"Sister. There's more here too!"
My goodness. The treasure vault was indeed a treasure vault.
"Noel, there really is a lot here. Right?"
"Yes!"
Why are you more excited than me? Looking at the bright Noel, Diana smiled pleasantly as well.
Diana had asked the duke to enter the family's secret storage.
It was a rude request, considering she hadn't even gotten engaged to Rodrick yet and was merely an outsider. She didn't expect to be given the entire bundle of keys.
As a result, the aides and attendants were thrown into chaos once again, but neither the duke nor she paid any mind to it.
"Why does this family have so many cursed objects?"
Inside the secret storage were items ranging from those with a long history to all kinds of weapons. Art pieces. Various spoils of all kinds were stored here.
The size was reminiscent of a museum exhibition hall.
Not only were the items organized and sorted by type, but there was no smell of old dust despite the lack of a ventilation system.
The butler who individually sorted and managed all of this was truly admirable.
It was said that he had taken on all the duties of the lady of the house since the time when the duchess was still alive.
If it was unexpected, it was unexpected that the butler, who had the impression of a knight, handled even delicate tasks.
"Sister. Sister."
Noel diligently explored the secret storage, examining the mana.
He grabbed the hand of Diana, who was momentarily lost in thought, and led her to the most mana-infused decorative piece.
It was an emerald necklace shimmering with brilliant colors inside a glass case. Was it just her imagination that the glass case looked even more expensive than the necklace?
Using the key given by the duke, she unlocked the case and placed her hand on the necklace.
The mana that had been lingering in the necklace slowly seeped into her body through her hand. The hazy pink eyes gradually regained vitality and became clearer.
"Phew. I think this much should be fine for today."
The quantity was so vast, and there were many cursed objects, so it seemed there would be no discomfort in moving her body until Rodrick arrived.
"Noel, do I still look ill?"
At the sudden question, Noel widened his eyes and rolled his red eyes to the side.
"Uh, um. Sister is pretty."
Yeah, I still look ill. It was cute how Noel couldn't lie and evaded the question. Diana gently pinched his chubby cheeks as if squeezing them.
"Hehe."
Even at that small touch, the child laughed with joy.
Diana bent down, rubbed the child's soft cheeks once more, then looked ahead as she walked, her expression not good.
She had clearly told the duke she wasn't ill, but seeing her appearance, he even assigned his personal physician to her and had her regularly take bitter medicine.
I don't want to take medicine. The terribly bitter taste still lingered in her mouth. Even eating candied fruit didn't make it go away, causing her to frown involuntarily.
The duke seemed to have noticed that she would feel ill if she didn't absorb curses, though she hadn't said it.
That was fine. She had thoroughly hidden the most important fact.
"Noel, you don't feel uncomfortable or frustrated because you can't use magic, do you?"
She had also hidden the fact that she could die if she didn't absorb curses, as well as the fact that Noel could use magic.
Magicians were a very precious asset in this era. If the information leaked, there was no telling how the child would be exploited.
Rodrick also knew this and did not tell the duke.
"It's okay! If I don't use magic, a lot of mana accumulates in my body. Then I can use powerful magic later."
No. Noel. You will never have to use powerful magic.
Diana swallowed her words and patted the child's head as if he was admirable.
Noel often tried to prove his worth. Whenever he trembled with anxiety, fearing Diana would abandon him, she would hug him tightly.
Whispering that he was precious to her even if he did nothing at all. When she said that, the child would laugh through tears and embrace Diana, not letting go.
As this repeated and his anxiety was alleviated, the child seemed to gradually believe Diana's words.
"Sister, sister. The wrist joint of this knight's armor here. It's slightly raised."
It was a full set of armor, including a helmet. Despite being empty, it seemed as if it would come alive and move.
"Is that so?"
This is usually a mechanism connected to a secret passage. How does a child who hasn't even received the family's education know that?
It was a subtle joint that ordinary people wouldn't even notice.
"Want to grab it?"
"Yes!"
Ah, so you mentioned it because you wanted to grab this. How cute. Diana stroked Noel's grayish hair.
Diana, holding Noel, lifted the child high up to the wrist part of the armor placed on the platform.
As Noel twisted the wrist, kuku- the wall behind the armor disappeared and a passageway appeared.
As the passageway emerged, the candles on the candlesticks hanging on the walls inside the passage lit up in a row. The soft candlelight was guiding the user.
Diana's eyes narrowed as she gazed at the passageway.
Would there be immense treasures if we went in there? Or are the shameful secrets of the family's ancestors hidden there? You never know. There might be objects with tremendous curses.
If it were a dark, gloomy basement, it would be understandable. Though the illumination was low, there were lit candles, so it wasn't scary.
"Shall we go?"
Noel nodded his head vigorously.
"Let's go!"
They entered with enthusiasm, but how much time had passed? Diana soon regretted it.
Eung. Where are we? With a sorrowful expression, Diana searched for the lost Noel.
"Noel, where are you!"
The passageway was larger and more complex than expected. It was a maze in itself. They walked wherever their feet led them, and the concentration of mana in the air thickened.
The underground passage seemed well-maintained, as it wasn't damp or humid. However, the temperature was cool, causing goosebumps to rise on her arms.
Search "seduce" at redcatty [.] com to read ahead up to chap 70.