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Translator: uly
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: The Wish Spirit's Legend
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Thud.
After Leonard left the room, the remaining Illusion quietly peered into Rubette's face before soon lifting her head.
There was another face occupying one side of Rubette's bed.
It was her Familial Spirit, who had stayed by Rubette's side the whole time—something Leonard hadn't noticed.
"Wishit."
"...."
Even though it had disguised itself in the form of a mere human for some reason, there was no mistaking it.
Wishit, who had been watching over the suffering Rubette, met Illusion's eyes.
"Have you been well? It's been hard to see your face around the Spirit Spring lately."
"I've been summoned nearly twenty-four hours a day ever since eleven years ago. I have to show my Contractor visions of his wife...."
"I see. You've had it rough."
"But these past few days, I finally got some rest. It seems because my Contractor has been spending more time with this little lady."
Illusion swam through the air once before looking down at Rubette with pity in her eyes.
"Help her."
"Yes."
Illusion held Rubette's cheek and briefly kissed her forehead. A vision would soon unfold like a dream.
Illusion stared intently at Rubette, whose expression quickly softened.
"Hmm... This piece of her soul does feel a bit different, for sure. She's bold, has high self-esteem, and above all, she's kind. I can't tell you how relieved I am that she's taking care of my Contractor's health."
Illusion, who had been speaking with a smile, added in a worried tone,
"But with her mind this unstable... Can she hold on without breaking completely?"
"...Who knows."
"This time, we absolutely have to free you, Wishit."
"...."
"I believe it. Because you're the one Contractor she's been waiting for all this time."
Wishit waved her off as Illusion chattered on with words she couldn't comprehend, laughing softly.
"Enough nonsense. Go back now."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Wishit paused and frowned at Illusion's murmured greeting as she bowed her head slightly.
"...."
She soon silently raised her index finger to her lips in a shushing motion.
At the wordless warning, Illusion grinned mischievously once more before vanishing.
* * *
Diorus Ducal House.
Grand Duchess Molga Diorus's room.
After listening to the twins' chattering reports upon reuniting after over a month, Molga tapped her fingers on the table with a grave expression.
"She changed after nearly drowning in the pond and coming back to life?"
"Yeah, Mom. I still hurt... Hurry up and punish that wench. I want her to apologize."
Riki sniffled, clutching the cheek Rubette had slapped.
They said that starting from the day of the accident four days ago, Rubette had been acting like she was out of her mind.
The fact that she'd slapped Riki's cheek was shocking enough...
'She went to her father of her own accord?'
Thanks to Molga's repeated abuse, Rubette had kept quite a distance from Leonard. She believed he didn't love his own daughter but was ashamed of and hated her.
In reality, he was just an indifferent father. Heartbroken after losing his wife, he had no energy left to care for his children.
'This is trouble. Real trouble.'
Even Head Butler Rob had been fired and was no longer at the mansion.
There was no way Leonard would dismiss Rob, a longtime servant with no faults aside from turning a blind eye to the abuse, without reason.
'That girl opened her mouth. But why all of a sudden?'
What change of heart could have come over the timid little girl who was used to being trampled and never speaking up?
'At least there's no evidence.'
All the mansion's employees had been bought off, and even Vice Duke Viego, the acting head, trusted her.
Even if Rubette revealed the abuse, Leonard wouldn't confront her without proof.
However.
'He'll start getting suspicious....'
Leonard, who had never shown any interest in household matters until now, might change.
'Insolent bastard.'
Molga ground her teeth, recalling Leonard's face she'd passed on the way in. That arrogant gaze cast downward, as if she were bothersome and not worth dealing with.
'He knows full well I raised his kids, so he should at least pretend to be grateful.'
Molga had taken care of Leonard's children like a mother in place of his late wife.
Of course, it wasn't from genuine affection. She had simply hidden her claws and acted kindly out of necessity.
Leonard was ruthless toward anyone who crossed him, his eldest son Viego was the ducal heir, and his second son Victor had a temper like wildfire...
"Insolent fool."
Molga's inferiority complex toward Leonard was immense. Every time she saw him sitting smugly above the duke's seat she could never claim, or his children, it grated on her.
So when she learned the youngest daughter Rubettria was timid and weak-willed, Molga began taking out all her pent-up inferiority, envy, and jealousy on Leonard's daughter through abuse.
'I thought I'd trained that stupid wench well, but this is a big problem. If Leonard starts suspecting the abuse, it'll be a hassle....'
Molga, who had been biting her nails, whipped around to Riki and said,
"First things first, be careful with your actions from now on. Avoid getting involved with Rubette as much as possible, and no bullying her for a while. Watch your behavior even in front of the servants."
"Huh?"
"I'll look into how Rubette's changed. With Rob gone, Mom's going to be busy starting now."
"What does that mean, Mom? Avoid her? She slapped my cheek! You're not going to punish her?"
"You idiot!"
Riki flinched as Molga hissed sharply.
"When Mom speaks, you answer politely with 'Yes.' Why are you talking back like this?"
"...."
"I've told you over and over. Without this mother of yours, how do you think you'd live so comfortably in this house?"
"S-Sorry...."
"Mom, don't be mad."
As the twins mumbled meekly, Molga's sharp gaze swept over them alternately.
Her son Riki and daughter Lillia took after their mother and were exceedingly beautiful, but Molga's blood boiled every time she saw the twins' appearance.
The Diorus ducal family all had red hair due to their genetics...
The twins, who looked exactly like her, felt like unpleasant proof that they would never truly be accepted as part of the Diorus family.
"Riki, Lillia. Listen well."
"Mm...."
"Yeah."
Molga knelt down, grabbing one arm of each twin, her eyes gleaming slyly.
"Your fifteenth birthdays are just over a year away, right?"
"Yeah. Just one year left to endure."
Lillia answered promptly, and Molga nodded with a smile.
If things went according to plan, their days of living in fear of Leonard's watchful eyes in this house would end.
"You haven't forgotten our promise, have you?"
"Yeah, of course...."
Riki nodded hesitantly.
"When choosing a spirit, you absolutely can't get distracted. The Spirit Spring has countless spirits, and their powers will all be tempting."
"...."
"You must never, ever be swayed. You have to form a Familial contract only with the spirit I told you about and bring it out. Got it?"
"I'll find it! Me!"
Lillia's eyes gleamed with greed.
"Hehe... It doesn't matter who finds it. As long as one of you succeeds."
The reason the Diorus family was treated like imperial royalty was precisely because of their bloodline as Spirit Users.
At fifteen, they too were granted entry to the 'Spirit Spring' altar managed by the imperial family to contract with a spirit.
"But Mom, what if, like Rubette, a spirit doesn't choose us?"
Riki asked worriedly.
"That child's an idiot. There's no reason you two wouldn't be chosen by a spirit. Even without the red hair, Diorus blood definitely flows in you."
Their sparkling golden eyes were an undeniable symbol of the Diorus bloodline.
"Yeah, Rubette's a Non-Contractor who wasn't even chosen by a spirit...."
Molga murmured as such, regaining her peace of mind.
'A wriggling worm no matter how it squirms—there's no need for me to get this anxious.'
Rubettria Diorus, the Duchess who was a stain on the perfect Diorus Ducal House. That child was a grateful existence that clouded Molga's inferiority complex.
Not a single member of the Diorus family who had entered the Spirit Spring up until now had failed to contract with a spirit...
Surprisingly, Rubette was the one and only fool in the empire's history who hadn't been chosen by any spirit since its founding.
"Anyway, Riki, if you can find that spirit, what did Mom say?"
"We could even become emperor."
"That's right, my smart child."
As the well-trained Riki clenched his fist with determination, Molga smiled in satisfaction and stroked his head.
"But Mom, can we really...."
The spirit Molga was so obsessed with. It was.
The one that had appeared only once centuries ago and returned to the Spirit Spring after its Contractor's death,
"...find the Wish Spirit?"
The Wish Spirit, regarded as a legend.