CHAPTER 38………………………………………….
“That’s what your mother said.”
The claws pressing down on Lian’s shoulder glinted sharply, as if ready to strike.
Alisha let out a hollow laugh at the shocked faces of the people from the ducal house.
She had known since they had cast Irina out, but she hadn’t realized just how utterly devoid of conscience these people could be.
“I’d tear you apart if I could—descendant of the ducal bloodline that killed Daniel.”
A threatening growl, wolf-like, prompted Cliff to swiftly draw his sword at his waist and point it at Alisha.
“Stay back!”
Alisha’s claws left a sharp scratch across Lian’s cheek. Blood beaded there, but Lian ignored it and pushed back Cliff’s sword aimed at Alisha’s neck.
“Sir Cliff, put the sword away.”
“But sir…!”
“Do it now.”
Cliff clenched his teeth, biting the inside of his cheek. Alisha, still visibly agitated, let out a mocking laugh.
“You didn’t think your mother would say something like that, did you?”
Alisha’s blatant ridicule left Lian completely bewildered.
He could hardly believe that his own mother had killed Irina’s father. And he had no idea what state of mind Irina must be in, knowing this, to come to the ducal house.
“I want to hear the full story—”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
As Lian wiped the blood from his cheek, Alisha let out a sharp sigh and took a step back.
“Don’t you ever think of coming back here.”
If they dared mention Daniel again after this, she intended to tear them limb from limb.
Ignoring the stunned people behind her, Alisha strode into the house.
He had assumed that the ducal house had been completely reshaped to April’s tastes, but a few things had remained unchanged.
The most notable were the duke’s study and the library.
The library, filled with wooden shelves brimming with books and bathed in soft sunlight through slightly parted red curtains, evoked memories of his childhood in the ducal house.
The library had been a place he frequented so often that its threshold was worn down.
“I wasn’t particularly interested in studying, though.”
True, he hadn’t been especially interested in study.
Although he was supposed to be treated as their daughter, a faint unease had always lingered deep in his chest.
What if they ever sought their real daughter? What if he were discarded when no longer needed?
He had to fulfill the role of April while also being someone the household could not do without—so that no matter what happened, they couldn’t cast him aside.
Old memories resurfaced.
He had read countless alchemy books to impress Barak, the person in the household who disliked him most. It was a little funny now that the book he needed was about alchemy.
Back then, it had been to gain favor with Barak. Now, it was for himself—and for repairing April’s unhealed leg.
He didn’t intend to continue pretending to be his mother in front of April.
If April discovered that he was trying to heal her leg, she would likely refuse treatment out of what she had done to him before. She would probably look for another way to fix it herself.
He stretched onto his tiptoes to reach the book on the highest shelf: Alchemy for Skin Regeneration and Chimera Synthesis Alchemy.
“Ugh.”
Why can’t I reach it? I’m not that short… Should I even fetch a stool?
He froze as he felt a large presence behind him, along with the faint smell of gunpowder, and a smooth, pale, enormous hand covering his own.
He didn’t need to turn to know who it was.
“Why do you need that book?”
Every word dripped with annoyance and precision.
“You don’t need that book anymore, do you?”
He turned, lowering his heels, and saw Barak frowning at the book he wanted to borrow.
Why was he in the library? And if he had taken the book, shouldn’t he return it? Barak just stared at it blankly, so Lian held out his hand.
“You said you didn’t care about impressing anyone in this house, right?”
“……”
“But why do you need this book? It’s not like you’re trying to look good in front of me again.”
The memory of fawning over Barak to gain his favor flushed Lian’s face.
Damn it—Barak. That bastard.
It wasn’t embarrassing that he had wanted to impress him as a child, but the fact that Barak seemed to know his secret intentions now made him both angry and ashamed.
Of course, he must have known. Every time they talked about alchemy, Lian had subtly sought his attention like an eager dog.
Seeing that Barak had no intention of giving the book back, he snatched it from his hands.
“I’m not reading this for you, so don’t worry.”
“You don’t need to read about chimera transplants, anyway.”
Even after stating this bluntly, Barak didn’t back off, causing Lian’s face to contort with frustration.
He wanted to threaten him with the shackles he had hidden in the drawer.
“Behave yourself.”
He was about to leave the library when his steps faltered. Barak’s gaze burned like fire.
Did I just hear that? A bitter laugh twisted his lips.
“You came to this house to act as April’s stand-in.”
“……”
“If you’re getting paid to act as her, then move carefully and don’t irritate me.”
“Why? You seem so confident your sister will recover fully in a year while I’m acting as her.”
He slammed the book shut with a loud thunk.
“……What?”
“She’s at the villa because of the carriage accident. She can’t recuperate at home, can’t see the priest… she’s probably not living the life of a proper noble. So why do you assume she’ll be fully healed in a year?”
“How do you know that?”
Barak grabbed him by the collar threateningly, but Lian laughed.
“You asked how I know April’s condition!”
He didn’t need to say he had seen it himself, but it was funny how easily Barak reacted to his words.
“You think I deliberately caused the carriage accident—”
Barak continued his absurd claim, but Lian slammed the book down onto his head.
“Ugh!”
Barak clutched his head, staggering backward as Lian adjusted his collar.
“Are you insane?”
He looked like he might attack with magic at any moment—unchanged, violent as ever. Lian shook his head lightly.
Humans don’t change, he thought. That was exactly the case here.
And he had no intention of enduring Barak’s violence quietly, just as he hadn’t in the past.
“You’ll believe all sorts of nonsense. With that imagination, you should’ve been a novelist, not deputy head of the alchemy department. Paranoia has limits.”
“Irina Devin!”
“Don’t say my name carelessly. It’s disgusting.”
The carriage accident had happened because the ground was unstable from the rains. The idea that he might have caused it deliberately was ridiculous.
With that level of paranoia, Barak shouldn’t live in the ducal house—he should be holed up in the temple.
Having been hit by a heavy book, Barak couldn’t rise immediately. Seeing him clutch his head, Lian felt a small sense of satisfaction.
He had only returned a fraction of what he had endured—and it felt good.
He had often thought about hitting him hard.
“And do you really think I pushed April down the stairs?”
Barak, still crouched holding his side, looked up. His eyes, burning like fire, briefly flickered with confusion.
Had he not heard properly? Lian asked again, slowly.
“Do you really think I pushed her down the stairs?”
Barak moved his lips but said nothing.
Yes, he probably already guessed Lian hadn’t done it.
Yet he sided with April for two reasons: they were blood, and she was the long-lost real daughter they had finally found.
