I’m The Real Daughter, But I Don’t Want To Go Back To The Duke’s Estate - Chapter 34

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

“Oh, my goodness…!”

 

The overwhelmed Duchess shot up from her seat.

 

“Finally!”

 

Even the Duke, who had remained calm throughout, cried out with an emotional voice.

 

“Yes, I knew it! I knew she was my sister!”

 

The young Duke was also jumping with joy.

 

“Congratulations, Milena.”

 

Cecilia greeted me with a gentle smile.

 

But I could see it.

 

The countless tangled emotions within her seemingly calm blue-green eyes.

 

Worry about the future.

 

The pressure of facing the ‘real daughter.’

 

…And even the fear of not knowing when she might be abandoned by the ducal family.

 

‘What should I do.’

 

I wanted to tell her she didn’t need to worry.

 

I wanted to say that I wouldn’t threaten Cecilia at all.

 

‘Ah.’

 

At that moment, I saw it.

 

Cecilia reflexively stepping back.

 

As if she didn’t dare insert herself among the family members, giving up before even trying…

 

“Sister!”

 

I strode toward Cecilia and firmly grasped both her hands.

 

Her blue-green eyes widened greatly.

 

“Milena?”

 

“I’m really happy!”

 

I suppressed my complicated feelings and smiled brightly at Cecilia.

 

“We’ve finally become a real family, haven’t we?”

 

I shook our clasped hands vigorously, putting on the most excited voice I could manage.

 

“I think I’ll still be lacking in many ways. I don’t know anything about noble families or etiquette.”

 

“…”

 

“So please take care of me from now on, okay?”

 

For a moment, her blue-green eyes trembled violently.

 

But that trembling soon disappeared as if washed away.

 

“I should be the one asking you to take care of me.”

 

Cecilia wore an elegant smile befitting a princess across her face.

 

At the same time, the Duchess spoke up with an excited voice.

 

“Since we have good news, we should all celebrate together.”

 

“Celebrate?”

 

“Yes. Let’s never be apart from now on. We’ll have delicious meals together, go to places with beautiful scenery, throw parties…”

 

The excited Duchess poured out her words.

 

The Duke, unable to watch any longer, gently restrained her.

 

“Dear, please calm down. We should give Milena more time to adjust first, shouldn’t we?”

 

Even the Duke who said this had a beaming face.

 

“You’re right, I was only thinking of myself.”

 

The Duchess, with an ‘oops’ expression, turned to look at me.

 

Then she comforted me with an emotional voice.

 

“I’m sorry, my daughter.”

 

“Oh, no, it’s fine.”

 

I answered hurriedly.

 

Somehow, seeing the Duchess so happy made me feel strange.

 

Until now, I had thought I only had my mother.

 

…Could there really be such a thing as the tenderness of blood relations?

 

“Congratulations, Miss Milena. Or should I call you Princess Milena now?”

 

At the calm greeting that came just then, I quickly came to my senses.

 

Ludrick was looking at me with his characteristic elegant eye-smile.

 

“Ah, thank you.”

 

I tried to put on a bright face.

 

But I couldn’t help my gaze constantly drifting toward Cecilia.

 

* * *

 

And so, in the carriage returning to the Magic Tower.

 

Ludrick sat with his chin propped up, lost deep in thought.

 

‘Milena, was it.’

 

When the paternity test results had just come out.

 

The Lusert ducal family was truly in a festive mood.

 

Milena also smiled brightly and responded to her family’s attention.

 

But Ludrick could see it.

 

The complex emotions that flickered beneath her lowered long eyelashes.

 

Her lips subtly stiffening.

 

And even her green eyes that were expressionless without a trace of a smile.

 

‘She didn’t seem… particularly happy, more than I expected.’

 

The Lusert ducal family was the empire’s greatest noble house, comparable to the Imperial Family.

 

Since it was suddenly revealed that she was of such a family’s bloodline, he naturally thought she would be jumping with joy.

 

In crude terms, hadn’t her status risen dramatically?

 

But far from that, Milena seemed somewhat uncomfortable with this situation where she was the center of attention.

 

Not only that.

 

Milena would occasionally glance anxiously at someone, and that person was precisely.

 

‘I’m certain. It was Princess Cecilia.’

 

Cecilia, who was openly called the ‘fake princess.’

 

But among the family members, Milena seemed most concerned about Cecilia.

 

‘Why?’

 

The ‘real daughter’ who had lived her entire life unaware of her noble birth.

 

And the ‘fake daughter’ who had lived as that real daughter’s substitute.

 

Naturally, he thought they couldn’t possibly like each other.

 

From the ‘real daughter’s’ perspective, she might even think the ‘fake daughter’ had stolen her position and lived luxuriously all this time.

 

At least in the world Ludrick had lived in, that was natural.

 

“If only you weren’t here! There’s no bastard who’s interfered with my life more than you!!”

 

Ludrick, recalling his half-brother who had raged with veins bulging in his neck, wore a cold, mocking smile.

 

That was right.

 

Brotherly love where they worried about and cherished each other was just a fantasy that only appeared in fairy tales.

 

For the mere reason that their mothers were different, Ludrick and his half-brother had endlessly hated each other.

 

Then shouldn’t the Lusert sisters, who didn’t even share blood, be even more likely to reject each other?

 

But the Milena he had seen earlier was, how should he put it.

 

That bewildered expression.

 

Her earnest gaze.

 

The way she bit her lower lip tightly… he could truly feel her concern for Cecilia.

 

“That’s impossible.”

 

Ludrick muttered without realizing it.

 

Honestly, at first, he had come because he was curious about Milena’s magical talent.

 

But why was it?

 

…Why was he becoming increasingly curious about ‘Milena’ as a person herself?

 

* * *

 

Currently, Mrs. Howard was in an extremely foul mood.

 

‘To think that brat really is her biological daughter.’

 

Honestly, until now, Mrs. Howard had been half-doubting whether Milena was truly the Duke’s biological child.

 

Of course, she was said to have manifested abilities, but one could never be sure.

 

Still, Mrs. Howard had tried in her own way to get along well with Milena.

 

But it was all for nothing.

 

Even though she had gone so far as to persuade and appease the Duchess, wasn’t Milena still being hostile toward her?

 

‘To think I’ll have to watch that brat walk around with her head held high from now on…’

 

The thought of having to bow and scrape to that little brat for the rest of her life made her feel like she was developing gastritis she never had.

 

‘Yes, I need to completely crush her pride right now.’

 

If she continued to leave things as they were, there might never be another chance to get that brat under control.

 

Having made her decision, Mrs. Howard called for Mathilde.

 

“Um, you said you were looking for me…”

 

Mathilde, who had been asking cautiously, suddenly stiffened in shock.

 

It was because Mrs. Howard had suddenly grabbed Mathilde’s shoulders firmly.

 

“You know the kindness I’ve shown you, don’t you?”

 

Mrs. Howard’s eyes gleamed menacingly.

 

“Now it’s time to repay that kindness.”

 

“M-Mrs. Howard.”

 

Mathilde froze in terror.

 

A quiet voice seeped into Mathilde’s ears like poison, secretive and sinister.

 

“There’s something you need to do for me. And that is…”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————