The Former Empress Roughly Hides Her Abilities - Chapter 114

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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【Chapter 114】

Til had exchanged jokes with the Cardinal and stalled for time at Rianel’s request.

Rianel had something she needed to confirm by infiltrating the temple interior directly.

At the Academy, thanks to Frederick’s cooperation, she had been able to quickly check the necessary documents, but the temple’s data room was a different story.

Not only was she unfamiliar with it, but the materials shelved with their spines showing had nothing written on them, making identification impossible.

Arriving at the data room, Rianel pulled out the first documents that came to hand.

‘What’s this?’

Turning the cover labeled “Sacred Relic Records,” a list of sacred relics owned by the temple appeared.

There were many curious items. There were even novels whose classification as sacred relics was unclear, as well as traditional symbols like chalices and ritual implements, and items that actually functioned.

Among them, one item particularly caught her attention.

‘Soul Detection Stone.’

The description stated it was mainly used by wealthy nobles or merchants for paternity tests.

It was an item that could gauge blood relations through the soul resonance that exists between parents and children.

‘The Duchess must have used this to confirm that Rianel wasn’t her biological child.’

It was written that sacred relics could only be used or taken out with authorization from someone of Pope or Saint level.

Since Duchess Vincenheim had been a Saint candidate, she would have roughly met the qualification requirements.

Rianel put the record back in its place.

What she was looking for were traces of the Duchess, not this kind of miscellaneous knowledge.

‘Something like the daily records of Saints shouldn’t be such a major secret.’

The Saints training at the temple had clear goals: to become ordained priests or to be selected as Saints.

Various factions existed within the temple, and each faction supported different Saint candidates.

Since those chosen as Saint candidates were also women of considerable ability, convincing evidence was needed to satisfy everyone.

As such, she had heard that the Saint selection process was recorded quite meticulously.

‘If those records exist, they must be here somewhere.’

Rianel held her breath as she scanned the shelves once more.

Suddenly, Rianel recalled the letter she had seen in Pleng District.

-513-1, Pleng District, Southern Tourism Special Zone.

It might have been an address left with the meaning for Rianel to find her biological parents, but thinking back on it, something seemed strange.

‘Why to me?’

The Duchess had left that letter for Ensilen, not the real Rianel. Then why had she told Ensilen that Rianel’s biological parents were alive?

‘She must have known that I would discover this letter.’

Then the conclusion tilted in a different direction.

‘Maybe she wanted to leave a different message using the address as an excuse?’

Considering that the Duchess had been a Saint and had prophetic power, another meaning of this message became visible.

‘513… 5th bookshelf, 1st row, 3rd book.’

Rianel stood on her tiptoes and pulled out the document at that location.

‘Found it.’

From the first page, records of the Duchess’s days as a Saint appeared.

‘So “1st address” meant the first page.’

The Duchess seemed to have been a promising Saint candidate.

Judging by the records showing she had excellent grades and faithfully participated in volunteer activities.

The priest in charge of her education had even left a comment that her future looked promising.

However, as everyone knew, she did not become a Saint.

Her records ended at age twenty-two.

The evaluations that had been full of praise until the middle gradually declined toward the end, finally concluding with a sentence stripping her of her qualifications as a Saint.

-Reason: Violation of dignity maintenance obligations.

-Accordingly, the subject’s qualifications are permanently revoked.

Rianel read through the records carefully again.

There were several records of her being unable to resist drowsiness during class, and reports of her receiving medicine for indigestion or taking rest.

It could have simply been poor physical condition.

But considering that someone who had received such excellent evaluations suddenly lost her Saint qualifications, one possibility came to mind.

‘Pregnancy?’

The data collection slipped from her fingertips.

* * *

Rianel knew that her deductions weren’t always correct.

However, as it was a scholar’s habit to form hypotheses and verify them.

Rianel, who entered the palace late at night, searched for House Vincenheim’s registry in the Imperial Palace’s data room.

‘It’s here.’

She learned that the Duchess had a young daughter who had died early.

A child who would have been Rupert’s older sister if she had lived.

Asil also helped find traces.

“It seems she tried to confirm the child’s whereabouts even after filing the death report.”

The Duchess would call any young girl she saw ‘baby’ and try to take them away, which led to a taboo in the duchy for a time against leaving young girls alone late at night.

“So for a while, she was famous as the mad Duchess.”

That rumor disappeared when Rianel entered the Duke’s house.

Though it was unclear how the Duchess regarded Rianel, it was certain that Rianel’s presence had stabilized her.

It wasn’t only the Duchess who had searched for her daughter.

The Duke had also inquired about his child in every possible way, but at some point he gave up and accepted the loss.

Given that it took such a long time…

“It means they couldn’t confirm the body.”

If the child had lived, she would have been about Ensilen’s age.

Combined with the fact that she was from the temple, the handwriting of the letter flickered before her eyes.

-Because you’re like a daughter to me.

Rianel slowly rolled the ring she hadn’t worn for a long time in her palm.

The moment the crude ring, clearly temple-issued supplies, settled perfectly in her palm.

Rianel had to pause briefly, struggling to suppress the emotion rising in her throat.

“Perhaps that daughter is.”

She thought she knew who it was.

* * *

As soon as Rianel became certain, she immediately stormed into the Duke’s house.

“Have you ever lost a daughter in the past?”

The Duke, who had abruptly risen upon hearing that Rianel had returned, froze in an awkward position. His fingertips trembled slightly as he recalled long-buried memories.

“What are you talking about?”

“Please answer the question.”

The Duke realized he could no longer avoid it.

“How did you find out about that?”

It was a secret he had hidden for fear of hurting Rianel, keeping everyone around him silent to prevent word from leaking.

“When nobles die, aren’t they registered in the personal records?”

“…Yes. That’s right.”

Only then did the Duke realize that Rianel was a civil servant.

He had thought she wouldn’t look into it.

Rianel had acted as if she would cut ties and leave, and even afterward behaved as if she were unrelated to the Duke’s house.

“I absolutely did not raise you as a substitute for that child.”

Though it would be a lie to say he had no such feelings at all.

“After you came, Lisa regained her stability. I was grateful to you. You who did what I couldn’t do… Afterward, I cherished you thinking of you as my daughter. Though there may have been many disappointing and inadequate aspects from your perspective, I tried to raise you on equal terms with Rupert.”

In reality, it was closer to neglecting both children while focusing only on his duties as State Minister.

“But why are you asking about that?”

“In the process of investigating today’s temple tax collection case and subsidy embezzlement issue, I came to examine internal temple records.”

Rianel roughly summarized and explained the recent incidents and circumstances.

“Is that all?”

A parent’s intuition sometimes transcends logical reasoning.

The Duke instinctively sensed that there was information Rianel hadn’t shared.

His gaze wavered.

“Don’t tell me you’ve actually found out where that child is…”

Rianel’s chronic habit of holding her breath when lying kicked in.

Seeing Rianel visibly stiffen, the Duke also began to breathe heavily.

He tried to suppress his excitement, but his breathing grew rough and his fingertips trembled.

Finally, he rose from his seat. Without caring about the overturned chair, he grasped Rianel’s hands.

“I know you’re not a child who acts without certainty.”

Because you’re a cautious child.

“That child is Lisa’s precious blood. She’s the daughter I’ve searched for so long, a child who must have suffered without parents for decades.”

The trembling, excitement, and desperation were transmitted directly through his grip on her hands.

“I know you must have felt hurt. But let me promise you one thing. Even if we find that child, I will never treat you differently. Just tell me where that child is.”

If only for the sake of Lisa, who cherished you.

“Please…”

The corners of Rianel’s mouth also trembled.

Though she was originally emotionless and didn’t deeply empathize with others’ sorrows, she couldn’t help but be shaken in this moment.

This was someone who had searched for his child for decades, and even after filing a death certificate, couldn’t erase those traces and had lived with them buried in his heart.

How could she not understand the desire to grasp even a trace?

However.

“I cannot tell you.”

Because.

“She has already died.”

Because Ensilen had died three years ago.

Callen collapsed as if crumbling, covering his face with both hands.

Letting out the emotions he had suppressed for decades in audible sobs, he wept for a long while.

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