Chapter 37

“What exactly do you want, Varkan? Are you planning to register that girl into the family and protect her? And why would you go that far?”

Register into the family.

The moment those words left his mouth, Varkan frowned.

It wasn’t a bad suggestion.

The Empire had a special system designed to protect minors.

If it was determined that a family was failing to provide proper protection, a law allowed the minor to be registered into another family with the approval of the imperial family.

In reality, it was a law that had rarely ever been enforced and was mostly symbolic.

Still, it undeniably existed.

If Diena agreed, it would be possible.

And if she became part of the family, House Rothwell wouldn’t be able to touch her so easily.

Yet from deep within his heart, an inexplicable instinctive rejection rose up.

‘Become family with her?’

For some reason, he hated even the thought of it.

Without realizing it, Varkan answered sharply.

“I don’t want her registered into the family.”

“Then what?”

“I also think it’d be best to send her somewhere else once everything settles down.”

“…”

“So until then… please wait.”

Sevar narrowed his eyes.

“I wonder if she’s really a Non-Ability User.”

“A Non-Ability User?”

“It means I suspect she might be using some kind of mind-controlling ability. There are abilities that make people develop favorable feelings toward the user. Seeing you defend someone so fiercely is suspicious.”

Ability Users were broadly divided into two categories.

Combat-Type Ability Users and Special-Type Ability Users.

Combat-Type Ability Users possessed abilities specialized for combat.

At the same time they awakened their abilities, their physical abilities also became abnormally powerful.

House Kardian belonged to that category.

Special-Type Ability Users, on the other hand, didn’t experience the same level of physical enhancement.

Instead, their abilities themselves tended to be unusual.

House Rothwell belonged to that category.

Since Diena was from House Rothwell, Sevar suspected she might possess a Special-Type Ability.

Possibly one capable of making others like her.

And that…

“Huhhh?”

Was an unbelievably terrible guess.

For Varkan, who wasn’t good at lying, it was actually fortunate.

Because Sevar had completely missed the mark, he could answer with confidence.

“Absolutely not.”

Sevar let out a sigh.

He had realized there was nothing he could learn from Varkan.

“At least you’re not lying.”

Looking at him, Sevar asked,

“I heard Bianca’s Darkness Corruption has improved. They said she was fine even when she met you.”

“Apparently she’s gotten better for reasons nobody can explain. Even Alfonso found it astonishing.”

“I see. That’s good news. Go bring them here.”

“Who?”

“Bianca and the little Rothwell girl.”

Varkan stared at Sevar with narrowed eyes before finally nodding.

There was no reason to refuse any further.

He opened the door and left.

A short while later, once Varkan’s presence had completely disappeared from outside the room, Sevar finally pulled out the hand he had been hiding beneath the desk.

It was trembling faintly.

It meant he didn’t have much time left.

‘I need to see her together with Bianca myself.’

If she was having a negative influence on Bianca, he needed to deal with her before his body collapsed.

‘And she might really have a mind-controlling ability.’

He didn’t believe his children would fall victim to such an ability.

But she was a member of the despicable House Rothwell.

That alone meant he couldn’t afford to let his guard down.

* * *

Diena looked at Varkan, who had come to find her.

His expression was grim.

“Father is calling for us. You and Bianca.”

Varkan placed a hand on Bianca’s shoulder.

“Bianca, your mission is important.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Father wants to send Diena back to House Rothwell.”

The moment Varkan finished speaking, Bianca’s eyes turned sharp.

“What? Why? What did you say to make him want to send Diena away?”

“I explained things properly. We just couldn’t reach an understanding.”

“So?”

“Go argue with him. Roll around on the floor if you have to and tell him you can’t live without Diena. You were always good at that when you were little.”

Bianca stared at Varkan in disbelief.

“…Fine. I’ll go talk to him. I was planning to see Father anyway.”

Bianca grabbed Diena’s hand.

Then the three of them started walking toward Sevar’s study.

Deliberately acting as pitiful as possible, Diena said things completely opposite to what she was thinking.

“You’ll be fine even without me, Lady.”

“What are you talking about? Who else would stay by my side besides you?”

“Thank you. I think so too. But His Grace might think differently…”

“Hmph. Once Father sees you, he’ll have no choice but to like you!”

After thinking for a moment, Bianca spoke in a solemn voice.

“You don’t need to worry. I’ll protect you. If anyone tries to take you away from me, I won’t forgive them, even if it’s Father.”

Varkan chimed in from the side.

“Good. That’s the right attitude.”

Ignoring him, Bianca declared firmly,

“I won’t let anyone touch my person.”

“What? Let’s get one thing straight. I’m the one who brought Diena here, so why is she your person?”

“Are you going to keep interrupting?”

Diena laughed softly at their bickering.

“I feel very reassured, Lady.”

When they arrived in front of the study, the Head Butler carefully knocked on the door.

“Master, Lady Bianca and Miss Diena have arrived.”

“Let them in.”

Soon afterward, Bianca and Diena entered the study one after another.

“Father.”

“Bianca, have you been well?”

“Yes, I’ve been well.”

The moment she finished speaking, Bianca grabbed Diena beside her and declared solemnly,

“To be precise… I’ve been well thanks to Diena!”

Bianca clenched both fists.

As if preparing to challenge Sevar to a duel, she straightened her shoulders and stared ahead with determined eyes.

Sevar’s gaze passed over Bianca and landed on Diena standing behind her.

Diena looked directly back at him.

With an expressionless face, Sevar spoke.

“…I’m glad to hear you’ve been well.”

Diena was unusually sensitive to people’s emotions.

They said experience was the best teacher.

After being betrayed by her uncle’s family in her previous life, she had become capable of sensing sincerity and falsehood to a certain degree.

That was why she could tell.

Sevar truly meant those words.

* * *

Sevar’s sharp instincts were warning him.

As expected of someone from House Rothwell.

She was definitely hiding something.

She wasn’t an ordinary girl.

And she certainly wasn’t a Non-Ability User.

‘So that’s why Malakar insisted on coming here.’

No matter what, Sevar intended to send Diena away.

‘There’s no telling what she’s hiding.’

But when he saw Diena, who looked even smaller than Bianca had during her long illness, he found himself at a loss for words.

‘Is she really sixteen?’

There was no way she looked her age.

‘She’s definitely an Ability User.’

Varkan clearly didn’t know the truth.

Among Special-Type Ability Users, those who manipulated emotions often made themselves appear exceptionally fragile and pitiful to lower their target’s guard.

From Sevar’s perspective, Diena seemed exactly like that.

Otherwise, it was impossible for someone to look so small and rabbit-like.

‘She’s an even more powerful weapon than I expected.’

He let out a deep sigh.

The determination not to be fooled like his children had wavered in an instant.

The fact that she was around Bianca’s age probably played a role as well.

And Bianca was strangely attached to her.

“Young Lady Rothwell, what exactly are you plotting?”