“Mother, I hope you can take back what you just said.”
Luo Xiya, upon hearing the Duchess Kelden’s scornful words, instantly resembled an enraged lion, even forgetting her fear of the Duchess Kelden. Her eyes stared straight at the Duchess Kelden before her, and the magic within her body silently surged along with her anger.
“I said something wrong, did I? My good daughter, you truly are impressive. Spending a fortune for a slave—so this is how you use the money I give you? I’m afraid even if you gathered all the wastrels in the entire Aingloran Empire, none would be half as outrageous as you.”
The Duchess Kelden sneered faintly.
However, Luo Xiya’s expression hadn’t changed at all since just now.
She kept her gaze fixed on the Duchess Kelden like a little lion cub, clearly not backing down from her previous words or attitude.
“You’re not convinced, are you?” the Duchess Kelden asked, staring right back at her.
“There’s one thing I’d like to clarify first. It’s true I spent a fortune for Roman, but I used my own money. It has nothing to do with you.”
“How childish. If you weren’t my daughter, without all the help I’ve given you, do you really think your territory could have reached its current state?”
The Duchess Kelden looked at Luo Xiya as if she were an ignorant child, her eyes occasionally flashing with disappointment.
“If you insist on putting it that way, how did you get to where you are today? Wasn’t it also thanks to the support of the family?”
Luo Xiya retorted without yielding.
The Duchess Kelden was clearly taken aback by Luo Xiya’s words, and couldn’t help but retort angrily, “You’re twisting the argument.”
“You’re the one who likes twisting the argument!”
The Duchess Kelden no longer looked at Luo Xiya, instead moving past her shoulder to gaze at Roman behind her.
That head of dazzling silver hair shimmered brilliantly under the refracted sunlight, scattered across the bed along the sheets. Looking up, she saw that Roman had, at some point, turned his body, so she could only see his profile.
Long, slightly curled eyelashes, big and bright eyes, a delicate nose, thin lips—paired with sunlight streaming through the window onto his cheek, the beauty and atmosphere of this scene made even the Duchess Kelden momentarily lose her composure.
Perhaps sensing someone watching him, Roman turned his head slightly and glanced at her. Meeting those pure, clear eyes, the Duchess Kelden’s heartbeat suddenly faltered.
Yet her experience and composure far surpassed Luo Xiya’s. In the next second, she regained her calm, scrutinizing Roman with a slightly disdainful gaze.
It seemed she’d underestimated him yesterday.
Hearing the rumors outside, she had merely assumed he was a troublemaker attracting attention.
Now, it appeared he was a feigned-innocent little seducer.
Compared to the former, the latter was clearly more troublesome, for this kind of act easily stirred the sympathy of those with a soft heart, leading them to become infatuated with him.
“Hello.”
Roman greeted softly.
At the same time, he shyly pulled the sheet tighter around himself, lowering his head, his face tinged with a faint cherry blossom pink.
“…”
The Duchess Kelden did not respond, directly ignoring Roman’s greeting.
Faced with such eyes, the sharp words she’d prepared were truly hard to say.
“Didn’t you hear Roman greeting you?”
Luo Xiya pressed directly.
“Did you sleep with him?”
The Duchess Kelden asked darkly, changing the subject.
“Yes.”
Luo Xiya answered calmly, without hesitation.
The Duchess Kelden fell silent, frowning sharply.
She looked at Luo Xiya, then at Roman behind her, and finally made a slight compromise.
“What you two do in private, I can’t be bothered to care. But publicly, I don’t want to hear any news about him.”
“That really puts me in a difficult spot. I’ve already planned when to marry him. Are you asking me to go back on my word?”
“Marry?” The Duchess Kelden sneered.
As if knowing her next words would completely provoke Luo Xiya, she simply couldn’t be bothered to reply anymore, tossing out, “Get dressed and come find me downstairs.”
With that, she turned to leave.
“Did you forget what I said?”
Elise watched the aggressive Luo Xiya, her eyelid twitching uncontrollably.
Did Miss take the wrong medicine today?
The Duchess even made a rare concession, but instead, you’re not letting her go.
Such a bizarre scene left Elise unsure of how to help Luo Xiya.
“What did you say?”
The Duchess Kelden turned around, her sea-blue eyes, so similar to Luo Xiya’s, staring across at her.
“Roman has a mother, he has a family. You shouldn’t call him those things.”
Luo Xiya’s bright eyes and upright words only made the Duchess Kelden more irritable.
To be honest, after calming down, she herself felt a bit regretful—venting her anger on a boy and even using humiliating words. Even she found it a bit shameful.
But if anyone else dared speak to her like this, whether right or wrong, she would have them executed on the spot.
But Luo Xiya was her daughter.
If her daughter wanted to reason with her, then she had to communicate as a family.
“Besides, if Roman is the bastard you say, then wouldn’t I be one too?”
Elise’s eyes widened. Such a shocking statement left her unable to stand still; she hurriedly stepped forward to grab Luo Xiya.
“Miss, please don’t say such things anymore!”
“Elise, let go of me! Today I must get a clear answer—my father’s disappearance, was it your doing behind the scenes?”
What surprised Elise was that the Duchess Kelden did not get angry.
Her mature, graceful face finally revealed a helpless expression, and without a word, she simply left.
Upon leaving Luo Xiya’s room, the Duchess Kelden immediately encountered Lady Catherine.
The two looked about fifty percent alike, both with black hair and blue eyes.
If not for their vastly different temperaments and attire, outsiders would find it difficult to tell them apart.
One was like a sword hidden in its sheath, exuding a restrained yet ready-to-strike sharpness.
The other was like a star in the night sky, seemingly approachable but actually unfathomably mysterious, the magic swirling around her cold and powerful.
Lady Catherine, as always, wore her mage’s robe.
She greeted the Duchess Kelden first: “Veronica, it’s been a long time.”
Veronica was the Duchess Kelden’s name.
Most people addressed her as Duchess or Duke; few ever called her by name, and even fewer had the right to do so.
Lady Catherine was one of those few.
With a distant, nostalgic expression, the Duchess Kelden replied, “It truly has been a long time, Catherine.”
After speaking, she frowned and stepped forward, grabbing Lady Catherine’s wrist, letting her magic probe within.
“I rushed here this time because I wanted to take you to the Holy City as soon as possible. Even if the Holy Throne doesn’t intervene, there are still other Saint-level Archbishops. They’ll definitely be able to cure—”
Her anxious expression suddenly froze, then she looked up at Lady Catherine in disbelief.
The other was smiling gently at her.
No matter what, they were blood sisters.
No matter how deep their conflicts, when facing hardship, true feelings would inevitably show.
“You’re not mistaken. That Curse is basically no longer a problem.”