# 130
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* * *
Meanwhile, while Leah and Lie were talking.
In Duke Elad's office, the Archduchess, Duchess, and Duke, who had returned to the palace early upon hearing the news of Leia's arrival, were sitting face to face.
“Therefore, after the academy’s graduation ceremony, we decided to return to the emirate without delay.”
". … Yes."
The Duke, who was nodding gloomily at the Archduke's words, felt like he had revealed too much of his true feelings, so he smugly softened his mouth.
Then the Archduchess, who did not miss this point, asked clearly:
“Dominique, what are you complaining about?”
"What do I do?"
“I've been depressed ever since, as if you weren't happy that I found my daughter.”
"What is this? I'm happy too! I'm so happy that I found the lost princess!"
The Duke exclaimed as if it were a ridiculous matter, but the Archduchess did not dispel her doubts.
“Then why are you acting like this?”
The Duke's mouth fell silent during the questioning of the Grand Duchess.
At the same time, the Archduchess's eyebrows rose, and the Duchess spoke quickly.
"It's because he cares about Leia so much. I'm like him because I'm upset that she's leaving the palace."
“Hmm?”
The Archduchess widened her eyes as if surprised by these words.
The Archduke's reaction was the same.
“Why this person who only knows my family?”
“Leia is a beautiful baby, how can you not love her?”
“What… my daughter looks a little like me.”
The Archduchess, whose expression immediately calmed when she heard Leia's praise, did not notice the Duke, who was startled the moment she said, “My daughter.”
“But did you care about her so much that you made her work as a maid?”
“Do you know that I didn’t like it? She said she didn’t want to be sponsored and insisted on working as a maid, so she secretly looked for an adoptive partner...”
"What? !"
At that moment, the Archduchess opened her eyes and asked.
“Her parents are still alive, but you want to adopt!”
“This is something I didn’t know...”
For a moment, the Duke felt embarrassed to find out what he was secretly doing, but then he swallowed hard when he saw the Archduchess's expression distorted like a Yaksha's.
Lea was almost intended to be the adopted daughter of Viscountess Bardot, who was unmarried and childless.
This was because she showed a strong intention to make Leia, who had extensive knowledge not only about Spliceia but also medicinal herbs, as her successor.
'You must never find out that she is Viscountess Bardot.'
The Duke, who was inwardly shaking his head, was worried that he might offend an excellent member of medicine.
I was hesitant about how to tell the Archduke and his wife what Leia had been through and what she had done so far.
I was worried about the two people being angry and surprised, but my biggest worry was that Leah might want to keep it a secret.
At that time, the Archduke opened his mouth in a cautious voice.
“By the way, he made Princess Elad, who I talked about last time, my granddaughter...”
“Let's pretend that never happened.”
The Duke shrugged his shoulders indifferently and said.
“Now that we've found the princess, there's no reason to open magic tools or trick others, right? I also don't like being in the spotlight because it's annoying.”
“…However, I will never forget how agreeable you were.”
The Archduke expressed his sincere gratitude.
His face was fresh, as if he did not regret canceling the arduous research conducted in the past few years, including determining the identity of mana.
“It's not just words. From now on, when it comes to Duke Elad's affairs, you will help the Grand Duchy Belos without hesitation. If it weren't for you, I don't know when we would have met Adriana like this, that grace...”
“This is unacceptable.”
The Duke hurriedly waved his hand and cut off the Archduke's horse.
“I totally understand what you're saying, but it's about grace.”
"but . … ".
“Your Highness, you can only say that because you do not know how much debt our family owes to Leia and how much grace we have received from her.”
With a confused look on his face, the Duke had no choice but to start revealing the past.
From bringing Leia, who carefully took care of Diana from the poor orphanage, to arriving at the Duchy and the capital.
Meanwhile, she was surprised that Leia fearlessly confronted the former vice-commander or became the target of bullying by a noble child.
The face of the Archduke and his wife turned pale when they heard that Leia was about to die due to the oppression of the maids, causing a mana explosion.
This is because I realized that the image of my daughter suffering in my dream was not just a foolish idea.
But there was no time to feel bad about it.
When I heard that Leah had saved the life of a duchess who had been poisoned, I couldn't help but express my shock.
The Duke believed that parents shouldn't know anything about their children, but he was still worried that Leah might have revealed something she wanted to hide.
I don't know how the Archduke and his wife will react...
“In the end, she is our daughter!”
The Archduke and Archduchess covered their mouth with a completely relaxed expression.
The Archduke asked.
“Is this true, Your Highness?”
“Yes lady, she can inject mana into herbs and cultivate them. I have been told that I am a genius since I was young, but compared to Adriana, I am not even a genius in front of her.”
The Archduke had a gaunt face and the corners of his mouth drooped above his ears.
“They are truly wonderful fathers,” the Duke thought to himf.
He shook his head.
Maybe for Leah, who had so many secrets, it was lucky that the people who loved her child and kept it hidden were her parents.
“But Duke, what Adriana did is her fault, and it is up to me to pay for what I did to get my child out of the orphanage.”
At that time, the Archduke suddenly lost his expression and spoke seriously.
“You don’t know, how grateful I am now that you asked me for help when the princess disappeared. At that time, I thought I was in a position to help, but in the end, it was about saving my daughter.”
“...that's it.”
“There's nothing to say, Dominic. I heard from Bianca that I know what kind of orphanage Adriana was in...”
The Archduchess also helped.
“You helped her get out of this hellish place, and even though this was Bianca's request, it made the scars on her body disappear, I really appreciate it.”
Even the Grand Duchess sent her sincere thanks, and the Duke couldn't get used to it at all, so his face turned red.
It was embarrassing for the Archduchess to offer such a compliment, so she added frankly.
“That doesn't mean I'm happy because my daughter was kidnapped.”
It was not the right time for such a misunderstanding, but the voice was filled with worry.
The Duchess said: Who doesn't know that?! She said as she quickly grabbed her husband who was ready to scream at any moment.
“I know, Your Highness, and...”
“I think all of this may be related.”
“A bond?”
“Yes, although Diana’s work was talented, she eventually met the people she needed to meet.”
The Duchess looked back at the memories that had already passed from a year ago and remembered the day when the skinny little boy first came to the Duke's castle.
Even though he was watching, he acted as if he wasn't expecting anything, and closed his mouth awkwardly when offering small favors and pleasantries, but he couldn't hide his interested eyes. …
The girl who was much deeper than her peers.
She was a child who became ingrained in my heart.
The Duchess desperately wanted Leah to be happy.
“I know how arrogant it is for me to say this, but still... I'm looking forward to it.”
Is it because it feels sincere?
The Archduke and Archduchess responded with a smile to the Duchess's softly spoken words.
It's finally time to end the conversation on a warm note.
"Yes !"
Suddenly the office door opened and two people entered.
"Dad! That man is trying to steal Nona from Diana! Kick him out!"
When Diana sensed a crisis, she immediately visited the Duke, the most powerful person in the house.
"Oh my God, Saint! I didn't mean it!"
It was the great sage who bowed to the little girl and slid to the ground.
* * *
“How did this happen?”
I touched my forehead and shook my head.
'Originally, I was planning to talk to Diana more slowly...'
Things got weird when Lie suddenly lost his temper after hearing that Diana recognized the real me.
“So, Princess Elad is a saint... Is that what you mean?”
Lie nodded vigorously and shouted at her father's words.
“Yes, he is the person I have been waiting for all my life!”
Then he looked at Diana, who was staring at him inteny as she lay in the Duke's arms with tears in her eyes.
Emotion was constantly blooming in his eyes.
“She has not awakened her abilities yet, but she still has eyes to recognize the purity of the soul, and she has recognized the true face of the princess. I am sure you have noticed this extraordinary side of the Saint.”
Isn't it? He looked at the Duchess.
However, to the Duchess, Diana was just a foolish and stubborn little daughter, so she said: “Well, I don’t know.”
I just shook my head.
However, I had something to point out, so I opened my mouth cautiously.
“Until now, anyone Diana feared or hated was always a bad person, the orphanage director, Master Valerie, and the former head maid...”
Even Kenneth Peter, who in my previous life as a child accused me of being a thief.
The Duchess looked puzzled by my words, as if she did not quite believe it, but Lie said: “I knew it too!” He let out a shout of joy.
then.
“It doesn’t matter if my daughter is a saint or not, as long as she is not dangerous. However, I would like you to clearly explain why you are trying to separate Leia from Diana.”
Duke Elad asked in a bloody voice.