Episode 94

“I greet my master.”

“…What on earth are you saying?”

Instead of the sobbing Claude, Duke Saboia spoke with a trembling voice.

“My… You are my…”

Duke Saboia’s lips quivered while maintaining a rigid expression and pale face.

“…You are my granddaughter, my dear.”

“What?”

It was utterly incomprehensible, and my fuse was partially blown in an instant.

“Who is who?”

When I finally asked, Duke Saboia whispered with a contorted expression.

“You are my granddaughter, Diana…”

I couldn’t grasp what he was talking about.

“I… I must have misheard, right?”

Lately, I keep hearing strange things that are bad for my heart. 

It doesn’t make sense, right?

My husband, who I thought was just a common knight, turned out to be the Grand Duke Castilla, and now Duke Saboia suddenly claims to be my grandfather.

At that moment, Claude, who prided himself on being a man of character, shed tears from his eyes.

Is it too surreal, maybe?

Even seeing him like that, I couldn’t shed a tear.

I just gazed at them in a daze.

“This… This, I mean… It doesn’t make sense.”

Duke Saboia clenched his wrinkled hands and mumbled.

“No, it does make sense. I didn’t know until now, to the extent that I can’t believe it…”

Their eyes were filled with urgency.

I instinctively hesitated.

What if this is all a misunderstanding? 

What if I’m later revealed not to be Diana?

Like a fake Lady Diana.

If that were to happen, the blow would be significant.

I would disappoint them as if I were a fake Lady Diana…

Duke Saboia was undoubtedly a good person. 

It would be nice to have someone like him as a family. But…

I thought I had gained a family and was afraid to lose it.

As I was just pursing my lips, Claude hurriedly stood up and emphatically said, “We found the codebook in Alfred’s room and deciphered the hint from Sangermane Nursery.”

In his own words, I slowly heard about everything that had happened until now.

How long they had been looking for me.

Everything, even the fact that he had rushed to see me, wanting to call me by my name, making his blood spill.

Around the time I was hesitating and staggering, Claude slowly raised his hand and made a gesture of respect.

“It is indeed Lady Diana. My heart feels calm as if it is natural when I obey my master!”

“No, it’s not that extreme… And stop with the formalities…!”

Claude quietly muttered as if he were a real older brother.

“Yeah, let’s go with Diana.”

“…”

“Since you, as a child, engraved the seal on my heart, that’s why I lived. I can recognize you.”

After hearing those words, I suddenly felt a momentary illusion that my heart was throbbing.

I couldn’t say a word.

I cleared my eyes and didn’t say anything. 

Claude hastily spoke, “You probably won’t remember right now. But it’s okay. You are still my precious little sister.”

Hearing the words “precious little sister,” I strangely began to feel it. 

Feeling odd, I asked again with a trembling voice,

“So, I am really… Lady Diana?”

“Yes, my dear.”

Duke Saboia embraced me and whispered softly,

“You are my granddaughter. You are real…”

I could feel the warmth of tears streaming down his cheek.

I reached for Duke Saboia’s shoulder with my trembling hand. 

It felt awkward, but I didn’t want to let go.

“It’s unbelievable, why…”

Though I thought it was unbelievable, I wanted to believe their words. 

“Soon, you will regain your memories. Then you’ll know how precious you are.”

“Being Lady Diana, you have all the qualifications to be loved.”

I trembled my lips at Duke Saboia and Claude’s words.

Finally, it was a reunion with my family.

“Let’s go home, my dear.”

Strange.

I wasn’t crying.

Dylan, who was behind me, handed me a handkerchief to wipe my eyes.

Duke Saboia’s face looked slightly cloudy when he saw the scene.

Oh, I was indeed crying.

I clung to Duke Saboia’s shoulder and murmured softly, “It’s true, right?”

It was just too hard to believe.

For a long time…

* * *

Several hours had passed. 

Seriously, several hours.

I stood on the path and cried my heart out during the touching reunion, making my eyes swollen.

I must look like a monster by now.

Duke Saboia raised an eyebrow and murmured, “My most beautiful granddaughter in the world.”

Claude added, “Truly the cutest in the world.”

Even Dylan nodded his head solemnly as if in agreement.

“That’s correct.”

Even Mung Mungi seemed to agree as it shouted loudly, “Agree!”

…Everyone else is crazy, except for me.

“Oh, come to think of it, where were you? We searched for you in the duchy for a long time.”

Come to think of it, they don’t know.

I nonchalantly replied, “I was kidnapped.”

At that moment, both of them turned pale in an instant.

Their expressions seemed as if they were witnessing the worst nightmare on Earth.

“Oh! Don’t worry. There was no physical harm.”

However, their expressions got worse and worse.

“Oh no, this is a big problem. What should we do? Our master’s heart…”

“Well, our master’s heart…”

Hey, isn’t this overreacting?

It could be just a side effect of magic, you know.

“My heart is still pounding from time to time.”

I discreetly tugged at Dylan’s collar.

It meant to tell him to calm them down.

Dylan’s expression changed subtly for a moment.

“Yes, indeed, it’s problematic. We should get a proper examination.”

…Yeah, it’s my fault for expecting a reason from Dylan!

Of course, the only sensible being is Mung Mungi, even though it’s in the form of a dog.

Mung Mungi’s big, shiny black eyes sparkled.

Bam!

The little child-like Mung Mungi hopped around and rolled its feet.

“The heart of the contractee…! I must share the power of the divine being!”

“It’s urgent; we must head to the Saboia Mansion nearby.”

“Oh my, we just met! My master!”

“It’s alright, dear. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Let’s just go for an examination.”

No, these people, seriously!

I’m fine!

I need to quickly find clues about the “Red Castle” and those nymphs!

At that moment, Dylan gently whispered in my ear, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

“I think it’s better if we go together.”

Duke Saboia and Claude were watching us with worried eyes.

Their expressions seemed as if they wanted to separate us immediately. 

Maybe it’s just my imagination.

…Anyway, that’s how I ended up being dragged to the Duke Saboia Mansion near the path.

* * *

Inside the Duke Saboia’s capital mansion.

The diligent butler cleaned the dark corridor thoroughly and let out a deep sigh.

For over ten years since the heir of Saboia was killed in some terrorist incident, the lights of the mansion and the mausoleum hadn’t been lit.

The front gate of the capital mansion had never been opened either.

The servants and the members of the Saboia family all used the side gate next to the front gate to come and go from the mansion.

Over the long years, the gloomy atmosphere of the mansion, which felt like mourning, intensified even more after the fake Lady Diana incident.

But even though it was sad, there were things that needed to be done.

Today was the day of the noble meeting in the capital mansion.

The servants of each house, along with the servants of the invited noble families, diligently prepared for the meeting.

After all the preparations were done, it was finally time for the servants of each family to gather around and chat.

It was customary for the servants to boast about their mistress, whom they serve and love the most.

Today was no different.

The servant of Viscount Marignar raised his chin and spoke proudly,

“Do you know how cute our young lady is?”

A few servants of Duke Saboia mumbled softly.

“Our Lady Diana was cuter.”

“When she wandered around the mansion with her small feet, it felt like flowers were blooming in the world.”

“…Will Lady Diana come back?”

They sighed and looked at each other.

At that moment, the servants from another family spoke boastfully, “Haha! Listen to this. My mistress Lady Piar is truly the best. She’s such a beautiful beauty, you know?”

“Beauty comes with age. Our Lady Port has already been attending the Magic Academy and completed her magic studies!”

“Hehe. Completed magic studies? Our lady is a 4-circle magician!”

“Huh, listen to this. Do you all know how esteemed our lady’s husband is? He’s a hero of the Empire. Ah, have you all heard of the Syria Battle, where he killed three terrorists?”

The shoulders of the servants of the Saboia family dropped even more.

To them, there was no precious and cherished lady.

No, there was no need to boast like that.

All they needed was for Diana to come back.

They had been living in the dark mansion for over ten years, only wishing for Diana’s return.

At the very moment when the servants of the Saboia family let out a deep sigh, a loud noise came from afar.

The majestic sound of the front gate of the mansion, which had never been opened since Diana disappeared, echoed through the air.