She's Not Our Daughter! Ch 21

The Start of the Storm Is Unexpectedly Ordinary

Sierra stepped into the country house hosting the Imperial Academy's medical and pharmacy symposium alongside Hentel.

To think I get to attend a medical pharmacy symposium.......

She attended the collaborative symposium hosted by the Imperial Pharmacy Academy as Hentel's assistant.

[Hentel] "Don't be nervous."

[Sierra] "Ah, yes."

Contrary to his expectation, heavy tension eluded her. Excitement simply filled her as she wondered what topics the world-renowned scholars would discuss.

Beneath the veiled hat she wore as a precaution, Sierra's eyes sparkled.

The glamorous hall mirrored a standard banquet room. Servers handing out hot meals, light desserts, and sweet or dry wine matched a typical party.

However, an academic presentation podium replaced the dance floor. A distinctly scholarly atmosphere, with people gathering in small clusters beneath elegant crystal chandeliers to discuss theories, set the space apart.

[Scholar 1] "Oh, Sir Hentel!"

[Scholar 2] "The master physician of master physicians, Sir Hentel, has arrived. Is that your assistant next to you?"

[Hentel] "Yes, she is."

They engaged in a lively conversation about newly established concepts within the medical and pharmacy fields.

[Scholar 1] "Lately, treating ailments with magical potions receives far more attention than direct physical intervention on affected areas."

Sierra listened intently to the thrilling discussion, her palms sweating.

There is a magical pharmacist right here!

However, because she concealed her identity, she kept her mouth shut.

Banners hung everywhere. Lead authors of prestigious medical journals debated freely and loudly throughout the hall.

The capital is an entirely new world.......

Naturally, Sierra considered her own skills equal to the wise scholars gathered here. She scanned the room and absorbed their discussions.

[Scholar 1] "Adding base bean syrup worked miraculously on colds."

[Scholar 2] "Oho, is that your current research topic?"

Sierra popped a sweet Mont Blanc into her mouth and evaluated their claims.

[Sierra] "Hmm......."

Base bean syrup. She realized even renowned scholars made mistakes.

That is a terrible idea.

However, she kept silent. Drawing attention to herself held zero benefits.

Later, the prominent scholars who had gathered around Hentel for passionate debate finally dispersed.

Finding himself momentarily without a conversation partner, Hentel carefully sought her opinion.

[Hentel] "What do you think of the discussions so far?"

[Sierra] "Which one exactly?"

[Hentel] "The potion designed to relieve cold symptoms."

[Sierra] "They need to remove the base bean syrup. It triggers a side effect in chronic rhinitis patients, causing endless runny noses."

[Hentel] "Did you figure that out through self-study?"

[Sierra] "Yes."

She chuckled, treating it like a trivial matter.

[Sierra] "To create a potion without side effects, they just need to use taranta leaves, an herb similar to the base bean."

Hentel widened his eyes.

He lacked absolute certainty and needed to conduct further experiments. Still, her confident delivery, entirely unashamed by the opinions of elite scholars, amazed him.

How did such a brilliant woman end up bearing Duke Ideos' child and suffering the humiliation of a paternity test?

Sierra clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, breaking the heavy silence.

It is no big deal, so why is he reacting like that?

---

The simple pre-event ended, and the main symposium commenced. Numerous presentations followed.

Sierra listened with intense excitement to the theories various scholars had researched for years. However, frustrating moments occasionally surfaced, just like before.

[Scholar] "This is a magic potion for soldiers suffering from post-war depression."

Sierra's eyes sparkled.

[Scholar] "Naturally, no method exists to cure temporary depression without side effects, so we will pass this dilemma onto future researchers."

Sierra shook her head inwardly and clenched her fists.

To cure temporary depression, you just grind the Cynthia leaves and mix them in. It brings an immediate sensory uplift.

Post-war depression required a deeper approach, but did they really need to label it an unsolvable dilemma?

Still, this is incredibly fun!

During her intense observation, the organizers announced a short break.

Sierra stepped into the washroom to rinse her hands.

However.......

The once-crowded hallway now held only one person besides Sierra. A man stood directly in her path.

He stared at her with an intense gaze.

[Ezel] "Lady."

Upon closer inspection, he possessed a striking face. However, Cassius had already raised Sierra's standards to the absolute peak.

Startled but quickly regaining her composure, she offered a blunt reply.

[Sierra] "I am no lady."

Ezel, the man blocking her path, arched an eyebrow.

[Ezel] "More importantly......."

Melancholy eyes and a deep, resonant voice. Ezel relied on his flawless track record, weaponized his striking charm, and flashed a languid smile.

[Ezel] "I am curious about your name."

How would Sierra react?

If she proved as quiet and gentle as his intelligence suggested, he held complete confidence in his ability to manipulate her.

Would she panic? Would she surrender her real name, or offer a fake one?

Seeing her veiled hat, he assumed she would lie. However, she simply chuckled and fired back.

[Sierra] "I am no lady. Who are you?"

She possessed a distinctly fragile appearance. Yet, sharp thorns laced her words.

Facing an unexpected reaction, he offered a simple answer.

[Ezel] "I am a doctor."

Naturally, he lied.

Sierra stared at him and nodded. Protocol dictated they exchange names now.

Just as Ezel reviewed his fabricated persona and locked eyes with her, Sierra instantly hijacked the conversation's flow.

[Sierra] "You must be exhausted from attending the symposium."

While Ezel faltered in confusion, she rummaged through her dress pocket and thrust a small potion bottle toward him.

[Sierra] "This potion works wonders for fatigue. Drink it."

Her swift movements mirrored a gazelle escaping a hunt.

The abrupt topic change left Ezel utterly speechless. Then, she extended her hand.

[Sierra] "The price is five gold."

[Ezel] "Five......."

Five gold stood as an outrageous price for a magic potion the size of a fingernail. It was an absurd sum to hand to an uncertified, unknown woman. However, Sierra maintained absolute, shameless confidence.

Amused by her bold attitude, he let a smirk slip.

[Ezel] "Tell me your name, and I will send the payment to your estate."

She shrugged and reached out to snatch the potion back.

[Sierra] "That won't work. It is a shame, but you clearly lack what it takes to be my first customer in the capital.

Having never encountered a woman so cold to him, his expression twisted into something peculiar.

Strange. Back in the Thompson region, this face could earn me a decade of free meals.

He quickly realized Sierra refused to yield. He reached into his suit jacket and withdrew five gold coins.

[Ezel] "I expect this to be worth the price."

She snatched the five gold coins, shoved them into her pocket, and grinned. Beneath her veil, the rigid line of her lips softened into a genuine smile.

[Sierra] "Naturally. Well then, goodbye."

Watching her walk away, Ezel leaned against the wall and chuckled.

[Ezel] "Well then."

She proved fascinating in countless ways. Despite her delicate appearance, she possessed unyielding opinions and a fierce spine.

[Ezel] "I guess the handsome trap failed."

He failed to grasp Sierra's true nature.

Based on his intelligence, she presented a fragile exterior and a soft tone, yet concealed a blade-like sharpness.

This is confusing.

He pinched the fatigue potion between his thumb and index finger, shaking it gently. The red wine-like liquid produced zero bubbles, regardless of the agitation.

It piqued his interest. A faint thirst rose in his throat.

He popped the cork and took a sip. Unlike standard medicinal brews, Sierra's potion tasted overwhelmingly sweet.

His tense muscles instantly melted, and a crisp, refreshing sensation surged from his toes. A thrilling rush of euphoria made the fine hairs on his arms stand on end.

He stared blankly at the empty hallway where Sierra had vanished.

The Imperial Princess desperately desired the title of Duchess Ideos. However, despite the Emperor's heavy pressure, Duke Cassius Ideos refused to yield.

According to Ezel's intelligence, Sierra stood as the sole reason for the Duke's stubbornness.

The Princess has every reason to panic.

He lazily pushed off the wall. He had no further business here.

---

Meanwhile, Cassius conducted a secret meeting with a lobbyist. The man he met held massive influence over proposing new legislation within the Imperial Palace.

Until now, Cassius believed Sierra had abandoned him. He prepared the mansion for her return, but he refrained from manipulating Imperial law.

He had poured all his resources strictly into finding her. However, immediately after witnessing others disrespecting the woman he had fought so hard to reclaim, Cassius decided to change his strategy entirely.

He intended to cement Sierra's absolute authority. He would shower her with wealth, power, and gifts until she could never bear to leave the paradise he built for her.

Step one: Revise the Imperial marriage law.

The puzzle pieces snapped into place within his mind. Under current Imperial law, a Duke and a commoner could never marry. Therefore, he planned to rewrite the law itself to marry her legally.

Whether Sierra will accept me again remains a mystery, but.......

Pain twisted his sharp features. However, with five years of bitter experience behind him, he managed to crush his rising despair.

Besides, Sierra currently resided in his mansion. He had zero reason to succumb to anxiety or terror.

[Paoben] "An honor to finally meet you, Your Grace."

Paoben, a rare breed of man who abandoned his position as Chief Justice to become an underground lobbyist. He had personally orchestrated the revision of over ten Imperial laws.

Sitting across the table inside the secret room of the cunning gentleman's suburban estate, Cassius nodded.

[Cassius] "Paoben, was it?"

Cassius stared into the man's crimson eyes and stark white beard as they shook hands.

[Paoben] "Yes, indeed. What brings a man of your stature to my humble doorstep?"

Cassius possessed zero interest in elegant, roundabout aristocratic banter. He rarely bothered attending high-society functions anyway. He cut straight to the point.

[Cassius] "I intend to rewrite the current aristocratic marriage laws."

[Paoben] "You wish to tear down the aristocratic marriage laws, Your Grace? In what manner....…"

[Cassius] "Currently, the law forbids a commoner from marrying a noble, even if a noble family adopts that commoner."

If Sierra accepted him, he planned to make her his Duchess. However, Imperial law dictated that adopting Sierra into a noble household would never erase her commoner origins.

The previous Emperor established this strict system to protect the purity of aristocratic bloodlines.

[Paoben] "That is correct. Wait, are you suggesting......."

The Empire's most ruthless lobbyist met Cassius' unyielding gaze and widened his eyes in shock.

[Paoben] "That is impossible, even for me."

He could manipulate any other law without issue.

However, the previous Emperor personally drafted and enforced this specific decree. Furthermore, touching a law that guarded noble bloodlines guaranteed massive political backlash from every aristocrat in the Empire.

Cassius rhythmically tapped his index finger against the table.

[Cassius] "Exactly how much money do you need?"

Paoben stared at him. The Duke's eyes burned with a blade-like conviction. He would never back down.

[Paoben] "Regardless of your vast wealth, shaking the very foundation of the aristocracy is impossible."

[Cassius] "I will ask you one more time. Exactly how much do you need?"

Inside the dimly lit room, their intense gazes clashed.

This marked the beginning of a marriage law revision destined to rewrite Imperial history.

---

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