The Former Empress Roughly Hides Her Abilities - Chapter 50
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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 50】
Above all.
“The Duke seems to be in tremendous shock…”
Indeed, the Duke’s eyes had lost focus, and his usually composed lips hung loosely open.
‘My, my son…’
The shock he received was considerable, especially since he had driven out that son with his own hands.
“You must face reality to solve problems. Avoidance won’t help.”
“Wow, you really only say the right things.”
It was amazing that she was still alive after saying words that would have caused physical harm to anyone else.
‘I suppose that’s also a skill if you could call it one.’
Fortunately, the Duke quickly regained his composure.
The desperation that he, as a father, needed to stay strong in times like this awakened his reason.
“…Is there a solution?”
“Based on Norman Rikel’s case, if we separate him from the sorcerer, the brainwashing should break and he’ll recover naturally.”
Lucy had Norman drink ‘tea’ three times a day at set intervals.
Conversely, this meant that such measures were necessary to maintain the brainwashing.
‘If that’s true, it also explains why Vanessa obsesses over Rupert even after losing everything.’
The moment Rupert’s brainwashing is lifted, she would face judgment.
“…Yes, I see.”
The Duke let out a dry voice and buried his face in his palms. A long breath escaped between his fingers.
He felt deep regret and remorse for every day he had lived.
‘I was truly indifferent to my children.’
Looking back, he had only scolded his son for being led around by Vanessa’s whims. He had never asked why or tried to understand the circumstances.
‘If I had checked on my son’s condition even once, it wouldn’t have come to this.’
He turned his gaze.
‘And Rianel too…’
Only after driving out Vanessa did the Duke learn the truth of what had been happening.
It was thanks to the disappearance of the reins that had been strangling the maids.
‘Embezzling living expenses was just the tip of the iceberg.’
Meals only once a day, and even then just cold food hastily prepared.
Even taking away the room she had been using well.
If there was anything desirable among the items in the room, she would take and use or sell them as she pleased.
And when Rianel got angry about it, she would frame it as if Rianel had started the trouble first.
The maids who had become Vanessa’s pawns all whispered lies to the Duke, saying it was all Rianel’s fault.
After the Duke scolded Rianel and turned away, Vanessa would mock Rianel.
Saying who would love a bastard child with no outstanding qualities and a terrible personality.
Thus isolated in the mansion, Rianel left home.
‘What was I doing while all this happened?’
He couldn’t say he didn’t know. Such words couldn’t wash away the wounds Rianel had received.
The Duke finally understood why Rianel didn’t want to enter the mansion.
‘Saying I was wrong now would be the most hollow words of all.’
“It’s all my fault. It’s all my negligence.”
When the Duke sighed deeply and slumped his shoulders.
“Becoming a victim of crime is merely misfortune from coincidental circumstances. It’s not a result of personal fault, so self-blame is meaningless.”
The Duke stared at Rianel.
In his wavering gaze, a hint of joy and bitterness could be read.
“I never expected to receive comfort from you.”
“I was stating facts.”
Rianel’s expressionless face suddenly looked different.
‘So we are family after all.’
Rianel could have pretended not to know about Rupert’s situation at all, or could have delayed telling him out of annoyance.
But she chose to speak up.
Above all, when they needed to find Rupert as quickly as possible, whether the way she delivered the news was inappropriate wasn’t something to worry about.
‘Yes, I need to find my son.’
The truth was painful. But his mind was clearer than ever.
‘My son did nothing wrong.’
He was simply being manipulated, and thinking that they just needed to restore him to his original state even brought a sense of relief.
‘Though I don’t know where he is right now.’
If their recent encounter at the Medical Center wasn’t coincidence, it meant Vanessa was still staying in the Imperial Capital, so they should be able to find them soon.
The Duke, finally regaining his composure and becoming more generous.
“Would you like a cup?”
He had regained enough composure to decline Norman’s offer.
“I’m fine.”
“Please give me some.”
Norman placed a teacup in front of Rianel, then tilted the teapot to pour tea.
The Tax Bureau people as well as the Duke watched this scene with curiosity.
It was surprising to see someone who held the position of agency head, second only to the bank president, skillfully attending to someone.
“Temperature is 85 degrees, steeping time is set to 3 minutes. Is it to your taste?”
“It’s appropriate.”
He even knew Rianel’s tea preferences precisely.
‘…What is this guy that he’s so natural about it?’
The Duke felt uncomfortable.
Even after finishing serving the tea, Norman kept hovering around Rianel.
His obvious behavior made even the Duke, watching from the side, feel burdened.
‘Come to think of it, wasn’t this guy the one who sent Rianel a marriage proposal letter?’
Marriage proposal letters couldn’t be canceled by the sender, only rejected by the recipient.
But the Duke had heard nothing about this.
‘Could it be?’
Then, Norman looked at the Duke and straightened his posture.
The Duke tensed his shoulders with nervousness.
Because he was looking at him with expectant eyes.
It was also a face he had seen countless times in political circles.
“This works out perfectly. There was something I wanted to propose, and I was hoping the Duke would give his permission.”
“I’m an adult with the right to self-determination, so I don’t need to seek the Duke’s opinion.”
“Is that so?”
The Duke’s gaze wavered rapidly.
He felt extreme foreboding from the word ‘permission.’
In this situation, there were few matters that would involve him as a father.
“My daughter is not—”
“Would you work as an outside director for our bank? We’ll offer you the highest salary in the industry. You won’t need to commute, just provide consultation when convenient.”
The Duke, who had risen with wide eyes, froze awkwardly.
“No, why does it always end up like that again?”
“Where is our Team Leader being taken away to this time?”
“No! If you’re going, step over me first! Ah, no, you’re not actually going to step on me, right?”
The Tax Bureau people, facing the crisis of losing their team leader once again, protested.
“That proposal cannot be accepted. Civil servants cannot hold concurrent positions.”
“Phew, thank goodness.”
Amidst the people with mixed emotions of joy and sorrow, only Norman wore a look of grief.
Asil subtly lifted the corners of his mouth.
‘As expected.’
The way she spoke without looking back was just like the person his master had chosen.
* * *
There was a later story about Norman making the same proposal several more times and being rejected, but the Special Tax Bureau returned to its usual state.
In fact, it couldn’t help but be that way.
‘It’s the end of the year now.’
When deadlines, reports, and year-end settlements come rushing in, everyone puts aside trivial and petty problems and has time to become humble before the world’s issues.
“Would you like some?”
The fortunate thing in this misfortune was that today too, somehow leaving work on time was possible.
Inside the empty government building after everyone had gone home.
Asil sat down next to Rianel.
He held two bottles of fatigue recovery potion in his hands, offering one of them to Rianel.
“Thank you.”
Asil sat down beside her and downed his share of the fatigue recovery potion.
It felt like his mouth wouldn’t open otherwise.
Even after that, his stomach felt empty for a long while, and after hesitating, words finally came out.
“Why did you do that?”
Rianel silently stared at him.
“About Master’s identity. You revealed it to that man, didn’t you.”
“I don’t know what the Bureau Director is talking about.”
Rianel had become somewhat skilled at lying.
Asil clasped the empty bottle with both hands and shook his head while laughing.
“Of course you would say that. I don’t really understand why I’m acting like this either.”
Why he kept wanting to complain and argue.
“Actually, even though I was disappointed that Master was hiding your identity from me, I understood it deep down, you know?”
You died once and are living a new life.
You wouldn’t have wanted to drag along a previous life that didn’t end well.
‘So I also tried to pretend not to know and see you only as Rianel.’
“But yesterday I realized it. The reason you didn’t tell me wasn’t because there was no real benefit in it.”
So you revealed your identity just to make the Princess’s business succeed and save your person.
That’s where Asil felt hurt.
‘It felt like I was lower priority than them.’
“Yes, I’m disappointed.”
Once it came out of his mouth, his emotions became clear.
He couldn’t bear the disappointment of thinking that he, who thought he was a special student, was just one of many people passing by his master.
“That’s-”
“Just listen to me. Like you’ve been pretending not to know all this time. You’re good at that.”
Rianel closed her mouth.
Asil stretched his clasped hands long behind his back as he spoke.
“Anyway, I thought about why I’m so disappointed.”
Rianel deliberately stared into the distance.
A situation where it was awkward to either deny or affirm.
In times like this, the best approach was to remain consistent with playing dumb as he suggested.
Rianel brought the fatigue recovery potion to her lips while repeating to herself.
‘I feel nothing no matter what that guy says. Therefore I’m not shaken either. At this moment I am like stone, and everything is just passing-‘
“I think I was in love with Master.”
“Pfft!”
The fatigue recovery potion sprayed out of Rianel’s mouth.
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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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