She's Not Our Daughter! Ch 108

The One Who Seizes Victory

The imperial forces quickly lifted martial law after Hanael's kidnapping. However, the heavy aftermath struck the Emperor directly.

Seizing the perfect opportunity to pressure imperial authority, the noble faction rose in utter defiance against the groundless decree. The protests grew exceptionally fierce, led by the Ideos ducal estate. The nobles were ready to summon the Crown Prince and demand immediate answers.

Unfortunately, the Crown Prince retreated into the safety of the palace, remaining completely isolated. The arrows of the furious noble faction targeted only the Emperor, who had permitted martial law.

The Emperor could no longer lock his palace doors. He struggled constantly to defend himself against the noble faction, who now held the moral advantage. Marathon meetings continued day after day.

[Vassal] "In the entire history of the world, no ruler has ever treated a meritorious subject in such a shameful manner!"

An elder noble who previously maintained a neutral stance shouted in anger. Because of this disaster, every noble turned away from the Emperor, leaving only a tiny handful of imperial loyalists.

The Emperor remained silent, rubbing his brow. He had anticipated a strong reaction, but this exceeded his expectations.

Cassius Ideos, what on earth are you thinking?

Duke Ideos always attended the meetings but never spoke first. Surrounded by his staunch supporters, Cassius merely stared at the Emperor, maintaining a silent, crushing pressure.

The lack of a valid justification tore at the Emperor's sanity. He swallowed a sip of whiskey to soothe his burning throat, yet a cold chill ran down his spine.

[Nobles] "Your Majesty, please listen to reason!"

The unified protests of the civil and military officials brought a massive headache. Yet their combined voices couldn't match the sharp words of the senior noble who stood up to speak.

[Vassal] "Your Majesty must bring the Crown Prince to the imperial council to explain these actions.

[Vassal] "You must also deliver a formal apology to Duke Ideos, Your Majesty!"

By this point, the Emperor also burned with intense curiosity. What exactly was his son plotting, and what horrific deeds had the prince committed?

His face twisted in frustration. Deprived of any righteous justification, the Emperor could say nothing more.

[Emperor] "We shall end today's meeting."

[Nobles] "Your Majesty!"

[Nobles] "You can't do this, Your Majesty. Please control yourself."

The Emperor ground his teeth, forcing down the mounting protests. He was merely waiting anxiously for the Crown Prince to seize victory. However, his patience neared an explosive limit. The time had arrived when he could no longer stand by and blindly trust his son.

---

Returning to the private chambers, the Emperor ground his teeth in fury.

Though he had endured hours of torment from his officials in the council hall, only the memory of Cassius' contemptuous expression remained. That gaze—proud, elegant, yet looking down on the Emperor himself—festered in his mind.

The Emperor's authority was entirely compromised, and he refused to remain passive. Loving his absolute power as deeply as his son loved control, he rubbed his temples and barked out a question.

[Emperor] "What on earth is the Crown Prince doing?"

The question expected no response, but the court noble who had followed him from the council hall spoke up cautiously.

[Court] "That is......"

The Emperor narrowed his eyes. He had barely noticed the court noble's presence before. His sharp gaze swept across the court noble's face.

The sight of the familiar face brought a measure of comfort, as this man had maintained unwavering loyalty for decades. Yet, breaking his usual stoic demeanor, the court noble looked uncharacteristically grim. Recognizing the shift, the Emperor scowled and issued a harsh demand.

[Emperor] "Speak. Tell me what is wrong."

[Court] "......The Crown Prince remains confined within the palace as before, but......"

The court noble hesitated, his words carrying an uncomfortable weight. The Emperor never tolerated deceptive behavior in his presence. He questioned quietly.

[Emperor] "Is there something different from before?"

He believed his choice couldn't be wrong. He looked at his loyal servant, reinforcing his own determination. For decades, this man had never displeased him. Therefore, his current report would undoubtedly prove accurate.

Staring into the Emperor's trusting eyes, the court noble blinked. The loyal servant finally gathered the courage to reveal the truth.

[Court] "The Crown Prince has been muttering strange things aloud."

[Emperor] "......"

[Court] "And I heard he stays exclusively inside the secret chamber of the palace during the day."

[Emperor] "......Is that so?"

Having spent his youth as the crown prince, the Emperor understood the situation perfectly. No one could uncover what the prince did inside that secret chamber. A great sage had constructed that space, rendering it inaccessible to anyone—even the Emperor—without the prince's explicit permission.

Still, he trusted the Crown Prince with absolute faith. This trust stemmed from a delusional obsession with his son, though the Emperor remained oblivious to that fact.

[Emperor] "He must be performing a vital task there. When did they say he would come out?"

Looking at the Emperor with a face full of pity, the court noble delivered the core message.

[Court] "I am deeply sorry to report this, Your Majesty, but rumors have already spread widely among the palace servants that His Highness is suffering from madness......"

Madness.

Instantly, the Emperor felt deeply shaken, an intense agony marking his features.

Did his son fail? The sun of the empire, the great Crown Prince?

---

As the court noble suspected, the Crown Prince's condition was horrific.

Standing before the fake Hanael, he prepared to steal her life force and mana, exactly as he had done to the other children.

He approached the bed, accompanied by Amille and the other mage. To the prince, the child lying before him appeared thoroughly drained. Her face looked pale, her body trembled, and her eyes were squeezed shut in panic.

Soon, all this power will flow into my body.

Smirking, he placed his hand gently upon the fake Hanael's body. The stolen energy began to flow up his hand, entering his veins. He smiled with satisfaction and closed his eyes. The sensation of this power filling his form brought an intense thrill.

A few minutes passed.

[Prince] "Argh."

A painful groan reached the ears of Amille and the mage. They turned to the Crown Prince in shock.

The groan didn't emerge from the child's lips, but from the Crown Prince himself. He panicked. It felt as though his sanity and mind were being devoured by an unknown force. His face twisted in agony; he removed his hand and clenched his fists.

[Prince] "What...... on earth is this?"

A low muttering echoed inside his mind. The voice sounded muffled, like hearing words from outside while submerged in deep water, yet it remained cold.

He stared into the empty air and screamed.

[Prince] "Who is there!"

No answer came. The mage merely stepped forward with a flustered expression.

[Mage] "Delusions can sometimes occur when absorbing mana...... But more importantly, are you alright, Your Highness? Shall I cast a healing spell?"

The prince had frequently experienced sharp pains when extracting blue mana from the children in the past. Therefore, the mage treated the incident as a normal occurrence.

The Crown Prince shared that thought. He looked down arrogantly and muttered.

[Prince] "Cast the spell. Make sure the pain stops."

The mage raised his hand and activated the magic, addressing the prince quietly.

[Mage] "You must endure it, Your Highness."

A warm, soothing sensation enveloped his forehead. The prince accepted the magic, offering a faint smirk.

Yes, this pain is nothing......

[Prince] "Aaargh!"

It felt as though a blade were piercing his brain, tearing his stomach inside out. He opened his eyes wide and shoved the mage away violently. The mage crashed to the stone floor like a falling leaf.

[Mage] "Y-Your Highness?"

The Crown Prince ignored the rolling mage completely. What was this horrific, slashing agony ripping through his core? He easily dismissed the suffering of others, but he could never tolerate his own pain.

[Prince] "What is this? Did the healing spell work properly?"

Scrambling to his feet and rubbing his bruised bottom, the mage looked thoroughly panicked.

[Mage] "I-I certainly cast the spell correctly......"

Amille, who had remained perfectly still until now, interrupted with a cold tone.

[Amille] "Why don't you summon another mage, Your Highness? A verified master from the Magic Tower. It is clear this incompetent fool botched the spell."

The Crown Prince glared at the mage. His chilling gaze swept down the mage's small frame.

Amille's words held perfect logic. There was no reason to experience agonizing pain during a healing spell.

[Prince] "Let us do that."

[Amille] "I will prepare it immediately."

Watching her confident stance, he smirked.

Excluding this bizarre pain, an insane vitality circulated through his body. His physical form was growing stronger at a rapid pace, thanks to the child lying there like a corpse.

---

That child, the real Hanael, was safely resting inside the Ideos ducal mansion.

Because the mad Crown Prince could lose his mind at any moment, Sierra remained hidden inside the secure, renovated basement of the Ideos estate.

However, staying hidden didn't mean she remained idle. To help the child protect herself and to begin studying her unique biology, she provided Hanael with a small slime monster.

Though a monster, the creature possessed no aggression, ensuring Hanael suffered no harm. Furthermore, it allowed Sierra to analyze Hanael's extraordinary affinity for monsters, just like today......

[Hanael] "Hmm."

Hanael rested her face in her hands, staring intently at Sierra. Although she was told to play with the slime, the child found the creature boring and followed Sierra everywhere.

Naturally, the tiny slime followed right behind Hanael.

[Hanael] "This is really silly."

[Sierra] "How do you like it, Hanael?"

[Hanael] "I still like it. It speaks well too!"

She blinked and giggled.

[Sierra] "Mm, what does it say?"

[Hanael] "It says it likes me and will obey all my commands! Everyone says so!"

Sierra wondered at the meaning of this phenomenon. If Hanael developed this ability, perhaps......

[Sierra] "Hanael, though I hope such a day never comes...... you might have to use this ability to control monsters before long."

[Hanael] "Wow! Will everyone praise Hanael then?"

Hanael's eyes sparkled with excitement. Praise, of all things. The child's word choice was unique, but unable to think of a better term, Sierra ultimately relented. She nodded.

I need to change the subject quickly.

She quickly brought up a different matter.

[Sierra] "Uh, yes. That is right. And soon, Hanael's mommy...... no."

[Hanael] "Huh?"

Trying to say the word mother caused her throat to feel dry, like chewing rough grains of sand. She bit the tip of her tongue slightly before speaking.

[Sierra] "......You will be able to meet your aunt too, around the time you can use that ability."

Hanael tilted in confusion but didn't press further.

Sierra stared distantly into space, and asking questions at a time like this was a foolish thing to do.

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