The Youngest Daughter Of The Great Wizard Of The Famous Swordsmanship [EN]: Chapter 86

She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence, afraid the Duke might think Pipi was malfunctioning if he heard all the questions.

Sensing her concern, the Duke reassured her.

“You don’t have to worry. Pipi is safe. It got hurt on the way, but Celine healed it completely.”

“Thankfully, Pipi guided you well.”

“…Yes.”

Duke Adrian didn’t mention that he had gone to meet Marquis Dallas and had been guided by a black-haired child there.

He didn’t want to add to Rosette’s worries.

“By the way, Rose, what happened to the child named Michael? Was he in that building earlier?”

“Michael…”

Rosette hesitated before speaking.

“He saved me and ran away.”

“Saved you?”

“Yes. Marquis Dallas put a strange bracelet on me, so I couldn’t use magic. But that child released it, told me to contact Dad, and disappeared.”

‘Come to think of it, how did Michael release that bracelet?’ Rosette wondered belatedly.

In Rosette’s judgment, Michael didn’t seem to have better magical skills than her.

But how did that child release the bracelet that she couldn’t?

‘Was it because my mana was suppressed that I couldn’t release it?’

On the other hand, Michael wasn’t affected by the bracelet, so he might have been able to release it.

Concluding that, Rosette leaned languidly against the Duke’s body.

“I’m tired.”

“Yes, you must be very tired. Let’s go and rest quickly.”

Duke Adrian patted Rosette’s head once and kicked the horse’s side hard.

The black horse picked up speed and began to run towards the mansion.

The red sunset was already painting the sky.

* * *

“Pipi!”

As soon as Rosette returned to the mansion, she looked for Pipi. Pipi had already been moved to Rosette’s room and was sleeping on the pillow.

[Pee-it!]

Pipi, recognizing Rosette’s voice, opened its eyes wide. Pipi fluttered its wings and then struggled to fly towards Rosette.

“Pipi, you’re alive!”

[Pee-ee!]

Rosette held Pipi in her hands and burst into tears.

“I thought something had happened to you! Do you know how worried I was?”

[Pee-ee-ee, pee-ee.]

Pipi also cried sadly and chattered about what had happened. Rosette listened carefully to everything Pipi said.

When she heard that an eagle had attacked Pipi, Rosette bit her lip tightly.

“It must have hurt a lot, Pipi.”

Pipi puffed out its chest, seeing Rosette sad.

[Peep!]

‘Don’t cry, Rosette! I plucked all the tail feathers of that nasty eagle!’

Even though she knew it was a lie, Rosette praised Pipi, saying, “Good job, Pipi, you’re amazing.”

Pipi continued to tell her stories.

About how Celine had healed its wounds completely, and how she was able to grasp the situation thanks to her familiar, Luna.

Rosette checked that there wasn’t a single wound on Pipi’s body and sighed in relief.

“Yes, Pipi. You have to stay healthy in the future. So stay by my side until I die, okay?”

[Pee-ee!]

It was when Rosette was patting Pipi that the door burst open, and the Adrian siblings rushed in.

“Kiddo!”

Lucas was the first to run over and hug Rosette tightly.

“O, Oppa [Older brother]. I can’t breathe.”

Rosette, who was about to ask him to let go, stopped struggling when she heard Lucas crying.

“Oppa?”

“Hwaaa [crying sound]. Do you know how worried I was? You disappeared, and Pipi showed up covered in blood! I thought something had happened to both Pipi and you!”

“Oppa, calm down. I’m fine. I’m perfectly fine without any injuries.”

“Hwaa, I’m so glad, kiddo. Don’t even think about going anywhere in the future.”

“Okay.”

Lucas continued to cry for a long time before finally letting Rosette go.

Rosette didn’t realize it, but Daniel and Isabel, who were standing behind Lucas, were also crying.

“Daniel Oppa, Isabel Unnie [Older sister]?”

“I’m glad you’re safe, Rose.”

“How much do you have to worry us to feel better?”

Rosette chuckled at their typical words. She opened her arms.

“Come here. I’ll give you a hug.”

Daniel wiped away his tears and approached. Isabel, who she thought would grumble primly, also came into her arms without complaint.

Rosette closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the three people.

Only now did she feel like she had truly returned.

* * *

Marquis Dallas was captured by the Adrian family knights and handed over to the Imperial Security Forces.

The Emperor, after receiving a report of what he had done, ordered the Imperial Knights to interrogate him.

Thus, Marquis Dallas was imprisoned in the dungeon beneath the Imperial Palace.

“Damn familiar! Not even able to get rid of that insignificant sparrow!”

Marquis Dallas continued to mutter while imprisoned in the underground dungeon of the Imperial Castle. He heard noises from somewhere, but he didn’t care.

“This can’t be! This can’t be happening to me!”

Marquis Dallas gnawed at his thumbnail.

‘That person will save me.’

The Lillis family, one of the Empire’s four great ducal houses. The head of that family, Duke Lillis, had contacted Marquis Dallas over a decade ago.

-I hear you are one of the most skilled mages in the Empire?

Duke Lillis’s goal was simple: to make his beloved daughter the Empress.

Duke Lillis promised Marquis Dallas one thing.

-If you make my daughter the Empress, I will make your daughter the Crown Princess.

Marquis Dallas didn’t understand the words.

Even if the unmarried Lady Lillis became the Empress and had an heir, there would be more than a ten-year age difference with Elisha.

But he would really make Elisha the Crown Princess?

However, Marquis Dallas was blinded by power and made a magical oath to Duke Lillis.

It was an ancient magic that would cause his heart to explode the moment he betrayed Duke Lillis, a struggle to show how loyal he was to the Duke.

Only then did Duke Lillis tell him the secret.

In fact, there was an illegitimate child between Lady Lillis and the Emperor, and the Duke’s ultimate goal was to make that child the Emperor.

The Emperor’s hidden and raised illegitimate child was only two years older than Elisha, so they could be married.

That’s why he worked harder to bring down Empress Ophelia and Joshua. He also tried to bring down Duke Adrian, Joshua’s teacher and supporter.

But Rosette Adrian kept getting in the way.

‘I should have killed her no matter what.’

But it was okay. Duke Lillis would cover up his mistakes and get him out of here.

‘But really?’

Duke Lillis had been displeased with the Marquis, who kept failing, for a long time. Would he really save him, who had been caught?

Or would he cut off the tail [abandon him]?

Just as Marquis Dallas was gnawing at his nails again in anxiety,

“You’re a mess.”

A beautiful voice, unsuitable for this gloomy underground prison, was heard.

Soon, the appearance of the child who appeared in front of the prison where the Marquis was imprisoned was as unsuitable for this place as his voice.

Red hair and red eyes that stood out even in the dark.

“Michael!”

A mage sent from the Magic Tower a few months ago to help with his request. At first, he was reluctant to see a child come, but he listened to his words and was persuaded.

-Isn’t it better to have the same child? I heard the youngest of the Adrian family is about my age. Wouldn’t it be easier to seduce that child?

So he told Elisha to become friends with Rosette and invited her to the mansion. And he created an opportunity for Rosette and Michael to meet.

Rosette Adrian also showed interest in Michael. Everything was going according to plan.

However, he had one greed. Michael said he would take Rosette away, but Marquis Dallas opposed it.

Even if Adrian was eliminated, Rosette Adrian had to be secured. If he engraved ancient magic on her and controlled her, there would be nothing to fear in this world.

But Michael deflected his magic.

Not only that, but he even came to the old temple where he was supposed to meet Duke Adrian, killed all his subordinates, and even tried to kill him.

Marquis Dallas was almost killed. Michael disappeared when Duke Adrian arrived, as if he had changed his mind in the middle.

So Marquis Dallas thought Michael had given up on him.

But he had appeared.

The fact that he had come here without being noticed meant that he was more capable than he thought.

‘Duke Lillis is a rotten rope [unreliable]. He probably won’t save me. Then, even to this child…’

Marquis Dallas crawled on his knees and sat down in front of Michael.

“I was wrong. I’ll explain everything, so please save me.”

Michael looked down at him and twisted his lips.

“You’re like a bug.”

“What? What are you saying…”

At that moment, a long tentacle that emerged from the prison floor wrapped around the Marquis’s neck.

“Cough!”

“You dared to try to use me and that child?”

“Cough, misunderstanding… Let me explain…”

Michael burst out laughing.

“What misunderstanding? I clearly saw what you were trying to do to my body.”

“Huk, save…”

“At first, I thought about killing you nicely, but that laboratory you created ruined my mood. It reminded me of something unpleasant. Besides, I said I would take that child, right? But you dared to touch that child? You dared to try to deceive me?”

“I didn’t mean to…”

“Shut up. What are you trying to excuse?”

With a flick of Michael’s finger, the prison lock was released.

He entered with an elegant step and grabbed Marquis Dallas’s face with his white, long fingers.

“That child was hurt. You’ll have to pay the price, right?”

“That’s…”

One of Michael’s right eyes gradually turned a deep burgundy color. An unknown pattern appeared on his arm, and soon his hair turned black.

“Please…”

“Shh. Everyone’s listening.”

As Michael whispered softly, no more voices came out of Marquis Dallas’s mouth. The Marquis only screamed silently.

Michael smiled innocently like a child.

“I’ll show you hell to the point where you’d rather beg me to kill you.”

Marquis Dallas’s eyes, looking at Michael, were filled with terror.

* * *

Marquis Dallas died.

It wasn’t suicide, but murder, and the method was very brutal.

The exact method was not known, but he suffered so much that he wanted to beg to be killed before he died.

The culprit was not identified. There was no trace of intrusion at all.

It was not even possible to guess whether a knife or magic was used.

Thus, the Marquis’s death remained a mystery.

No one in the Adrian family told Rosette the news. However, Rosette roughly grasped the situation by listening to people whispering.

She didn’t feel good.