Chapter 18
Her mind exploded into a blinding white. The searing light swallowed all thoughts and vanished. In the now-empty space, only one name remained: her mother’s.
“Stella Cantio Fortuna.”
Murmuring her mother’s name, Eluana wiped her sweat-drenched palm on her skirt.
“Then… my mother too…?”
“Stella was confined in the imperial city until she turned eighteen. After that, she lived in the Lavender Room as my fiancée for two years.”
Eluana had only been imprisoned for eighteen days and already found it unbearable. But her mother had been confined for eighteen years.
Her heart pounded violently, making it hard to breathe. Unable to bear the suffocating feeling, Eluana spoke.
“…Why.”
She gasped for air.
“Why go that far?”
Though she asked the Duke of Spes, she already knew the answer.
“Because they didn’t want to lose the dragon’s blessing but also didn’t want to give up the throne?”
“That’s right.”
The Duke’s voice trembled faintly.
“Was she treated well? Was there any abuse or cruelty?”
“Long ago, there were such instances. But after a Cantio took her own life and a massive earthquake struck the capital, things improved. Over time, only a few knew the truth.”
Eluana bit her lower lip, her vision beginning to blur.
“How could something like this be allowed?”
“The Western Mage Tower cooperated with the royal family. When a Cantio child was born, the Tower would announce the birth of a child with a strong affinity for dragon mana. Then that child would be given the surname ‘Cantio’ and adopted into the Fortuna family. That adopted child would be recognized as royalty and, under the pretense of praying for the empire’s prosperity, confined in the Tower until the age of eighteen.”
“What a pretty excuse.”
“Indeed.”
The Duke steadied his breath and continued calmly.
“A month before the wedding, Stella left behind a letter and disappeared. I tried everything to find her, but it was no use. At first, I suspected the royal family, but they weren’t behind it. They, too, searched for her but never found her.”
The Duke took out an old, worn letter from his coat and handed it to her.
After a moment’s hesitation, Eluana accepted it. The letter was written in her mother’s elegant handwriting.
To my dearest Tarudo,
With our wedding nearing, I’ve had some thoughts. I was confined in the imperial city until I turned eighteen. Now I fear I’ll live confined again, this time in Spes Castle. I know it’s for my safety, but isn’t it just the same as before?
So I’m going on a long journey.
That’s right. I’ll use your power to escape. Maybe I’ll settle somewhere. The imperial family may come after me, but I know you won’t care. That gives me some comfort.
I want the empire to forget about Cantio. So please, don’t look for me. Even if I say this, I know you’ll search endlessly.
Then let’s agree—search for a year, then forget.
I’m sorry for making such a selfish decision.
—Stella
The letter slipped from Eluana’s limp fingers. The Duke hadn’t abandoned her mother—her mother had left him.
The Duke of Spes had never married. For someone of his stature to remain single… it spoke volumes.
He had waited all this time—for the day her mother would return from her journey.
“…It was because of me, wasn’t it? She didn’t want me to grow up imprisoned like she had.”
“No. It was because of me. I failed to give her peace of mind.”
But Eluana couldn’t accept that answer.
“I…”
Overcome with emotion, she trailed off.
She could tell the man before her—her biological father—had truly loved her mother. That he had waited for her. That he welcomed Eluana’s existence.
Even so—
‘If things go wrong, I need to flee with Louis.’
Pressing her lips together, Eluana bit down on her lower lip and asked:
“What should I do now?”
It wasn’t a request for guidance—it was a way to gauge his intentions.
“You have two options. Reveal that you’re Stella’s daughter and become my legitimate child. Of course, you and Louis will never be imprisoned in the imperial city.”
“Is that really possible?”
This had been happening for 700 years—it couldn’t be that easy.
“A small and insignificant war will probably break out. But it won’t take long to suppress it.”
Eluana couldn’t grasp the man before her. If Ron Vita had said such a thing, she would’ve smacked his shoulder and told him to stop joking. Ron would’ve just laughed, saying her slaps were fierce.
But the Duke of Spes looked completely serious.
There’s no such thing as a small and insignificant war. War always comes at a great cost of blood.
The Duke continued:
“You won’t be a noble’s daughter—you’ll be a princess.”
The idea of the Spes royal line forming, with her as a princess, was too extreme to even consider. A war? That was far too drastic.
Eluana responded immediately.
“The second option, please. You said there were two.”
“Then you’ll never reveal your identity as my daughter. You and Louis will be officially registered as my adopted children. With Ron Vita’s alchemy, we’ll say you’re distant Spes relatives we found by chance. Of course, you’ll have to be cautious your whole life. If people find out you’re Stella’s children, we’ll fall into the first scenario.”
In other words, they would have to live on edge forever. If they got caught, it would mean war. But at least he hadn’t said they’d be imprisoned in the imperial city.
This was her life—and Louis’s too.
“So I get to choose?”
“I don’t know you well yet. But I’d like to know what would make you happy.”
Eluana suddenly felt a lump in her throat. This man, still distant to her, truly wanted her happiness.
The decision was easy.
“Then the second option. Fully.”
The Duke smiled slowly, as if he’d expected it.
“You dislike war?”
Who likes war? Especially when you’d be the reason for it—you’d never sleep peacefully again.
But that wasn’t the only reason.
“Because of Louis. I may be recognized as your daughter, but Louis’s position would be unclear.”
A child born after the disappearance of a royal fiancée? He’d be an easy target.
“I still don’t know what will make me happy. But I know I can’t be happy if Louis is miserable.”
“Understood. Let’s go with that.”
The Duke seemed ready to end the conversation, but Eluana quickly asked:
“I saw the Lavender Room’s window. Was my mother ever threatened?”
Her eyes, as brilliant as emeralds, locked onto the Duke. Her voice was firm and steady.
“When a Cantio dies, natural disasters follow. And when the last Cantio vanished, the dragon’s blessing was at risk. So neighboring kingdoms sometimes sent assassins. In fact, some Cantios in past generations were killed, and each time, great disasters followed—enough to be recorded in history books.”
Eluana was silent for a moment.
“Are there no other Cantios besides us?”
“You two are the last.”
The weight on her shoulders felt heavier. She rubbed her hands on her skirt again.
“There’s no need to worry. As long as I’m here, no one will threaten you.”
Though he said it with conviction, Eluana couldn’t help but imagine the worst. She resolved to prepare Louis as well.
The Duke continued.
“I’ll visit the imperial city tomorrow. Luckily, I have an uncle who left the family in his youth. I plan to present Ron Vita as his son. The First Prince will be punished for damaging the Crown Prince’s sword.”
“The First Prince killed innocent citizens in Arden. I knew four of them personally. That’s not a crime—but breaking a sword is?”
“Unfortunately, that’s how it is.”
Eluana felt uneasy. Was it strange that she found this all so unjust?
She knew there were social ranks. She knew royals were considered noble. But six lives being worth less than a sword? That was unbearably tragic.
As her frustration built, the Duke continued.
“Of course, I won’t let what he did to you go unpunished. Or you could take revenge yourself. How about becoming the heir of House Spes?”
“What?”
Eluana, struggling to keep up, asked again.
“The heir to House Spes.”
Did he mean for her to become a duke? She asked again.
“Me?”
“Yes. I want you to be my successor.”
Eluana’s lips parted in shock.
‘Oh my god. He wants me to be his heir. I’m going to be a duke?’
She imagined herself as a duke—but quickly snapped back to reality. That could never happen. A woman becoming a duke? Only in fairy tales—where she’d disguise herself as a man to inherit a title.
‘Does he want me to disguise myself as a man?’
At this point, Eluana had to voice the obvious.
“But I’m a woman.”
“There’s no imperial law against women inheriting titles. And if there were, I’d abolish it. So don’t worry. What matters is your will.”
“…Okay.”
She wondered—can you really change laws so easily? But the Duke’s confidence was impressive. It wasn’t arrogance—it was certainty.
He said:
“As heir of House Spes, you can do whatever you want. Starting with something small—like revenge on the First Prince.”
That wasn’t small at all. But it was tempting.
“If you inherit Spes, you could even choose another path. If you wish, you could prepare step by step and declare independence from the empire. Then you’d be a queen. Or reveal you’re a Cantio and become the emperor yourself.”
One mountain after another—duke, queen, emperor?
“…That’s ridiculous.”
“As heir to House Spes, there’s much you can do.”
The Duke smiled leisurely. As if he truly meant he could make her emperor, if she so wished.
Eluana suddenly feared the fate placed in her hands. The only thing she was good at was forging swords. She could read and write, but that was it. She’d never been trained for this. Ruling the Spes domain made no sense.
Still, she didn’t refuse immediately.
“…I’ll think about it.”
She lived in a world where swords were worth more than lives. Without power, she and Louis would forever be in danger.
