She's Not Our Daughter! Ch 41

Let's Find My Sister First!

Sierra studied Adante's expression, realizing that right now, admitting her deception and bowing in apology offered the best path forward.

[Sierra] "I apologize for not revealing my identity sooner. I must've offended you."

Adante fixed a strange gaze on her before murmuring, as if turning over a thought.

[Adante] "So you're the one who uncovered my poisoning, and the fact that someone bribed my doctor......"

Her voice trembled violently, leaving Sierra uncertain whether the woman suppressed rage or another emotion. Still, a flush stained Adante's cheeks, and her voice shook uncontrollably.

With her noble mindset, she won't thank me just because I treated her......

Besides, this woman once tried to splash water on her.

Let's just smile. No matter how much she hates me, she can't spit on a smiling face, right?

Sierra curved her eyes into a bright smile. Adante stared blankly at her, stumbled to her feet, and suddenly grabbed Sierra's hand, murmuring.

[Adante] "Sierra."

[Sierra] "......Yes?"

Strength filled their tightly clasped hands.

[Adante] "I tormented you. And without your knowledge, I caused great harm to your well-being."

[Sierra] "Excuse me, but I'm living perfectly fine without any real issues."

Tears welled in Adante's eyes at her words.

What's wrong with her? I'm completely fine.

Sierra held no grudge against her. Yet, judging by Adante's continuous rambling, it sounded as though Sierra had endured horrific bullying.

[Adante] "You suffered terribly at the tea shop because of me."

No, I didn't......

If this conversation continued, Adante would end up like the Grand Madam and Cassius. Actually, she already had.

[Sierra] "You don't need to feel sorry."

[Adante] "Yet, like an angel, you saved my life. You could've easily ignored me."

Though she was no angel, praise could make anyone dance, and Sierra felt a spark of genuine joy. She had fully displayed her skills as a pharmaceutical genius, saved a patient from poisoning, and even received gratitude.

This is exactly the life I always wanted.

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Adante.

Studying Sierra's expression thoroughly, Adante nodded.

[Adante] "Now I understand why Mother treasures you so much."

Releasing Sierra's hand with difficulty, she leaned back deeply into the opposite sofa. She took a few deep breaths to calm her emotions before speaking again.

[Adante] "Yes, I also have something to tell you. Let's return to our previous topic—the mastermind."

[Sierra] "Yes."

[Adante] "By saving me, you've likely offended the Imperial Palace. Because...... the family doctor belongs to the palace. While someone might've bribed him, the Imperial Palace likely wants me dead."

This raised a massive question. Why would the Imperial Palace want Marchioness Mails dead?

As Sierra frowned, the Marchioness let out a soft chuckle.

[Adante] "These are the complicated matters of the nobility. Regardless, I intend to help you with all my heart. I worry you'll suffer because of me."

Getting caught in a power struggle meant pure trouble. Of course, even if she had known the Imperial Palace pulled the strings, Sierra would still have saved the patient. That was her duty as a pharmaceutical genius and a pharmacist.

Still, things just got incredibly annoying.

As Sierra knitted her brow, Adante raised an index finger and smoothed out the wrinkle between her eyebrows.

[Adante] "Frowning makes you age faster. You possess a lovely face, so you must care for it."

[Sierra] "Ah, yes......"

Despite Sierra's sour expression, Adante remained warm.

[Adante] "When my husband returns, I'll ask him to grant you a new title of nobility."

[Sierra] "No, rather than that, please write a letter stating that I'm far more competent than the Hippo Kingdom's doctors. Act as a witness to today's events."

[Adante] "Ah, about that."

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

Adante chuckled and pulled the bell cord, and the door opened instantly.

[Adante] "Sierra, it seems the Hippo Kingdom's doctors have already praised your genius until their lips turned dry."

[Sierra] "What? To whom?"

[Adante] "Those doctors already sent a message to the Ideos Duke's estate."

Sierra bit her lip as a figure rushed through the doorway. The man sprinting into the room was none other than Cassius. His expression resembled a man whose world had collapsed. He rushed to Sierra and shouted.

[Cassius] "Why are you here......? I thought you were hurt......!"

[Sierra] "I'm not hurt at all."

[Cassius] "That wicked bastard could've killed you, Sierra."

Not even close. The family doctor hadn't paid the slightest attention to a mere assistant like Sierra.

She rose and stood before Cassius. Now that she had proven her competence, it was time to argue that the paternity test kit—created by Hippo Kingdom doctors far less skilled than her—couldn't be trusted.

[Sierra] "More importantly, about the paternity test kit, it's definitely suspic—"

[Cassius] "Sierra."

He threw his arms around her waist, pulling her into a tight embrace.

[Cassius] "A paternity test doesn't matter at all right now."

His intense voice rang in her ear.

[Cassius] "When I received the message, I feared you might disappear."

The scent of a freezing wind drifted from his body, proving how frantically he had sprinted here. She inhaled deeply.

[Cassius] "I was...... so......"

Choked with emotion, his voice trembled on the verge of tears.

At this rate, I'll have to question the paternity test kit later.

Regardless, the recording artifact in her pocket held proof of everything that had transpired.

[Sierra] "Yes, it was a dangerous situation, so you must've worried a lot...... right."

She nodded, awkwardly patting his shoulder.

[Cassius] "If anyone dares harm you, I'll kill them regardless of who pulls the strings. That doctor is no exception."

Why does his voice sound so thick with tears when he talks about killing someone?

Though Sierra usually lacked quick intuition, she recognized Cassius was on the verge of crying, so comforting him took priority.

This is the first time anyone has ever worried about me to this extent.

She had navigated all the harsh storms of the world entirely alone. Though she had an older sister, they rarely met, and her parents had died early. Yet, strangely, looking at Cassius made her want to lean on him.

Sierra raised her hand to push him away but paused. For some reason, she lacked the desire to pull back, so she quietly kept patting his shoulder. His embrace and his arms felt far warmer than she expected.

---

After their intense embrace right in front of Adante, Sierra and Cassius returned to the Duke's mansion in awkward silence. Once twenty minutes passed, Sierra snapped out of the daze brought on by the solid warmth of his chest.

I can't forget my actual purpose!

Regardless of her shaking feelings for Cassius, Hanael was not their daughter. Therefore, the moment she returned to the mansion, Sierra gathered the doctors and Cassius.

After thoroughly demonstrating her brilliance in saving Marchioness Mails—a feat the Hippo Kingdom doctors failed to achieve—she confidently raised objections regarding the paternity test kit.

[Sierra] "According to my brilliant intellect, the first-stage kit possesses a massive flaw."

Hentel, who now trusted Sierra entirely after she saved Adante, nodded in agreement.

[Hentel] "Indeed, a first-stage paternity test can yield inconclusive results."

[Lanya] "The accuracy rate hovers at only eighty percent, after all."

She successfully reached a solid agreement with Lanya and Kilo.

Since Hanael was absolutely not proven to be Sierra's daughter, Cassius' marriage proposal naturally fell through. Of course, the Grand Madam had other ideas......

[G. Madam] "My dear, I heard you saved our family's daughter-in-law. You make me so proud. You're an absolute angel......"

The Grand Madam, who already adored Sierra more than anyone in the world, attempted to throw a massive festival for the entire capital. It took immense effort to stop her, but things concluded smoothly. Furthermore, a few days later, another piece of excellent news arrived for Sierra.

Right on cue, Abel received her letter and rushed to the Duke's mansion. Sierra hummed a cheerful tune as she welcomed him. They strolled along the garden path to talk, but unlike a refreshed Sierra, Abel wore a grim expression the whole time.

[Sierra] "My sister went missing?"

[Abel] "Yes! Her trail vanished in Sebor Village, an area under the Crown Prince's direct jurisdiction."

Under normal circumstances, one should feel devastated over a missing sister. However, her sister was Amille, the eccentric Great Archmage. In reality, she had likely vanished on purpose rather than actually going missing.

Gritting her teeth hard enough to break them, Sierra snapped to her feet and clenched her fists tightly.

[Sierra] "Let's go to Sebor Village. Time to track her down."

Wearing the rare expression of an eccentric genius, she pulled out a bluish potion from her pocket—a Trail Detector.

[Abel] "What's that?"

Hearing his curious question, she quickened her pace and replied solemnly.

[Sierra] "A potion that tracks my sister's unique magical trail."

Until now, she had held back out of consideration for her sister. Sierra refrained from unleashing her true powers, acting only within limits that wouldn't cause trouble for Amille. But now, nothing could stop her.

[Sierra] "I'll find my sister with this and drag her right in front of me."

She couldn't endure this any longer. She liked this mansion, felt happy seeing Hanael live in luxury, and grew fond of these people. But if she remained completely unfocused like this, she might fall in love with Cassius.

Life isn't a romance novel. A marriage where one side holds all the power never yields a happy ending.

Sierra blinked tightly, then focused her gaze ahead.

Just like my parents......

Remembering her late parents, her gaze turned fierce. Reflecting on them cemented her resolve completely.

[Sierra] "How long does it take to reach Sebor Village?"

Abel folded his fingers to calculate the distance, muttered to himself, and then clapped loudly with a bright response.

[Abel] "It won't take long. We can make the round trip in just a single day."

A grim look crossed her face.

That crazy sister of hers—she would drag her back alive no matter what.

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