Bloodline is a Cheat Code - Chapter 61
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 61
“It doesn’t really matter. I was just carried along anyway, so what difference does it make? Right now, the urgent priority is resolving that conflict over there.”
Serpina Rosena, who had struck someone, continued to tremble throughout her entire body as though her anger remained unabated.
“I’m not comfortable leaving the Young Lady like this, but I would appreciate it if you could wait a moment.”
Only then did Lucian Advein set me down with a rare, hardened expression and ask for my understanding. It seemed he intended to stop Serpina Rosena.
But looking at that face, I doubted she would be calmed down peacefully.
“If you’re going to calm my sister down, perhaps I should come along as well….”
“No, let me go alone. I think that would be better. My mood has taken a turn for the worse, and I don’t want to be emotionally volatile with you.”
The form of address had shifted from “Your Grace” to “you.” Even if the honorific suddenly dropped to something more casual, I wouldn’t have minded, but this particular change troubled me.
It seemed to prove his agitation so clearly.
Lucian Advein, his expression still grim, walked forward, leaving me behind.
Serpina Rosena was so furious that even as Lucian Advein walked forward with obvious footsteps, she didn’t seem to notice. She raised her hand again.
“Young Duke, that’s quite enough.”
And Lucian Advein carefully blocked her hand with his arm. It was a courteous restraint—not grabbing her, but simply intercepting with his own limb.
I had been terrified that he might draw his sword and suppress the situation violently, but he took a remarkably humane approach.
Serpina Rosena, who had reflexively tried to wrench her hand away, flinched as she finally recognized Lucian Advein.
“…You’ve arrived at an unfortunate moment. It’s as though you’ve caught me red-handed, so I cannot even make excuses.”
Serpina Rosena answered in a tone utterly devoid of jest. Her face bore the look of someone who had lost even the will to protest her innocence.
Just moments before, I had worried that she would ruin everything, but seeing that helpless expression, my heart ached again.
Such is family.
Lucian Advein seemed to hope I would wait here, but just as he cares for family, I care for mine. I moved toward Serpina Rosena’s side.
“Sister.”
“…Tiae.”
At last, Serpina Rosena’s expression crumbled completely.
I actually know what Lucian Advein was worried about.
If one were to choose the single person Serpina Rosena least wanted to see her like this, it would be me.
The suffering she endured through her regression, the regrets she left behind, and the sight of her anguish before them—my apology would be the worst possible scenario in her mind.
But even without her saying it, I know everything. This world strangely has a way of revealing what I never wished to know.
“Ah, so you are Flotie Rosena?”
And a gentle voice came from directly ahead.
If one were to compose poetry from kindness and transform it into a voice, it would sound exactly like this. A calm yet affectionate tone seeped into my ears.
The tension I had been holding throughout my body without realizing it gradually melted away.
I turned my head to regard the owner of that voice. Hair darker than Melissa’s honey-brown locks and eyes of a golden honey hue.
He was certainly a man with a distinctly unique coloring among the three siblings.
A warm, handsome man gazed at me with a distinct handprint clearly visible on his cheek.
…If not for that handprint, this would have been a truly memorable meeting. Of course, because of the hand, it became memorable in another sense entirely.
“I greet Your Highness, Prince Aden. I am Flotie Rosena of Rosena.”
I’m not certain whether offering a greeting and bow in this manner is appropriate, but I proceeded with a greeting based on common sense.
I have no idea how matters escalated to the point where my sister slapped him, but since the person who struck is at fault, I should simply acknowledge the wrongdoing here.
“I’ve heard so much about you from Serpina. I’m truly delighted to meet you this way. The fulfillment of Serpina’s dream is something incredibly precious to me….”
“Don’t you dare speak that name, Tiae, in front of me!”
At his words, Serpina Rosena convulsed into another outburst, and I desperately wrung out every ounce of strength from my paper-doll frame to hold her back.
“Your Highness, perhaps we could have a more detailed conversation after my sister calms down a bit? If she’s committed any rudeness, I’ll apologize on her behalf! No, sister, why are you like this? Sister!”
“Don’t you dare keep promises on your own like that!”
“Who’s keeping promises arbitrarily? Those are supposed to be made through mutual agreement! If it was a promise between two people, you would have consented too! Promises exist to be kept!”
“I’ve already regressed, and from that point on, that life ceased to exist, so why cling to promises from back then instead of living a new life!”
“There’s no clause in this world that says regression voids promises already made, and you don’t get to decide that alone, and everything in this world can be resolved through conversation, but in any case, raising your hand first is truly, truly wrong, so please calm down! Sister, why are you like this? Did you two sign a contract?”
As I poured out my words, Serpina Rosena flinched. The moment I saw her hesitate, the anger I’d been holding back surged up.
How could she slap someone across the face in such a critical moment?
“Tiae, Tiae.”
“Please calm down and listen to what people are saying? His Highness must have had his reasons for doing such a thing. I don’t know exactly what the circumstances are, but I understand that my sister’s behavior right now isn’t right! If things go wrong because of this, we’ll accomplish nothing and have to leave the Holy Kingdom empty-handed!”
Of course, I’d said from the beginning that my family was most precious to me.
But I couldn’t afford to have my sister’s sudden outbursts mixed into this process. To be honest, at first I’d stepped in because I was worried Lucian Advein might treat her too harshly, but once I started speaking, my emotions came pouring out.
“Think about it. How bewildered His Highness Lucian Advein must be right now. I came to the Crystal Palace after agonizing alone and preparing myself mentally, and the first thing I do is watch my sister hit someone—no less, a missing imperial prince of an entire empire! You know I’m easily startled, right? And without Elian here to look after me, I really can’t calmly talk about something like this…”
“Tiae, I’ve calmed down. I’m calm.”
“Okay.”
And so we met Aden Prince in such a dramatic fashion.
* * *
“I heard your younger sister’s health was quite poor, but from the way she’s talking, that doesn’t seem to be the case.”
“She’s a delicate child, so don’t touch her. Are you trying to anger me further?”
“I know better than anyone that she’s the person you treasure most—why would I do that, Serpina?”
Aden Prince greeted us as though being caught mid-slap was nothing at all.
Only Lucian Advein, who had witnessed his brother being struck one-sidedly before his eyes, couldn’t shake the discomfort from his expression.
“For now, my appearance is rather unkempt, so would you mind waiting a moment? I did send word asking if I could go greet the Delegation, but I haven’t received permission yet.”
Then again, if I were in Melissa’s position, I would have flatly refused such a request from Aden.
To send out an imperial prince of the Empire who was masquerading as dead to greet the Empire’s Delegation?
One would have to be quite mad with love to allow such a thing—I’d be fortunate not to curse her for it.
Seeing him laugh so carelessly, as though he was simply delighted to meet her again despite the slap to his cheek, he must be quite mad indeed. Perhaps one needs that level of mental fortitude to handle Serpina Rosena from her first life.
The first lifetime of my sister that Minabell had witnessed began to feel increasingly terrifying.
As various thoughts crowded my mind and I fell silent, and while Serpina Rosena, swayed by emotion, turned her head to the side, Lucian Advein answered Aden.
“Please, go ahead.”
Wait—he’s a distinguished guest of the Holy Kingdom and an imperial prince, yet he’s been hesitating all this time because of our permission?
Whether I should call it remarkable patience or inflexibility.
Aden Prince then started to rise from his seat and looked back at Lucian Advein with a slightly disappointed expression.
“Lu, you don’t need to be so formal. It’s not like I’m being shy after meeting my older brother for so long, is it?”
“Lu?”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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