CH 100

「To Duke Alan.」

In the dark black magic lab.

Hugo read the small letters on the piece of paper again and again.

He was sure, because he taught Lily writing himself until the tutor came.

This was his little sister’s handwriting.

However, in the letter, Lily did not call his father ‘Dad’.

“…….”

Hugo pressed his eyes hard by putting his finger under his glasses.

How did he learn this truth?

He couldn’t believe that the child he believed to be his younger sister was actually a complete stranger.

He just wanted to show off his sister’s drawing skills to the guests invited to the debutante.

He didn’t know there would be a letter like this behind the frame.

‘It must be a joke.’

He really wanted to think that way.

However, the explanation in the letter was so detailed that he couldn’t do that.

The strange awkwardness felt by his father and Lily so far, and above all, the part that Lily was related to the monster, fit so well with the situation so far.

Now he understood the behavior of his father who took the monster.

He could also see why Lily didn’t bring up the old story at all.

Cold magic leaked from Hugo’s hand holding the letter.

The white light became a pointed thorn and poked the paper hard.

When he came to his senses, the crumpled paper was torn apart and the pieces were scattered on the floor.

His own behavior was shocking.

It was the first time he had broken Lily’s stuff like this.

As he wrapped his hands around head, he soon realized an important fact.

‘That child is not Lily.’

If he had known she was a different child from the beginning, Hugo might have become a little attached.

But the girl living in the Duke’s Castle now deceived everyone.

She impersonated his precious little sister for as long as four years.

“I’ll lie too and play along with her.”

He remembered what Pedro said.

Then even if Lily was revealed that she was a fake, he might wonderfully forgive her.

But Hugo was different. Even in his personal opinion, he was not as tolerant as his brother.

He just couldn’t do that.

“He’s a hybrid born in a beast family.”

“Still, his origin is different from the imperial family.”

“Just as his father is crazy, he doesn’t know when he’ll go crazy. You can’t fool blood relations….”

The insults he had heard throughout his whole life slowly climbed up his spine like a snake.

Having been lonely all along, he would give affection only to very special people.

For example, the younger sister whom he believed strongly that she was of his kind.

“…….”

Hugo leaned his back against the hard wall.

He had been fooled. Like a fool.

Among them, he thought he was the most stupid.

The relationship built up desperately for four years turned out to be just a sand castle that would soon collapse.

“I can’t forgive you.”

As soon as he muttered so, a clear bell rang in the black magic lab.

Someone was calling Hugo on the stairs.

There was only one person whom he told the location of the laboratory bell.

***

“…Lily.”

Hugo cleaned the floor with a rather dumbfounded expression as soon as I entered the lab.

As if he had been working on an experiment, there were several pieces of torn paper.

“Wait a minute. I’ll make some tea.”

Hugo was somehow more restless than usual.

He avoided my gaze throughout the tea making process, and even after preparing refreshments, he sat obliquely on a diagonal line, not opposite me.

I didn’t know why, but it was not time to care about his condition.

I spoke directly while touching the tea cup Hugo gave me.

“Brother, where were you during my awakening ceremony?”

“…Keuk!”

Hugo coughed while drinking medicinal tea. I felt like he was choking.

I reached out to him, puzzled.

“Are you al…”

Hugo hit my hand away.

I blinked twice, stunned. 

Hugo turned his head hurriedly; he was more surprised than I was.

“I’m sorry.”

“Oh, no.”

I hurriedly hid my rejected hand behind me.

Hugo had become a little strange since the awakening ceremony.

‘He didn’t even come to visit me, and somehow he seems to be avoiding me.’

Upon reflection, there was one reason for that.

‘Did he notice that I’m a demon?’

The plan to announce my race was ruined because I fainted without time to exert the power of an awakened demon.

Because of the situation, no one asked about my race carelessly.

However, it was likely Hugo had noticed who I was.

‘The spirits are said to be able to detect their kind just by getting close because they shared the magic power of the World Tree.’

He might not know that I was a demon, but at least he could see that I was not a spirit.

Thinking like that, Hugo’s attitude was understood.

Because he had believed that I was a spirit all his life.

Did he feel like he lost his only comrade?

“I’m not blaming you.”

I put my hands together carefully so as not to provoke him for nothing.

“I’m just curious. At that time, almost everyone was gathered at Crystal Palace to see my awakening… If you were outside, I wonder if you would have seen anyone…”

Hugo lowered his eyes and said nothing.

I eventually decided to ask straightforwardly.

“Did you see Michael before the awakening ceremony?”

Michael said he put poison in it.

But in my eyes, he seemed to have simply given up on everything and was claiming to be the criminal.

I couldn’t let him sacrifice himself because I knew that the real criminal was alive with his eyes wide open.

Hugo’s lips, which seemed to answer right away, suddenly closed.

“If you answer my question, I’ll answer it, too.”

What does this mean?

It was the first time for Hugo to raise a condition for me.

He always smiled warmly and did whatever I asked for.

‘He must be very disappointed because I’m not a spirit.’

It was embarrassing, but I soon returned to my usual bright smile.

“What are you curious about, Brother?”

The familiar fake laughter quickly disappeared at Hugo’s ensuing words.

“How did you live before you came to the Duke’s Castle?”

I hardened with the teacup in my hand.

How did I live? It was a question that even Alan didn’t ask.

Since it had been four years since I came to Duke’s Castle, I never imagined I would suddenly be attacked by such a surprise question.

I rolled my eyes in a moment of bewilderment.

“Uh… so…”

“Where did you live?”

Hugo put up his glasses and stared at me.

My spine was stiff.

It was the first time he sent me such a cold gaze.

“I lived with the kidnapper, but I don’t know where exactly it is….”

“Thomas was a bandit wandering around the West.”

That’s right, everyone knewthat.

Now, Benny had been used to recapture the Western continent, but not long ago, it was a lawless area that even the emperor could not access.

That’s why Alan had a hard time tracking Thomas.

“…I’m not sure exactly where it was in the West.”

I sipped the rest of the tea, suddenly feeling thirsty.

Usually, it was too bitter for me to drink, but now I wanted to cool my throat.

However, Hugo did not give me time to rest.

“According to my investigation, Thomas’ carriage was seen in an ant cave in the ducal territory just before he made contact with Father.”

Dagger-like pursuit flew in and pierced me..

“You’ve heard of the ant cave from your tutor, right? A slum in the ruins where evil spirits passed.”

Of course, I knew better than anyone else. I lived there.

“Yes, I know.”

Even if I tried to pretend it was nothing, it was hard to do so.

Hugo narrowed his eyes and looked at my reactions keenly.

I was frozen like a student in front of the teacher.

“After coming up to the north, Thomas happened to head to an ant cave. There was no need to do that because the location was the opposite of the meeting place.”

Alan had never been bothered by my past for four years.

He would have done it because he was afraid that the fact that I was fake would roll up to the surface for no reason.

And now, Hugo was mercilessly poking the beehive of truth that Alan and I had tried to ignore.

“Do you have any idea why he stopped by there?”

It was to kidnap someone who looks like the princess!

That’s me!

I wasn’t a princess, I was a beggar from the ant cave!

‘…If I said that, I would be strangled to death, right?’

Hugo was very obsessed over Lily.

So I had to answer more carefully than ever.

I thought desperately and carefully opened my mouth.

“Brother. Actually… I didn’t live in the West.”

“What does it mean?”

Hugo tilted his face towards me as if prompting me to say more. Sapphire-colored eyes were like a flashing blue flame.

I swallowed my dry saliva and said what I had endured.

“I lived in the ant cave.”

Hugo raised his glasses as if he didn’t hear me clearly.

I quickly added before he misunderstood.

“Uncle Thomas hid me there.”

“…No way.”

Naturally, Hugo did not immediately understand and frowned.

“Since Lily was kidnapped, Father has searched the whole empire. If Lily was in the ant cave, there’s no way he wouldn’t have known.”

“Think about it, Brother. Uncle Thomas knew Dad would come after him, so he hid me somewhere else.”

I touched the lukewarm teacup with both hands and glanced up at Hugo.

“It’s dark underneath the lamp, and most of all… Even if he gets caught, he can negotiate over my position.….”

Hugo still looked dissatisfied, but he didn’t press further.

Fortunately, he seemed to think that my argument made some sense.

“I’ve lived thinking I was born in an ant cave. So until I was 9, no, 10-years-old..… I didn’t even know I was a princess.”

Lies and truth were mixed together.

It didn’t go well like water and oil, but when I stirred it hard, it was plausible.

The thought that if I made a slip of the tongue, I might be stabbed to death by a spear of mana immediately crushed my worn-out guilt.

“Then one day, Uncle Thomas came to me and told me everything.”

I swallowed my saliva and raised my head.

“I’m the Duke of Bauner’s… Dad’s daughter.”

There was a moment of silence.

Hugo, who had been contemplating in silence for a long time, jumped up and opened an elongated cupboard.

He wore a long adult robe, and wrapped me in another robe that fit me perfectly.

Hugo grabbed my slacked hand and pulled it.

“Let’s go.”

“What?”

Hugo gave strength into the hand that held mine. It hurt.

“To the ant cave.”