Chapter 27
“Ah… Father….”
The sudden appearance of Duke Veloa made Lawrence’s face stiffen.
“Th-that is… This, this is…”
Lawrence muttered under his breath and hastily set me down on the floor as if I were something hot. Then he scrambled to explain himself to the duke.
“Father, please don’t misunderstand. This was merely part of my disciplining process for my younger sister. I never intended to hit her harshly.”
“…”
But there was no way such words would work on Duke Veloa.
With a chilling expression, the duke thundered at Lawrence.
“Discipline? Don’t be absurd. Lawrence, have you already forgotten your place?”
“B-but… I—I’m Ariadne’s older brother—”
“Even so, the heir to House Veloa is Ariadne. Are you trying to defy the order of our house?”
“N-no, that’s not—”
Oh. Since when does Duke Veloa take my side?
I didn’t know why, but it was definitely a good thing for me.
I quietly got up, watching the two of them carefully.
The duke looked down at Lawrence with a terrifying face. Normally, he barely showed any expression at all, so this was proof that he was truly furious.
Lawrence, however, shouted back, looking utterly wronged.
“Father! It makes no sense that Ariadne is the heir of Veloa! The one originally designated as heir was me—Lawrence Veloa!”
He turned his head sharply and pointed at me.
“And yet you’re entrusting the title to such a lowborn girl? House Veloa will become a laughingstock! Besides, that filthy commoner’s blood runs through her veins!”
“…”
“A person so tainted and impure has no right to stand as heir of our noble house! Father, unlike her, I have the noble blood of the Imperial Family—”
“Lawrence.”
The duke’s cold voice echoed through the corridor.
The air instantly froze, as though ice water had been poured over the hall.
Without another word, the duke stepped up to Lawrence—
Smack!
Thud! Lawrence crashed to the ground with a loud noise.
The duke looked down at his son with an icy glare.
“Lilliana is Ariadne’s mother, but she is also your mother.”
“Urgh… F-Father…”
“Lawrence, do not ever again insult your family.”
“B-but…”
When Lawrence tried to object, the duke cut him off sharply.
“And it seems you’re under some sort of delusion… The one unfit to be heir of Veloa is you, Lawrence.”
“W-what? What do you mean by that? How could I not be fit to be heir?”
“Do you truly not know the reason?”
The duke’s menacing eyes bored into Lawrence.
That single look was enough to make anyone’s heart freeze solid. No one—no matter how brave—could speak under that gaze.
Lawrence, too, fell silent, biting his lip.
The duke clicked his tongue loudly.
“There is nothing more disgraceful than ignorance. Lawrence, until you admit your wrongdoing and repent, you are not to return to this house.”
“…”
“During that time, all the privileges you’ve enjoyed as a young master of Veloa will be stripped away. You have no reason to complain—it is punishment for your own deeds.”
“…”
“Nathan. Remove Lawrence from the estate immediately.”
At the duke’s command, Nathan quickly called for the knights.
Only then did I realize how the duke had come to be here.
So Nathan was the one who called Father.
I really would have to thank him later. Thanks to that, Lawrence had been dealt with neatly.
Soon, fully armed knights appeared and dragged Lawrence out of the mansion.
Lawrence screamed and resisted, but there was nothing he could do. Once the duke made a decision, everyone in House Veloa had no choice but to obey.
And that day became a complete turning point for Ariadne.
The duke had not only given me the heir’s emblem but had also publicly declared his support for me—
not for Lawrence Veloa, the eldest son of imperial blood.
Thanks to that, I unexpectedly gained a luxurious benefit.
“Lady Heir, another gift has arrived!”
“…Again?”
I’d lost count at this point.
The flood of presents that had started yesterday morning hadn’t stopped—not even by nightfall, nor by the next day.
Ugh… there’s nowhere left to put all this…
My room was so full of expensive gifts from all over that there was barely a place left to step.
Nice? Sure—but not entirely pleasant.
Because these gifts weren’t sent to sincerely congratulate Ariadne, the new heir.
To put it bluntly… they’re basically bribes to curry favor with the Veloa heir.
Each one carried its own political meaning and agenda.
And politics… were such a pain.
Still, I should at least check who sent it.
I sighed and looked at the sender.
…Huh? The Robenia Temple?
The gift was from the Robenia Temple—a rare occurrence.
Could it be because I’d donated a large sum for Gabriel’s sake?
Startled, I quickly opened the package.
Inside was—
W-what the heck?!
In a pristine white box were neatly packed Gabriel-themed merchandise—like idol goods.
Gabriel bromides, a Gabriel calendar, Gabriel photo cards, Gabriel posters, and even a Gabriel plushie…
W-what is this… what even is this?!
It was so over the top that I was at a loss for words.
Wait, is this even allowed for a temple? This is basically an idol management agency!
Where did they even get this idea?
The sudden appearance of K-pop-level merch in a fantasy world was almost surreal.
I let out a dumbfounded laugh and unfolded one of the bromides. Inside was—
Oh my god! What even—
Gabriel, winking directly at me.
So cute…!
It was an expression I’d never seen on the normally reserved Gabriel.
I stared blankly, then pulled out the next one.
Gasp… so pure…!
Gabriel smiling shyly as he walked along a beach.
Gasp… adorable…!
Gabriel playing with little puppies.
Gasp… refreshing…!
Gabriel smiling brightly like sunshine.
Wow… Robenia Temple is terrifying…
At this point, I had no choice but to acknowledge their marketing power.
If I wasn’t careful, I might actually end up as one of Gabriel’s fans.
I shook my head quickly and picked up the letter enclosed.
To Lady Ariadne Veloa, Heir of House Veloa
We sincerely congratulate you on your ascension as the new heir.
As a token of celebration, we have sent these specially made items.
Though humble, we hope they please Your Ladyship.
May the blessings of the God of Robenia be upon you.
—High Priestess Helen
P.S. If you find these insufficient, please let us know anytime. We will prepare and send new ones immediately.
Wow… the High Priestess really knows how to run a business…
She could have run an idol agency in her past life with that level of marketing skill.
I flipped through the calendar, admiring Gabriel’s handsome face.
Well… he really is good-looking, I’ll give him that…
I lost track of time as I stared at his photos.
Then—knock knock. The door opened, and Sophia burst in excitedly.
“Lady Heir, she’s finally here!”
“Hm? Who?”
“Lady Shannon! Lady Evelyn Shannon has come to the Veloa estate!”
“…I see.”
Heh. So she finally came.
Evelyn Shannon—the woman who was having an affair with my fiancé, Geoffrey Douglas. The main reason I’d decided to become heir in the first place.
And now she had come right into my den.
“Well, since Lady Shannon is here, we’ll treat her with the best hospitality possible.”
I smiled slyly, already planning my next move.
If I was going to be the heir, I might as well act like one—with all the obsessive flair of a proper drama lead.
“Lady Ariadne, congratulations on becoming the Veloa heir. Fufu, to be honest, I’ve always admired you more than Lawrence.”
“…”
“It’s such an honor to be able to protect the Empire alongside someone as capable as you. I’ve always looked up to you, truly.”
Oh, give me a break…
I stared at Evelyn, who was shamelessly buttering me up.
She had the nerve to say that after sleeping with my fiancé?
Even a passing dog would laugh at that nonsense.
I didn’t bother responding and simply sipped my tea.
Yeah. Not even worth a reply.
Evelyn looked flustered at my indifference, then forced a bright smile and changed the topic.
“Oh! I actually prepared something special for you, Lady Ariadne. Would you like to see it?”
“…”
“Hehe, I’m sure you’ll be surprised.”
Evelyn’s confident grin widened.
Then the parlor doors opened—revealing an extravagant display of exotic, colorful gifts.
…Wait. More gifts?
