Although she had some prejudice against this good-looking perverted woman, Reliel didn’t say anything, just sat opposite her, looking at her with emotionless blue eyes.
“Hmm? Ahem…”
Interrupted Jenny noticed the expression of the girl in front of her and instantly felt… a little embarrassed. However, she quite naturally returned to that gentle and kind expression.
“The young lady’s plan is very good~ I’ll arrange for it right away. Then, Miss Reliel… it seems there’s something else?”
Jenny tilted her head slightly, obviously seeing some impatience in the other’s cold eyes. But she didn’t let Reliel leave immediately; instead, she slightly curled her lips and touched her chin.
“Let me guess, is it about your adoptive father’s mercenary group? You’re not at ease at a time like this?”
Xiaolvcai’s words made Reliel pause slightly, then she subconsciously nodded.
She really wanted to finish the tasks the young lady assigned, then go back to the Hunter Blade Mercenary Group to check. For her father and Beina, given the current situation, she really wasn’t reassured.
“In your state… when I see you, the one who should be worried is your adoptive father, right?”
Jenny looked over the dusty Reliel at the moment and shook her head with a smile.
“I’ll arrange for you to wash up and eat something. The Hunter Blade Mercenary Group is a large mercenary group; we have spies keeping tabs on them… nothing major has happened recently, and they’re in the city right now.”
Reliel was slightly stunned, feeling a bit lost at Jenny’s sudden kindness.
“Hehe~ No need to be surprised. We’re all the young lady’s people; it’s only natural to help each other~”
Jenny slowly picked up the white porcelain coffee cup in front of her and took a sip of the fragrant yet bitter drink.
“You know… I’m actually really envious of you guys who can be by the young lady’s side…”
She didn’t seem to want Reliel to answer her question; she just put down the coffee cup and smiled at the girl in front of her.
“Too bad~ I’m not capable enough… Maybe I can only handle some logistics, right?”
“…”
Hearing the other’s seemingly self-muttering murmur, Reliel suddenly spoke.
“That person values companions a lot.”
“Huh?”
Jenny was slightly startled, looking at the little mute who suddenly brought it up. But the other person, as if she had never spoken, returned to her aloof demeanor.
‘Does that companion include herself?’
Jenny opened her mouth but didn’t voice that question. She just smiled with her lips pressed together.
“I thought you were cold and unlikable…” She slowly stood up, her smile gentle, like the warm sun of spring. “But now… I’m a little uneasy about you being by the young lady’s side~”
At her words, Reliel blinked in confusion, obviously not understanding why.
“Sigh~ It seems there’s no fun in bickering with this one~”
Jenny shrugged helplessly and raised her hand to call over the waitress of this dining room.
“Take Miss Reliel to take a bath, eat something, and change into some cute clothes.”
“Yes, Lady.” The waitress smiled and nodded, then looked at Reliel. “Miss Reliel, please come with me.”
“Just ordinary clothes.” Reliel suddenly spoke at that moment.
Ever since she was little… she didn’t really like wearing skirts.
…
Meanwhile, on Lady Xiude’an’s side, at the same time Reliel entered the city, she received a letter.
This was a letter from the secret agents of the Marquis Castle in various places in the East Capital. They were the eyes of the Marquis and his lady monitoring the entire East Capital, and also the most loyal death guards.
Looking at the information mentioned in the letter… the lady did not pay attention to her daughter’s “telegram” plan. Instead, she looked at a name in the letter…
The name of the person who delivered this letter was… Reliel.
Before… the captain of Hunter Blade had written to ask her if Reliel wanted to leave the mercenary group with Ileya, asking Lady Xiude’an for consent.
At that time, she was actually a bit alarmed. Not only afraid that Jiya would notice something, but also afraid that Reliel might find out something.
Regardless, this matter was something she owed the other person; clearly, the other should be the noble second young lady of Marquis Castle. But… because of her own special nature, she was sent outside to become a mercenary who risked her life every day.
Regarding the existence of this child, both she and her husband… tacitly implemented a taboo. And they gave all that guilt to Ileya; this was also the key to cultivating the young lady’s previous personality…
Originally, she planned that after Ileya returned this time, she would have her bring Reliel into the castle as a maid… She knew she was not worthy of being the other’s mother. But after so many years… she still wanted to see how this child was doing now.
But… before Ileya could return, she waited for another person… Reliel’s adoptive father, the captain of the Hunter Blade Mercenary Group.
According to common sense, a mere mercenary captain would absolutely not be able to see Lady Xiude’an. But… if the other’s other identity was one of the secret agents around the Crystal Capital, that was different.
He… came to Marquis Castle and asked only two questions.
One was, “What kind of person is Ileya really?”
When asking this, the other’s weathered eyes were full of worry.
Lady Xiude’an knew that he was worried that “his daughter” would be bullied following Ileya. He truly had developed a father-daughter bond with Reliel, just like with his own biological daughter…
To this question, Lady Xiude’an’s answer was…
“That… is my proud daughter.”
The captain, upon hearing this answer, first slowly breathed a sigh of relief, but then, instead of taking his leave, he spoke again, quite out of protocol.
“Then… what about Reliel?”
Reliel… Xiude’an opened her mouth. She didn’t know how to answer this question. A daughter she had never met since birth—how should she say it?
She wanted to say, “She is also my proud daughter.” But… a mother like herself who hadn’t fulfilled any duty—was she really worthy of saying that?
So, she did not answer that question. The other did not press further, only asking that as if to himself, then left Marquis Castle.
“Sigh…” Thousands of words could only turn into a helpless sigh.
Some things are destined to be unchangeable. If time could go back to when Reliel was born, whether it be Xiude’an or Grosset… perhaps… they would still make the same choice. Because Reliel she…
Thinking of this, Lady Xiude’an deeply closed her eyes and placed the letter on the table. Some things she didn’t want to recall; tearing open old scars… sometimes it can cause unbearable pain… and also make it even harder to face them directly. But guilt still washed over Lady Xiude’an’s soul again and again.
“Cough cough cough cough…” In the empty room, she started coughing violently again.
But this time was different; when her coughing ended, the handkerchief in front of her was stained with bright red.
As for this situation, Lady Xiude’an was not surprised at all; she just looked at the blood on the handkerchief with her calm blue eyes. After a moment, she looked again at the name on the letter in front of her… Reliel…
…
On the carriage running forward at a constant speed, Ileya, for some reason, had been feeling restless lately. This made her look and feel not very good at the moment.
The biggest victim in this was Reliel, who had been staying by Ileya’s side all along. Because when the young lady was in a bad mood, if she could think, she would think; when she couldn’t think, she would subconsciously fiddle with things around her. But at this moment in the carriage, besides the plate of fruit that would be replenished when eaten up… there was only this living “young lady” left. This caused Reliel to be ravaged madly by a certain bad woman along the way, not daring to resist at all.
Earlier, Amisa had expressed concern about the young lady’s state, but Ileya herself didn’t know why she was so restless, and of course couldn’t explain it to Amisa. She could only guess that she might not have slept well at night.
And at this moment, it was about four or five days’ journey from returning to the Crystal Capital.
“Young lady!” And just as Ileya was pinching Veil’s cheek, feeling the other’s anger that dared not speak, a call suddenly sounded from outside the carriage, and then Holly directly opened the door and entered the carriage.
But…
“Mmph?!” The Holy Sword Bearer who had just entered received the same treatment as Veil, directly pinched on the cheek by a cool little hand, then rubbed up and down.
She first looked at the young lady who seemed to be thinking about something, then looked at Reliel who looked like she wanted to cry but had no tears, and finally chose to obediently be a doormat until the young lady’s eyes refocused…
“Hmm? Holly… is there something?”
“Ahem, well… Young lady, for this trip to the Crystal Capital, I’d like to bring my grandfather and sister… is that okay?”
“Recently, it really is unsafe outside. It’s not that those people of the Yi Society will come under their so-called banner, but because these rumors have created many refugees, and these refugees, having lost their livelihood, can easily turn into bandits and thieves. For example, those refugees who tried to block the road earlier… Leopard Stream Town will also be in danger, so… I feel it’s better to bring my family to the Crystal Capital.”
“Mm, it’s indeed a bit chaotic outside now; it’s better to keep family by one’s side…” Ileya said this subconsciously, but then stopped the next second.
Wait… family…
Ileya suddenly felt as if she had grasped something. That was the source of her unease all along.
Earlier, when studying her own memories, Ileya had also considered… Given her parents’ attitude toward her, they wouldn’t allow her to be taken away and subjected to public execution in the Royal Capital. Unless… something happened to her parents.
‘Could this guess have come true so quickly?! Does this restlessness come from Mother? Or that old thing?’
Ileya’s heart was slightly startled, and she suddenly felt an impulse to rush back to the Crystal Capital as fast as possible. But the next second, she calmed down.
‘No, no, no… Mother can’t have an accident, and can’t have one now. Because according to the memories shown in the “past life,” even if Lady Shudrian were to have an accident, it would be after Reliel returned to her ancestral home. She shouldn’t be in any danger for now… Moreover… if something happened to her, Yumina, who stayed at the castle, would notify me immediately…’
“Amisa!” Although she was thinking this, Ileya still called out to the maid driving the carriage ahead.
“Young lady, what are your orders?”
“Speed up. Within three days… I want to return to the Crystal Capital.”
“…”
Amisa was slightly taken aback, but she nodded without hesitation at the young lady’s order.
“Yes.”
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