DKVM Ch 31

Chapter 31

Only the sound of the child’s steady breathing sounded in the room.

Dias stared at the sleeping child, then lifted his gaze and looked out the window.

‘What could be going on in the forest?’

It had been quiet lately, but for a year after the portal to the demonic realm had been closed, the forest had been haunted by those sent by the emperor.

They searched the empire for where the boundaries were weakened to the demonic realm.

This wasn’t out of concern for the humans, as Vivian had learned in her history books…they were looking to get into the demonic realm to obtain the heart of the demon king.

Unlike humans, where only the chosen can become mages, demons are a powerful race where everyone can manipulate mana.

It is said that the heart of the demon king, the king of the race, has an enormous concentration of mana.

The emperor felt a great sense of inferiority to his brother, the previous Crown Prince Leopold, even after his death—no, even more so after his death.

Unable to let go of his obsession with power, he coveted the heart of the demon king.

‘I thought he had given up when the gates of the demon world closed.’

It seemed his obsession continued up to now.

Dias stood up and walked over to the calendar on the wall.

The first thing he saw was the words Vivian had decorated with brightly colored pencils in pink, yellow, and other colors.

<★☆★Summer Festival☆★☆>

As soon as he saw the letter, his eyes, which had been cold until a while ago, melted away with a smile.

It seemed like she was looking forward to the festival.

After a moment of staring at his daughter’s bold, childlike handwriting, Dias flipped to the back of the calendar.

On the last page was a date he had set aside.

Once a season, he marked the days he went to the forest.

Of course, Vivian only knew them as ‘the days her dad goes to visit his friends’.

The last date was in March, a few days before the Duke Edelwein came down here.

“…It’s time to go check.”

There was a chill in his voice, and wrath brimming from his golden eyes that could not be hidden behind his glasses.

It was a far cry from his behavior with Vivian.

He stared at the forest and the calendar for a moment, then removed his glasses and left the room.

* * *

“Mom, when can we kick that kid out?”

It was a question Sally had been asking every day lately.

“Just wait a little longer. I’m looking for an opportunity….”

“But how long? You always say to wait! That jerk is going to wind up marrying Rahel―”

“Sally!”

Margaret clamped her hand over Sally’s mouth in horror.

It was time for everyone to go to bed, so no one would pass by, but this was still a hallway. Rahel’s secret must not be mentioned.

It was one thing if the maids heard, but if Owen or Karlz heard…

‘It won’t stop with a simple warning.’

Karlz had warned her not to tell anyone, not even her daughter Sally, that Rahel was a boy.

Margaret rushed into their room, dragging Sally along.

“Did I tell you not to talk about it outside, or did I not?”

“B, but I was so angry that I couldn’t help myself…”

“I told you you can’t tell anyone about that. Not to the lady, not to the duke.”

“Umm….”

“The day anyone else hears that story, we’re both dead. Do you understand?”

Sally swallowed hard as she looked at Margaret’s frightened expression.

She was reminded of a mistake she had forgotten over the past few months.

 

“How a woman, a princess, could be your husband?”

 

It hadn’t been long since they came down to the villa.

She told Rahel’s secret to an inspector sent by the Emperor, but she didn’t tell her mother because she was afraid of being scolded.

But despite what she had revealed, neither she nor her mother had gotten into any trouble.

‘He said the reason the inspectors had come down here to the countryside was because the duke was the emperor’s teacher and the emperor was worried about him.’

So nothing was going to happen.

Sally thought to herself and nodded. She didn’t mention her mistake.

Margaret sighed and pulled her daughter up to eye level.

“Go to sleep. I’m going to attend to the young lady.”

She left the room, leaving Sally behind, and went to Rahel’s room.

Then a maid appeared before her.

“Nanny.”

“What is it?”

“This, a man told me to give it to you.”

The maid handed her a small note.

Margaret squinted at it.

There was no one in this village who would reach out to her personally.

“Who was it?”

“I met a man in front of the inn when I was out earlier, and he told me to give it to you.”

Margaret looked at it with dubious eyes and accepted it.

The maid, having done her duty, bowed slightly and turned away.

‘Looks like some bum is trying to play a trick on me.’

From time to time when she went out, there would be gangsters who would try something with her.

‘There’s probably something nasty written on it. I’ll just throw it away.’

After a moment’s hesitation at a nearby trash can, Margaret opened the note.

She had no expectations, just a momentary curiosity.

“…!”

But as soon as she realized what the note said, her pupils began to quiver.

The note said…

 

The penalty for hiding a traitor’s son is slavery.

 

‘Someone, somehow, knows Rahel is a boy.’

And…it meant that someone knew she was in on the secret.

* * *

After asking the maid for the man’s description, Margaret rushed to the village inn.

It was festival time, and despite the late hour, the inn was bustling with guests from all over.

After wandering around the inn, Margaret spotted the innkeeper and asked him urgently.

“Innkeeper. Where is the man, about this tall, with the scar on his left cheek, now?”

“Oh, him? I was told someone would be here, and you’re right on time.”

The innkeeper gave her the room number as if he had been waiting for her to arrive.

“Third floor, last room on the left.”

Marguerite made her way up to the room, glancing around and pulling the hood of her robe a little deeper before knocking.

*knock, knock*

As soon as she knocked, a man’s voice came from inside the room.

“Come in.”

Gulp. Swallowing hard, Margaret opened the door and stepped into the room.

There was the man the maid had described and another familiar face beside him.

Margaret’s eyes began to shake when she saw him.

“How has the countryside been treating you?”

It was one of the emperor’s inspectors who had come to the villa a few months ago.

The blood drained from Margaret’s face as she looked at him, and despair clouded her features.

‘The emperor knows Rahel’s secret.’

It wasn’t Rahel’s safety that had her in despair.

‘Everything I said to Sally will actually come true…’

In fact, she could have ignored the note if she thought that someone was only looking for her.

Yet it was the warning at the end of the note that made her come this far.

 

If you do not come to the inn, the duke will know that your daughter has revealed the princess’s secret.

 

When Margaret saw the warning, she rushed to Sally and asked her if she had ever revealed Rahel’s secret to anyone.

The child was horrified and confessed her mistake, and Margaret was compelled to come here.

She fell to her knees, feeling as if her feet were going out from under her.

“P, please have mercy on me!”

“…”

“I did not dare to deceive His Imperial Majesty! I only wished to raise my daughter well, as her father had wanted…”

However, unlike the terrified Margaret, the inspector spoke harshly.

“I didn’t call you here to listen to your sob story.”

He gestured to the seat across from him.

“Sit.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Margaret did as he commanded and sat down across from him.

Her hands were sweating profusely. She felt like she was standing in front of a tiger.

The inspector got straight to the point.

“His Majesty wishes to handle this matter quietly.”

Quietly.

Margaret’s hands trembled at the word.

Hopefully the ‘handling’ would not include her and Sally.

The inspector paused, deliberately, as if enjoying the sense of superiority that came with the situation, observing her terrified reaction..

“The princess, who followed her grandfather to the countryside to recover her health, dies in an untimely accident.”