Chapter 54

The moment I opened my eyes, I was greeted by an unfamiliar ceiling. The canopy of the bed, draped with thin fabric, had murals that were different from the ones I was used to. This wasn't just a different room; the design was entirely different from the Latizche family's style. I had heard that when my father married Lady Chris, he had the entire mansion rebuilt and redecorated to her taste, using her favorite designer.

The instant I woke up, my body tensed with fear. Surrounded by the unknown, my drowsiness vanished, and my mind shrank in fear.

"Ahh... Father...? Anna! Julius! Sebastian! Kishtria, Mother! Anyone, anyone...!"

The water pitcher by the bedside shattered with a loud crack. The thin fabric of the canopy fluttered as if dragged by my confusion. Somewhere, a sound echoed, whether from the wall or the window, I couldn't tell.

At that moment, a loud knock resounded from outside the door.

"Miss! Have you regained consciousness!? It's Anna! I'm here! May I come in!?"

"Anna! Anna! Please, come in!"

Anna, who burst in as if rolling, had her usually neat hair disheveled. Desperately, I reached out to her, crawling on the bed. Anna embraced me and stroked my back. Her familiar scent, a mix of the perfume I used and a hint of herbs, brought a different kind of comfort from my father's. I burst into tears, burying my face in her shoulder. Her strong embrace held together my heart, which felt like it was about to shatter.

After a while, Anna explained. Duke Fortuna had taken me to the castle to report my green eyes, the royal family's eyes, as quickly as possible. I had fainted during the journey, and they decided to let me rest in a corner of the castle. However, a problem arose. Unconsciously, I had activated a barrier spell. Though I had no memory of it, the spell was a manifestation of my mental fear and rejection. It was a clear sign of how much I had hated it.

I was thrown onto the floor, and Duke Fortuna, in a hurry, tried to pick me up and check if I was injured. But he couldn't even get close. The barrier repelled everyone, even those standing right next to me. They called for the royal court magicians, but it was impossible to dispel the barrier. The barrier attribute, rare and mysterious, was unique to the Sandis royal family, with few research cases.

The commotion drew attention, and the king himself came out, sensing the disturbance. King Lauses, who shared the barrier attribute, managed to weaken the barrier temporarily, but even then, Duke Fortuna couldn't touch me. The barrier reactivated strongly, rendering the weakening useless. The royal court magicians finally realized that the barrier was a manifestation of my mental defenses.

The council, which had been struggling with the succession, was overjoyed. The compatibility between the royal family's eyes and the barrier magic was inseparable. Those with those eyes were almost always barrier magic users. The current succession candidates, according to the council, did not meet the standards. I had shown both the royal family's eyes and the power of the barrier, and Duke Fortuna, who had found and brought me, was highly praised and rewarded.

I was then confined to a corner of the palace under the guise of protection.

"Miss, I have never been so relieved that your magic is so strong and that you are so shy around strangers... If you had remained unconscious, who knows what might have happened..."

"What might have happened...?"

"Your body would have been thoroughly examined. The strength of your magic, your attributes, your compatibility, the presence of the royal mark, your compatibility with the royal family's magical artifacts—everything, including whether you could bear children and your sexual history. In the worst case, you might have been assigned to a man of unknown origin before your father, the duke, could arrive."

The thought was more than terrifying; it was horrifying. My spine shivered, and I looked down at my body, wrapped in a white negligee. Since I activated the magic at the castle, only Anna had been able to touch me.

My heart pounded, and I pressed my hand to my chest, turning to Anna.

"Why... why are they in such a hurry?"

"The council's obsession with the royal color is worse than I've heard. Prince Lucas and Prince Leord are not very compatible with barrier magic, and Princess Elmedia can't even cast basic spells. They are extremely fixated on you."

So, they would examine an unconscious woman's body!?

Not for a health check, but to invade her privacy with such thoroughness!?

Their twisted logic was beyond comprehension. I had heard about the green-eyed believers and their extreme behavior, but this was on a whole new level.

"Father?"

"He is likely being kept in the dark. If the duke discovers this, who knows what retaliation he might face."

He would be furious, probably exploding with rage. The castle might turn to ashes.

"Miss, please endure. If the duke realizes, he will surely come to your rescue."

"Yes... I don't want to cause him trouble, but..."

Thrown into enemy territory, I felt helpless. Could a complete novice even be of any help? The only thing I could do was hunker down. Any mistake could be used against me...

"Right! What about Kishtria? The intruders? Is everyone okay!?"

"Princess Renaria Daches has likely been returned to prison. Kishtria is safe. I've heard that he has repeatedly petitioned Duke Fortuna and the chancellor at the castle to return Miss Albert to the Latizche family. Sebastian and Julius were there too, but they probably don't want Miss to see Latizche family members. I requested that the guards and maids be from the Latizche family, considering Miss's well-being, but it was denied."

How cruel. They were trying to crush my fragile mental state.

I was really a mess, relying on my father's protection and unable to function without a guardian. Without Anna, I wouldn't even touch the tea or water served to me. I would starve and wither away.

...And what about my chastity? Anna had mentioned something very unsettling... I wanted to reject it with all my might. I could feel myself turning pale.

"Miss, shall I prepare some hot milk? I'll taste it first. I won't let anything strange into your mouth."

Anna said this, trying to encourage me. At that moment, the outside became suddenly noisy. My body trembled with a bad feeling, and before I could speak, the door opened.

It wasn't my beloved father, my gentle step-brother, or my step-mother. It wasn't even the slightly mean elite servant or the familiar kind butler. It was the man who had brought me to this hellish place.

Gandalf von Fortuna, the duke.

"...You're awake, Albertina."

"..."

My body shook with fear.

Scary, no, go away—every word stuck in my throat, only causing it to tighten.

He took a step to enter the room but was repelled by something like a thin glass. Realizing he couldn't enter, I felt a weight lift from my shoulders.

Thanks to the barrier magic, he couldn't get close. Touching the rejecting barrier, Gandalf spoke after a moment.

"...Another barrier—my granddaughter, you really don't like me, do you?"

Did you think I wouldn't?

You brought me to this place.

The only place I want to be is the one I consider so important that I'd be willing to die for it.

The important family, the important people—all of them were there.

The Latizche family was everything to me. I wished to wither away in that place. If that wasn't possible, I wanted to disappear for that place.

I had never felt such anger before.

"...Go away... I don't even want to see your face..."

Gandalf's eyelids twitched slightly, but he left without a word.

Without a doubt, my peace, our peace, was shattered by this man.

His actions might have been correct as a pillar of the state. This eye, this blood, might be necessary for the Sandis kingdom.

But why now, when there are direct descendants of King Lauses, do they drag me out? I don't want to be a puppet. I don't want to be forced into something I don't want and have my precious things taken away.

I had been hiding, living quietly.

I was very happy, even if it seemed confined and narrow to others.

"...I hate you, I hate you so much."

Was it directed at Gandalf or at myself?

Even if we shared blood, without affection, hatred would only grow.

---

"Where is his daughter?"

"She is severely weakened. However, the barrier's strength and range are increasing daily—soon, it will be impossible to even hold a conversation with her, let alone welcome her as a royal."

"While her ability to handle the barrier magic passed down in the royal family is a great point, the fact that only one maid from the Latizche family can approach her is a problem... If this continues, the guards and maids will be expelled from the Vayu Palace."

"We must act quickly. If the Duke of Latizche catches wind of this, he will surely be enraged."

"More importantly, the barrier. Whether she weakens first or the barrier fades first... We must ensure that Miss Albertina bears a son with the royal eyes."

"Her bloodline and magical aptitude will make her acceptable to the people as a crown princess. After all, she is so popular in Latizche that she is even called a saint. Integrating her into the royal family will help restore the royal family's prestige... Whether as a princess or a queen, we must increase the royal bloodline."

"Even if it's inevitable, the Megil flu is a troublesome disease. Most of King Lauses' siblings fell to it. It's truly a demonic disease."

"However, Princess Sistina and Princess Christina also passed away young. Despite their beautiful royal eyes, they couldn't leave many heirs. It's a great loss... I've heard that Miss Albertina is not very strong either. She might not be able to bear many children..."

"The bloodline ritual should be a last resort. There are no other royals with better qualities, and we must prevent the Duke of Latizche from losing control. We can't afford for him to die or act freely."

"We must announce her as a princess and quickly select a fiancé. To solidify the royal family's prestige, we must proceed cautiously. However, the power of the Latizche and Fortuna families will inevitably grow."

"The match should exclude Latizche's relatives. The current Duke of Latizche's son is a stepson. If the bloodline is distant enough, marriage is not impossible. We must be prepared for the possibility that the man will force his way in."

"Armandine and Flings are both one of the four great ducal families. They are suitable in terms of lineage. Should we choose from them?"

"Unavoidable. The Empress Ophelia will likely support Prince Leord."

"How will Empress Mesarin react...? Prince Lucas is under house arrest for his previous mistake. Given his deep grudges with the first prince and the Latizche princess, it will be difficult to arrange a match. There's a possibility they might pull someone from the sidelines."

"By the way, wasn't Prince Leord's fiancée the Flings duchess's daughter?"

"If he is to solidly aim for the throne, a change of heart is inevitable. After all, the Latizche princess is too sheltered to handle politics. If her succession rights are significantly problematic, the regents will take over. Once the marriage is secured, he will effectively hold the throne."

"Indeed. Miss Albertina should focus on continuing the next generation. We cannot let the noble bloodline of the royal family be lost. This is the mission of the royal family and a crucial national duty."

"By the way, Duke Fortuna has offered to be Miss Albertina's guardian."

"But can he control the Duke of Latizche? He is a rare monster..."

"Even that monster is weak for his daughter. When he lost Lady Christina, even he was deeply affected. Miss Albertina is her spitting image, and as long as she is here, he can do nothing."

"Haha, who would have thought the day would come when that monster would be leashed?"

"Indeed, it is all thanks to Princess Albertina. The royal color and the monster's binding chain... We must ensure she lives as long as possible."

The old men spoke calmly, almost gleefully, without considering the cruelty of their words. To them, protecting the royal color was absolute, and it was also about protecting the country. Under this righteous banner, they made cruel decisions as a matter of course. A young girl's life was decided in just a few minutes of conversation. No matter how unwanted it was, they felt no guilt.

---

Thank you for reading.

With Father absent for a while, Albert's trials will begin.

There are many passionate calls for Father, but his arrival will be after the demon lord's descent. (*- -)(*_ _) Bow