She's Not Our Daughter! Ch 17

An Unexpected Love Rival Appears?

[Sierra] "Did you know you have a second mommy?"

[Hanael] "......No."

She spoke in a babyish tone and buried her face in Sierra's chest.

[Hanael] "I only have one mommy!"

Tears soaked her chest. She knew without looking that tears filled Hanael's large eyes.

I held back until now...... I worried she might think she had no mother, just like she has no father.

Sierra stroked Hanael's hair, lost in deep thought.

Initially, she taught Hanael to call her "Aunt." After calling her Aunt for a long time, Hanael eventually started calling her "Mom."

Of course, it must be confusing for Hanael. The person who raises her every day is not her mother......

Now, the title had become permanently fixed.

Still, I need to explain her real mother to her in detail now.

Even though her sister abandoned Hanael irresponsibly, and even though Sierra yelled at Abel and declared she would kill her sister, she still held onto a firm belief in her.

Just as Hanael only had Sierra, Sierra only had her older sister.

It was a strange faith that her sister would never abandon her child without a reason.

Why isn't she coming back? Is there a real problem......?

Sierra closed her eyes. While she considered her sister an eccentric, she always made the right choices.

Furthermore......

When young Sierra felt lonely by herself, her eccentric sister once used a teleport scroll to fly from the northernmost continent just to make her laugh.

Teleporting from such a long distance carried side effects. Her sister was no exception. Because she teleported so hastily, her magic nearly reversed, turning her nose bright red and freezing her hands. Yet, her sister just laughed cheerfully.

The fact that this same sister refused to visit Hanael despite Sierra's endless requests meant...… She either did it intentionally, or she simply couldn't come. It was one of the two.

I still don't know the reason why she won't come.

Sierra patted Hanael.

Unfortunately, she had to delay Hanael's education until tomorrow. Worry consumed her over whether Hanael could actually face the truth.

---

At the exact moment the ducal mansion buzzed with the paternity test, a regular ball took place in a salon near the Imperial Palace.

Of course, this ball was quite special.

Princess Iliena, the Emperor's only daughter, hosted it, filling the room with high-ranking nobles.

Under the brilliant chandelier, several tables sat perfectly arranged, and a small stage for waltzing crossed the center.

Naturally, the attendees today chose to gather in small groups around the tables to eat finger foods instead of dancing.

Their main topic of conversation, of course, was Sierra.

Noblewomen holding lace fans ate, drank, and continued their gossip.

[Woman 1] "......By the way, did you hear the news?"

No one, noble or commoner, could resist gossip.

Thanks to the tea house owner, whose mouth would float even if he drowned, the events surrounding Marchioness Andante Mails had quietly spread through high society.

[Woman 2] "You mean, the commoner in the Duke's mansion...…"

[Woman 1] "Rumor has it that the commoner woman is actually the Grand Madam's hidden daughter."

Lady Macbeth, whom many considered Duke Ideos's first love, frowned slightly. However, she could do absolutely nothing.

[Woman 3] "Some say she is carrying the Duke's child."

Everyone glanced at Macbeth, whose face turned completely pale. In truth, high society generally accepted that Macbeth shared a deep connection with Cassius. Everyone used to bet on whether Duke Ideos would end up with Macbeth or the Princess......

Looking heartbroken, Macbeth nodded slightly and walked away. The ladies watching her whispered among themselves.

[Woman 1] "But wasn't Lady Macbeth supposed to be the Duke's first love?" [Woman 2] "They met at the Academy!"

[Woman 3] "Goodness...... how will this end?"

The whispers of the ladies rang continuously in their ears.

Just then, a man acting as a wallflower while drinking wine at the next table winked.

[Man] "This...... things are getting quite interesting."

At his low, sigh-like words, the surrounding ladies exchanged glances. To every lady gathered here, this man ignited pure desire.

Attending the Princess's tea party for the first time, he captured everyone's attention the moment he appeared.

The reason was obvious. His looks ranked among the best in the capital. With green hair like fresh sprouts, warm golden eyes, and long, seductively shining eyes.

If he decided to seduce someone, no one would remain unmoved. He could easily be praised as the most beautiful man in the Empire.

Furthermore, he was an unknown figure. Although he attended the Princess's tea party, no one here knew his exact identity.

The ladies could only guess, spreading baseless rumors that he came from a distant collateral line of the Imperial Family, hailed from a specific region, or even arrived as a foreign prince.

Yet, they couldn't ask him for his identity directly. Unlike his gentle appearance, the man built an absolute wall between himself and others. This applied even to the few noblemen allowed to attend the tea party.

One of the ladies, stealing glances at his sculpted profile, spoke carefully and bravely.

[Lady] "Um...... Sir, how should we call you?"

[Man] "Call me however you please."

The lady smiled happily at his sweet, gentle voice. She continued cautiously.

[Lady] "Sir, what region do you come from?"

Curiosity filled the eyes of the ladies gathered at the same table.

[Man] "I come from the southern region of Thompson. Shall we dance and have a drink?"

The young lady blushed a rosy red. His eye smile was utterly deadly.

---

Princess Iliena's tea party ran for three consecutive days. And on the final day, the Princess summoned the man. She called him by the name Ezel.

The people whispered upon hearing the man's name. They had attended the party for a long time, but no one had discovered his true identity.

However, Ezel knew how to handle all the rumors elegantly. He maintained his silence, speaking little until he sat facing the Princess in a small, secret room.

[Iliena] "Ezel, have you heard all the rumors?"

[Ezel] "Yes, Your Highness."

It was a simple answer. The Princess scanned him with a strange gaze. Their relationship held a rather suspicious edge.

[Iliena] "What rumors are spreading?"

[Ezel] "As you well know, stories about the woman who entered the Ideos family are rampant."

[Iliena] "So......"

Princess Iliena, leaning comfortably against the backrest, tilted her chin and muttered huskily.

[Iliena] "Will my goal regarding the Ideos family be achieved? Still?"

[Ezel] "Yes, of course. It will be possible."

[Iliena] "Even after hearing all the rumors?"

[Ezel] "I can make it possible."

A cynical line flowed from the gentle man's mouth.

[Iliena] "What will you do if you fail?"

[Ezel] "I will not fail."

It was a clear boast. The Princess frowned and spoke impatiently.

[Iliena] "The opponent is Duke Ideos."

[Ezel] "I…..."

A bizarre, cold chill settled over his previously playful face.

[Ezel] "I have never failed even once."

Overwhelmed for a moment, the Princess gripped her teacup tightly.

[Iliena] "Alright, I expect much."

The man called Ezel nodded. A melting eye smile returned to his previously expressionless face.

[Ezel] "Don't forget. You promised to pay the price."

Watching his instantly changing expression, the Princess hardened her face and nodded.

Since she joined hands with this suspicious man, she fully planned to pay the price.

---

A week passed.

The paternity test had not yet occurred. The doctors remained busy making fresh potions.

I thought they would test immediately.

She thought while lying in bed, staring into the air.

It was a disaster that she had grown accustomed to the increasingly soft bed and blankets, and the life where pulling a bell string solved everything.

She gained weight and stood on the verge of becoming chubby.

Sierra tried to enjoy a leisurely moment when she collided with a gift sent by the Grand Madam.

[Sierra] "What is this?"

[Maid] "Because you said you like meeting patients."

Sierra widened her eyes. Finally, the Grand Madam gave her what she wanted!

Her heart pounded wildly.

Sending a patient with a headache proved highly effective. Sierra decided to show off her skills for the first time in a long while.

Furthermore, the massive medicine warehouse Cassius built!

[Cassius] "Sierra, I can give you whatever you want."

[Sierra] "This is crazy......"

At that time, she nearly hugged Cassius tight, forgetting her position.

[Cassius] "If you want anything else, I will give you more. Just say the word.'Thank you!'"

She remembered everything Cassius said timidly while pointing at the herbs.

In the medicine warehouse, she crushed apricot pits and added a little dew along with Motala herbs, which people rarely used for headache remedies.

Usually, people don't use those herbs. But I do!

During her Academy days, Sierra practically lived in the library, dedicating herself to studying and mixing various herbs. She was a pharmacy genius with an incredibly fast-working brain. But that wasn't all.

I just blew a little of my magic power into this, finish it, and I'm done!

As the younger sister of the Great Archmage, she also possessed outstanding magic power. Specifically, it was a magic power she could use for potion manufacturing.

Pharmacists were divided into two categories. The former only handled herbs, while the latter, like mages, could manipulate magic power as magic pharmacists.

Magic pharmacists were incredibly rare. Furthermore, the efficacy of the medicine varied vastly depending on how pure their energy was and how well they utilized it.

Naturally, Sierra's magic power ranked as exceptionally pure even among the purest. She had lived pretending to be a normal pharmacist until now, but now she could display her skills freely!

[Sierra] "Done at last!"

She finished brewing the potion. Leaving the patient with a headache in the drawing room, she stepped out of the medicine warehouse to hand over the translucent orange potion.

However, while walking down the hallway carrying the headache potion, she coincidentally bumped into Hentel, the doctor from the Hippo Kingdom.

She greeted him warmly with a smile.

[Sierra] "Hello, Sir Hentel!"

[Hentel] "It is good to see you."

He also held a small medicine bottle in his hand. Although his body aged, his academic curiosity remained outstanding. His curious gaze turned toward Sierra.

[Hentel] "Excuse me, but may I ask what you made?"

[Sierra] "Ah, yes. I made a headache potion! Where are you going, Sir Hentel?"

[Hentel] "I am preparing to go to a medical pharmacy symposium for a moment. But......"

He narrowed his eyes. His gaze locked onto the tiny potion bottle Sierra held.

---

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