Life at the Severes mansion was quiet and peaceful.

Dad, who had awakened from a deep sleep after about 20 years, quickly became able to carry out daily activities.

I heard that the glass tube he had been lying in was a magical device that maintained vital functions.

Even so, it was still a monstrous recovery befitting the head of one of the four great families.

Since then, he had to handle a busy schedule, holding family meetings every day to reclaim the authority he had delegated during his absence.

Dad would come to spend time with me, but would soon be caught and dragged away by Felix.

Meanwhile, I…

‘Was living in luxury.’

I spent all day lounging in the guest room prepared by Felix, receiving the utmost hospitality. Especially, the chef of the Severes mansion was the best.

‘If he had a cooking competition with Chef Cooker from Perdia, I think he’d win 11 to 10.’

And so, Cooker was defeated in the cooking competition in my heart.

You fought well even though you lost, Cooker. It was a good match.

That’s not to say I was just playing around.

I collected information while communicating with Raeyan, Gretel, or Isis through the communication magic device. I even had to sweat to stop Martha, who was about to submit her resignation and come to Severes right away.

While doing so, I also organized my thoughts a bit and pondered about future matters.

Among them, what concerned me the most was the movement of Gabe Jenade.

“Gabe Jenade… Strangely, there’s no movement.”

He remained quiet even though we had raided the research institute he was running.

Leon said that a fire suddenly broke out at the research institute while he was escaping with his sister. Could that be why he didn’t notice Belissa’s disappearance?

He might think she died since the research institute burned down completely.

But the sudden fire at that point was quite unsettling. Usually, fires are set to destroy evidence.

Anyway, I didn’t neglect to monitor Gabe. Gretel diligently summarized and reported Gabe’s daily routine to me.

Recently, he’s been staying at the Magic Tower headquarters, so it seemed best to keep watching for now.

The next concern was, of course, about Perdia.

“Elodie. I’ll come again tomorrow.”

“Tch. Goodbye, sister…”

“See you tomorrow, Lili.”

After the Duke of Perdia and the two brothers said that and left, I never heard of anyone coming to see me the next day.

Most likely, Dad had given orders in advance not to inform me if the Duke of Perdia came to visit.

Although he pretends otherwise, it seems Dad’s personality isn’t so easygoing either.

Just then, taking advantage of the absence of servants, the sins began their protest.

[Why stay inside? Stuffy! Want to go out!]

“I came here with nothing, so it would be strange if I suddenly had a companion fox.”

[I want to go out too… Go out, go out, go out…]

“You especially can’t.”

I don’t want to be like a duke’s daughter leading a donkey around.

Even though I said no, the sins didn’t give up and continued to throw tantrums.

After a moment’s thought, I allowed only Greed to come out of the sealing stone.

“Just go outside the mansion and see if Father is there or not. Then I’ll give you something delicious.”

[Good! Must give something delicious!]

Happy to be out of the sealing stone after a long time, Greed perked up its ears and jumped out the window.

[Me too, me too, me too, me too.]

“You want to go out too?”

[Me too, me too, me too…!]

Seeing how desperately it wanted to come out, I thought about peeling some fruit for it while it was out briefly. As I quietly grabbed a fruit knife, Sloth suddenly became quiet.

“Donkey. Do you still want to come out?”

[No, no…]

Sloth’s attitude changed from its previous fervent desire to come out.

Suddenly not wanting to come out, how strange.

Not thinking much of it, I finished peeling an apple when Greed returned.

[There’s a carriage!]

“Still?”

[I overheard the humans guarding the door, they said it’s been there since morning.]

As I expected, they were hiding the Perdia family’s visit from me.

I threw the apple to Greed and fell into deep thought.

I can’t stay in this state forever.

“Hmm.”

It seems I need to make a decision.

***

Dad’s assistant Felix, who had been busy without a moment’s rest, came to see me unexpectedly.

Is all the urgent work finished?

“Lady Perdia. Or should I call you Lady Severes now?”

“Whatever is comfortable for you.”

“You’re still the same. Such a unique personality.”

I wasn’t particularly pleased to be called unique by someone even more peculiar than myself.

With heavy steps, Felix entered the bedroom and placed a bundle of newspapers in front of me.

“I brought these in case you didn’t know. Given the content, I thought it would be better for the person involved to be aware.”

Since staying at the Severes mansion, I hadn’t seen any newspapers, so I wasn’t well-informed about recent events.

The people I communicate with through the magical communication device also tend not to spread unfounded rumors.

I naturally thought there would be a buzz about the Duke of Severes starting his public activities. Or perhaps there would be something about the Duke of Perdia coming to the Severes mansion.

With a somewhat light heart, I opened the newspaper, but I immediately grimaced.

“Ugh…”

Expelled from Perdia? And on top of that, I’m aiming for the position of the Duke of Severes’ mistress?

To publish such trashy articles. People’s heads must be full of sh*t!

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to write the names of people spreading such rumors in my death note and take revenge slowly. In a wretched way…”

“Oh, that’s fierce.”

“For now, I’ll have to let them say whatever they want. Until the Severes family vassals accept me. Isn’t that what you came to say?”

“…You’re quite smart.”

Due to the historically poor relationship between the Severes and Perdia families, even the vassals tended to despise each other strongly.

Moreover, the Severes family vassals were incredibly haughty.

They were known for their high-and-mighty attitudes.

They would never want to acknowledge me, who had lived as a member of the Perdia family, as the Duke of Severes’ daughter.

“Was it also because of the vassals’ opposition that Dad couldn’t marry Mom in the end?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“It’s not easy. Severes.”

Of course, Perdia wasn’t easy either. It’s just that the head of the family had too much authority, so the vassals had no say and had to accept me as a member of Perdia.

I didn’t wake Dad up to become a member of Severes, so I didn’t care whether they opposed it or not.

The false rumors are a bit annoying though.

“For now, I’ve told them you’re my guest. It would be troublesome if rumors started that you and I were dating.”

“I wouldn’t like that either.”

After responding curtly, a question suddenly occurred to me.

“By the way, Count Hicklemeyer. Why are you suddenly speaking to me so casually?”

Before waking Dad, he used to speak formally and always called me ‘Lady Perdia’, but now he was addressing me casually with ‘you’.

Even to my direct question, Felix shrugged and answered nonchalantly.

“Well, what does it matter? We’re cousins anyway. You should speak comfortably too.”

“Alright, Felix.”

As I promptly spoke casually and called his name, Felix’s expression became peculiar.

“…You’re not going to call me ‘big brother’, are you?”

“Nope.”

“I see…”

Felix visibly showed disappointment, as if he had expected me to call him ‘big brother’.

After a moment, Felix spoke to me with a serious face.

“I knew it the moment I saw you. That you were Uncle’s daughter.”

“Then why did you pretend not to know?”

“I wasn’t sure if you knew, Elodie. Though it seemed like you did.”

He had been considerate, worried that I might be shocked if I learned the secret of my birth.

Despite his flippant attitude, he had quite a thoughtful personality.

“Well, depending on how you act from now on, I might call you ‘big brother’.”

As I said this as if doing him a favor, Felix’s face brightened.

“How well do I need to do? Should I give you a kiss?”

“…”

I was certain.

I would never call Felix Hicklemeyer ‘big brother’ in the future.

***

Today, I sent Greed out again to spy outside the mansion.

Chomp, chomp chomp!

While happily eating snacks, Greed reported what it had seen and heard outside.

[Carriage there again today. Been there for an hour, they say.]

“I see. Finish eating.”

[Chomp!]

After feeding Greed all the snacks, I put it back in the sealing stone and left the guest bedroom for the first time in a while.

On the way to my destination, I could feel people glancing at me as I passed. Some of them even looked at me with hostility.

‘Are these the Severes vassals?’

I put my hands in my pockets and gave each of them the middle finger as I arrived at the Duke of Severes’ office.

“It’s me.”

“Come in.”

Upon immediate permission, I opened the office door to see Dad sitting with his back to the window.

Dad’s much healthier appearance looked refined and handsome, despite losing his sickly image.

Who would think this man is a father with an adult daughter?

I looked around the office as I approached Dad. He spoke to me with unexpected words.

“I plan to announce you, Elodie as my successor at the upcoming family meeting.”

“Isn’t that too soon?”

“It’s something we’ll have to face eventually. Convincing the vassals is my job as the head of the family.”

It won’t be easy, but once he somehow persuades the vassals, will I then become ‘Elodie Severes’?

Just like Perdia, which felt like wearing ill-fitting clothes, the name Severes also felt awkward.

“Don’t worry, Elodie. No matter what anyone says, you are my daughter. We look so alike, don’t we?”

As Dad said, we looked so similar that anyone would recognize us as father and daughter. Especially our pale coloring.

I was still worried, but I could feel Dad’s resolute determination to persuade them somehow, so I didn’t say anything more.

However, among the documents piled up here and there, something unusual caught my eye.

“…What’s this?”

As I unconsciously picked up a bundle of papers, Dad seemed surprised and hurriedly came over to snatch them from my hand.

“It’s nothing, Elodie.”

“…Hmm.”

It certainly wasn’t nothing.

I had already seen it.

It was clearly… lawsuit documents. An absurd lawsuit claiming that I had been kidnapped and raised by the Perdia family!

‘Was he serious about filing a lawsuit?’

I thought it was just something said in the heat of the argument with the Duke of Perdia, but I didn’t expect him to actually be preparing a lawsuit.

“You really shouldn’t do this.”

“But I simply cannot communicate with that man.”

“Have you ever tried to have a conversation?”

“……”

Of course not.

They were probably too busy attacking each other with sharp words.

I could vividly imagine the relationship between the two men, who might have ended up drawing swords or engaging in physical confrontation.

Letting out a faint sigh, I looked straight at Dad.

“Dad.”

“Yes, Elodie.”

“Are you hiding anything from me?”

At my question, Dad’s eyes wavered for a moment.

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