Everyone Was Obsessed With Me After I Became the Youngest Princess Favourite - Chapter 131
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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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The Duke’s expression laid bare an undisguised hostility toward Raezl.
No matter the circumstances, his irritation at Raezl’s audacity in putting the guards to sleep and infiltrating the mansion the previous night remained undiminished.
“That’s… a bit difficult to explain here.”
Raezl rubbed his chin and glanced sideways at me.
But I was equally curious.
After all, Raezl had abruptly cut off our conversation mid-sentence, abandoned his seat, and cried out “Saint!” upon spotting Diana, who had been pacing nearby waiting for me.
‘That alone was shocking enough…’
Raezl blocked Diana, who was trembling with fear and trying to cling to me, and shouted.
〈Saint, you mustn’t! You—step away at once.〉
His tone was so resolute that I instinctively froze and took a step backward.
Diana’s pupils quivered chaotically at the shock of my reaction.
And moments later.
Diana rushed toward the Duke’s study, tears streaming down her face.
“If you don’t explain properly, I won’t separate the two of you.”
The Duke’s eyes turned lethal as he patted Diana in his arms.
Raezl then jumped up and shouted at Father.
“Grand Duke, are you unconcerned if something happens to your daughter’s safety? Break that stubbornness at once.”
“What? Adriana?”
Father’s eyes widened in confusion, and Raezl pounded his chest in frustration.
The Duke’s brow shot up further, his mood visibly worsening.
“Explain yourself properly. Why is my daughter dangerous to Lia?”
“That’s what I’m trying to say!”
Raezl, caught between the Duke’s pressure and his own hesitation, spoke with a sigh.
“Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, you decide. Can the Grand Duchess’s story be revealed here? The more people who know the secret, the harder it becomes to protect the child.”
“Duke Elrad is my only true friend and someone I trust like family.”
It was Mother who answered.
Raezl exhaled deeply, resigned.
“Fine. Originally, before I left, I intended to erase all memories of the child from everyone here, but since you insist…”
The Duke’s expression darkened further at the mention of erasing memories arbitrarily, but Raezl paid it no mind.
He explained to the Duke and Duchess briefly and clearly.
That I had been kidnapped by Demon Worshippers, and that I wore a necklace—invisible to others—that served as a medium for illusion magic and sealed my mana. And that they planned to dispel the illusion through purification.
The moment his explanation ended, the Duke demanded urgently.
“Then why? If Diana is truly a Saint, wouldn’t purification actually help…?”
“Does a madman drink seawater because his throat is parched?”
Raezl laughed incredulously.
“You said the Grand Duchess has experienced mana runaway whenever she felt threatened or emotionally unstable. While the broken bead certainly contributed, it’s highly likely that the Saint’s influence accelerated the purification.”
The moment his words fell, the atmosphere froze.
“Fortunately, it seems the illusion has only been partially dispelled so far. Honestly, I’m amazed she’s survived this long. As purification progresses, the mana quantity should have increased, yet a child not even ten years old has managed to control the ever-growing mana to this degree.”
At Raezl’s addition, I felt a pang of guilt.
A person’s mana quantity was typically fixed from birth.
In my previous life, I possessed less mana than others, and to maximize the effects of my limited reserves, I trained my mana control all day long—save only for sleep.
‘But to think my mana was sealed all along….’
I could never have imagined such a thing.
Moreover, I wondered why the seal had broken in this life, and whether it held any connection to my second existence.
At that moment, as if to dispel the heavy atmosphere that had settled over us, Raezl clapped his hands together.
“Of course, I don’t mean to keep them separated forever. The current unstable state is simply dangerous. Especially after the Saintess awakens, she’ll be able to regulate her holy power on her own, so at that point it would actually be better if they remained together.”
“When exactly does this awakening occur?”
“Well, it could be ten years from now, or it could be tomorrow. That depends entirely on the Saintess.”
“Dana isn’t a Saintess. She’s the Hero!”
Diana’s voice rang out sharply then, her nose twitching indignantly.
At the same moment, Raezl’s body trembled as though struck by lightning.
“Of course. The Hero… yes, the Hero. Ugh, truly the Saintess…. To think I’m actually meeting a living Saintess.”
Everyone stared at Raezl as he shed tears of emotion once more, as though he were a madman.
Yet Raezl only lifted his chin proudly in response.
“What. Why not. The records in the Grand Temple Archives clearly state that the Saintess wielded sacred weapons and fought demons directly, and that she even called herself the Hero!”
It was certainly remarkable, but seeing Diana’s eyes glistening with unshed tears troubled me far more.
I opened my mouth carefully.
“Great Sage, my brother said there’s something called Snowflower in the Grand Duchy that helps with mana control. If such a thing exists….”
“Snowflower? I’d need to see it directly to say for certain, but given the vast quantity of your mana, I’m not sure it would help. In any case, it would be best for your wellbeing to return to the Grand Duchy as soon as possible and undergo a purification process.”
At his words to pack our things and leave, Diana jolted upright in shock.
“Sister, where are you going? Are you really leaving Dana behind?”
“….”
Not only I, but Duke Elrad, the Duchess Elrad, and even Raezl fell silent, unable to respond.
Diana’s pupils trembled with the shock of the revelation.
“No! That can’t be! I hate Father!”
Diana burst into sorrowful tears, yet no one could find it in themselves to console her.
* * *
“Oh my, we’ve only just reunited and already we must part….”
Grandfather exhaled a mournful sigh, his expression growing increasingly haggard.
While I had been conversing with Raezl, Grandfather had returned to the Marquis’s Residence first, and upon hearing the thunderbolt of news that we would depart for the Grand Duchy tomorrow, he had grown deeply despondent.
So overwhelmed by disappointment that he cast aside all his usual reservations, Grandfather placed me upon his lap and heaved heavy sighs.
“Grandfather, please try some of this.”
It seemed he had ordered an abundance of desserts to be prepared for me, for the Reception Room table was piled high with confections.
Yet they seemed not to register in Grandfather’s eyes, so I offered him a small macaron.
As I watched, hoping it might lift his spirits even slightly, a sound like a beast’s roar erupted from him: “Kugheoong!”
“With these small hands you made me cookies! And I should treasure them! Keep them as heirlooms for generations to come!”
…No, while it’s good that he’s being honest, must it be so sudden?
I looked at Grandfather with bewildered eyes as he wrung his hands and sniffled, then turned my head toward my parents, silently pleading for them to stop him. This wouldn’t do at all.
‘They must think this is ridiculous…?’
“Cookies made by Adriana!”
“If I had been there, I would have cast a preservation spell on it immediately.”
I saw Mother trembling as she gripped the handkerchief so tightly it looked ready to tear, and Father wearing an expression of profound regret.
Noticing how my expression had changed at the sight of them, Mother suddenly came to her senses and spoke.
“Ahem! Father, please stop. You know we need to reach the Grand Duchy as quickly as possible for Adriana’s sake.”
Raezl urged our parents forward, noting that while Raezl being with Diana was problematic enough, we couldn’t fathom what sinister scheme the Demon Worshippers had in keeping me alive, so it was better to reach safety as soon as possible.
According to the Temple’s investigation, the Demon Worshippers’ final traces led to the Empire, and security in the Bellus Duchy had been strengthened to an incomparable degree since my abduction.
But truthfully, he was hurrying even more because of something I had confided to him alone in secret.
〈You’re really living a second life? And in your past, your mana was sparse…〉
I hadn’t expected him to easily believe something I was sharing with someone for the first time.
Though Raezl was somewhat surprised, he lived up to his reputation as the Great Sage of the Continent and immediately believed my words.
According to him, while this phenomenon wasn’t common, history showed that souls who awakened in another’s body or people carrying memories of past lives appeared from time to time.
‘Well, Diana is said to be the reincarnation of a Saint, after all…’
It had been a heavy burden to share, but thanks to Raezl’s reaction, my heart felt considerably lighter.
“Why don’t I come to the Grand Duchy with you as well? I could pass my title to Ivan while I’m at it…”
“That makes no sense!”
When Grandfather, who had been fretting over his inability to stop me, suddenly spoke up with what he thought was a brilliant idea, Mother’s expression darkened considerably.
“No matter how much you plan to make an official announcement once we reach the Grand Duchy, you’re going to spread rumors all over town beforehand? A title succession doesn’t happen in just a day or two.”
“…”
“Besides, Father, you must attend Askart’s graduation ceremony.”
At those words, I looked quietly at Askart, who was sitting in silence.
Because our schedule had been suddenly determined, we would have to leave without even witnessing the Academy graduation ceremony, which was the original purpose of our family gathering.
He must be quite disappointed. Looking at Askart’s sunken expression, my heart felt heavy.
“Mother, can’t we at least stay for Brother’s graduation ceremony? Nothing urgent will happen right away. Father is here, and the Great Sage is with us too…”
“Adriana, I’m fine!”
At that moment, Askart spoke urgently.
“I’m the one who doesn’t want to attend the graduation ceremony. If I don’t show up as well, it might draw unwanted attention, so I’m barely holding back.”
He let out a deep sigh and gently stroked my cheek.
“Just thinking about being separated from you again, even for a while, makes me so sad. But your safety comes first. Sigh, I really wanted to show you your room and the Castle myself.”
“…Was that what you were regretting?”
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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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