Chapter 75
“Your Highness!”
Belinda burst through Diana’s door, panting and sweating as if she had run there in a hurry.
Diana had been having tea with Aicel, chatting about the upcoming Magic Festival. Sensing something serious, she immediately stood up.
“What’s wrong, Belinda?”
“Lady Catherine has collapsed!”
So, it finally happened. While Aicel looked shocked, Diana stayed calm. Aicel looked at her strangely, as if surprised that she already knew.
“Let’s go.”
“…Yes, Mother.”
Diana and Aicel headed to Catherine’s room. Inside, Alicia was checking Catherine’s condition with tearful eyes.
“…You’re here, Your Highness.”
Alicia quickly stood up when she saw Diana. Her eyes were red from crying.
“What happened? Why did Catherine collapse?”
Even though she already knew the reason, Diana kept a calm and concerned expression as she asked.
“I-I don’t know… There’s nothing wrong with her body.”
Alicia’s voice trembled. No matter how hard she examined Catherine, she couldn’t find a physical cause.
She was confident in her skills as a doctor—but this was the first time she’d seen something so inexplicable.
“If there’s nothing wrong, then why…”
At that moment, Calypso burst through the door. His face was pale—he looked seriously worried.
“Catherine…!”
He rushed to her side and held her hand tightly, then turned to Alicia with accusing eyes, as if this were all her fault.
He scowled and snapped:
“Alicia, what happened here?!”
“I-I don’t really…”
“You’re a doctor! How can you not know why she collapsed?!”
Calypso’s eyes burned with rage and his tone was full of scorn.
It was clear their relationship was falling apart. Diana chuckled softly so they wouldn’t hear.
“Father… Please don’t worry. Catherine will wake up soon.”
Aicel reached out and placed her hand gently over his.
The warmth of her small hand made Calypso stop scolding Alicia.
“Ha… I’m so lucky to have you…”
At those words, Alicia looked up slowly.
Seeing Calypso gaze at Aicel so fondly made it feel like blood ties were pulling them together. Alicia could hardly breathe.
“But what now…”
Aicel gently brushed Catherine’s forehead, looking anxious.
“What do you mean?”
“The Magic Festival is tomorrow… Catherine was really looking forward to it. But she can’t participate like this.”
Calypso’s expression darkened.
To secure the Pereshte family’s mine, Catherine had to earn the title of low-level mage.
Diana had offered help with the business loan—but if that failed, the mine’s profits were Plan B.
Now that Catherine was unconscious, the mine would obviously go to Aicel.
Although Aicel was adopted, he wasn’t sure if she’d share the diamond profits.
“Aicel.”
“Yes?”
Calypso stared into her emerald eyes—so much like Diana’s.
He couldn’t bring himself to ask her for the mine profits.
Catherine had grown up with everything—but Aicel was different.
Even if he lost the grand duchy, he didn’t want to use Aicel for gain.
“No, forget it.”
“Father.”
Calypso slowly turned his head. Aicel blinked her round eyes and smiled sweetly.
“If I get the mine from Grandfather, I’ll hand it over to you.”
“…What?”
It was like she read his mind. He felt both embarrassed for thinking that way and proud of her.
“May I ask why you thought of that?”
His expression was unreadable, caught between curiosity and emotion. Aicel just smiled.
She knew exactly what he valued most—money. More than even his daughters.
He didn’t care if Catherine passed or not. What he really wanted was the reward.
Aicel planned to win him over completely—with the mine.
“Mother told me you’ve been busy preparing a new business. You didn’t even have time for our walks.”
Indeed, Calypso had been running around lately, trying to attract investors.
He’d broken his promise to go on walks with Aicel.
Did she really miss them that much? He felt guilty.
“I’m sorry, I’ve been busy.”
“If I give you the mine, will that help ease your burden?”
“That’s… true.”
“I’ll become a low-level mage in Catherine’s place and give you the mine.”
Her bright eyes gleamed with intelligence.
Calypso was overcome with warmth and gratitude.
Aicel, though not his real daughter, believed in him more than Catherine ever had.
“Thank you, Diana.”
“Yes? For what?”
“For letting me raise such a wonderful child.”
Diana looked surprised.
“For letting her become my daughter.”
Calypso was completely in love with Aicel now.
Aicel and Diana locked eyes. Aicel beamed, proud of her success.
What would Calypso do if he learned that his beloved adopted daughter was actually Diana’s real child? That she was plotting to destroy him?
The shock would be as great as when he found out Catherine wasn’t his daughter.
Diana’s lips curled slightly into a smile.
Meanwhile, Alicia trembled as she watched them. Her and Catherine’s place in the mansion was shrinking.
She looked desperately at the unconscious Catherine.
Calypso’s expression toward Aicel was now warmer than it ever had been toward Catherine.
She felt like she was walking on a tightrope. Anxiety kept stabbing at her chest.
“Your Grace, please hold her hand. That will help her wake—”
“Father.”
Alicia tried to speak, but Aicel cut her off immediately.
Calypso didn’t hear Alicia and instead listened to Aicel.
“Alright.”
“Then you’ll go on walks with me every day, right?”
“Of course.”
“Yay! I’ll do my best!”
Aicel continued to play the role of the perfect daughter.
“Then take good care of Catherine for me. I need to practice magic.”
As she left, she shot Alicia a mocking look.
Alicia flinched while wringing out a towel for Catherine’s forehead.
“Take good care of Catherine, Ally.”
Diana and Calypso also left. Only Catherine’s faint breathing remained in the room.
Alicia stared blankly at the door, stunned.
Diana’s attitude was strange. Why was she leaving so easily?
Even if Aicel was adopted, Catherine was still believed to be her real daughter. Diana leaving without hesitation made no sense.
Something wasn’t right.
After losing her sight, Alicia began to recall Diana’s actions.
Diana had never hurt her before—not even by accident.
But after Alicia became blind, Diana “accidentally” spilled tea, caused burns, and even used magic to freeze the floor and make her fall.
All while pretending to be innocent.
What about at the party? Diana led her there, then subtly humiliated her.
Diana had changed.
Realizing this gave Alicia chills.
“She dropped that information in front of my room… on purpose?”
Alicia muttered, trembling.
The false perfume information—why had Diana shared it near her room?
It was like she wanted Alicia to overhear it.
Even if it was just a coincidence, Diana’s room was on the opposite side of the mansion.
That event ruined Catherine and Alicia’s reputation with Duchess Aiberg and Lord Sawyer.
It was the turning point that made Calypso and Catherine turn away from her.
“No way… no way…!”
What if Diana knew everything?
What if she had figured out that Catherine wasn’t her real daughter?
Everything would make sense.
Diana’s coldness. Her revenge. Her silence while Catherine suffered.
Alicia’s knees gave out. She barely stood up using a stool.
If Diana knew the truth and was taking revenge…
Alicia wouldn’t stand a chance.
Her heart pounded painfully. She held her dizzy head and stumbled into the hallway, heading toward Diana’s room.
She reached for the doorknob—but paused.
At the end of the hall, she heard whispering.
It was Belinda, Diana’s maid.
“Serves her right. She got what she deserved.”
Deserved?
Alicia held her breath and listened closely.
“She took what wasn’t hers… and now her daughter’s paying for it.”
Alicia’s mouth slowly opened in horror.
“She took someone else’s husband… that’s why.”
That woman… was Alicia.
Her face turned deathly pale, like someone was choking her.
She ran back to her room.
Diana knows.
Slamming the door shut, Alicia leaned against it, covering her mouth in terror.
