“What?! You’ve already met Ceres? When? Where? How?! You went to see her without me? Wow, you traitor! And you still call yourself my friend after this?!”
“I asked you to come with me, but you refused. You were the one who said you didn’t have the courage to face her.”
“Even so, how could you secretly go see her all by yourself?!”
Ignoring Duchess Elkein’s angry outburst, Duke Nora rose from his seat and approached Ceres.
“Ceres, Ceres! What brings you here? I’m so glad we happened to meet like this. Did you come because you missed me?”
“His Majesty sent someone to summon me. He told me to come to the palace.”
“His Majesty did?”
Duke Nora, who was happily bouncing around like a child, turned his gaze toward Emperor Devrica. Although the smile remained on his lips, there wasn’t a trace of it in his eyes as he looked at the Emperor.
“Why would His Majesty summon my Ceres? I’m very curious about the reason.”
“......”
Emperor Devrica was left speechless.
Why did Duke Nora look at him as if he were facing an enemy? It felt like one wrong word would be enough for him to attack.
This was the first time the Emperor had ever seen him show such hostility toward someone.
“Are you also acquainted with this child?”
“Also..?”
“Duke Schweiss told me. That child is...”
The Emperor trailed off before turning his gaze toward Ceres.
“...?”
Ceres tilted her head at his sudden attention. She had absolutely no connection to Duke Schweiss. Why was he looking at her while talking about him?
But the words that came next completely shattered Ceres’s expectations.
“She is his child.”
“...What?”
“...Crazy.”
“...Ha.”
Everyone in the room was left with a stunned expression. Naturally, Ceres was the most bewildered of them all.
Duke Schweiss... He means that Schweiss, right? But why would he say I’m his?
Ceres, who had unconsciously opened her mouth in disbelief, suddenly thought of something.
Could it be him...?
Didn’t Duke Nora... no, Uncle Gino mentioned it before? That there were others besides him who wanted to see her. He also wanted to know if she would meet them.
Could one of them be Duke Schweiss?
“Why are you calling Ceres that b*stard’s kid?! She’s my kid!”
Ceres, who was already struggling to process everything, stared blankly once again at the voice that suddenly rang out.
Who is this person now?
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t you know that when a mom isn’t around, an auntie becomes her replacement? Naturally, Ceres is my kid too.”
“If you’re going to argue that way, then shouldn’t an uncle become a father figure whenever a dad isn’t around?”
“For children, mothers are more important than fathers!”
“Since when was that a rule?”
“Ah, forget it. Anyway, that guy has always been like this! He always acts all aloof like he’s not going to do anything, then suddenly turns around and pulls something like this! He’s seriously the most annoying person...”
Duchess Elkein, who had been gritting her teeth and voicing her complaints, locked eyes with Ceres. The moment she did, her gaze trembled as if the ground beneath her was shaking.
She opened and closed her mouth several times before letting out a shaky breath.
“...My dear.”
“......”
...Again.
At her words, Ceres felt a dull ache in one corner of her chest. She could feel the pain hidden within that voice so clearly.
Uncle Gino was like this too, and now her...
Why? Why does everyone look at me with sorrow in their eyes?
The pain in their gazes was so deep that it left Ceres feeling unsettled as well.
Trying to push away the unfamiliar emotions, Ceres spoke in a deliberately cold tone.
“Did my aunt take money from you too?”
“Rose.”
“Yes?”
But that resolve quickly crumbled away.
“Call me Aunt Rose.”
The voice that followed was so gentle that it was hard to believe it came from the same person who had been shouting earlier.
“My dear.”
She approached Ceres and pulled her tightly into her arms.
Ceres froze at the sudden embrace. She could’ve easily stepped away... but she didn’t.
“I’m sorry... I’m so sorry.”
“.......”
At the apology filled with tears, a quiet sigh escaped Ceres’s lips. It seemed this woman had also been taken advantage of by Aunt Agne, just like Uncle Gino.
I really should pay her a visit.
Ceres’s expression turned cold. Just how much did that woman take from them?
“Hoho...”
Emperor Devrica, who had watched everything unfold from the side, let out a hollow laugh.
He had summoned the two heads of families to ask about the relationship between Duke Schweiss and Ceres. But now, it seemed she was quite close with these two as well.
I never thought I’d see Duchess Elkein like this.
How was he supposed to interpret that tender expression? She looked like someone who had finally found a child she had lost long ago.
Just what kind of relationship do they have?
Duke Schweiss, and now these two people as well... What was their connection to Ceres?
The Emperor was genuinely curious.
“Could Ceres be Duke Schweiss’s—”
“Ding ding ding. Absolutely not.”
“She’s my child, I’m telling you!”
Before Emperor Devrica could finish his sentence, Duke Nora and Duchess Elkein immediately rejected the idea.
“Alright, alright. Why don’t we all sit down and talk first?”
“Ah.”
“Ahem.”
At the Emperor’s words, Duke Nora and Duchess Elkein cleared their throats awkwardly. Only then did they realize they had gotten carried away.
“Ceres, come sit over here.”
“Come, my dear.”
Those two took Ceres by the hands and guided her over. Finding herself seated between them without even realizing how it happened, Ceres let out another sigh. She was still bewildered by the situation.
“Let’s discuss the details another time...”
Emperor Devrica was curious about Ceres’s relationship with the three heads, but there was something more important he needed to ask first.
“Ceres, would it be alright if I called you by your name?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I summoned you today because there’s something I would like to confirm.”
“Please, ask.”
Emperor Devrica nodded, his expression turning thoughtful.
He had noticed it before, but Ceres’s way of speaking and how she carried herself were unlike those of ordinary noble ladies.
Everything about her was composed and disciplined without a single unnecessary movement. It was almost like he was standing before the captain of the Imperial Knights.
To think he would feel the presence of a knight captain from such a young lady.
She is completely different from when she is with Cheion.
He had seen Cheion and Ceres together several times before, but she had never given off this impression around him. Back then, she had seemed far more at ease.
“Hmm.”
But that wasn’t what mattered right now.
After observing Ceres with interest, Emperor Devrica finally got to the point.
“Among those who survived the S-Class Black Forest, there were some who shared rather interesting stories.”
The identity of the person who made the S-Class Black Forest disappear was still unknown. Even Grand Duke Persia, whom they had considered the most likely candidate, hadn’t given him a proper answer.
“You’re saying it wasn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Then do you know who made it disappear?”
“I’m not sure.”
“...You’re not sure?”
It wasn’t a simple “I don’t know.” The Grand duke’s answer made Emperor Devrica certain that he was hiding something.
However, since he refused to reveal anything further, the mystery surrounding the S-Class Black Forest remained unsolved.
But then...
“A flower garden?”
“Yes. Some survivors said that when they were attacked by monsters, the area around them suddenly transformed into a flower garden. The monsters couldn’t enter that flower garden, and that was how they survived.”
The previous day, his aide had brought him an interesting report. Among those who survived the Black Forest, there were people who had experienced something extraordinary.
“They said there was also a baby rabbit inside the flower garden.”
“A baby rabbit?”
As soon as he heard those words, one person immediately came to mind.
“Were you in the S-Class Black Forest at that time as well?”
It was Ceres, the one who had recently become the owner of the Tamer Relic.
He already received reports that when the Tamer Relic chose its owner, flowers and grass were blooming and spreading all around.
“Was it you, Ceres, who saved those people?”
Emperor Decrica asked, his expression suggested that he already knew what answer he would receive. Ceres could only sigh.
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