She's Not Our Daughter! Ch 40

Identity Discovered

[Adante] "You'll bet your life?"

[Sierra] "Yes."

Adante studied Sierra with surprising calmness. Meanwhile, the family doctor gaped, entirely unable to find his words. Sierra looked past him toward Kilo and Lanya. The twins stood frozen, their mouths wide open.

Lanya recovered first among the three. She grabbed Sierra's arm and frantically mouthed, What's wrong with you!

Sierra mouthed back, What do you mean? This is strange. She refused to back down.

Though Sierra knew nothing of noble power struggles, the presence of a dangerous poisoner threatened Cassius too. The Mails family shared tight blood ties with the Ideos family, making them inseparable allies.

Adante is one thing, but Cassius might be in danger. I trust my skills. I won't back down.

In a way, Cassius acted as Sierra's savior. Furthermore, Adante had suffered in the past under the false accusation of tormenting her, despite doing nothing wrong. Reflecting on the past, an obligation to save her pressed upon Sierra.

Besides, setting everything else aside, she's a sick patient. As a pharmacist, my duty is to save her.

Her determination set in stone, Sierra focused on Adante again and pressed the point.

[Sierra] "I've staked my life, so now it's your turn to decide whether to listen to my words, Marchioness. Will you hear my evidence?"

She endured Adante's intense gaze. Soon, Adante's lips parted.

[Adante] "If you're prepared to risk your life."

A cold smile touched Sierra's lips at the trace of surprise in the woman's voice.

[Sierra] "Yes, I'm that confident."

[Adante] "Hah......"

[Sierra] "And another thing, Marchioness."

Before anyone could stop her in the sudden confusion, Sierra stepped right up to the bed and whispered.

[Sierra] "If this proves to be poisoning, shouldn't the person who poisoned you also offer up their life?"

[Adante] "......"

[Sierra] "What do you think, Marchioness?"

Adante fell deep into thought before looking at Sierra with a sudden realization.

Sierra paused; despite the thick veil covering her face, the woman's sharp gaze pierced right through to her features.

[Adante] "Yes, anyone who dares poison a noble must pay for their crime. Tell me your reasoning for calling this poisoning. Let's hear it."

Adante finally granted her permission.

[Sierra] "Then I'll explain the evidence behind my conclusion."

Sierra smirked and scanned the room. The moment of truth arrived.

[Adante] "Fine, speak with the readiness to lose your life. Why isn't my illness Amolta disease, but poisoning?"

[Sierra] "That is......"

Sierra pulled a small recording artifact from her pocket and pressed it.

I need to record everything just in case.

She scanned her surroundings, the corners of her mouth lifting at the expected reactions. The family doctor and the famous Hippo Kingdom doctors clearly expected nothing from her. After all, they wouldn't believe a mere assistant could uncover a disease that stumped the greatest medical minds.

But Sierra could do it.

She carried the bloodline of a Great Archmage, possessed unmatched skill with medicine, and held the deep, pure mana of a once-in-a-century genius.

[Sierra] "Your limbs show swollen veins and bluish bruises."

[Adante] "And?"

[Sierra] "You also cough up blood."

[Adante] "Those are typical symptoms of Amolta disease. You didn't declare it poisoning based on that alone, did you?"

Adante stared at her. Yet, Sierra caught the subtle curiosity hidden beneath the cool, noble voice. She grinned, pulling her veil lower as she searched her pocket.

[Sierra] "They are typical symptoms of Amolta disease. However......"

She rummaged through her pouch of various herbs.

[F. Doctor] "What suspicious item did you smuggle in?"

The family doctor barked, but Adante raised a hand to silence him. After careful searching, a delicate petal brushed against Sierra's fingertips.

Found it.

She smiled and pulled out a Famed petal, known as the "Rose's Dawn Dew," from her herb pouch. This Famed petal also went by the name "Transparent Herb." It resembled a lily, but unlike a lily, its clear petals looked ready to vanish at any moment—a rare, precious herb.

[Sierra] "As you can see from the clear color and delicate shape, this is a Famed petal. People mostly use it for decoration."

[Adante] "A Famed petal......? Those grow in our family garden. Why bring that up?"

Confusion filled the room. The family doctor snorted, earning another silencing look from Adante.

[Sierra] "According to the esteemed Professor Melinda of the Pharmaceutical Academy, Famed petals detect poison just like a silver spoon."

Sierra's serious tone quieted the restless room. Adante looked silently at Lanya, Kilo, and the family doctor. As doctors of the Hippo Kingdom, Lanya and Kilo nodded.

[Lanya] "That's correct."

[Adante] "Family Doctor, what do you think?"

Since Sierra used Professor Melinda's authority, he couldn't easily argue. Sierra's sharp gaze swept over the doctor.

It's written right in the textbooks. If he argues, he'll just prove his own stupidity.

Contrary to her expectations, the family doctor smiled mockingly and nodded.

[F. Doctor] "Yes, that's correct. Famed petals detect poison. If you place the petal where poison leaves the body, it absorbs the toxin."

Sierra brought the Famed petal toward the Marchioness' bluish bruise and whispered softly.

[Sierra] "This looks like a bruise, but it's actually poison escaping through the skin. If I rub the Famed flower against it like this......"

The clear petal turned blue, absorbing the color from the bruise. Shock spread across Adante's face.

[Sierra] "The poison shows itself perfectly. If it were a regular bruise, it wouldn't stain the petal like this, right?"

Sierra narrowed her eyes, but the family doctor smiled smoothly, regaining his composure.

[F. Doctor] "But I already checked for poison at the very beginning. Besides, how can we trust a flower from your pocket? You could be a fraud, especially since you won't even show your face."

His argument held weight. Adante and the maid turned their attention toward Sierra. The maid watched with open suspicion, while Adante's expression remained impossible to read. Sierra shrugged.

[Sierra] "What items did you use for the test?"

[F. Doctor] "The bark of a Shi tree, the sprouts of a Palleng flower, and Famed petals. I tried them all."

[Sierra] "Ah."

She nodded casually.

[Sierra] "Where are those testing flowers now?"

The family doctor scoffed bitterly and shook his head.

[F. Doctor] "Ha! Why would I keep them? I threw them away long ago."

Sierra crossed her arms. This doctor spent years treating Adante, yet he failed to understand her true nature. Would a woman like the Marchioness throw away objects that touched her skin?

[Adante] "No, I didn't throw them away."

Of course she hadn't. Adante possessed an absolute obsession with neatness, pride, and high nobility. She managed the entire estate with perfection while her husband focused on his shipping business.

[Adante] "Open the drawer next to the bed. Every herb you ever gave me rests inside."

I knew it!

Adante's thorough nature shifted the advantage back to Sierra. She nodded and stepped toward the drawer. The family doctor panicked, pacing back and forth as he stammered.

[F. Doctor] "T-that is...... No, Madam!"

Ignoring his protests, Sierra pulled the drawer open with a sharp click. Just as Adante said, various petals packed the space. Sierra looked down at them and called Lanya and Kilo over.

[Sierra] "Anyone can see these are fakes, right? True Famed petals must show a clear light when harvested at dawn."

Lanya and Kilo agreed quietly.

[Lanya] "You're right. These are as white as lilies."

[Kilo] "This isn't a Famed petal by any standard!"

The twins narrowed their eyes in unison.

[F. Doctor] "T-T-That is......"

The family doctor scanned the room wildly, sweat pouring down his forehead. Sierra narrowed her eyes at him with a cold smirk.

[Sierra] "Why are you so flustered?"

[F. Doctor] "I-I-I was cheated too! I never knew it was poison!"

[Sierra] "We'll find out the truth step by step from now on."

Sierra suspected the doctor ever since he tried to block her treatment. He stared at her, his face tight with extreme nerves.

The Family Doctor looks incredibly suspicious. He must be connected to the poisoning.

[Sierra] "Marchioness, I also noticed blisters inside your mouth just a moment ago."

[Adante] "......Blisters?"

[Sierra] "Yes. It means you swallowed the poison."

Sierra held a petal against the teacup next to the bed. Nothing happened. She lowered her hand slowly toward the mug filled with medicine. The family doctor had brewed this batch himself.

The moment the petal touched the mug, it floated into the air and burst into black ash.

[Sierra] "He followed the Hippo Kingdom's prescription, but the family doctor gathered the ingredients and made everything by hand."

At her words, every eye in the room turned coldly toward the doctor. Realizing his danger, the quick-witted physician dropped to his knees and begged.

[F. Doctor] "This is a frame-up! How can you believe a mere assistant and accuse me!"

Prostrating himself instantly, he pounded his head against the floor, crying out his innocence.

[F. Doctor] "The flower that girl brought might not even be a true Famed petal!"

[Sierra] "If you think I'm lying, call a maid to bring a real Famed petal. Not the fake ones you used."

Sierra delivered the final blow calmly. Victory belonged to her. Staring down at the kneeling doctor, a sudden question crossed her mind.

Did this doctor act alone in trying to kill Marchioness Mails?

Could a mastermind in this empire possess the boldness to strike the Mails family?

She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.

---

A few hours later, guards dragged the family doctor to the estate's torture chamber for a brutal interrogation. Since Sierra exposed his crimes, she had to follow them into the room.

Tied tightly from head to toe, the doctor endured immense suffering surrounded by knights, mages, and interrogators.

[Interrogator] "How did you put poison in the Marchioness' medicine?"

[F. Doctor] "T-That......"

[Interrogator] "Speak up! Who's the mastermind behind this attack on Marchioness Mails?"

[F. Doctor] "I c-can't say...... Cough!"

Sierra watched the interrogation as the doctor spat out blood, but she soon realized they wouldn't learn the mastermind's name easily.

As the endless torture yielded no progress, she frowned and left the room.

Adante's skilled maid called out to Sierra. Despite the chaos, the maid settled the Hippo Kingdom doctors in a separate drawing room and arranged a private meeting between Sierra and Adante across a small table.

[Maid] "Please go inside. You must speak with the Marchioness alone."

[Sierra] "Wait, but......"

[Maid] "The Marchioness intends to give you a grand reward."

Still wearing her veiled hat, she sat down across from Adante, feeling increasingly uneasy. Adante spoke in a low whisper.

[Adante] "You're my savior, assistant. Thank you."

[Sierra] "Don't mention it. I visited the torture chamber, but the doctor refused to reveal the mastermind. It's a shame."

[Adante] "Ah."

Adante quieted for a moment, then chuckled softly and leaned closer.

[Adante] "I already suspect who's behind this. There aren't many possibilities anyway."

[Sierra] "......Pardon?"

[Adante] "We can't catch them anyway. More importantly......"

They can't catch them? Does that mean a massive power wants her dead?

Facing this mysterious puzzle, Sierra stared at Adante with a confused look.

[Adante] "I want to see the face of my savior clearly."

[Sierra] "I apologize, but due to my burns......"

Sierra offered the same old excuse and reached for her veiled hat, intending to pull it down lower. But Adante moved instantly, reaching out with incredible speed.

[Adante] "Burns?"

Before her question even cleared the air, the veiled hat flew off and landed across the room. Sierra's face stood completely exposed to the world.

She just ripped my hat off like that?

Never expecting such an aggressive move from an elegant, noble lady, Sierra froze like a stone statue.

This was bad. Adante discovered her true identity......!

I might be her savior, but I lied to her, and she always hated me anyway!

The Marchioness could easily turn this into a major issue. Though Sierra held a powerful shield in Cassius......

If she wants to make trouble, she absolutely can.

Her nerves shot, Sierra swallowed hard and stared at Adante. However, the expression on Adante's face looked completely strange.

---

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