She's Not Our Daughter! Ch 88

A Secret Meeting

[Ezel] "The Crown Prince is a character who thirsts for power."

Sierra crossed her arms, responding with complete indifference to his meaningful words.

[Sierra] "Is that so? Watching him today made it clear he is a two-faced madman."

Insulting the imperial family invited immediate execution, but what did it matter? She refused to recognize the madman as the Crown Prince any longer.

I have no idea how he hid his filthy intentions.

To the commoners and lower nobility, the Crown Prince projected the public image of a smooth, playful idler. Yet, behind that mask, he actively orchestrated murders.

She narrowed her brow and spoke.

[Sierra] "Why exactly is he acting like this?"

[Ezel] "The Crown Prince suffers from an inferiority complex. As for who it is directed toward......"

Sierra stared at Ezel with utter disgust. He spoke as if playing a fun game. His voice carried no tension despite discussing a murder case. The Crown Prince possessed a terrifying presence, but Ezel was far from normal either.

[Sierra] "Toward whom?"

[Ezel] "Ta-da!"

He extended an arm in an exaggerated, ridiculous gesture, pointing directly at Cassius.

[Ezel] "Toward Duke Ideos!"

Sierra smirked. She had already suspected as much. For a supreme being like the Crown Prince to suffer from inferiority, the target had to be flawless.

[Sierra] "He is rather exceptional."

Her supportive words brought a bright look to Cassius' usually expressionless face. Pressing a cold hand against his reddened ears to cool them, he whispered.

[Cassius] "What exactly is the connection between his inferiority complex and me?"

[Ezel] "A foolish, idle prince versus the legendary Duke who ended the monster war. Looking at this rivalry, the prince loses completely, don't you think......?"

[Cassius] "And?"

[Ezel] "So, a rumor spread through the world that the Crown Prince is searching for a way to become stronger than Duke Ideos."

[Sierra] "Is there a way to become stronger than a Sword Master?"

Cassius flushed at her innocent question. Staring directly at his shy expression, Ezel scratched his chin in disgust, as if witnessing something unbearable.

[Ezel] "Oh...... I have lived long enough to witness everything."

[Cassius] "If you wish to live longer, keep speaking."

He showed no mercy to Ezel. Ezel recoiled, muttering under his breath.

[Ezel] "He investigated various methods to uncover that secret. Rumor says he has a deep interest in dark magic, so he might be trying to steal children's mana."

[Sierra] "Stealing mana? Is that even possible? I suspect he wants to utilize the power of their mana instead."

Mana belonged uniquely to each individual. Stealing it was impossible, just as one couldn't steal a person's intelligence or talent.

Watching Sierra shake her head, Cassius tilted his head.

[Cassius] "Dark magic makes anything possible. The theory that he kills people to acquire mana through dark magic carries real weight."

Silence filled the room.

[Sierra] "Madman."

She cursed into the quiet space. Cassius placed a hand on her trembling shoulder to calm her before speaking.

[Cassius] "Everyone, leave us. I have something to discuss with Sierra."

Abel, who was staring at Ezel, smiled brightly and waved a hand.

[Abel] "Yes! I will stay hidden away safely in the room right next to Lady Sierra!"

[Ezel] "Oh, I want to stay at the ducal mansion too—"

Attempting to linger like Abel, Ezel caught Cassius' sharp look and immediately backed down.

[Ezel] "Ah, never mind."

Ezel and Abel—possessing similar names but opposite appearances—bickered as they walked out the door. Soon, only Sierra and Cassius remained in the room.

[Cassius] "Do you need time to organize your thoughts?"

[Sierra] "Yes."

Finally alone with him, she fell deep into thought.

Amille was alive, and it had become entirely clear that the Crown Prince wrongfully abused her. Therefore, Sierra had to rescue her sister and stop the Crown Prince's conspiracy.

I want to save my sister first. But she will undoubtedly object to me putting myself in danger.

Amille never wanted Sierra to touch anything dangerous. Ever since they were young, Amille had overprotected her.

[Amille] "Get away from the fire. Absolutely not!"

[Sierra] "I'm just cooking bouillabaisse......? All the other kids do it!"

[Amille] "What? Children must never go near the fire!"

Amille had blocked Sierra and clumsily cooked in front of the flames, even at the cost of burns to her own hands. She made a massive fuss over a tiny scratch on Sierra's skin, yet dismissed the heavy bleeding from her own body as nothing.

As her sister, Amille would never want Sierra to risk her life to save her. She would try to bear all the burdens and sacrifice herself.

Therefore, Sierra had to strike first. Though the exact reason for her cooperation with the Crown Prince remained a mystery, Sierra refused to let her sister carry the weight alone and sacrifice herself.

As she pondered, the final piece of evidence Amille left behind flashed through her mind.

[Sierra] "About the butterfly brooch."

[Cassius] "Ah, that."

Cassius wore an uncomfortable expression. Naturally, since the object brought him the horrific byproduct of a graphic nightmare, he had every reason to be wary. Yet Sierra had to say it, even if it made him double his guard.

[Sierra] "Can I keep it?"

She needed to test the effects of the butterfly brooch at least once. Perhaps Amille had embedded a hidden signal inside it meant for her. But he shook his head firmly.

[Cassius] "No. The probability that it is a dangerous item remains high. If a hidden message remains inside that butterfly brooch, I will uncover it."

[Sierra] "It is dangerous to you too."

Studying her rigid features, he reinforced his point.

[Cassius] "It is merely a nightmare. I am not afraid."

[Sierra] "Liar."

She knew him inside out. Deeply traumatized by her past departure, Cassius could never easily endure nightmares depicting her death. He would surely crumble like a fragile young boy.

[Cassius] "It is a bit of a lie to say I am not scared at all."

He looked deep into her eyes.

[Cassius] "But it is fine. I will do it. You are in danger."

Faced with his absolute determination, Sierra decided to step back for now. Trying to persuade him would yield no results.

[Sierra] "Alright."

He nodded with satisfaction.

[Cassius] "Leave the dangerous tasks to me, and let us three be happy together. I must see you watch Hanael safely graduate from the academy in good health."

Cassius possessed an irritating tendency to view Sierra as fragile. She chewed her lip, then froze.

Barring early graduation or repeating a year, students generally graduate from the academy at the age of twenty. This meant Cassius was currently projecting a distant future more than fifteen years away.

[Sierra] "Hanael is still a baby. Isn't that too far into the future?"

[Cassius] "Children grow up quickly."

She shook her head, parting her lips.

[Sierra] "Just how far ahead have you planned......?"

Cassius lowered his brows, whispering in a dramatic complaint.

[Cassius] "I have naturally planned our marriage, of course."

[Sierra] "Huh?"

[Cassius] "Why do you look like that?"

Tilting his head, he pressed further.

[Cassius] "Even after we slept together, is it still not enough to plan our marriage?"

No, sleep together? We did share a bed, but the phrasing sounds completely wrong!

Furthermore, what was with that pout? Whining like an abandoned puppy crossed the line into unfair territory. Sierra could never get used to Cassius casually dropping such bold statements without batting an eye.

[Sierra] "Yes, it's not enough!"

She bit her lip hard and shook her head with more force. Overwhelmed by embarrassment, she quickly changed the subject.

[Sierra] "What do you think the Crown Prince is doing right now?"

He replied with a cold, cynical expression.

[Cassius] "Probably holding a meeting."

She burst into giggles at his dismissive tone.

[Sierra] "Are you sure?"

Was the royal actually in a meeting?

---

Surprisingly, Cassius' deduction was accurate.

Inside the Crown Prince's executive office, he and his subordinates sat around a long, rectangular island table. Seated at the head of the table, the Crown Prince tilted his head sideways.

[Prince] "No matter how I look at it, isn't Duke Ideos suspicious?"

He tossed the words carelessly. The subordinates in the room flinched simultaneously.

[Subordinate] "The Duke is investigating the mastermind behind the murder cases."

[Prince] "I already know that."

At the end of the table, a man with a hideous scar on his cheek and long bangs covering half his face spoke.

[Scarface] "Given his exceptional capabilities, he might have already uncovered the truth......"

[Prince] "Are you implying I am inferior to him?"

Duke Ideos was the Crown Prince's greatest trigger. Resting his chin in his hand at a crooked angle, he mocked the scarred man.

[Prince] "Speak up, Scarface."

[Scarface] "Of course not, Your Highness! Aren't you currently grow… growing stronger than anyone else......?"

Ignoring the stammering man, the Crown Prince shifted his crooked gaze toward Princess Iliena.

[Prince] "Ah...... yes. What does our Imperial Princess, the future Duchess of Ideos, think about this?"

Princess Iliena tried to hide her trembling hands, glancing around the room.

[Prince] Who is grander? Me, who claimed power after slaughtering others, or the Duke, who merely dealt with a few monsters?"

These individuals were entirely insane, and Princess Iliena desperately wanted to escape this room. However......

[Iliena] "......I am not sure."

A mocking smile played on his lips.

[Prince] "I knew you would say that. Your heart overflows with affection for him."

Princess Iliena bit her lip. The Crown Prince shrugged.

[Prince] "I will make you the Duchess soon, my sister. Today at the opera, I discovered Duke Ideos' weakness."

[Iliena] "What weakness......?"

[Prince] "Sierra."

Panic colored the features of both Princess Iliena and Amille simultaneously. Smirking chillingly, the Crown Prince spoke with deep satisfaction.

[Prince] "That woman, Sierra......"

[Iliena] "......"

[Prince] "Since measures prevent anyone from touching her directly, it might not technically qualify as a weakness."

He understood the situation completely.

[Prince] "Therefore, we must find that woman's own weakness. We need to make her abandon Duke Ideos and come to us willingly."

Amille's face hardened instantly. She knew Sierra's vulnerabilities better than anyone. They were Hanael and her sister.

The Crown Prince grinned, whispering like he was talking to himself.

[Prince] "What exactly is her weakness...... Yes, we must investigate. Find a weakness capable of destroying the woman named Sierra first."

At the far end of the table, a hooded man bowing low responded quietly.

[Hooded Man] "I obey your command."

Silence filled the room. Princess Iliena spoke quietly.

[Iliena] "But, even so...... Duke Ideos will not remain idle."

[Prince] "Shouldn't you celebrate if I destroy that woman?"

[Iliena] "......"

She sank into silence, unable to counter his words.

Satisfied, the Crown Prince rested his chin in his hand and smoothly shifted to the next topic.

[Prince] "Come to think of it, sister."

[Iliena] "Yes?"

[Prince] "Your mutt seems to have run off to serve another master."

He referred to Ezel. Despite the warnings, Ezel had dived straight into danger like a moth to a flame. Princess Iliena bit her lip hard and lowered her gaze sorrowfully.

The Crown Prince smirked, casually issuing a death sentence.

[Prince] "I plan to dispose of him shortly."

Ezel.

He was like a Chihuahua of the information guild, yet Iliena had grown somewhat attached to him. However, humans naturally turn spineless when facing their own demise.

[Iliena] "......Understood."

Seeing Iliena's indifferent expression, a vivid smile spread across the Crown Prince's lips. Her awkward attempt to hide her shaking emotions—likely because she cared for Ezel—amused him greatly. But above all, the most entertaining part lay elsewhere.

The Crown Prince stared fixedly at Amille, who sat completely motionless right beside him.

---

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