for the warning.”
Standing at the cliff’s edge where the real Bleria had supposedly fallen, she looked down, feeling a sense of liberation. The sound of rushing water far below was fierce.
It’s higher than I thought.
“You should head back now. His Grace will be worried.“
“Sir Rave, can you pick up a stone for me?”
The knight hesitated at the odd request but eventually found a rock light enough for Bleria to handle. She tossed it over the edge.
“My lady?”
One, two, three, four… By the time she counted to four, the water had swallowed the stone. It disappeared without a trace. It wasn’t a large rock, but a person wouldn’t fare any better from this height.
“What would happen if someone fell from here?“
“Well…”
Faced with the person who had supposedly fallen, the knight struggled to respond.
“I was just talking to myself.”
Bleria quietly closed and opened her eyes. After one last glance at the deep ravine, she turned around as the knights had hoped.
“Let’s go back.“
“A wise decision!”
With each step she took, Bleria’s eyes grew sharper. Now she understood why Gopher had been so confident. No one could survive a fall from such a height. Therefore—
Eos Liche is a fake.
She resolved not to waver anymore.
***
When Bleria returned to the mansion in the capital, the front gate was in turmoil. A crowd had gathered, and she recognized a familiar face at the front.
A thunderous voice erupted as soon as she hesitated and stepped down from the carriage.
“Bleria Charlotte Heaven!”
To her surprise, the one shouting was the Duke of Heaven himself. His booming voice stiffened Bleria’s shoulders.
Why is he so angry?
It was a hunting ground that others often visited. She had taken knights along, so there was no danger. She had visited other hunting grounds before without incident, so why this reaction?
“Is it true you went to Prune Mountain without a word?“
“…Yes, Father. I’m sorry.“
“You shouldn’t have done something you’d need to apologize for!”
Her mouth felt dry. Clasping her hands together, she rubbed her thumbs nervously, eyes lowered.
“I told you not to dwell on what happened as a child. There’s no point in recovering those memories. You said you understood, but now you’ve gone and…”
Summoning her courage, Bleria raised her eyes. What she saw on the duke’s face wasn’t just anger—it was something else, something more pronounced. His expression was pale, like a man deeply afraid.
Realizing this, Bleria spoke again.
“I was wrong, Father.”
Her subdued voice made the duke sigh heavily.
“If something happens to you, I’ll die. If you truly care about this father of yours, don’t drive a stake through my heart.“
“I won’t do it again. I’m sorry.“
“I can’t trust that. Until your wedding, you will not go anywhere without my permission.“
“I understand, Father.”
Her compliant response softened his tone. He wrapped a shawl around her shoulders and turned away. Together, they entered the mansion. As they walked through the central hall, the duke spoke in a low voice.
“You visited the nanny and climbed the mountain. Bleria, do you want to recover your memories?“
“…I just wanted to check one last time.“
“You were only seven when the accident happened. Few people remember much at that age. I may have confused you by obsessing over your memories, but there’s no need for that anymore.”
“…”
“I no longer wish for it either. Do you understand, Bleria?”
When he turned to face her, Bleria slowly nodded. He escorted her to her room and then began to walk away. His tall yet frail figure looked especially weary.
“Father,“ Bleria called out.
She hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
“I truly won’t go to that hunting ground again. And I won’t care about what happened in my childhood anymore.”
“……”
“Will that be okay?“ Bleria asked again.
“Even so… am I still your daughter?“
“No matter what, you are my daughter. That fact will never change.”
The duke embraced Bleria. Though her question had been deceptive, she found comfort in his words.
“Get some rest.”
After gently kissing her forehead, he turned and walked away. As she watched his retreating figure, Bleria swallowed the emotions welling up inside her.
***
After a tumultuous day, Bleria returned to Gopher’s study.
Gopher, more relaxed now that most urgent matters had been handled, poured tea for her.
“So, did you get permission to visit Allnight?“
“The knights have been replaced with someone stricter.“
“It’s better for knights to be rigid.”
Bleria stared at him intently. He shrugged.
“I was knighted only in name. It was a necessary formality to become the head of the family.”
Bleria nodded. She had heard about his immense natural talent, but talent alone didn’t make a knight. It was hard to describe him as knightly.
As she considered this, she paused mid-sip, staring at Gopher.
Or maybe not.
His broad shoulders and well-defined chest were evident even beneath his shirt. His long legs naturally exude Grace, whether he sat still or crossed them. His posture was always upright and dignified. If judged by physique alone, he certainly looked like a knight.
What am I thinking?
Embarrassed by her thoughts, she tried to turn away, only to lock eyes with Gopher. Fortunately, she managed to suppress a startled reaction. Thankfully, he couldn’t read her mind.
“How was your trip, Bleria?”
Caught off guard by his softly curved eyes, the impression of him being knightly faded again. Bleria replied hesitantly, offering an answer slightly off-topic.
“Someone came to question the nanny about Bleria.“
“Now that you mention it, I recall.“
“You knew?“
“I was informed. We’re tracking down who handed over the pendant. Anything else?“
“Excuse me?“
“Other than the trip. Do you have anything else to tell me?”
What could he mean?
Hadn’t she already shared everything about the pendant and Eos Reiche? She blinked in confusion before realizing it: he wasn’t asking for what he wanted to hear but for what she wanted to say.
“…The prophecy.”
While her own prophecy remained shrouded in mystery, Gopher’s was different. He had heard those grim words firsthand.
It had lingered like a thorn stuck in her mind, prompting her to search through theological texts whenever she found time after visiting the temple. Eventually, she saw a glimmer of hope.
“I looked through some theology materials in Heaven. It seems prophecies sometimes manifest in dreams. But they often distort the truth, showing only fragments. There’s even a record of someone predicted to die at twenty living a long life.”
“……”
“So, it might not mean much. You probably think the same, though.”
Though Gopher reacted sharply to heat, he disliked others dwelling on it. Even as she spoke these few words, Bleria glanced at his face repeatedly.
Her heart sank at his emotionless expression, but he didn’t react harshly. What began as a scoff soon turned into genuine laughter, and his hearty laugh filled the room.
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Night-Owl-Reader
Looking at the cover and how FL describe how Gopher looked as “Pearl”, his hair colour is completely different. So I’m wondering if Gopher is actually ML, because I don’t want him to be. He is too reckless with Bleria/ Mel’s feelings.
And the fact he keeps trying to kill Eos and his cousin Mixel. As a reader, I haven’t read anything so far that would truly condemn those two to death. Even if they are trying to prove Eos is the real Bleria. Sure the argument could be made that if it is proven Mel is indeed a fake and if people wanted to punish her for impersonating a noble it would be better to eliminate Eos and Mixel.
Gopher just seems like a sociopath who does not care who he hurts as long as he gets what he wants. Also his name just make me think of him as some little rat like creature