Raised the Villainous Daughter and Ran Away

155. D – …

There isn’t much time left until Jin arrives.

Frances, full of anticipation, woke up earlier than usual and sat at the bedroom table enjoying a light tea time.

“Your Highness, you seem to really like black tea. Is there a reason for that?”

Helena, who was smiling happily from the side, said.

“There’s no reason. It just suits my taste.”

Helena tilted her head.

“… It’s just bitter tea if you don’t eat it with dessert?”

As we all know, black tea is bitter unless you add milk or sugar to it. Even France’s favorite black tea is even more bitter.

So, they eat it with sweet foods to achieve a balanced harmony, but France does not eat sweet foods.

Helena, with her young palate, was curious about this.

“I just liked black tea since I was little. There was no particular reason for it.”

Suddenly, memories of the past flashed through Francesca’s mind and she looked out the window with a bitterness that tasted like the tea she was drinking.

It’s not that Frances didn’t like sweet foods from the beginning. It’s just that her body rejected them because of past trauma.

As a child, powerless and ostracized by everyone, the only food Frances could eat comfortably was the bitter black tea given to her by her servants to torment her.

When attending family meals, the servants only played with Frances’ food, and the Duke paid no attention. Her two older brothers did not help her, but rather tormented her more.

I can’t even eat regular food, so I couldn’t even dream of dessert.

‘That won’t happen anymore, but… … .’

The wounds that are deep in the heart cannot be washed away. Even if you forget them, it is an illusion and they still remain. If you say that they are things of the past and move on, you have only moved on, but they have not been healed.

“Is that so…?”

“That’s it.”

Helena, unaware of this fact, simply thought that Frances had peculiar tastes.

“It’s quiet here, maybe because I woke up earlier than usual.”

“Yes. It’s always quiet at this time.”

The current time is 7:00 a.m., two hours earlier than Frances usually wakes up.

“By the way, I’m sorry for making you come here so early in the morning.”

Helena waved her hands and shook her head repeatedly.

“No! It’s my job to serve the Duke. And the servants and knights start their work at 6 o’clock, so there’s no problem.”

Frances nodded, “Well then? That’s fortunate.”

As I was about to sip my teacup while smelling the scent of bitter black tea.

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened loudly.

“Your Majesty!”

It was Kazar. As the time passed, his hair was disheveled and his eyes looked sleepy. Judging from his condition, he must have woken up halfway and come running… … .

“What’s going on?”

“Look at this, look at this.”

Kazar, walking briskly, handed France a newspaper.

“The newspaper that just arrived at the dukedom said that the saint has disappeared.”

For a moment, France’s eyes widened.

“It disappeared? What do you mean?”

Kazar brushed back his matted bangs and narrowed his eyebrows.

“I don’t know the details either. The saintess who was imprisoned disappeared in an instant, and the investigation team and the knights couldn’t find her. Based on the circumstances, I think that the transcendent wizard may have helped.”

Frances pursed her lips and nodded, accepting the newspaper.

【The Imperial Saintess Who Suddenly Became a Sinner, Suddenly Disappears? The Imperial Knights and the Investigation Team Don’t Know About It… 】

【The saint who was imprisoned in the ‘Palace Office’ has disappeared. The knights who were standing guard have been affected by magic and have problems with their cognitive abilities and memory… … 】

【The court magicians couldn’t find any trace of her either. Was the ability to erase traces of magic real? Is it true that she is the culprit… 】

【The new emperor, Rezef Fedelian, who had a close relationship with the saint, has been arrested!】

The disappearance of the saint, which was plastered all over the newspapers by imperial journalists. Judging from the content, it is not a simple disappearance, but a prison escape.

“… It’s an emergency.”

Frances’s shoulders, which had been excited at the thought of meeting Jin soon, stiffened. The saintess was not the type of person to just disappear. She would definitely do something.

“I never thought Ladrien, who has only pretended to help me up until now, would step forward. I don’t know what his purpose is.”

The migraine that had disappeared came rushing back. Frances pressed her throbbing temples.

“That stupid emperor seems to be tied up and can’t move. I don’t know what the saint might do, so what should I do… … .”

My fingernails naturally moved to the corners of my mouth in anxiety. She was a saint who attempted to assassinate me by using the ‘Second Barrier’ despite having powerful escorts like Kale, Kazar, and Ladea.

I don’t know how it will come this time.

“I found out for sure last time, so I’m going to spread the flag around the Duke’s residence. If there’s even the slightest suspicion, Kale or Ladea can go right away.”

A pure white sphere of magic appeared on Kazar’s palm, and soon changed into the shape of a stake.

“Keep this with you just in case.”

“What is this?”

“It is a magical weapon containing the magic of liberation.”

Frances first accepted the stake that Kazar had handed her. It was about the size of a dagger and had a sharp tip.

“I’m giving it to you just in case. If you have it, I don’t mind being locked in the station.”

Kazar continues his explanation.

“It’s easier to break a force field from the inside than from the outside. If it’s a magical weapon containing the liberation spell, it should be possible to break the force field even with transcendent magic.”

This is a unique magic of Kazar, created with the determination not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

“Yeah, I guess I’ll feel better if I have this. Thank you.”

Frances swallowed, caressing the stake. She wouldn’t be so easily swayed as before.

“I guess I should prepare now.”

As she was about to get up from her seat and take a step forward, Frances glanced at Kazar and continued speaking.

“Go wash up first. You have to meet other people.”

Only then did Kazar look at his own behavior. His hair was disheveled, his face was unwashed, and his nightgown was rumpled. He couldn’t believe that even a noble lady was there.

“Ahem, I’ll clean up quickly and go.”

* * *

Everyone at Descartes was hastily called together because of the emergency. France began the briefing.

“Kale, once the briefing is over, lead the knights and gather the professional soldiers. The saint is with the Transcendent Mage, so change the dukedom’s alert status to wartime.”

“I understand,” Kale nodded.

“Radea is always by my side. I don’t know when or where that saint will appear.”

Ladea also answered, “Yes.” Kazar picked up his arms and took out a magical engineering machine with a blue magic stone attached to it.

“Your Majesty, this is a communication tool heading to the Magic Tower. Please contact us directly and inform the magicians of the emergency.”

France nodded and accepted the communication tool. When she activated the magic formula in the center, the magic stone attached to the back glowed and sparkled.

Chijik- Chijijik-

[Senior Professor U-Plane? I’m Associate Professor Green Ever of Matap. What’s the matter?]

A clear female voice was heard from the magic tool. It was a great invention of the magic revolution, but there was no time to be absorbed in it now.

“Matopju, this is Duke Descartes.”

[Oh, Lord Matap! What a rude thing. I’m sorry, what’s wrong?]

“This is an emergency. Return all magicians of the Magic Tower to wartime.”

[Like last time?! What happened again?]

“I’m sorry, but I’ll give you a detailed explanation later. I’ll leave the magicians of the Magic Tower to you.”

[Yes, I understand for now!]

Chit-chit-chit. The lights on the magic tool went out and the communication was cut off. That was the end of all the countermeasures that could be done.

“Alright. Jindo will arrive soon, so even if Ladrien attacks directly, there will be no problem.”

Only then did Frances feel relieved, leaning her head back against the chair in her office.

“Did you get a call from Exceed?”

“They arrived at the border yesterday. They’ll be here tomorrow.”

“I see you’re finally here.”

Kazar’s face brightened in an instant as his tension disappeared at the good news. Even a powerful transcendent wizard can do nothing against Jin.

“I can’t kick your shins because of the circumstances, but… I feel relieved knowing that my most reliable ally has come.”

Considering what has happened so far, it may be unlikely, but if Ladrien had changed his mind and actively helped Somire, there would have been no answer.

Ladrien is a transcendent being who has broken human taboos by twisting causality, and has transcended mortality. Numbers are meaningless against her who rules over time and space.

“If there is truth, there is nothing to be afraid of.”

It was just as Frances said. Ladea, who had been listening from behind, tilted her head.

“Excuse me, I don’t know much about it, but is Jin-oppa so strong that he wouldn’t be afraid even if a Transcendent Wizard came?”

At that question, Kazar and France blinked and focused their gaze on Ladea.

“… Haven’t you heard of the best sword on the continent?”

“It is a monster that can be used as a check against the country.”

“Of course I know that… … .”

Even Ladea, who doesn’t know much about politics or current affairs, is familiar with Jin’s name. He is a legendary figure in the Kingdom of Barenberg and has great rumors.

However, since the only time we have seen his power is in the massacre he caused in the Waves of Calamity, it is difficult to judge who is stronger between the Transcendent Wizard and Jin.

“Are you stronger than the transcendent magician grandmother you met in the palace tower back then?”

The only strong person that Ladea could clearly feel was the transcendent wizard, Ladrien von Gracia.

“Well, you know that the Empire was at war with the Kingdom of Barenberg, right?”

Ladea nods, “Yes,” to Frances’ words.

“You must know how ridiculous Ladrien is since you went to the tower with him back then. Right?”

Ladea continued to nod her head. France continued her explanation.

“That Ladrienne was just buying time against Jin until the Empire could settle the war. Is that enough of an explanation?”

Ah, Ladea nodded. To think that a wizard like that would just waste time, considering Jin’s personality, it was hard to imagine that he would have such power.

“Only the two parties involved know what happened, but the place where the battle took place is said to have become a desolate land where humans can never live again.”

The border between Barenberg and the Empire. That’s where Jin and Ladrien fought.

The land no longer bore life, and became a barren wasteland with only blowing sand.

“… I knew what he did when I heard his name, but he was much scarier than I thought.”

Even a magician who can freely control time and space is at a loss, a sword master. Could he be able to produce power stronger than the absurd swordsmanship he showed back then? Radea felt goosebumps.

“Anyway, that’s it.”

“There is a reason I rely on Mr. Jin.”

Ladea nodded in agreement to France and Kazar’s words. At that moment.

“I’m sorry, there’s some incorrect information there.”

A voice we’ve all heard before. Everyone hurriedly turned their heads in the direction of the sound.

“this….”

“what?!”

“you are…!”

“How did I get here all of a sudden…?”

Sling! Kale and Ladea hastily drew their swords, and Kazar spread out a magic circle on both hands. France also hurriedly spread black magic on her palms.

“Kilkill, now that everything is ready, let’s head to the final part of the plan.”