It’s really a bloody revenge.’
At that moment Dylan held his face close to Emilie.
Dylan’s eyes were silvery, unlike Victoire and Damon. The moment she faced the beautiful silvery eyes, Emilie stood firm.
“Keep in mind. Tomorrow Victoire will ask you, ‘Will you be my daughter?’ It’s a formal procedure before you enter.”
“…..”
“Say no. Then I’ll take care of it.”
“…..”
“Believe me, Emilie.”
Emilie couldn’t answer.
But this time, Dylan didn’t force an answer either. Before leaving the room, Dylan nervously looked back several times.
“Don’t worry, I won’t go out to the balcony!”
Emilie grinned, pretending she didn’t know. But what she really wanted to say was this.
‘Don’t worry. I won’t die in your father’s hands.’
Since early morning, the mansion has been bustling. Victoire and Damon have arrived. They were accompanied by the priests who would be witnesses of the entry.
“They’ve always wanted to have a pretty daughter.”
Marian said, tying Emilie’s golden hair.
“Is that so?”
In the mirror, 12-year-old Emilie was an innocent and naive little girl. But inside, Emilie’s eighteen. Emilie, who had already died once, would not be fooled by Marian’s sweet words.
“I’ve always wanted a caring father.”
But this one was sincere.
Emilie grinned at Marian in the mirror. Somehow, it was a sad smile.
The hall was crowded with people. Victoire and several employees, including the priests and the butler. And Dylan.
Dylan was chasing Emilie with persistent eyes. Emilie smiled reassuringly towards him and approached Victoire and Damon.
“Emilie, did you hear from Marian what day it is today?”
Victoire asked with a kind face.
It was an act.
“Yes. It’s the day Your Grace will make my wish come true.”
Dylan’s face turned blue with Emilie’s innocent voice.
“Let’s proceed with the entry as soon as soon as possible.”
“Wait!”
Dylan rushed to cut off Victoire who was speaking. All eyes were on Dylan.
“Are you sure you’ve explained enough to her? Once it’s done, there’s no turning back.”
“Of course, Dylan.”
Damon calmly answered.
“What will happen if this child’s father discovered that she’s still alive?”
“If you were worried about that, do you think we’d be here now?”
Damon spoke affectionately to his little brother who knew nothing. But there was a different sense of pressure in the words said than usual Damon.
The priest intervened and spoke with a gentle face:
“I heard the little girl was abused by her parents. Such parents are as good as dead even if they are alive.”1
“But…!”
“If you really care about this child, follow Your Grace’s opinion, young master. This girl won’t be happy even if she goes back.”
Dylan just shook his head while trying to say something.
“You are all so hopeless.”
Dylan, who grabbed his head, made eye contact with Emilie.
“Emilie, you didn’t forget what I said, did you?”
“I like it here.”
“…..”
“I don’t want to go back.”
Emilie watched Dylan’s face darkened and crumple with defeat. Perhaps in this house, that boy is the one who thinks the most in this house.
‘Sorry, Dylan.’
But Emilie had no choice but to do this.
Last night, after Dylan went back, Emilie was up pondering all night.
‘These people need me. So I’ll do my best to protect you until the day you sacrifice me.’
As Dylan said before, even if you run away you won’t be able to grow as safe as you are in this family.
On the first day of her recklessly fleeing, Emilie painfully felt her life threatened by the hands of robbers. A little girl left alone cannot survive.
“I won’t regret it. I’m confident.”
Dylan flinched. It was a voice filled with determination and certain to belong to a little girl.
Moreover, Emilie’s two eyes that were looking at him were not her usual young, innocent eyes.
It was the eyes of a woman who had experienced death and came back to life.
However, Dylan who could not have known its meaning, had no choice but to turn his head in despair without knowing why.
“Truly, you all do as you please. Have it your way!”
Dylan cried out as he came back to his senses. He bit his lower lip and turned around then left the hall.
The door closed with a bang! As it closed with a sound, Damon looked at Emilie.
“He’s telling us to do as we please, so I guess Dylan agreed. Emilie, how about you?”
Emilie stared at Victoire silently.
“Will you be my daughter, Emilie?”
Asked Victoire.
Blue hair and blue eyes.
It was a short time, but even her father, whom she had known her whole life, had not given her things like they did. The hugging arms were friendly and warm.
‘And they want my blood.’
In any case, she already died once.
To her, these men are saying, ‘You can be comfortably protected in the Count’s mansion.’
‘Until the time comes when they need my blood.’
Maybe my father will find out before that. But if I’m lucky, I can grow up comfortably up until I’m 18 and then get sick and die quietly before they want my blood.
‘All I want is to live at ease and in peace without suffering from my father anymore.’
It was a game worth betting on.
“Yes.”
Victoire smiled brightly at Emilie’s words. It was a sincere smile.
Emilie, for the first time, saw that this man could have such a bright expression.
‘It pleased him a little.’
“Your Grace, please sign here.”
The priest held out a thick scroll. Victoire signed without delay. Emilie also signed small and clumsily next to him.
‘Is that it.’
When Emilie stared with her puzzled eyes, Victoire held Emilie in his arms.
“Now it’s done. You are now my daughter.”
“Congratulations, Your Grace.”
“Congratulations.”
The priests and employees celebrated in unison.
Later, the priest smoothly read a series of ceremonial [Vows of Entry]. The vow was made in the presence of God swearing to form a family bond that will last a lifetime, that’s what it was about.
So no one listened.1
“Father, you have to give her a new name too.”
Said Damon.
“You can’t use your old name anymore. Your name… Elisabeth is nice.”
Victoire’s voice, who pronounced [Elisabeth], trembled a little.
“Eli…sabeth?”
“Yes. From now on, your name is Elisabeth Daughtry. Do you like it?”
Somehow, it’s a pretty name. At least it sounded better than [Emilie].
“Yes, I like it!”
Victoire held Emilie, Elisabeth rather, tightly in his arms.
‘If you want my blood, feel free to use me. I’m going to use you, too.’
Elisabeth closed her eyes with her face covered in Victoire’s chest.
‘After all, I am an [Impure Blood] that can’t bring the Heart of Olga together.’
***
Emilie Cabezo died at 18 in her previous life.
When the ‘unknown’ disease broke out, Emilie thought she was going to die of it. But Emilie died after drinking the poison her father gave her.
The reason was that the honor of the family was tainted.
‘I’m not going to die so miserable this time.’
Elisabeth thought, stamping her feet on the swing. It was a very childish play while having such a serious thought.
The swing that was for the bored Elisabeth was hung from a large tree by Victoire.
It was a little strange.
That someone does something for her.
She didn’t even say she wanted it, but when he saw Elisabeth bored, he gave her a swing as a first gift.
‘I’m not used to this kind of treatment.’
I know you’re being nice to me for me to be of use to you. Nevertheless, I am grateful. And a little happy.
‘Am I allowed to feel this feeling?’
But one should enjoy it when they can. Elisabeth can’t give what Victoire wants anyway, so the moment she gets caught, it’s over.
‘If they find out I’m an [Impure Blood], I don’t know what an angry Victoire will do. Of course there is a higher chance of dying before I get caught.’
‘Trikol’ won’t get into the hands of Victoire. It was not only Victoire who was aiming for it but also the Emperor’s.
It was mentioned that when it became whole, it was powerful enough to aim for the throne. So the Duke of Cabezo kept the ‘Trikol’ hidden deep underground.
‘Trikol’ is a mysteriously shining blue mana stone. It was the size of a thumbnail.
However, it will turn red when it comes into contact with someone who could make it one. In other words, it turns red when they meet a member of the family of Cabezo or of Leschine.
So if the ‘Trikol’ turns red, it means that the person is the enemy blood of the Cabezos or Leschines. (t/n: not sure about this part)
As soon as Emilie and Polia were born, they were recognized as part of the Cabezo bloodline in front of the ‘Trikol.’
Using this, the Duke of Cabezo boasted of the power of a family that possessed a mysterious mana stone. Every coming-of-age ceremony, they showed a red ‘Trikol’ in front of many people.
On the day of Emilie’s coming-of-age ceremony, ‘Trikol’ was also unveiled in front of countless people.
And as soon as Emilie touched ‘Trikol’, it was dyed black.
<What happened to that? The Trikol turned black!>
<Oh my. I can’t believe Trikol rejected a blood of the Cabezo family! The Cabezo family must be ruined.>
<By any chance, Princess Emilie isn’t the blood of Duke of Cabezo?>
It was the same fact that the Cabezo family was disgraced in front of countless people, whether ‘Trikol’ rejected the Cabezo family blood or Emilie was not the Duke’s blood.
Emilie could not forget her father’s eyes staring at her in contempt.
And then Polia that ran out at that moment.
Polia pushed Emilie hard and touched the ‘Trikol.’ Then the black-colored ‘Trikol’ turned bright red.
<I’ve reddened the Trikol again! Now that the Trikol is red, stop saying such bad things about my sister!>
At that moment, Emilie’s status as Princess Cabezo was pronounced dead.
Emilie was then confined to the tower of the Duke of Cabezo. It was the tower where the guilty men were trapped.
The employees who brought food to the tower openly despised Emilie.
It wasn’t until a month later that the tower’s door opened. The one who opened the door was the father she missed the most.
<His Majesty is likely to dispatch an investigation team.>
And the father, whom she had hoped for, offered a small bottle with a cold face.
<Investigation team?>
Emilie asked back in a hurry, getting sick.
<They’re going to investigate why Trikol rejected you. They are sending an investigation team because people’s suspicions have become unmanageable.
<A lot of people ask if you’re an ‘impure blood’.>
‘Impure blood.’
It meant a person with dirty blood that ‘Trikol’ refused.