If You Wish For Something Useless - Chapter 22

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Chapter 22 – Completely Different From The Original (1)

PART TWO — ACTORS ON STAGE

Dark clouds filled the sky and began scattering snow as soon as Archduke Fedora passed the outer castle of Holfman. The Archduke returned safely through the snow that had begun to fall again. However, his arrival was too ambiguous to use the word ‘fortunate.’ Only twenty days out. What happened while the Archduke was away was by no means easy to explain.

Archduke Fedora had wasted five more days after being attacked by unidentified assassins and was greeted first by Alonso, the butler of the castle. None of the words that came out of his mouth immediately after that were welcoming.

“What?”

Alonso, with a pale complexion, repeated his previous words at the Archduke’s stunned question. Ethan had ventured out of the castle five days ago and was brought back with serious injuries.

“The physician said that he’s not in danger anymore, but… He has not yet regained consciousness. Several messengers have departed to deliver this news.”

Alonso hurriedly updated the Archduke while holding an envelope in his hand. No words were coming out of the Archduke’s slightly open mouth. He recalled the group of men who attacked him and his knights. Because of them, he had to change his route, and because of this, he did not meet the messengers who had left to deliver the news.

The Archduke’s departure at the borders had a large party of knights. Thanks to this, the attack was not difficult to repel, and there were no casualties among the knights who moved with him. When the attack failed, the assassins committed suicide by drinking poison, and none of their identities could be discerned. Nevertheless, as soon as he heard about Ethan, he had suspicions about the connection between both attacks.

“Ethan… I have to go to Ethan.”

It was when the Archduke moved toward Ethan’s room, the butler next to him added in an urgent tone.

“A- and the Princess…”

The Archduke felt like the world was collapsing under his feet when he heard the story.

‘Apart from Ethan, Evelyn had problems too.’

He had taken just one step, and his foot halted as if it had taken root on the spot.

“A blood transfusion, the test for a blood transfusion… blood… The physicians proceeded with the detailed identification, but… The two are not related by blood…”

While he was forcibly holding onto his mind that was about to fall into despair, thoughts that were not properly organized poured out of his mouth.

“Right now… what are you saying…? Explain properly…”

“You- Your Highness the Archduke!”

Just as he was about to ask the butler for details, someone jumped down from the upper floor shouting loudly. He was an administrative official working in the castle’s telegram office.

“There has been a rebellion in Hereos! The Imperial Palace has been overthrown, His Majesty the Emperor has passed away and the Lords’ soldiers are on the move!”

When the official’s announcement was finished, Archduke Fedora realized why he and Ethan had been attacked. His brother died, and the throne’s owner had changed. The new Master will change the name of Hereos and was trying to purge the Emperor’s faction the same way he did in the past. Archduke Fedora and Duke Orman should be on the list of the purge that will let blood flow in the Empire. When the Archduke began to understand what was going on, Alonso impatiently interrupted his thoughts. Having dedicated all his life to the Grand Duchy, he thought there was someone more important than Ethan.

“Your Highness, Princess… When the Princess took the blood test to give the Young Master a blood transfusion, the blood of the two didn’t match. As a result of the random detailed test conducted by the physicians, they said that the two were not blood-related.”

The butler continued speaking to the Archduke, who was still frozen.

“With His Highness the Archduke… the blood didn’t match, either.”

“Kuuhgk!” Even though he inhaled, somehow he choked. What the butler said just now had a really simple meaning. Evelyn wasn’t his daughter.

‘How the hell?’

At the same time as he lost himself in doubts, there was a face, a memory, that popped into his mind.

“Miss, Your Highness the Duchess, please I’m begging.”

A strange lowly woman came to find her, grabbing her swollen stomach.

“Thank you for understanding.”

Every time that woman looked at the Grand Duchess, she stroked her belly gloomily.

“The handmaiden rolled down the stairs and…”

Even the sudden death of the handmaiden who received Evelyn on the day she was born. If Evelyn wasn’t really his daughter, that was the time. If not then, there would be no way for anyone else to touch a child who grew up under his strong protection. Even though no one explained it, the Archduke realized more than the others.

In an instant, anger erupted. Even the Archduke himself did not know who the anger was directed at. Was it directed at the one who paid back the favor as an enemy or toward the enemy’s child?

Although confused, the Archduke clenched his jaw, looking back on the past with Evelyn. The baby, which was small enough for him to hold with one hand, had grown to be large enough to run towards him at some point. Every time she received a compliment from him, she raised his chin and put strength into her lips, an expression that showed how much she tried not to show it, and yet, a shy smile sprayed on her face, filling him with happiness that remained in his memory. For a moment, impatience overlaid on the anger.

“Eve- Where- Eve…”

The words that were wrung out under his will to meet Evelyn were not completed. Nevertheless, the butler, who understood it, answered with a very anxious voice.

“That day… The same day the Young Master was injured, she disappeared immediately. There was a letter left in the Princess’s bedroom but… I couldn’t open it because it’s addressed to His Highness. Immediately after we found the letter, the Knights Commander organized a search team and sent them out, but no news has arrived yet.”

The Archduke staggered as if imitating the trembling voice that gave him the news.

“Your Highness!”

Thanks to the support of the butler, he was able to avoid collapsing to the floor. However, out of his mind, the Archduke wanted to collapse on the spot.

‘How could all this… while I was away…?’

The Archduke grit his teeth and took the letter the butler was holding tightly in his hand. What awaited him inside the open envelope that was opened with a rustling sound was a short sentence.

[I am grateful for the past, and I will never forget the grace with which you raised me.]

When he saw Evelyn’s familiar handwriting, the Archduke let out a dejected breath.

“Ha!”

Evelyn knew a truth the Archduke did not know. Since when? In fact, it didn’t matter right now. It had been more than four years since the blood identification magic was developed and more than two years after it was commercialized. Still, the Archduke was unaware of the relationship between Evelyn and himself. It means that someone volunteered to cover up the truth.

‘It’s you.’

Archduke Fedora was sure it was Evelyn. Complex and intense emotions were mixed in an instant. Sadness about carrying it all alone from a young age without discussing anything. Anger for being deceived for such a long time. Different emotions were mixed and inflated, but betrayal was the strongest of all. A sense of betrayal towards Evelyn, who didn’t trust him. She did not trust the Archduke. She hid everything she knew, and then, when she couldn’t hide it anymore, she left. Thinking that the Archduke, after knowing the truth about her, would harm her instead of embracing her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have left him so mercilessly.

‘Even leaving without anyone noticing on the day of the accident, doesn’t it mean that you had all prepared in advance?’ As if she knew that day would come, she must have prepared a way to leave in advance.

“Huu…”

Between the forced breaths, there was a feeling of resentment that could not be alleviated by anyone. ‘I understand that the matter wasn’t light, but Evelyn should have spoken. —This is what happened, and this is the situation…— something like that…’

“Haha…”

The Archduke thought so and immediately mocked himself as he recalled the anger he had just now, he couldn’t get angry at all or he would prove her fears correct.

He was so shabby. Even though he’d been by Evelyn’s side all her life, he didn’t give her the trust she could rely on unconditionally. If he had been a better father, Evelyn might have spoken to him. Instead of hiding everything and running away, she could have revealed everything and asked for help. The reason Evelyn couldn’t tell him the truth was that he was lacking. When his thoughts reached that point, he couldn’t raise his head. The corners of his eyes were so hot that he tried to cover them with his hand, but the heat did not abate.

His lips trembled, but his voice was firm as he gave the order.

“Close the borders.”

The butler who was supporting him flinched. However, the decision of Archduke Fedora did not change.

“All Lords will be given orders, and all troops will have to keep an eye on the border with Hereos.”

The order he gave now meant to set up a wartime system. He didn’t know who they were, but the one who overthrew the Emperor would not give up on Ethan and the Archduke easily.

“And…”

After a brief pause, the trembling voice continued.

“Find Eve.”

Contrary to his words, the Archduke was sure he would never find Evelyn.

According to Alonso, five days had passed since she left. If she had boarded a ship, it would be enough time for her to reach another country. The Archduke knew Evelyn had a strong temperament for fighting and a strong sense of winning. He could tell because he watched every moment she grew up beside him. She had the insight to find the best way and the determination she needed to change according to the situation. As soon as such a person realized what had happened, she removed herself. She decided that it was best to avoid the issue instead of discussing the matter with the Archduke. If so, she must have hidden away in a place that the Archduke wouldn’t be able to find by now.

‘There is no way she is still in Fedora.’

Even though he knew it, he wanted to close the border, so it was no different from actually giving up finding Evelyn. In other words, he prioritized protecting Ethan over finding Evelyn. It wasn’t because he knew she wasn’t his daughter. It was because of the choices he had made before Evelyn was even born.

Because he was a father who had already abandoned Ethan once.

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