PLTSVA 10

Chapter

The Duke of Rayes had been lost in memories of the past ever since he left the room.

Those eyes and the atmosphere of the girl—

‘Kane, this child’s name is Raveria. Doesn’t it feel just like a fairy’s blessing?’

It was because she resembled his late wife far too much.

Over the years, the Duke had met many girls.

Some had white hair due to pigment deficiency, and some were even illegitimate children of the Rayes family.

In the direct bloodline, noble girls were rare due to the strong traits of dark elves. But in the cadet branches, where the elf blood had faded or vanished, white-haired girls would occasionally be born.

After meeting dozens like this, he had eventually resigned himself to the belief that his daughter had died.

Even if he was still searching for her outwardly, deep down he had given up.

That’s why Ria’s sudden appearance shocked him as much as if the missing Crown Prince of two years had returned alive.

“She said she’s leaving tomorrow.”

That’s what she said. Ria didn’t know about the Rayes family’s famous tragedy.

If she had, wouldn’t she have claimed to be the Duke’s daughter like all the others?

The Duke found himself wishing she had.

He wanted to believe his real daughter had returned.

And what if—just maybe—she really was Raveria?

The youngest daughter he had searched for so desperately.

Was not having the signature white hair of the Rayes such a critical flaw?

Would those who praised Rayes as the incarnation of elves dare to accuse the girl of being impure?

If anyone tried, he’d make sure they never opened their mouths again.

‘I’ve finally lost my mind.’

The Duke covered his forehead and looked out the window at the abnormally large full moon.

He had to hold on to that bold child.

It felt like the only way to atone for his dead wife.

He spent yet another sleepless dawn in anguish, just as he always had—alone.

Luca declined the chamberlain’s offer to prepare a separate room and instead lay on the sofa in Ria’s room.

Unlike Ria, he already understood the Duke’s feelings.

From the moment the Duke had looked at her with that bewildered expression before she woke up, Luca had known he wouldn’t let her leave so easily.

Even so, he had prepared a backup plan. Taking Ria to the palace—a place where silent blades flew through the air—did not seem like a safe option.

“Luca, we’re parting tomorrow.”

Ria spoke while lying in bed and munching sweet snacks.

“Then we can’t just go to sleep like this!”

She brought out a roulette game she had received from the chamberlain and placed it on the table.

At the orphanage, whenever Luca couldn’t sleep, Ria would light a candle and play roulette with him through the night.

The new game was far more luxurious than the one from the orphanage, but it still looked like it would bring back good memories for both of them.

“If I win again, is it 1 to 100?”

“No, this time it’ll be 2 to 99!”

Their laughter filled the room until dawn.

Sunlight spread across the Rayes territory.

The two little guests who had turned the duke’s mansion upside down the night before were now peeking through the windows at the bustling morning preparations.

“I’ve never seen such a big carriage before.”

Ria gazed out at the black carriage of the Duke’s family from the second floor.

“It’s enchanted with a high-speed travel spell. It would take half a day to reach the palace with a normal carriage, but this one will get there in two hours.”

Luca answered while sitting on the window ledge.

The duke’s attendants were preparing for a trip to the palace.

Suddenly, a young boy dashed past them and ran into the estate.

It was Miller Sen Rayes, the second son of the Rayes family, with his pure silver hair and ocean-deep blue eyes.

Knock, knock knock—

Urgent knocking echoed in the Duke’s office.

As usual—or perhaps more exhausted than usual after another sleepless night—the Duke wearily told them to come in.

The door burst open and Miller rushed in.

“Why didn’t you come home last night? At seventeen, you’re too young to stay out without notice. Do I need to spell this out for you?”

The Duke scolded, but Miller quickly spoke.

“Father, I received a tip about a silver-haired girl sighted in Camille village. I went to verify it.”

“Camille, you say…”

“A girl from the orphanage in the forest behind the village apparently ran away. The orphanage director put up portraits all over town. Don’t you think this face looks familiar?”

With a slap, Miller laid a drawing on the desk.

It was the portrait Luca had once drawn of Ria.

So well-drawn that everyone at the orphanage had praised it.

As Miller said—it looked incredibly similar.

Even though no name was written, the Duke knew.

He hallucinated as the face of his late wife—seen all night long—overlapped with the portrait.

“Let me lead twenty knights. I’ll bring the girl back. Oh, and—”

Miller placed another portrait on the desk, one he had crumpled into his pocket.

It was a self-portrait Luca had drawn under Ria’s insistence.

Though it was only a rough sketch, his features were clearly recognizable.

“That’s the missing Crown Prince, right? Looks like he ran away with the girl. If I go, I’ll try to find him too.”

Miller remembered the Crown Prince, who sat arrogantly on the imperial throne during the knighthood ceremony for noble heirs.

The first in line to the throne, born of a low-born Empress, with jet-black hair and beast-like crimson eyes, had looked down on much older children.

By imperial custom, all noble heirs swore loyalty before the Crown Prince at such ceremonies. But in return, the prince also had to earn the favor of future political leaders.

At least, that’s how past crown princes behaved.

But Azenluca, this one, was different.

He wore the crown askew and sat crookedly, glaring at them like a future tyrant in the making.

The eldest son of a count, who had grumbled beside Miller about how arrogant the prince was, immediately went pale and trembled when the prince’s chilling gaze fell on him.

Despite his low-born background, Miller had to admit the young prince was a genius—capable of checking even the powerful Croa family through Princess Zeria and her sons.

On that day, only one person had successfully manifested Sword Aura on the spot: Crown Prince Azenluca, the youngest among them.

Even a lifetime of sword training usually required reaching middle age to manifest it. No one had done it at age eleven—until him.

The prince was a prodigy, and the miracle of that day had spread across the empire.

Born of a powerless Empress, the prince secured a solid political standing with that feat.

And then, one day, he vanished.

The empire turned upside down. Martial law was declared in every city, and the royal guard, along with private soldiers of noble houses, scoured the land—but not a single strand of hair was found.

Whether he had hidden himself, or someone strong enough to overpower adult men had abducted him, no one knew.

The Crown Prince, once beloved across the continent, had vanished, and even the Emperor was at a loss.

The main suspect was, of course, the Croa family of Consort Zeria. The Emperor, furious, had their affairs investigated down to every last detail—but all they found were minor tax evasion incidents.

Even now, two years later, bounty-hunting guilds still swarmed the continent—but to think he was hiding in a remote forest orphanage?

And with a girl who might be his own younger sister?

The villagers said they had seen children around that age, but none matched the portraits.

They were probably using magic to conceal themselves. Still, with bounty hunters everywhere, it was too dangerous.

Especially for that girl. As for the prince—Miller didn’t really care. Find him if possible; if not, so be it.

“So, Father, you’ll let me go, right?”

“No need for that.”

Just as Miller opened his mouth to protest, the Duke stood up and said,

“If it’s that girl, she came to the mansion herself yesterday.”

“What?!”

“She’s staying in the third-floor guest suite. Visiting as the Crown Prince’s friend. Today, she’s heading to the palace with him.”

As soon as he heard that, Miller ran out and dashed up the stairs.

Left behind, the Duke gazed at the family portrait of his late wife and daughter on his desk.

Then he spoke with determination.

“Ben, prepare all the documents needed to re-register Raveria in the family registry. She was declared dead, but that ends now.”

A voice responded from a glowing green communication crystal.

[Not adoption, but re-registration? If you do that, even if the real lady returns, she won’t be able to reclaim her position…]

“No more words. Get it done by this afternoon.”

[…Yes, my lord.]

The crystal’s light dimmed.

The Duke left his office through the door Miller had left open.

Two attendants stood waiting outside the third-floor suite.

“Open the door.”

At Miller’s command, one of them knocked. After getting permission, they opened it.

In the sunny, luxurious room, a small girl lay on the sofa, staring at Miller with her big eyes.

“Who…”

Miller didn’t even notice Luca sitting beside her, arranging roulette cards and glaring at him.

Instead, he saw only the child he had once held carefully in his arms—and his mother smiling gently at his trembling younger self.

Miller Sen Rayes—even in the original story—treated Raveria as his real sister until the very moment she died of a rare disease in exile.

The original Raveria despised him for it.

She believed he saw her only as a perfect substitute.

She never imagined, even in her dreams, that what she received was the true affection of a brother she was always meant to have.