~Chapter 34~
“Ah… my goodness…!”
The Duchess stood up abruptly, overwhelmed with emotion.
“Finally!”
Even the Duke, who had remained calm all along, cried out with a trembling voice.
“Yes, I knew it! I knew she was my daughter!”
The Young Duke was also overjoyed.
“Congratulations, Milena.”
Cecilia greeted me with a gentle smile.
But I could see it.
Inside her calm teal eyes—
were countless tangled emotions.
Worry about the future.
Pressure from facing the real daughter.
…and even fear—
fear of being abandoned from the Ducal family at any time.
‘What should I do…?’
I wanted to tell her not to worry.
I wanted to say that I would never threaten her.
‘Ah…’
At that moment, I saw it.
Cecilia stepping back instinctively.
As if—
she had already given up her place among the family.
“Big sister!”
I quickly walked toward Cecilia and grabbed both her hands.
Her teal eyes widened.
“Milena?”
“I… I’m really happy!”
I forced down my complicated feelings and smiled brightly at her.
“We’re finally real family now, aren’t we?”
I shook her hands lightly, pretending to sound cheerful.
“I think I still lack a lot of things. I don’t know anything about noble families or etiquette yet.”
“……”
“So… please take care of me from now on, okay?”
For a brief moment—
her eyes shook violently.
But soon, it disappeared.
“I should be the one asking that.”
Cecilia smiled gracefully like a true noble lady.
At that moment, the Duchess spoke excitedly,
“Since we have such happy news, we must celebrate together!”
“Celebrate?”
“Yes! From now on, we should never be apart. We’ll eat delicious meals together, go to beautiful places, hold parties…”
The Duchess kept talking excitedly.
The Duke gently stopped her.
“My dear, calm down. We should give Milena some time to adjust first, shouldn’t we?”
Even as he said that—
he was smiling widely.
“You’re right, I was only thinking of myself.”
The Duchess turned to me quickly, looking apologetic.
“I’m sorry, my daughter.”
“No, it’s okay.”
I replied awkwardly.
Somehow—
seeing her so happy made me feel strange.
Until now, I thought I only had one mother.
…Does this kind of bond by blood really exist?
“Congratulations, Lady Milena. Or should I now call you Lady Milena, the young duchess?”
At that moment, I snapped out of my thoughts.
Rudrick was looking at me with his usual elegant smile.
“Ah, thank you.”
I forced a bright expression.
But my gaze kept drifting toward Cecilia.
On the carriage back to the Mage Tower—
Rudrick sat with his chin resting on his hand, deep in thought.
‘Milena… was it?’
When the test results were revealed—
the Ducal family had been in a festive mood.
Milena also smiled brightly and responded to their attention.
But Rudrick saw it.
The complicated emotions beneath her lowered eyelashes.
The faint stiffness in her lips.
And—
her green eyes, completely expressionless.
“She didn’t seem as happy as expected…”
The Lucert Ducal family was one of the greatest noble families in the empire.
Anyone would have been overjoyed to suddenly belong to such a family.
It was practically a rise in status.
But instead—
Milena seemed uncomfortable with all the attention.
And that wasn’t all.
From time to time, she glanced nervously at someone.
That person was—
“It was definitely Cecilia.”
Cecilia, openly called the “fake daughter.”
Yet—
Milena seemed to care about Cecilia the most.
‘Why?’
The real daughter who grew up not knowing her identity.
And the fake daughter who lived in her place.
Naturally—
they shouldn’t be able to like each other.
From the real daughter’s perspective—
she could think the fake one had been enjoying her life all this time.
At least—
that was normal in Rudrick’s world.
“If it weren’t for you! No one has ruined my life like you have!!”
Rudrick recalled his half-brother shouting like that—
and let out a cold laugh.
Yes.
Brotherly love is nothing but a fantasy from fairy tales.
Just because they had different mothers—
he and his half-brother hated each other endlessly.
So then—
wouldn’t it make even more sense for the Lucert sisters, who weren’t even related by blood before, to reject each other?
But the Milena he saw earlier…
That helpless expression.
Those desperate eyes.
The way she bit her lower lip—
it truly looked like she was worried about Cecilia.
“…That’s impossible.”
Rudrick muttered unconsciously.
At first—
he only came because he was curious about Milena’s magical talent.
But now—
why was it that…
he kept becoming curious about Milena herself?
Meanwhile—
Mrs. Howard was in a very bad mood.
‘So that girl really is the real daughter…’
To be honest—
until now, she had her doubts.
Even though Milena showed special abilities—
there was always a possibility.
Still—
Mrs. Howard had tried to get along with her.
But it was useless.
Even after persuading the Duchess—
Milena still treated her with hostility.
‘Now I have to watch that girl walk around proudly…’
Just thinking about bowing to that girl for the rest of her life—
made her feel sick.
‘No… I have to crush her pride now.’
If she let this continue—
she might never get another chance to control her.
Having made up her mind—
Mrs. Howard called Mathilde.
“Um… you called for me…?”
Mathilde asked carefully—
then suddenly froze.
Mrs. Howard grabbed her shoulder tightly.
“You know the favor I’ve given you, right?”
Her eyes shone sharply.
“Now it’s time for you to repay it.”
“Ma… Madam…”
Mathilde trembled in fear.
Mrs. Howard’s low voice slipped into her ears—
like poison.
“There’s something you need to do for me. And that is…
