14
Chapter 14
“…Where did she go?!”
Catherine’s eyes darted around frantically. She rushed into the small room and tore through the few belongings Aicel had.
But the room hidden behind the bookshelf looked just as it had before—as though it hadn’t been touched since Aicel was first locked inside.
“Catherine!”
Alicia came in after her, a moment too late. When she saw the empty hidden room, she let out a bitter laugh.
“Ha…”
Up until now, the bookshelf had always been locked, so there was no way Aicel could have escaped.
But today was different. In order to successfully unleash her magic, Alicia had ordered her to come out from behind the bookshelf and stand by the window in her room.
It had never occurred to her that Aicel might run away. So, she hadn’t bothered to lock the door.
She had deliberately crushed her spirit and broken her will, just in case something like this might happen. She never thought the girl would have the nerve to plan an escape.
They had to find her somehow. Diana was so blinded she wouldn’t recognize her own daughter even if they came face to face—of that Alicia was certain.
Then why wouldn’t this gnawing feeling of dread go away?
“…Damn it.”
The curse escaped Alicia’s lips without her even realizing it.
Now, the only maid in the Grand Duke’s estate who was still loyal to her was Julia. But Julia had never seen Aicel’s face.
Although she was well aware of Alicia’s circumstances, Alicia had deliberately kept the matter of Aicel a secret, just in case.
She never imagined that choice would come back to bite her.
Leaving the trembling Catherine behind, Alicia quickly went off in search of Julia, who was currently giving instructions to the new maids.
“Julia.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Come with me for a moment.”
Julia tilted her head in confusion but obediently followed Alicia.
Alicia glanced down the corridor to make sure no one was around, then led Julia into an empty room.
“Julia.”
“Yes.”
“There’s something urgent I need you to do.”
And it was clear from Alicia’s expression that she truly was in a hurry—her face was pale as a sheet.
Julia had served Alicia faithfully ever since her time at the viscount’s estate. Concerned, she studied Alicia’s face and asked carefully,
“Has something happened?”
Lately, they hadn’t had many chances to speak due to the flurry of staff replacements going on.
Alicia let out a long sigh and twitched her lips slightly before calmly explaining the situation.
“A child I was keeping ran away.”
“A child?”
As far as she knew, the only child in this mansion was the young lady, Catherine. Julia looked puzzled.
“…Listen carefully, Julia.”
“Yes, miss.”
“She’s Diana’s child.”
“…What?”
Julia furrowed her brow slightly without meaning to. She had believed that Alicia had abandoned Diana’s baby far away after switching her with her own child.
As if reading her thoughts, Alicia continued.
“I had her working as a maid in Catherine’s room.”
“As… a maid?”
As expected of her lady. Cruel to the core. To raise a bastard child as a noble’s daughter, while making the true daughter serve as a hidden maid in her sister’s room?
Julia gave a twisted smile.
“Yes. But now she’s escaped. She couldn’t have gone far—she’s so thin and frail.”
“Then I’ll find her for you. What does she look like?”
“Light platinum blonde hair. Eyes just like Diana’s.”
“Understood. I’ll look into it.”
Alicia placed her hand firmly on her shoulder, as if entrusting her with a grave task.
“I’m counting on you, Julia.”
“Yes, miss.”
Julia looked at Alicia with steady eyes and gave a firm nod, as if to say, ‘Don’t worry.’
But the anxiety that stirred within Alicia still refused to settle.
‘I have to find her. No matter what it takes.’
Alicia’s crimson eyes gleamed like a beast’s.
—
“Your Highness.”
“Milan.”
Milan entered Diana’s room carefully, wearing a somber expression.
“Has something happened?”
“We searched everywhere, just as you ordered, but…”
Though he didn’t say a name, Diana immediately understood who he was talking about.
“There wasn’t a single child around the age of fifteen who regularly enters or leaves the estate.”
“…I see.”
“If I may ask, who exactly are we looking for?”
Milan glanced at Diana cautiously, and the other two in the room—Shane and Belinda—also eyed her curiously.
Diana had only told them to find a child. She never explained who that child was.
She remained silent for a long while. A still hush fell over the room. Finally, with a tremble in her golden lashes, she slowly opened her mouth.
“…My child.”
“Pardon?”
“My biological daughter. The one Alicia switched.”
When Milan and Shane had first returned to the estate, Diana had told them that Catherine was Alicia’s daughter. So they hadn’t pried further about Diana’s own child.
They feared something had happened to her baby—and didn’t want to further burden their mistress.
But now, Diana’s words were shocking.
Her daughter was alive. She didn’t know where, but somewhere, somehow, she lived.
The thought must have been tearing her apart inside. The others lowered their heads, their faces clouded with sorrow.
Silence took hold of the room once more. No one spoke. Then Belinda, gathering her resolve, broke the silence with a determined voice.
“Your Highness, I’ll search as well.”
“Belinda…”
“When I was a knight, I traveled all over. I’ll start combing through the nearby villages first!”
“…Thank you. Oh, and let the new maids hear that my vision is like this because of Catherine.”
“Yes, understood.”
It was important that Diana’s loyal servants knew she had suffered because of Catherine. It would help set the stage for a dramatic reveal later.
“And more importantly…”
Diana lowered her head slightly and brushed her chin with her fingers.
Where could Alicia have hidden her? The girl couldn’t be in the village. She had brought Diana bread, which meant she must be somewhere within the estate.
“…Looks like I’ll have to break into the vault.”
“The vault?”
“Belinda, could you fetch some books on alchemy from the library?”
“Yes, right away.”
Diana asked Belinda to gather every book related to alchemy in the library.
“I’ve brought them, Your Highness.”
“Thank you, Belinda.”
Soon, Belinda returned with a stack of books and laid them out on the table. In this empire, potion-making was a branch of alchemy.
Diana was planning to create a potion using alchemy.
“What are you trying to make?”
Belinda asked as Diana flipped through the books. Without lifting her gaze, Diana answered sweetly.
“A potion that will help me break a secret vault.”
“A helpful potion?”
“Yes. One that turns the enemy into an ally.”
There was a reason she hadn’t dismissed Alicia’s most loyal servant, Julia, along with the others. Diana planned to make her drink this potion.
Even if only briefly, it would act like a key to unlock the locks Alicia had placed.
With a swift flip, Diana found what she was looking for and began scribbling ingredients onto a piece of parchment. She handed it to Milan.
“Milan, could you get me the ingredients listed here?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Milan scanned the list and soon returned with the requested materials, including a cauldron on a trolley.
Diana opened a book. The potion was called ‘Gladiolus’. A single drop would make the drinker reveal the truth under the control of the maker. It was colorless, tasteless—and forbidden.
“This is…”
“Yes. It’s a forbidden potion.”
She answered casually as she added peony, blue rose petals, lavender seashells, a shard of comet, and the thorns of a black rose to the cauldron, placing it over a magically enchanted brazier.
Only a magically imbued fire could maximize a potion’s effects.
Diana stirred the steaming brew with a glass rod. Normally, she would’ve never dreamed of making such a thing. In fact, she wouldn’t have even looked at it.
She used to be terrified of the very word ‘forbidden’, especially anything that manipulated the mind.
But now, nothing scared her—not when her daughter was missing.
Whether it took forbidden magic or illegal potions, nothing would stop her if it meant finding her child.
As the fire ignited, the ingredients began to darken. She poured in refined water, and the mixture quickly began to boil.
Fortunately, Diana had always had a knack for crafting things, so the potion came together swiftly.
“Is that it?”
“Not yet. I have to imbue it with mana.”
Potion-making in the empire was considered difficult for a simple reason:
All potent potions needed to be infused with mana—regardless of its magical attribute.
Diana turned off the heat and dropped a mana-infused ice crystal into the steaming potion.
Instantly, the potion cooled and turned transparent.
“Wow.”
“Amazing, right?”
Diana’s eyes curved gently into a smile as she looked at Belinda, who stared wide-eyed at the potion. Then, she received a crystal vial from Milan.
Thanks to the ice crystal immersed earlier, the cauldron had completely cooled. Carefully, Diana tilted it.
The potion had no scent, no color—it looked just like clear water.
“This is…”
“Yes. ‘Gladiolus.’ The potion of truth.”
Diana held the transparent liquid up to the sunlight. The crystal vial refracted the light, scattering tiny fragments of rainbow in all directions.
At the dazzling sight, a soft smile formed on Diana’s lips.
Looking at her now, with that serene beauty, it was hard to believe she was preparing to manipulate someone’s mind with that very potion.
A shiver of awe ran through the bodies of those watching her. It felt as if everything was going exactly according to her will.
Satisfied, Diana set the vial on the tea cabinet and clapped her hands sharply, breaking the spell of silence.
“Well then. Let’s call for Yulia. Milan.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Milan, prepare the tea and refreshments. Shane, go fetch Julia.”
“At once.”
The two moved quickly to carry out Diana’s orders.
Soon, there was a knock at the door. Naturally, it had to be Julia. Diana swiftly put on her blindfold and sat on the sofa.
“Come in.”
“You summoned me, Your Grace.”
“Have a seat.”
Diana gestured gracefully for her to sit, wearing a delicate smile. Though Julia should have bowed her head upon entering, she sat stiffly upright on the sofa.
Still, her slightly hunched shoulders betrayed a hint of tension—perhaps wondering why the Grand Duchess had summoned her out of the blue.
“Milan, pour the tea.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Milan poured the fragrant chamomile into two cups. Of course, the tea for Julia had ‘Gladiolus’ added to it.
“Here you are.”
The golden-hued tea was placed before them.
Diana’s cup had been cooled to a lukewarm temperature to prevent her, as a blind person, from getting burned.
That small detail seemed to put Julia at ease.
“If I may ask the reason…”
“Oh, I just wanted a chat. But first, let’s enjoy some tea.”
Diana fumbled slightly as she lifted her teacup, then sipped it with composure.
Julia followed her lead and lifted her own cup. Her throat moved with a swallow.
Diana watched calmly. Then, the light in Julia’s eyes faded.
Upon confirming the change, Diana suddenly stood up and spoke coldly:
“Where is my daughter?”
Her voice, sharp and ice-edged, cut through the air. Though her eyes were hidden behind the blindfold, the murderous aura she gave off seemed ready to strangle Julia then and there.
