#18. The Final Struggle 

Meanwhile, outside the Blue Brick Castle of Dragonia.

“The Grand Duke has returned?”

People who didn’t know what had happened in the main castle gossiped among themselves.

This was no exception for the Narkia Marquis family, one of the highest-ranking noble families in the Grand Duchy of Dragonia.

When the girl occupying the luxurious reception room of the Narkia Marquis mansion asked, the maid attending to her answered.

“Yes, Miss Neliana. It’s certain. They say he returned with the Wyvern Legion……”

Neliana, daughter of the Marquis of Narkia, wore only a thin indoor muslin dress despite the bitter cold season, not fur.

Plucking petals from fresh flowers that were difficult to obtain in winter, she asked.

“That means Brother Siyeref has returned as well?”

Siyeref was the eldest son of the current Grand Duke of Dragonia, a man called the next Grand Duke, distinctively superior even to his half-siblings who were “acknowledged for their abilities if not their character.”

Moreover, he was a man of such noble character that he kept no women by his side even though he was well past the age of majority, and most importantly, he was an exceptionally handsome young man.

When Siyeref was mentioned, the maid who remembered his noble face blushed.

Not only the noble ladies of the Northwest, but most of the unmarried noble ladies within the Hakan Empire admired him and dreamed of becoming the mistress of the North.

The maid’s face, momentarily dreamy, quickly turned pale when she met Neliana’s eyes.

“Th-That much isn’t well……”

“You don’t know anything besides the Grand Duke’s arrival?”

“I’m, I’m sorry…… Eek!”

Neliana threw the rose she had been plucking at the maid’s face.

Since the thorns hadn’t been removed except for the part she was holding, the maid screamed as her skin was scratched by the sharp rose stem.

“Shut up!”

Neliana slapped the maid’s cheek as if annoyed.

Slap!

“Can’t you close your mouth?”

“Huu, hic……”

The slapped maid hurriedly covered her mouth.

Neliana, like other women, was also in love with Siyeref.

The only difference was.

“No, my precious nephew Siyeref isn’t back yet.”

“Mother!”

She was Siyeref’s maternal cousin.

Neliana threw away the flowers she had been playing with and quickly approached the Marchioness of Narkia.

“What urgent matter brought the Grand Duke back? Did Father say nothing? When will Brother Siyeref return?”

“How would I know that? No one knows the Grand Duke’s intentions. Our Narkia, as loyal servants of Dragonia, should rightfully……”

“Mother—!”

Neliana clung to the Marchioness of Narkia’s arm and whined.

The stern expression of the Marchioness of Narkia softened as her beloved daughter acted cute.

“I truly don’t know.”

“Hnnng……”

“But, Siyeref will return soon.”

“Really?!”

Neliana was delighted. She clung to her mother’s waist and exclaimed rapidly.

“I hope Brother Siyeref returns soon! Will he visit the Narkia Marquis mansion? If we meet at the main castle…… A banquet? They won’t hold a welcome party, will they? Then we’d have to wait until the New Year’s Festival……”

“Yes, he will certainly come to the New Year’s Festival. The Grand Duke has always celebrated the New Year’s Festival with his children.”

The Grand Duke’s children.

At those words, Neliana’s expression, which had been excited enough to jump around, suddenly turned cold.

“……That means that lowly thing will appear too.”

The Marchioness of Narkia swallowed a sigh.

Everyone present knew that the “lowly thing” Neliana referred to was Partanie, the lady of Dragonia.

Some people become harmful just by existing.

The youngest daughter brought in by the current Grand Duke of Dragonia, Partanie, was a prime example.

Until she appeared, Neliana had been the highest-ranking unmarried woman in the Northwest social circle.

Narkia was a prestigious family that had served Dragonia for generations, and had produced Siyeref, who was called the current Grand Duke’s successor.

‘Ah, there was also Yurian of Belof.’

But he had been removed.

This meant that her daughter, Neliana, had been revered as the noblest girl in Dragonia.

However, unfortunately, after the Grand Duke of Dragonia took in a lowly girl of unknown origin named Partanie as his daughter, Neliana’s rank was lowered.

Shocked, Neliana cried and threw tantrums, begging her parents to drive out that lowly girl, but before they could do anything, Partanie was registered into the House of Dragonia.

Despite late opposition expressed at the vassal council, the Grand Duke remained firm.

And not content with just registering her, he gave her the noble name of ‘Par’.

This was a privilege not even granted to Siyeref, the superior successor produced by Narkia.

They couldn’t find a way to eliminate the child who had received a name beyond her station because she never left the Blue Brick Castle.

As time passed, contrary to the vassals’ vigilance, the child didn’t show any particular distinction.

The Grand Duke of Dragonia seemed to have fulfilled his duty by registering her and showed no special interest in his youngest daughter.

Just like his other children.

Thus, the House of the Marquis of Narkia didn’t pay much attention to the youngest daughter of Dragonia.

“Neliana, don’t worry too much. As you said, that child is……”

“I hate it!”

But Neliana’s resentment hadn’t cooled even slightly.

A dirty bloodline that couldn’t even reveal her mother’s origins had stolen the position of “Siyeref’s only sister” from her.

That alone made her feel as if her internal organs were twisting.

“You want me to be that lowborn’s maid?!”

“Neliana, I’m not just floating the idea. You want to see Siyeref so badly, don’t you? With such an official position, it would be easier for you to stay at the Blue Brick Castle. That lowborn wouldn’t dare to actually treat you as a real maid……”

“I still hate it! How dare they ask this of me, Neliana of Narkia—!”

As her daughter became upset, the Marchioness of Narkia quickly comforted her.

“Alright, alright. If our Nel doesn’t like it, then you don’t like it. And……”

Neliana’s eyes widened at her mother’s whisper.

“……Yes, there was that. Penelope.”

The maternal aunt of Taran, the second son of Dragonia.

Neliana’s expression soured as she recalled that vulgar woman who dared to act as if she were the mistress of Dragonia, but….

“Then, if Penelope wants to inflate her power and run wild, who must she subdue first?”

“……!”

Her expression immediately brightened at her mother’s following words.

Neliana smiled brightly.

“Ahaha, lowborns fighting each other. It’s a pity I can’t see it in person.”

“Fighting, Neliana. The Grand Duke hasn’t given any power to his youngest daughter. How could a girl with nothing but a name and a body contend with that vulgar merchant-born?”

She would inevitably be trampled.

Neliana didn’t hide her joy at the hidden implication.

‘It would be great if she just died.’

Dreaming of a future where both women disappeared, Neliana smiled in the reception room filled with the scent of crushed fresh flowers.

* * *

Though she didn’t know it herself, Neliana’s expectations were becoming partly close to reality.

“Shut up?!”

Penelope shouted fiercely.

“Who do you think you are to speak up in this place!”

“No…… mmph!”

Penelope used her underlings to cover the low-ranking maid’s mouth. Then she immediately signaled another maid who had followed her to search the fireplace around the bedroom.

The maid who received Penelope’s order frantically rummaged around the fireplace as if looking for something.

‘Quickly, quickly!’

Penelope’s eyes gradually widened as she watched.

‘……It’s, gone?’

The Divine Beast’s egg that she had ordered the maid to hide was nowhere to be seen!

‘It should be there?’

Penelope’s eyes shook wildly.

Her final card that she had planned to use, the scheme for which she had given blood and flesh to take the bone, had disappeared without a trace!

Desperate amid the fear consuming her entire body, Penelope frantically rolled her eyes until she discovered.

Through the loosened chimera hide that had been readjusted to hold her better, Partanie was holding a round-shaped stone.

“……!”

The Divine Beast’s egg.

A precious object so shabby in appearance that before properly knowing what it was, anyone would mistake it for a stone rolling on the ground rather than recognizing it as the Divine Beast’s egg.

‘Why is that in that child’s arms?’

Before she could think further, the Divine Beast’s egg that Penelope’s gaze had fallen upon began to crack with a splitting sound.

Then in an instant, it shattered into pieces, becoming as small as dust and disappearing silently.

‘How…… how!’

Shocked, Penelope froze in place.

The Divine Beast’s egg, which had been solid as a stone for decades, had broken just now of all times!

Moreover, it seemed she was the only one who witnessed the scene, as no one else showed any sign of noticing.

The broken Divine Beast’s egg had disappeared without a trace, making it impossible for her to prove her words.

“No, no……”

Crying out in despair, Penelope suddenly realized that the space was too quiet.

And the low-ranking maid whom she had ordered to have her mouth covered……

“……There is no lie in my words!”

She had somehow escaped from the hands of Penelope’s underling and was now kneeling at the Grand Duke’s feet.

As if she had just made some accusation.

‘Why, why is she still there?’

Penelope’s complexion turned pale. She had clearly ordered her to be removed!

But the underling who had been holding her had been restrained by another servant at some point.

‘What on earth did she say……!’

As if hearing Penelope’s question, the low-ranking maid Eren cried out with tears streaming from her eyes.

“Please save the lady from Nanny Penelope’s evil scheme!”

“What, what are you talk……”

Penelope immediately reacted to the word ‘Nanny’ and shouted, but.

“You.”

She couldn’t continue.

The Grand Duke of Dragonia, holding Partanie in his arms, was looking at her with eyes as blue as ice.

“A mere nanny, how dare you attempt to murder the lady of Dragonia?”