The Villainess Duke Lady Hides Her Identity - Chapter 36

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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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36

The Duke’s manner was composed as he offered to surrender a Heirloom that had never once been displayed publicly—all for Reponya’s sake.
“I’ve received permission from the Imperial Palace itself. The worry is that without an owner it remains uncontrolled, but thus far there have been no particular incidents, so a brief time should be manageable enough.”
A Family Heirloom requiring Imperial sanction? And what did he mean by an owner and control? Was the Heirloom the sort of object that required such things?
What on earth was the Kraiton Family’s Heirloom?
“Even I’ve only seen it once, when I was very small. It’s terribly dangerous and special, so we’ve kept it extremely well hidden.”
She understood.
Reponya, who had searched the manor in pursuit of the Heirloom, knew better than anyone.
“Ponya. Now that you’ve become a child of our family, you ought to see it at least once. I was planning to show you after you’d grown a bit more, since it could still be dangerous.”
Duke Kraiton gestured, and at once the butler, servants, and knights carried forth an enormous chest.
‘That’s… the Heirloom?’
The chest was tremendous.
It was large enough to fill an entire corner of the Dining Hall—well beyond what five-year-old Reponya’s strength could possibly carry away.
‘Perhaps they made it deliberately heavy and enormous so no one could steal it.’
What thief could manage something that size? At those dimensions, anyone attempting to remove it would be caught at the main gate without question.
‘It’s not something one could accomplish alone in the first place.’
Duke Kraiton rose and approached the chest, then opened it wide.
“Ponya.”
He gestured for her to come closer.
He meant to show her what the Heirloom was.
Reponya scurried over.
“Huh?”
Inside the massive chest—so heavy that several grown men had strained to carry it—lay a small box no larger than Reponya’s palm.
“What is this?”
Reponya asked in bewilderment. This had to be the most absurdly excessive packaging imaginable.
That was when it happened.
‘…Mas…ter…’
What?
Reponya’s head whipped around at the faint voice she’d heard. But everyone was focused on the chest.
No one else seemed to have noticed anything.
‘What was that just now?’
Had she imagined it? Reponya turned her attention back to the chest.
“Pelrence.”
The Duke called out to Pelrence, who stepped forward and effortlessly lifted Reponya with one arm, carrying her a safe distance away.
“Huh?”
Why was he doing this all of a sudden?
“Watch carefully, little cotton puff. I was startled myself the first time, so don’t be frightened.”
Pelrence had created as much distance as possible between her and the chest.
Reponya tilted her head, her gaze fixed on the Heirloom and the Duke.
Duke Kraiton donned enchanted gloves and reached into the chest, then opened the small box.

—Whoooosh! BOOM!!

In that instant, the chest erupted into flames, and a towering column of fire shot upward.
Even at this distance, scorching heat washed over her face.
“Ugh!”
Reponya gasped in shock, and Pelrence soothed her as if he’d anticipated precisely this reaction.
“It’s alright, Ponya. The chest was specially constructed—the flames and the blast cannot escape it. You’ll only feel a little heat.”
Flames? An explosion?
Reponya stared blankly at the column of fire rising from within the chest. The Duke watched the flames from nearby, then reached out and closed the box.
Click.
With a relatively quiet sound, the towering flames vanished. The searing heat that had been rushing toward her face disappeared as well.
Though the Duke wore enchanted gloves, his hands were blackened with scorch marks.
Only after the butler poured a Healing Potion over the Duke’s hands—as if this were routine—did they return to their natural state.
‘What did I just see?’
The Duke turned toward Reponya, who was gazing at the chest in a daze.
“Ponya. This is the Kraiton Family’s Heirloom.”
“…What?”
How could this be a Heirloom? This isn’t a Heirloom — it’s a catastrophe.
“To be precise, it’s a Flame Demon that the Kraiton Family manages and monitors under the guise of an Heirloom.”
Reponya’s pupils trembled.
“Unless the owner permits it, the slightest touch will incinerate not just the person, but everything around them in an instant. Right now it’s sealed in a Metal Bracelet. After sealing it in the bracelet and placing it in a Sealing Box, we still deemed it unstable, so we added one more safeguard—a chest made of Magicrystal.”
“Is it like a spirit?”
“A spirit? No. It’s more like a curse.”
Despair washed over Reponya’s face.
‘So the Heirloom they ordered me to steal was this?’
The Empire’s guardian house. A stalwart protector of the realm.
The Kraiton Family.
They had carried their renown across centuries. To continue that lineage and become the Family Head, one fundamentally had to know how to wield Aura.
A Family Head who could command Aura.
And the Kraiton Family’s secret Heirloom, unknown to all others, was managed solely by the Family Head.
This meant, in essence, that only one who could wield Aura could manage the Heirloom.
An Heirloom requiring the Family Head’s continuous oversight. Now that she thought about it, could anything sound more suspect?
What continuous oversight could a mere jeweled object possibly need?
‘I could never have handled it from the start.’
What would have happened if the Duke hadn’t shown her? If she’d searched blindly and by luck found some suspicious chest?
And if she’d foolishly opened that chest and laid hands on the Heirloom?
‘I’d be dead.’
She would have burned to ash without even a moment to react.
‘Did Pope Pretes know?’
Reponya recalled the day she received the assignment. The Pope had ordered her to retrieve the Kraiton Heirloom. He’d said the means didn’t matter, that if she completed this task, he would never interfere again.
Had he ordered her to do something impossible on purpose?
Pelrence studied Reponya’s rigid face and patted her back gently.
“Don’t worry, little one. Since we sealed it in that chest, there hasn’t been a single incident. You don’t need to be so frightened.”
He seemed to have mistaken her shock and tension for mere fear.
The despair and rage creeping up her spine vanished instantly at his touch.
‘Is it because he uses Aura?’
Can someone who wields Aura truly dispel all unease like that? Reponya, who didn’t use Aura, would never know.
‘The Pope didn’t know either. If he had, he would’ve selected stronger boys instead of sending me.’
None of that mattered now. Only one thing was important: that the Pope had branded her a traitor and sought her death.
If she could, she’d deliver that chest to him and watch him burn in agony.
‘At least it’s a catastrophe, not a real Heirloom.’
She’d been worried about what to do if it were truly precious, a treasure cherished for generations.
But since it was a catastrophe, not an Heirloom, even if Reponya stole it later, she wouldn’t bring ruin to the Kraiton Family.
How amusing it would be when the Pope learned that the Kraiton Heirloom was a Flame Demon that no one could control unless the rightful owner permitted it.
‘Just imagining it is delightful.’
For that to happen, she mustn’t be cast out before she could resolve the misunderstanding with the Pope and deliver the Flame Demon to him later.
She had to become a slightly cuter, perfect, and useful five-year-old Lady.
The Heirloom’s nature must not be revealed.
If it were known, whoever came next would go to any length to steal it.
‘I can’t let that happen. Right now, I’m the guardian of the Heirloom.’
Reponya, temporary guardian of the Heirloom, made her resolve solemnly.
“I don’t want us to hold a party to display the Heirloom. It would make the Heirloom the center of attention instead of me.”
It was truly an unreasonable insistence.
“You don’t want to?”
“I’d rather attend the succession celebration party. Let’s postpone the social gathering hosted by the Kraiton Family for later.”
“Reponya.”
“The Heirloom is too dangerous and scary.”
Reponya acted out fear.
“Can’t I just show my face at the succession celebration party instead, and display the Heirloom another time?”
“Hmm.”
“And I’m curious about the succession party too. I want to see it.”
No one objected to Reponya’s opinion. Even if someone had, Duke Kraiton would have silenced them with a look.
In the end, the Heirloom was returned to its place, and Reponya was set to attend the Duke Bilemon succession celebration party.
‘Good. I just acted like a cute five-year-old Lady.’
Perfect. Reponya clenched her fists and nodded with determination.

* * *

A celebration feast was held to mark the succession of the Bilemon Duchy.
After Reponya sent word confirming her attendance, the Bilemon household dispatched invitations to many of the nobility.
As it was a succession celebration for the youngest duke, every invited noble made certain to attend.
“I had thought the Bilemon family always held their succession celebrations modestly, just among family. This time seems different.”
“Perhaps it’s different because of the youngest duke’s succession.”
“And I heard that, well, a new lady is coming today.”
“You mean from the Kraiton Family? I’ve heard that too. Word has it Duke Bilemon sent the invitation to the Kraiton lady first, before anyone else.”
“Was the Kraiton lady about the same age as Duke Bilemon?”
“Possibly. But did the Kraiton Family find their lost lady?”
“I heard she was an adopted lady. The lady is only five years old, but the true lady passed away more than ten years ago, so the ages don’t match.”
“My. It would be kinder to support her until his heart finds peace. It seems he still clings to the memory of his true daughter.”
“So he’s only being good to the false adopted one.”
“But I heard the Second Young Lord treasures her greatly.”
“Ha. Isn’t that just a rumor? Is there anyone here who doesn’t know the Second Young Lord’s character? He’s not the sort to overlook such a thing.”
“That’s true. The Duke might adopt a daughter because he misses the one he lost, but the Second Young Lord isn’t that type.”
The nobles fanned themselves and laughed as they conversed.
Beyond the privilege of attending the youngest duke’s succession ceremony, the prospect of seeing the lady from the rumors had set the nobility’s expectations ablaze.
Then the doorkeeper called out in a sonorous voice.
“Duke Kraiton, Young Lord Pelrence Kraiton, and Lady Reponya Kraiton enter!”
Everyone turned their heads with eager delight. The doors opened and three figures stepped into the hall.
“Wah!”
And a cute, bright sound filled the entire space.

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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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