Favored by the Family That Will Become the Strongest! - Chapter 37

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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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“Tell me exactly what you want, Barkan. Are you saying you’d register her into the Family to protect her? And what’s your reason for going that far?”
Family Registration.
The moment that word fell from Sevar’s lips, Barkan’s brow furrowed. It was, admittedly, not a bad proposal.
The Empire maintained a special statute to protect minors. If a Family’s safeguards were deemed inadequate, the law explicitly permitted registration into another Family with the consent of the Imperial bloodline.
In practice, it was a law that had never been enforced—little more than dead letters on a ledger. Yet it remained, unmistakably, a law that existed.
With Diana’s consent, it would be possible. And if she remained within the Family’s walls, the Rothwell Family would find it far more difficult to lay a hand on her.
But deep within his heart, some instinctive, nameless resistance rose up.
‘Become family with her?’
The mere thought of it repelled him. Without meaning to, Barkan’s voice turned sharp.
“That’s not what I’m after.”
“Then?”
“Once matters settle, I believe sending her elsewhere would be best.”
……
“So until then…… please wait.”
Sevar’s eyes narrowed to slits.
“I’m curious whether that girl truly is a Non-Ability User.”
“A true Non-Ability User?”
“I mean to say, I suspect she might be using an Ability to manipulate minds. Such Abilities exist—ones that make people develop affection. The way you advocate so fiercely for someone is suspicious.”
Ability Users divided into two broad categories: Combat-Type Ability Users and Special-Type Ability Users.
Combat-Type Ability Users, true to their name, possessed Abilities specialized for combat. Upon awakening their Abilities, their physical prowess became abnormally enhanced—a defining trait. The Cardian Family belonged to the Combat-Type.
Special-Type Ability Users, however, did not experience such dramatic physical improvement. Instead, their Abilities themselves tended to be unusual in nature. The Rothwell Family belonged to the Special-Type.
Since Diana came from the Rothwell Family, Sevar suspected she might possess a Special-Type Ability—one that won people’s favor, no less.
And that was……
“Huh?”
An appalling guess.
For Barkan, who was a poor liar, this turned out to be fortunate. Thanks to Sevar’s complete misreading, he could answer with confidence.
“Absolutely not.”
Sevar exhaled heavily. He had just realized there was nothing more to extract from Barkan.
“At least you’re not lying.”
Sevar fixed Barkan with his gaze and asked, “I hear Bianca’s Darkness Invasion has improved. She was fine even when you saw her?”
“For some reason, she recovered. Alfonso was quite astounded as well.”
“Good, that’s a relief. Go and bring them here.”
“Bring whom?”
“Bianca and the Rothwell brat.”
Barkan’s eyes narrowed as he studied Sevar, then he nodded. There was no further reason to refuse. He turned and left.
Moments after Barkan’s presence vanished completely beyond the door, Sevar withdrew his hand from beneath the desk where he’d concealed it.
His hand trembled faintly. Time was running out.
‘I need to see with my own eyes how she interacts with Bianca.’
If she posed a threat to Bianca, he would have to eliminate her before his body gave way.
‘She might actually be a mind-controller.’
He told himself his children could never have fallen prey to such an Ability, but given that she came from the Rothwell Family—treacherous to the core—he couldn’t afford carelessness.
* * *
Diana watched as Barkan approached her. His face was grave.
“Father summons you both. Come with Diana.”
Barkan placed a hand on Bianca’s shoulder.
“Bianca, your mission is crucial.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Father wants to send Diana back to the Rothwell Family.”
The moment Barkan finished speaking, Bianca’s eyes became slits.
“What? Why? What did you say that made Father want to send Diana away?”
“I said everything right. We just couldn’t reach an understanding.”
“So what?”
“Go and push back a little. Say you can’t live without Diana. You could even throw yourself on the ground and cry—you were good at that when you were small.”
Bianca stared at Barkan in disbelief.
“……All right, fine. I’ll go talk to him. Either way, I was planning to see Father.”
Bianca grabbed Diana’s hand. The three of them began walking toward Sevar’s Study.
Diana deliberately put on a sorrowful expression and spoke words that contradicted her thoughts.
“You’ll manage fine without me, my lady.”
“What are you saying? Who else could possibly be by my side like you are?”
“I’m grateful. I feel the same way. But His Grace the Duke may think differently……”
“Hmph, Father will have no choice but to like you when he sees you!”
Bianca, who had fallen silent for a moment, spoke with renewed resolve.
“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you. If anyone tries to tear you away from my side, even Father won’t stop me.”
Barkan added his support from beside her.
“That’s the spirit.”
Bianca ignored him and continued with determination in her voice.
“I absolutely will not let anyone touch my person.”
“What? You should say it right. I brought Diana here, so why is she your person?”
“Are you going to keep butting in?”
At their banter, Diana let out a small laugh.
“It’s reassuring, my lady.”
When they arrived at the Study, the steward carefully knocked on the door.
“Master, Miss Bianca and Miss Diana have arrived.”
“Enter.”
Bianca and Diana stepped into the Study one after the other.
“Father.”
“Bianca, how have you been?”
“I’ve been well.”
Having said that much, Bianca clutched Diana’s hand at her side and spoke with grave intensity.
“To be precise…… I’ve been well because of Diana!”
Bianca clenched her fists tightly. Her shoulders set rigid, her eyes blazing with resolve as if she were about to duel Sevar himself.
Sevar’s gaze passed over Bianca and fixed upon Diana, who stood behind her.
Diana looked directly back at him, her face impassive. When Sevar spoke, his voice was toneless.
“……I’m glad to hear you’ve been well.”
Diana was perceptive when it came to human emotion. As the saying went, one only truly understood through experience. Since being betrayed by her uncle’s family in her previous life, the sincerity and falsehood in people’s hearts had become somewhat visible to her.
So she could sense it.
That Sevar’s words came from genuine care.
* * *
Sevar’s sharp instinct spoke clearly: she was from the Rothwell Family, after all. She was clearly hiding something.
She was no ordinary child. The claim that she was a Non-Ability User was surely false.
‘So that’s why Mallakar said he’d come here.’
Either way, Sevar had resolved to expel Diana.
‘I don’t know what she’s concealing.’
But when he looked upon Diana—smaller even than the long-suffering Bianca—words failed him.
‘Is she really sixteen?’
Her appearance didn’t remotely match that age.
‘She’s definitely an Ability User.’
Barkan clearly had no idea.
Among Special-Type Ability Users, those who manipulated emotions were particularly known to cultivate an appearance of extreme fragility and pitifulness to lower others’ guards.
In Sevar’s assessment, Diana fell into that category. Otherwise, such a small, rabbit-like appearance would be impossible.
‘A far more potent weapon than I thought.’
He drew a heavy breath.
His resolve to reject her—to do what he’d refused to do for his own children—wavered all at once. Perhaps the fact that she was Bianca’s age played a role.
And more than that, Bianca had grown oddly devoted to her.
“What brings the Rothwell lady here with such designs?”

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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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