Chapter 13
Skydium
Knock, knock.
“Your Grace, it’s Noah. I’ve brought Lady Ophelia.”
“Very well. Send the girl in.”
As Butler Noah politely opened the door for her, Ophelia straightened her back and walked in with measured, graceful steps, just as she had learned to do in her previous life.
Upon entering the room, Ophelia lowered her gaze and first offered the royal greeting to Albus Hamill.
“Ophelia Laceres greets the Little Sun of Astra. May the glory of the Sun God be with you.”
“Hmm, very well.”
His voice was indifferent.
A man who was always cold, detached, and bored.
He was hardly the sort of person who would take an interest in the daughter of a minor baron from a remote border region.
Ophelia then turned to Duke Baroso and greeted him.
“Ophelia Laceres greets the Duke of Laceres. Have you been in good health?”
“Very well. Now, raise your head.”
At the Duke’s deep voice, Ophelia slowly lifted her head.
The Duke, whose head was covered in thick white hair, looked remarkably healthy.
As befitted a seasoned warrior, he had a large frame, and his gaze was as sharp as a well-honed blade.
Hiding anything from him would be futile.
In her previous life, Ophelia had always shrunk back in fear whenever she stood before her grandfather, the Duke. Even Elia had never dared to act sweet and playful in front of him.
When Ophelia looked at the Duke and smiled brightly, one of his eyebrows twitched ever so slightly.
He had so many children and grandchildren that even he could hardly keep track of them all, yet Ophelia was the first child who had ever smiled at him without avoiding his gaze.
Meanwhile, Albus, who had been watching Ophelia indifferently, happened to meet her violet eyes as they briefly passed over him.
What mysterious eyes.
They were so captivating that he wanted to keep looking into them.
For a fleeting moment, he thought he had seen something pass through those eyes when she looked at him, but it had happened too quickly for him to grasp what it was.
Ophelia, too, was observing Albus.
His face was still as flawless as a beautifully sculpted statue. His red eyes were indifferent, and his thin lips always seemed to hold a sneer, with one corner slightly raised.
Ophelia suppressed the ache that once again stirred in her heart and proceeded to greet everyone else in the room.
Present were Crown Prince Albus, Duke Baroso, and Duchess Meriam, along with the family of the eldest son, Opus; the family of her second uncle, Coren; the family of her third uncle, Aaron; the family of her fourth uncle, Aiden; and her father and Leo.
“Well, did anything happen on your way here?”
The Duke asked her.
“Oh, I heard that bandits have been running rampant throughout the country because of the recent drought. And apparently, whenever they see young women, they don’t just take their possessions…”
“Enya!”
Andre, the son of her third uncle, sternly warned his younger sister, Enya.
“We traveled with Viscount Dais Renat and Count Rude Wells and their party, so we didn’t encounter any danger.”
Ophelia casually ignored Enya’s remark and politely answered the Duke’s question.
“Renat? Is that a noble family of the Apols Empire?”
Albus suddenly interjected.
Without turning to look at him, Ophelia continued to face Duke Baroso as she answered.
“They’re a collateral branch of the Renat family, but Viscount Renat leads the largest herb trading company in the empire. Count Rude Wells is a cousin of the Crown Prince of the Apols Empire.”
“Is that so? Since we owe them a favor, why don’t we invite them over sometime? I’ll thank them personally. Noah, coordinate the schedule and have an invitation sent to them through Ophelia as soon as possible.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Butler Noah, who had been standing by, immediately bowed his head slightly and responded.
Building a good relationship with the head of the empire’s largest trading company and the maternal relatives of its Crown Prince could prove beneficial to the family.
“What’s so impressive about a cousin of the Crown Prince? It’s not as if he’s the Crown Prince himself. Hmph!”
When Deli, the daughter of her second uncle, Coren, muttered under her breath, Elia gently patted her shoulder.
“Your Grace, I’ve prepared a small gift for you. It’s a token of my affection, so I hope you’ll accept it.”
Ophelia took a small box from Tina and opened it before the Duke.
“Pfft! What is that? A rock? How embarrassing. It’s shameful to share Laceres Castle with someone like you.”
Hearing Deli’s remark, Enya also covered her mouth with her fan and giggled.
Deli openly mocked Ophelia, displaying not even the slightest trace of manners.
For a moment, Ophelia wondered how long Deli would manage to survive in high society.
At this rate, she’ll make enemies everywhere she goes.
“Deli, I’ve heard that Ophelia’s family isn’t particularly well-off. Still, this gift comes from her heart, so I think you should refrain from saying such things.”
Elia gently scolded Deli as though she were soothing a child.
Exactly. At least that’s how you should put it if you want to insult someone indirectly.
“It’s a Lamas Stone!”
A startled voice suddenly rang out beside them.
It belonged to her third uncle, Aaron.
At the mention of the Lamas Stone, Duke Baroso leaned forward and stared intently at the contents of the box.
Even Albus, who had seemed indifferent to everything until then, abruptly rose from his seat and hurried over to the Duke.
“A Lamas Stone? What’s that? Why is everyone making such a fuss over it?”
Enya grumbled under her breath.
“The Lamas Stone was an object that the first Duke always carried with him, almost like a part of himself. According to legend, the stone contains an immense amount of mana, and anyone whom it recognizes as its master can freely wield its seemingly limitless power. After the first Duke passed away, the Lamas Stone disappeared, and the entire household was thrown into turmoil. It’s only a legend, but the fact that the first Duke treasured it as though it were part of himself makes it practically a family heirloom.”
As the men fussed over the stone, an expression of displeasure quickly crossed Duchess Meriam’s face.
Duke Baroso carefully picked up the Lamas Stone as though it were a priceless treasure and examined it closely.
Then, without hesitation, he drew the sword hanging on the wall from its scabbard and cut his own hand.
Drip.
The Duke’s deep crimson blood seeped into the stone. Before long, the stone absorbed his blood and transformed into a transparent red gemstone.
“It really is the Lamas Stone!”
Duke Baroso declared with certainty. His trembling voice carried a hint of elation.
“Gasp!”
Gasps of astonishment echoed throughout the room.
“Hahahaha! To think that this family heirloom would return to our house in my twilight years! The gods have bestowed their blessings upon House Laceres! Hahahaha!”
The Duke’s hearty laughter filled the spacious room.
Duchess Meriam soon approached Ophelia and gently clasped her hands.
“What a good girl you are. How in the world did you manage to find such a precious treasure?”
Ophelia stared down at the hands holding hers for a long moment. Suppressing the urge to pull away, she managed to smile brightly.
“I saw it being sold at the Naris market among some rough gemstones, and I thought it would make a suitable gift for you, Your Grace.”
“Wow, Ophelia, that’s amazing! How did you recognize the Lamas Stone at a glance when even we couldn’t? We didn’t even know what it was! Hehe.”
Elia smiled innocently, marveling at the discovery like an immature child.
At her words, the Duke’s eyes darkened for an instant.
Watching the people of House Laceres from the side, Ophelia let out a quiet sneer inwardly.
That’s right, Elia. This is exactly how you should play it. You’re trying to make them suspect that I have ulterior motives, aren’t you?
Well, I suppose it’s understandable. If a young woman happened to find the Lamas Stone at a market and recognize it at a glance, anyone might become suspicious.
“Oh my! You didn’t know about it? Didn’t Uncle Aaron recognize it? Surely they teach the history of House Laceres at the main residence? It’s all written in the books…”
Ophelia widened her eyes in feigned surprise.
Elia and the others stiffened awkwardly.
They had studied the history of House Laceres, of course, but only to memorize it for their examinations. There was little reason for them to remember any of it after the tests were over.
“Ophelia is correct. I taught the children myself. Ophelia was particularly fond of history and military strategy. She read books on those subjects so often that she practically wore them out. I daresay she knows not only about the Lamas Stone but also every family heirloom and every battle in which our previous Dukes participated.”
Baron Jonte, Ophelia’s father, stepped forward to defend his daughter.
Seeing her father, who despised conflict above all else, stand up for her, Ophelia felt tears well up in her eyes.
Ever since entering the room, she had been struggling desperately not to turn her gaze toward her father and Leo.
They were the first people she had seen since returning to the past.
Her precious family, whom she had failed to protect because of her own ignorance.
But now was not the time to let her emotions take control.
Today was the very first step toward saving her family, saving herself, and changing their fate.
She had to be more careful than ever.
Just as Ophelia was struggling to hold back her tears, her uncle Aaron spoke again.
“Jonte is right. There’s no reason to believe Ophelia had any ulterior motives. To begin with, finding the Lamas Stone would have been nearly impossible if it had been anything other than a coincidence. How could Ophelia possibly have found a family heirloom that generations of Dukes had failed to locate despite spending enormous sums of money and employing countless people in the search? Across the vast land of Astra, no one could have found this stone unless the threads of fate had led them to it. This is undoubtedly the will of the gods.”
Hearing those words, the Duke realized that his suspicions had been unfounded. He let out a hearty, easygoing laugh and beckoned Ophelia closer.
“Indeed. You’ve done a splendid thing. Come, sit here.”
Duke Baroso patted the seat beside him.
Hmph!
Deli pouted, clearly displeased that Ophelia had been allowed to sit beside the Duke. Elia and the other third-generation members of the family didn’t look particularly pleased either.
The seat beside the Duke wasn’t a place just anyone could occupy. Even Duchess Meriam always sat one seat below him.
The Lamas Stone really must be an extraordinary treasure.
“So, you like history and military strategy? How much have you studied military strategy?”
“The Thirty-Six Stratagems, Sun Tzu’s Art of War, and Mohist military doctrines…”
A seemingly endless list of famous military treatises flowed from Ophelia’s small mouth.
Leo, who had been watching her with an utterly exhausted expression, finally couldn’t take it anymore and cut his younger sister off.
“That’s enough! If she were to list them all here today, we’d be sitting here for at least an hour. She’s a bookworm who absolutely loves military strategy. She collected books not only from our own library but also from bookstores and even the black market. I counted them once, and I think she has around 120 books.”
At Leo’s words, both Duke Baroso and Albus immediately took an interest.
“My lady, are you familiar with the Battle of Himoyasan, fought by the Third Chaos King?”
Unable to contain his curiosity, Albus asked her.
Although he was indifferent to nearly everything, he had a particular passion for military strategy.
Even in her previous life, eighty percent of the conversations Ophelia had shared with Albus had revolved around war and tactics.
Ophelia smiled shyly and answered in a calm voice.
“It’s one of my favorite battles. An army of only ten thousand achieved a complete victory over an enemy force nearly ten times its size. In a word, it was a miracle.”
“Then why do you think the Chaos King was able to defeat the larger army with such a small force in that battle?”
The Duke, apparently intrigued as well, joined the conversation.
“Historians have tended to attribute the victory at the Battle of Himoyasan to the Chaos King’s extraordinary strength and bravery, but…”
Ophelia paused briefly to lift her teacup and moisten her throat before continuing.
“I believe they greatly underestimated the Chaos King’s extraordinary insight and tactical abilities. The battle had to take place at Himoyasan. If he hadn’t succeeded in luring the enemy there…”
As Ophelia answered without the slightest hesitation, Duke Baroso’s eyes lit up with excitement.
If she had been a boy, I would have sent her straight to the battlefield.
Of all the children I’ve met, she has the greatest talent for military strategy.
It’s a little disappointing that she’s not a boy, but she’s still worth keeping an eye on.
Albus, too, began to look at Ophelia differently. A peculiar excitement flickered in his red eyes.
