The Former Empress Roughly Hides Her Abilities - Chapter 136

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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 136】

The novel that Asil had retrieved from the demon in the forest was returned to him once again.

This was due to the Empress Dowager’s directive to keep the demon’s existence hidden.

Why the demon possessed this, and what connection this item had with the Temple, among other things.

There was much to investigate.

But Rianel and Asil had already finished reading through the contents themselves.

The two had learned that this world was inside a novel centered around Ensilen, and what the original narrative had been like.

“No, why are you only telling me something so important now?”

Rupert was flabbergasted.

Above all, learning that he was merely a character in a novel should naturally be shocking.

Yet even at this moment, Rianel alone appeared serene.

“Besides, if this is inside a novel, that means we’re all characters, doesn’t it? How can you accept this fact so naturally?”

“Because nothing changes just by being aware of that fact.”

It was truly an infuriating response.

“But think about it. If I’m a character in a novel, then the pain I experienced was merely a device for someone’s entertainment.”

So whether it was a god or an author, his life had been toyed with by some intangible existence.

“Your misfortunes could have been someone’s amusement. Doesn’t that make you angry?”

Rupert’s question was sharp, but Rianel was quietly cutting her steak.

As their attitudes contrasted, an invisible line seemed to be drawn between them.

“Trials inherently occur regardless of individual will.”

No one wishes for hardship to come into their life.

No matter how careful one is, situations that become unintentionally difficult always exist.

“No, but still…”

“It is up to the individual to decide how to accept and respond to such trials.”

The moment one makes that decision, I finally establish myself as the existence called ‘me’.

“Even if this world is a construct within a story, that cannot become a variable that controls me.”

I have existed as myself at every moment.

Rupert was left speechless. After all, Rianel truly was that kind of person.

“Moreover, the story that had been flowing through this world deviated from its course at a certain episode.”

Originally, this story was supposed to unfold with Ensilen uncovering the Temple’s dirty secrets and finding her biological parents.

But Ensilen had died, and the world afterward was flowing separately from its predetermined course.

‘…Is that so?’

Just as Rupert was about to be convinced.

“Therefore, your being manipulated by Vanessa is judged to be an individual unfortunate incident unrelated to the original story’s development.”

‘This sister of mine?’

Having received an unexpected attack, Rupert glared at Rianel.

She really couldn’t be let down one’s guard!

“Ahem, hmm.”

The Duke cleared his throat unnecessarily as the atmosphere became subtle.

“So, you learned about the Temple’s secrets?”

Since he didn’t want the dinner with Rianel that he had arranged with difficulty to end like this.

He picked up what seemed like the most manageable topic from what Rianel had just said, trying to ease the atmosphere.

“Yes. It was a secret about the Sacred Flower.”

However, this was clearly a mistake.

‘Could it be?’

The Duke’s lips twitched.

“The Temple secretly conducted human experiments to cultivate high-purity Sacred Flowers, and my fellow orphans were victims of those experiments.”

Pffft.

The Duke, hit by a delayed attack, spat out the food in his mouth.

Swoosh!

Asil quickly pulled his tableware toward himself, narrowly avoiding disaster.

‘Still, this is roughly a peaceful dinner.’

Since Asil had come expecting even a brawl between Rianel and the Duke, he quietly felt relieved.

* * *

Regardless of how that dinner ended, Rianel continued to visit the Vincenheim Mansion regularly.

“You came?”

“Yes. Did we not promise?”

After a week, Rianel’s eyebrows twitched as she encountered the Duke wearing an apron and dusting the mansion with a feather duster.

“You cleaned.”

Rianel took a deep breath as she surveyed the floor that gleamed enough to reflect faces and the neatly organized hall. The air drawn deep into her lungs carried a clean scent.

Behind the Duke stood the butler in an awkward posture, holding a broom.

Having failed to dissuade his master, he was cleaning alongside him.

“Yes. I used my body after a long time. How is it?”

Callen had been restless waiting for Rianel, so rather than staying still, he moved his body.

And unintentionally ended up with a clean mansion as a result.

His satisfaction with the gratifying result was brief.

“If proper hygiene management had been conducted regularly, there would have been no need to suddenly exert such effort.”

“…”

Indeed, he realized that Rianel was truly Rianel.

Even with such commotion, Rianel’s visits continued.

“The scent has changed.”

“Yes.”

Now she had become familiar enough to notice even when a single item in the mansion changed.

“Is it benzoin?”

Rianel spoke while smelling the incense burning in the new incense burner.

Though he had gone to great lengths to obtain it because noble ladies had been favoring it lately, he didn’t want to show off his efforts.

The Duke studied Rianel’s expression.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes.”

The Duke struggled to control the corners of his mouth that wanted to rise with joy and satisfaction.

“You may take it. It’s not to my taste.”

“Please give me some if you have extra.”

Rianel meant it casually, asking for some if there was stock available.

“Yes, I’ll prepare it.”

The Duke, wanting to realize his belated paternal love, tried to gather all the benzoin in the Empire.

“Father! What are we to do if you’re going to buy benzoin resin at thirty times the market price! All the merchants are now in front of our house!”

As a result, there was a commotion with Rupert grumbling that his nose felt like it would go numb from all the various spices the merchants had brought.

In any case, Rianel’s visits became increasingly natural.

“Sit over here today.”

One day, the Duke guided Rianel into a room arranged with plush sofas and cushions.

The waiting painter bowed his head politely in greeting upon seeing Rianel.

Art supplies were abundantly arranged beside him.

“A portrait?”

“Yes. Today we’ll paint a family picture.”

The Duke said, patting Rianel’s shoulder.

“Family members support each other, don’t they? But time is finite and you’re often outside the mansion, so I want to capture this moment on canvas for comfort.”

“Is that so?”

Rianel didn’t agree, but she didn’t immediately object as she would have before.

Normally, she would have demanded evidence.

‘It would have been good if Lisa were alive.’

Even if it might differ from the family image the Duke had envisioned, he wanted to preserve this form at least.

“Sit here on the right. Rupert, you sit on the left.”

Rupert grumbled but took his seat next to the Duke, while Rianel placed her clenched fists on her knees and stared straight ahead expressionlessly.

This arrangement seemed awkward.

The Duke, who had been pondering, gestured to Asil.

“You… come over too.”

“…May I join as well?”

But this is a family portrait?

“You called me father-in-law before. Are you being formal now?”

“Yes, sir.”

Asil quickly sat down next to Rianel as if he had never refused.

When the sofa became crowded with people huddled together like this.

The painter cautiously spoke up.

“Um, Princess. Could you soften your expression just a little…?”

“I am intentionally maintaining a static expression that is easy for outsiders to depict.”

“Still, this is a painting that all the guests visiting the mansion will see, so being that static seems a bit…”

Asil looked at Rianel and raised the corners of his mouth as if suggesting ‘try smiling like this.’

Only then did Rianel, realizing what the painter meant, try to raise the corners of her mouth in the same way.

“Eek!”

But it only resulted in frightening the painter.

The Duke gave his son a meaningful look.

‘Don’t you have any interesting stories?’

‘Should I take out the handkerchief you gave me, Father?’

The handkerchief still had a note tucked inside it with just the letter ‘ㅋ’ that scratched at one’s heart.

After saying that family members support each other, it would be troublesome if such an item appeared.

Oh no, put it away. Put it away.

While the Duke was waving his hands dismissively.

Peck.

A brief but clear sound caught his attention.

Rianel rubbed the cheek where Asil’s lips had touched.

Her lips, which had been frozen from not recognizing the sudden situation, relaxed loosely, and her shoulders, which had been stiff with tension, softened.

“You ridiculous person… What do you think you’re doing?”

“It’s a confirmation of trust. You still like me after all, don’t you?”

Really.

Rianel let out a hollow laugh as if deflating her lungs.

“You smiled. That’s because you agree with what I said, right?”

“It’s because I’m dumbfounded.”

The Duke wanted to scold them for such behavior in front of him, but.

“…”

Seeing the smile that gently spread across Rianel’s lips, those words went right back down his throat.

Only then did the Duke realize.

This was the first smile Rianel had ever shown in front of him.

Suddenly, the disappointment that had been buried beneath the Duke’s chest seeped in.

‘…Yes, as long as you’re happy, that’s what matters.’

“Um… could everyone please look this way?”

Then the painter spoke.

“Yes, that’s right.”

The Duke nodded and smiled along with Rianel.

The following week.

In the center of Vincenheim Mansion’s hall hung a portrait of four people sitting side by side and smiling.

Next to it was also a portrait of Lisa, the Duchess.

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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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