Chapter 38

Despite Sevar’s cold tone, Diena didn’t shrink back.

She answered calmly.

“I had nowhere to go, so Lord Varkan took me in.”

“Nowhere to go?”

“Yes.”

“Why would a young lady of Rothwell have nowhere to go? You have a perfectly functioning family.”

“Because House Rothwell isn’t functioning properly.”

“What part of it… No. Never mind.”

Sevar immediately shook his head.

“It’s better if I don’t hear it.”

Because he felt like he might actually be swayed by the pitiful expression Diena was making.

It would be better not to continue talking with her.

Even if he listened to her story, there was nothing he could do for her anyway.

The reason he had called Diena here was to determine what kind of person she was.

If she posed a threat to Varkan and Bianca, he had to deal with it before things became dangerous.

But Sevar had only realized something once again.

No matter how desperate his situation became, he still wasn’t the kind of person who could threaten a child who hadn’t even reached adulthood.

“Get out of my house at once…”

Before he could finish speaking, Bianca stepped forward.

“If you kick Diena out, I’m really going to be angry! I’ll really hate you, Father!”

“…What?”

“I’ll never look at your face again!”

Bianca shouted while wrapping her arms around Diena.

Sevar’s eyes trembled as if he had just suffered a devastating blow.

With a sulky expression, Bianca grabbed Diena’s hand.

Then she stormed out of the study.

* * *

Not long after Bianca slammed the door behind her, Varkan looked at Sevar with disappointed eyes and immediately followed after her.

Only Sevar remained in the spacious study.

A moment later, the study door opened without a knock.

A sly voice echoed through the room.

“Looks like you’ve got a serious problem on your hands. Bianca’s really angry.”

It was Malakar.

As though it were his own room, he casually sat down across from Sevar and crossed his legs.

“I didn’t know you had a hobby of eavesdropping on other people’s conversations.”

“I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. The shouting was loud enough to be heard from the next room. Anyone with ears would’ve heard it.”

Sevar frowned irritably.

Malakar let out a sigh as he watched him.

Sevar looked extremely sensitive right now.

‘Not that it’s surprising.’

The fact that Bianca’s Darkness Corruption was improving was unbelievably good news.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

The Duke of Rothwell had planted a ticking time bomb inside Bianca.

A fact known only to Sevar and Malakar.

‘That piece of trash. Threatening a child’s life.’

The Duke of Rothwell had been blackmailing Sevar.

If Sevar refused to obey his orders, he would trigger the darkness inside Bianca.

“You never know. The darkness inside your daughter might suddenly explode one day.”

“If that happens, she could suffer until she dies. It’d be similar to a berserk state. Do you really think those cheap side effect suppressants from the Magic Tower could control it?”

Officially, Sevar rarely returned to the family because of subjugation campaigns.

But in reality, he was hiding this truth.

He feared that the moment he got on the Duke of Rothwell’s bad side, the man would kill Bianca immediately.

He had considered using his own ability to respond.

But he was afraid.

Varkan had already gone berserk once before.

And at that time, his wife…

“Why didn’t you just tell your children the truth? Tell them why you’re living like this.”

“…Hate me?”

“Well, not just your children. Diena looked scared of you too. Sure, you’re terrible at dealing with children, but being hated by everyone? It’s honestly a little sad.”

At those words, Sevar’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

Malakar clicked his tongue.

‘That hit him hard.’

Others might not realize it, but Malakar knew.

Sevar had been far more affected than he let on by Bianca’s declaration of “I hate you, Father!”

“It doesn’t matter.”

It clearly mattered a great deal.

Still, Malakar chose not to tease him any further.

“So you’re really fine with being misunderstood like this?”

“That’s none of your concern, old man.”

“Then are you really planning to drive that girl out of House Kardian?”

Sevar’s sharp gaze turned toward Malakar.

“Why are you asking?”

Malakar had come all the way here after mentioning a “guest of House Kardian.”

It was about time he explained why he was so interested in Diena Rothwell.

“Because she’ll be in danger if she’s thrown out.”

Malakar’s voice grew low.

“Not long ago, those bastards from House Rothwell submitted a request to the Magic Tower. They wanted to use a warp.”

“…The destination?”

“Here. House Kardian. They’ll probably arrive soon.”

“…”

“Just don’t hand her over to House Rothwell. If you’re really going to throw her out, I’d rather take her to the Magic Tower myself.”

Sevar stared out the window, deep in thought.

Below, he could see Bianca huffing angrily as she dragged Diena by the hand toward her room.

“So you came all the way here just to tell me that?”

“That’s right. I came to stop you from throwing her out the moment you saw her. Though I didn’t expect Varkan and Bianca to react like this.”

Malakar shrugged.

His words only deepened Sevar’s thoughts.

Varkan.

Bianca.

Malakar.

All three of them were suspicious by nature and didn’t easily become attached to others.

Yet she had managed to win over all three in such a short time.

Was she really a mental-type Ability User after all?

Completely unaware of Sevar’s suspicions, Malakar reached his own conclusion and muttered,

“Actually, taking her to the Magic Tower might be better. She’d be safe there, and the Duke of Rothwell wouldn’t need to come all the way here just to pressure you.”

With an unreadable expression, Sevar replied,

“Perhaps.”

“Well, think carefully about it. Otherwise, those three kids will resent you for the rest of their lives. And of course, I’ll keep reminding you of it too.”

* * *

The possibility that Diena might be thrown out of House Kardian was enough to shake Bianca.

Consumed by anxiety, Bianca refused to send Diena back to her room that evening.

“Don’t go back to your room, Diena. Sleep here with me tonight.”

Holding tightly onto Diena’s sleeve, Bianca tugged her toward the bed like a child throwing a tantrum.

Diena obediently followed her lead.

The flickering remnants of candlelight danced between them as they lay side by side.

“Don’t worry about what Father said. I’ll protect you. How could he try to send you away after I begged him this much?”

After hesitating briefly, Diena slowly spoke.

“I understand.”

“You understand Father?”

Bianca tilted her head in surprise.

“Why do you think that?”