NOVEL NEXT Episode 69
Episode 69
Lindsey stared at Sylvia.
Sylvia appeared more pitiful than anyone she had ever seen.
She could barely remember why she used to be so afraid of this woman.
“I wanted to see your face before you left for the monastery.”
Sylvia had always despised Lindsey because of her status. Lindsey wanted to show her just how meaningless that was.
“You called me vulgar, said my blood was dirty, that my behavior was crude, and that you couldn’t bear to look at me.”
“…”
“But contrary to your words, those things had nothing to do with my status. If I appeared vulgar to you, it was only because that’s how you chose to see me.”
“Lies. You couldn’t possibly be a noble. Someone like you…”
As Lindsey continued speaking, a chill settled over Kalia’s face.
She glared at Sylvia with eyes full of anger.
“How dare you speak to my daughter like that?”
Sylvia flinched at Kalia’s gaze. The intensity emanating from her was too much for an ordinary cleric like Sylvia to bear.
“It’s all right,” Lindsey said softly.
At her words, Kalia restrained her fury.
“My mother, whom you called a commoner, was actually the most noble of the Asen Empire’s aristocracy.”
“L-Lies… Lies! You filthy…”
“Believe what you want. It won’t change reality.”
There was no need for further words.
Seeing Lindsey now was enough to plunge Sylvia into despair.
Lindsey had planned this from the moment she heard Sylvia would be sent to the monastery.
She knew exactly how Sylvia would endure her time there.
‘She probably thought she was better off than me.’
Lindsey wanted to show her the harsh reality.
That her thoughts were wrong.
That Lindsey was alive, and her future would be entirely different from the past.
Just as Lindsey had anticipated, Sylvia looked like someone who had lost everything.
Even the malice she had clung to seemed to have drained away.
“You’ll spend the rest of your life in that monastery. It’s a terrible fate.”
“…”
“I hope you spend every moment regretting what you did to me in the Radian household.”
Sylvia looked ten years older as Lindsey stood up.
There was no longer any value in dealing with her.
⋆★⋆
Sylvia stared blankly at the space where Lindsey had disappeared.
“This can’t be real, can it?”
Was it really true that Lindsey was a noble?
Lindsey’s confident smile lingered in her mind.
She truly seemed like a noblewoman.
“Why… why is it…”
She seemed like a different person from her own miserable state. Especially Kalia, who stood beside Lindsey.
Their striking resemblance was proof enough that Lindsey was indeed of noble blood.
Why hadn’t she realized it before?
Why hadn’t she questioned Lindsey’s resemblance to Kalia when she saw her?
Would anything have changed if she had known about Lindsey’s noble birth?
Sylvia staggered, feeling light-headed.
The depth of her despair made her feel nauseous. The fact that Lindsey, who she believed to be dead, had returned was shocking enough. But even more shocking was her noble status.
Lindsey would now live a brilliant life.
‘If that bastard Raysis ever becomes the Marquis of Kesion…’
The color drained from Sylvia’s face.
She resented Lindsey, who had put her in this position. But at the same time, she had taken solace in the belief that Lindsey had met a miserable end.
But none of that was true.
Lindsey was alive, and she possessed blood more noble than anyone else.
Kalia was someone who cherished her family deeply.
Lindsey would live on as the daughter of the Riken Duchy.
Unlike Sylvia, who would spend her life confined to a monastery, stripped of her divine power.
‘Life in the monastery will be a nightmare.’
Kalia Riken—how devilish she could be.
She would undoubtedly command the people at the monastery to make Sylvia’s life a living hell.
Lindsey’s final words had been true.
Sylvia would spend the rest of her life regretting everything she had done to Lindsey.
“Ah, aaaaah!”
⋆★⋆
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Kalia asked.
Lindsey nodded.
“I can’t just let her be. After everything she did to you.”
Lindsey tilted her head, puzzled. She didn’t recall ever telling Kalia about what she had endured in the Radian household.
Seeing Lindsey’s reaction, Kalia quickly added.
“From your reaction, it was obvious. She must have tormented you, thinking you were of lowly birth.”
“……”
“Every time she called you vulgar, I wanted to tear her mouth open—”
Kalia stopped herself, suddenly realizing that Lindsey was right beside her.
She had nearly let her usual harsh nature slip.
“Going to the monastery is the best punishment for her. Now, she’s lost even the one thing that kept her going there.”
“If you’re okay with it, then I suppose that’s all that matters,” Kalia replied, a ruthless smile playing on her lips.
“Don’t worry about your identity being exposed.”
It would be a nightmare for Sylvia, but the monastery in the Asen Empire was a place where Kalia held influence.
Kalia intended to ensure that Sylvia experienced the most miserable existence possible during her time there.
Lindsey looked at Kalia with a complicated expression. Kalia held Lindsey’s hand, idly touching the sword hanging at her side.
“Lindsey, today I plan to leave for the Rohan Empire with Heis.”
“To the Empire?”
Kalia nodded as she spoke. Lindsey felt the warmth of Kalia’s hand holding hers.
Kalia’s eyes grew darker.
“I need to meet Crain Kesion.”
Ever since she heard of Lindsey’s supposed death, Kalia had wanted to meet Crain.
After that, she intended to find out how Lindsey had been raised.
“Isn’t that dangerous?”
“Not at all. I’m going as an official envoy of the Empire. They wouldn’t dare touch me.”
Kalia’s smile turned icy as she spoke.
She had decided to give Crain a reason to hate her.
“I can’t wait to see Crain’s face. I always enjoyed the way it twisted in displeasure whenever he saw me.”
“May I come along?”
“Are you sure? If your identity is exposed, Crain might use the Kesion family registry against you.”
Seeing the concern on Lindsey’s face, Kalia gave a small smile.
“But don’t worry.”
“……”
“I’ll find you an artifact to change your appearance. You have something you need to do there, don’t you?”
“Thank you.”
Lindsey hesitated before speaking again.
“Mother.”
As soon as the word left her lips, Kalia’s face lit up with joy. She pressed a hand over her heart, overwhelmed.
‘Mother!’
It was the first time Lindsey had called her that.
It felt far sweeter than when she’d heard the word from her sons.
She wanted to ask Lindsey to say it again, but she restrained herself.
“Let’s hurry. The sun will rise soon.”
Lindsey spoke, pulling up the hood on her cloak.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, but her expression quickly turned serious.
Lindsey thought about what lay ahead.
Her original goal of finding Mikhail seemed distant now; what mattered was securing her freedom.
‘Wait for me there, Father.’
Crain Kesion.
The man who had once been her father.
But a man she had never truly felt was a father to her.
She needed to seize control of the family registry from him.
Lindsey’s eyes turned cold.
⋆★⋆
Lindsey examined her completely altered appearance.
She wore clothes that resembled those of a maid. Her hair was now a plain brown, and her eyes had turned green.
The freckles dotting her face made her new, ordinary appearance feel unfamiliar.
‘I’ve heard that appearance-changing artifacts are extremely expensive…’
Lindsey realized the wealth of the Riken Ducal family. The Kesion family, though prestigious in the Empire, couldn’t compare to the Rikens.
Kalia spared no expense when it came to Lindsey.
She did everything she could to fulfill Lindsey’s wishes.
An artifact that could change one’s appearance was difficult to find across the entire continent. Yet, when Lindsey expressed her desire to visit the Rohan Empire, Kalia had obtained it without hesitation.
It was as if she wanted to make up for the years she couldn’t be with her daughter, sparing no cost.
“It looks like we’ll be heading back to the Rohan Empire sooner than expected.”
Felia shrugged as she spoke.
“Are you returning to the Rosset family for good?”
“Hmm, no.”
Felia shook her head.
“It’s been more interesting than I thought. I might just ask Lady Bianca if I can continue as your guard.”
Lindsey looked at Felia with a puzzled expression. She found it surprising that such an accomplished knight would choose to guard her.
“Well, in that case, I’d appreciate it. It’s better to have someone who knows my secrets as a guard.”
“……”
“I’ll make sure to keep things interesting for you.”
“From your reaction, it was obvious. She must have tormented you, thinking you were of lowly birth.”
“……”
“Every time she called you vulgar, I wanted to tear her mouth open—”
Kalia stopped herself, suddenly realizing that Lindsey was right beside her.
She had nearly let her usual harsh nature slip.
“Going to the monastery is the best punishment for her. Now, she’s lost even the one thing that kept her going there.”
“If you’re okay with it, then I suppose that’s all that matters,” Kalia replied, a ruthless smile playing on her lips.
“Don’t worry about your identity being exposed.”
It would be a nightmare for Sylvia, but the monastery in the Asen Empire was a place where Kalia held influence.
Kalia intended to ensure that Sylvia experienced the most miserable existence possible during her time there.
Lindsey looked at Kalia with a complicated expression. Kalia held Lindsey’s hand, idly touching the sword hanging at her side.
“Lindsey, today I plan to leave for the Rohan Empire with Heis.”
“To the Empire?”
Kalia nodded as she spoke. Lindsey felt the warmth of Kalia’s hand holding hers.
Kalia’s eyes grew darker.
“I need to meet Crain Kesion.”
Ever since she heard of Lindsey’s supposed death, Kalia had wanted to meet Crain.
After that, she intended to find out how Lindsey had been raised.
“Isn’t that dangerous?”
“Not at all. I’m going as an official envoy of the Empire. They wouldn’t dare touch me.”
Kalia’s smile turned icy as she spoke.
She had decided to give Crain a reason to hate her.
“I can’t wait to see Crain’s face. I always enjoyed the way it twisted in displeasure whenever he saw me.”
“May I come along?”
“Are you sure? If your identity is exposed, Crain might use the Kesion family registry against you.”
Seeing the concern on Lindsey’s face, Kalia gave a small smile.
“But don’t worry.”
“……”
“I’ll find you an artifact to change your appearance. You have something you need to do there, don’t you?”
“Thank you.”
Lindsey hesitated before speaking again.
“Mother.”
As soon as the word left her lips, Kalia’s face lit up with joy. She pressed a hand over her heart, overwhelmed.
‘Mother!’
It was the first time Lindsey had called her that.
It felt far sweeter than when she’d heard the word from her sons.
She wanted to ask Lindsey to say it again, but she restrained herself.
“Let’s hurry. The sun will rise soon.”
Lindsey spoke, pulling up the hood on her cloak.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, but her expression quickly turned serious.
Lindsey thought about what lay ahead.
Her original goal of finding Mikhail seemed distant now; what mattered was securing her freedom.
‘Wait for me there, Father.’
Crain Kesion.
The man who had once been her father.
But a man she had never truly felt was a father to her.
She needed to seize control of the family registry from him.
Lindsey’s eyes turned cold.
⋆★⋆
Lindsey examined her completely altered appearance.
She wore clothes that resembled those of a maid. Her hair was now a plain brown, and her eyes had turned green.
The freckles dotting her face made her new, ordinary appearance feel unfamiliar.
‘I’ve heard that appearance-changing artifacts are extremely expensive…’
Lindsey realized the wealth of the Riken Ducal family. The Kesion family, though prestigious in the Empire, couldn’t compare to the Rikens.
Kalia spared no expense when it came to Lindsey.
She did everything she could to fulfill Lindsey’s wishes.
An artifact that could change one’s appearance was difficult to find across the entire continent. Yet, when Lindsey expressed her desire to visit the Rohan Empire, Kalia had obtained it without hesitation.
It was as if she wanted to make up for the years she couldn’t be with her daughter, sparing no cost.
“It looks like we’ll be heading back to the Rohan Empire sooner than expected.”
Felia shrugged as she spoke.
“Are you returning to the Rosset family for good?”
“Hmm, no.”
Felia shook her head.
“It’s been more interesting than I thought. I might just ask Lady Bianca if I can continue as your guard.”
Lindsey looked at Felia with a puzzled expression. She found it surprising that such an accomplished knight would choose to guard her.
“Well, in that case, I’d appreciate it. It’s better to have someone who knows my secrets as a guard.”
“……”
“I’ll make sure to keep things interesting for you.”