She's Not Our Daughter! Ch 93

The Great Detective's Tracking Results

What did that mean?

Becoming even more puzzled, Sierra blinked repeatedly. She fought to suppress her bewildered expression and looked around the room.

[Sierra] "Fleeing changes absolutely nothing?"

But no one answered her.

[Sierra] "......"

Only her breathing echoed in the silent room. She breathed softly, brushing her hair back. Though usually slow to pick up on things, she knew that the chaotic events surrounding her were strange.

Hanael's mana. The paternity test results. And the inexplicable words from her older sister......

I need to form a hypothesis to figure out what is going on.

From that day on, the great detective Sierra began her investigation.

---

Cassius secretly deployed the Ideos family assassins and shadows to tail the Crown Prince. Naturally, like typical villains, the Crown Prince knew how to erase his tracks flawlessly. The assassins left the mansion, determined to pursue him relentlessly.

While the assassins tracked the Crown Prince, Sierra focused on the connection between Hanael and Cassius.

Hentel said Hanael is my daughter with Cassius, and her mana doesn't belong to this world.

But that mystery remained beyond her current deductive reach. Sierra built her first hypothesis. For Hanael, who was Amille's daughter, to connect to both Sierra and Cassius at the same time......

The child's father must share a link with the Ideos family.

A connection between the child's father and the Ideos family meant...…

Sierra narrowed her eyes. She turned to the head maid who arrived to wake her and asked succinctly.

[Sierra] "Is it possible for me to see the Ideos family tree?"

[Lexel] "Pardon?"

The head maid opened her eyes wide, covering her mouth with her hand as a brilliant smile broke across her face. Did a request to see the family tree warrant such intense emotion?

[Lexel] "My Lady, finally......!"

Ah, she is misunderstanding.

Sierra frowned and shook her head.

[Sierra] "It doesn't mean that......"

[Lexel] "O-Of course. I misspoke."

Sierra wanted to tell the head maid to wipe that massive grin off her face first. However, the head maid had already backed down. Pressing the matter further would only cause problems.

Sierra rubbed her eyes gently and stood up. She followed the head maid into the mansion's library to inspect the family tree......

Right, the Ideos family lines run thin.

The family tree was remarkably sparse. Sierra narrowed her eyes, studying the collateral branches of the Ideos family. She searched for anyone who might have a connection to Amille.

There is absolutely no one.

At this rate, she had to wonder if an illegitimate child existed. Still, she needed to voice her thoughts.

---

[Sierra] "The tests continuously state Hanael is our daughter, even though she isn't. So, regarding that......"

She knew her current deduction sounded absurd. Yet, whenever she faced Cassius' unique expression—which always radiated absolute trust in her every word—she found herself blurting out even the most ridiculous ideas. She frowned and spoke.

[Sierra] "By any chance, do you have any close, direct relatives?"

This was the ultimate conclusion. Hanael was Amille's daughter, so if her father shared a link with Cassius, perhaps it caused a minor error in the paternity test.

However, Cassius shook his head, absolute certainty marking his posture regarding this matter.

[Cassius] "No."

[Sierra] "What?"

[Cassius] "I am the sole direct descendant of the Duke of Ideos."

She rested her chin in her hand and stared at him. His tightly set lips twisted strangely. He rarely wore such an expression in front of her.

As Sierra tilted her head, he spoke.

[Cassius] "Therefore, even though my father loathed and feared me, he could never cast me aside."

The previous Duke of Ideos...... That man was Cassius' greatest trigger.

Sierra watched him. Reaching out, she slowly traced his jawline and suddenly spoke.

[Sierra] "I love you."

He arched his brows, startled by the sudden confession. But she didn't stop. She spoke quietly, whispering once more to emphasize her words.

[Sierra] "I love you, Cassius."

At her radiant smile, Cassius froze, entirely at a loss for words. He blinked quietly and gripped her shoulders.

[Cassius] "I love you too."

[Sierra] "......"

An intense gaze locked between them. Cassius directed a completely possessive look at Sierra, but her mind remained half-focused on other thoughts.

Alright, let us rule out a secret family member linking Amille and the Ideos line. In that case......

She stared intently at him.

[Sierra] "By any chance...... before you met me......"

She swallowed hard and spoke.

[Sierra] "Did you ever meet the Great Archmage?"

What kind of ridiculous romance novel plot was this? Surely it couldn't be true.

His fidelity suddenly brought into question, Cassius bit his dry lip and shook his head violently.

[Cassius] "In the past, the present, and the future, there is only you."

[Sierra] "......"

Sierra meant it half as a joke and half as a serious query, but he replied with sheer sincerity.

[Cassius] "You were my first woman."

[Sierra] "......"

[Cassius] "And my first experience."

He was far too good at it for a beginner...... No, stop!

[Sierra] "Uh......"

[Cassius] "So don't suspect that there was ever another woman."

Sierra bit her lip, looking at his earnest face. This stood as her clear mistake. Suspecting another woman existed was uncalled for. She should never have questioned his serious love, even as a joke. Therefore, she placed a quick kiss on his cheek. She offered a straightforward apology.

[Sierra] "I am sorry."

Her earlobes, typically frozen and completely immune to flushing, suddenly turned bright red.

[Sierra] "I won't doubt your sincerity."

At her clean apology, his rigid expression melted away completely. Sierra covered her mouth with her hand and giggled as she watched him. This man was incredibly cute.

But either way, the great detective's deduction failed.

He lacked any siblings; no ridiculous novel plot existed between Cassius and Amille, and the paternity test results repeatedly proved valid...…

Sierra stood frozen, narrowing her brow. Watching her, Cassius spoke with a strange expression.

[Cassius] "Perhaps."

Sierra, who was staring at his jawline, responded a beat late.

[Sierra] "Huh?"

[Cassius] "If we want to deduce the truth, we shouldn't focus on us......"

[Sierra] "......"

[Cassius] "......but start with Hanael instead."

[Sierra] "Start with Hanael?"

[Cassius] "Yes. The mana inside her might serve as the key to everything."

A certain intuition prompted this thought despite the complete lack of concrete evidence. Cassius parted his lips but fell silent.

---

Immediately after parting ways with Sierra, Cassius prepared to head to the imperial palace. Lately, the Crown Prince summoned him frequently regarding military matters.

How should I handle this?

Yet, Cassius merely sat still, rolling a small bead in his hand. A far more vital matter commanded his attention right now, outweighing the Crown Prince's orders.

In truth...... that day, after the Crown Prince departed, Amille had urgently summoned Cassius. They shared a secret conversation that no one else must ever hear. But could he really disclose that discussion to Sierra?

[Amille] "I have something to give you."

[Cassius] "......You do?"

[Amille] "Yes. Give this to Sierra when the most critical, most necessary moment arrives."

She had repeatedly wiped her bleeding lips, her complexion dark and gaunt, resembling a terminally ill patient as she looked at him.

[Amille] "Treat Hanael well."

[Cassius] "Naturally."

[Amille] "......And treat the woman you love as best as you can."

Amille bit her dry lips, glaring at Cassius. How such fierce energy could radiate from that emaciated woman's face remained entirely beyond him. He couldn't fathom it at all. Amille behaved like someone who already knew exactly how he would act.

Cassius had narrowed his eyes, observing Amille. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't understand. What profound secret was she hiding to drive her to this?

She also looked excessively worried about Sierra.

She tried to conceal something repeatedly, but he read the situation clearly. Amille and Sierra worried about each other to an extreme degree. The link between them was Hanael......

A woman doesn't assume responsibility for the child of a stranger. Nor does she plead so desperately.

That stood completely apart from his own love for Sierra. Amille's dry eyes, her ultimate desperation, and her features that excessively resembled Sierra's...... But his thoughts could branch no further. Cassius felt the sharp, piercing pain strike his brain once again.

Amille and Sierra care for each other far too deeply. It is as if a secret bond unites them......

He needed to uncover the secret Amille hid. The returning pain forcefully reminded him of his immediate task. He lacked the luxury to play detective with paternity tests like Sierra. He had to tail the Crown Prince and secure definitive proof that the royal was the true culprit of the Icarus murders.

Time to move.

Staring blankly at his cooling tea, an image flashed vividly in his mind. He pressed his hand to his temple. A strange vision rushed into his thoughts.

Standing up abruptly, he locked his gaze onto the teacup on the table. The liquid inside swirled strangely, and a bizarre illusion unfolded before his eyes.

[Cassius] "Ugh!"

Was he dreaming? No, his mind remained clear. Yet, a crystal-clear vision played out, exactly as if someone had turned on a projector right in front of him.

Sierra?

[Sierra] "I-I'm sorry. My stomach has been turning since yesterday......"

To be precise, the vision linked directly to the teacup. Within the illusion, a pregnant Sierra suffered through morning sickness.

Cassius set the teacup down and breathed heavily. Though the vision vanished quickly, he stood rooted to the spot. A bizarre sensation continued to assault his mind.

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