Eaten By The Tyrant I Raised

The palace of Lorna was tranquil, exuding a serenity unmatched by any other chamber within its walls.

To ease Lorna’s heightened anxiety in the presence of unfamiliar faces, Nabel had specifically given the command.

And beneath that peaceful haven, a figure concealed by white cloth emerged.

He was the former head chef of Lorna Palace.

Veiled from head to toe, Nisha silently whisked him away.

It was the dawn hour when Lorna and Nabel used to spend their time together.

And on that morning, the newly appointed chef displayed an unusually sharp vigilance.

“Once again, once more…”

As if afflicted by an obsession, he meticulously double-checked the sauce, ensuring no unfamiliar ingredient slipped past me.

His countenance wore a tinge of weariness. Every person in the kitchen shared the same expression.

***

“Your Majesty, these are the findings from the previous investigation order.”

Nabel received a stack of reports in his office. It had only been a short while since Lone Castle had become a safe haven filled with his influence.

Upon confirming the safe zone, he issued two commands.

First, bring Rida Viscountess here, and this.

[Rida Viscountess.]

Rida Viscountess was not a meticulous person.

If she were meticulous and clever, she wouldn’t have been swayed by his wife.

Nabel handed her the paper.

[Current Rida Viscountess: Originally named Sonnet, an orphan from the Temple.]

As Nabel glanced through the documents, his eyes narrowed.

[The circumstances of how the previous Rida Viscountess, who is the birth mother of Lone, passed away are unclear. There is a need for further investigation with more resources. However, it seems likely that she is connected to the current Rida Viscountess.]

His gaze dropped downward.

[The current Rida Viscountess approached the Viscount before the previous Rida Viscountess’s death. It has been confirmed that she learned chess first, knowing that the Viscount’s hobby was chess. There are no other connections apart from the Temple.]

“….”

[It seems clear that she was sent to the Temple for some purpose.]

Nabel narrowed his eyes.

He recalled the image of the previous Rida Viscountess he had seen as a child.

When she saw only Lone, she would transform into an aggressive figure, distant from being a priestess of the Temple.

As if fueling the public opinion within the mansion, she would shout and berate Lone upon seeing her.

“….”

Nabel’s lips twisted.

In truth, it was nothing short of Lady Rida Vanderbilt isolating Lorna in the mansion.

Lady Rida seemed to have tried concealing the rumours about Lorna. There were traces of her attempts to hide the rumours and marry Lorna off to another family for her own gain. In fact, it was confirmed that when Lorna was only eight years old, there were signs of matchmaking between Southern families.

The more I recognized them, the more I saw them as beings of value lower than human.

However, it appears that the recent outbursts from Lady Rida Vanderbilt towards Lorna caused rumours to spread beyond the mansion.

It must have been a thoroughly calculated affair. First, isolating her in the mansion and making sure no one pursued the cursed one. Then, when the opportune moment arose, kidnapping her on the pretext of heresy and diverting her to a third location, not the temple.

“……”

Nabel’s expression turned chillingly cold.

[Furthermore, we have found a connection between the mainland temple and the Mil Tan family, as you had instructed us to investigate. It seems to be related to the recent heresy incident at the mainland temple.]

In short, it means that the heretics and the Mil Tan family have joined forces. The subsequent information did not improve his expression.

[And recently, Lady Rida Vanderbilt has released knights to search for Lorna. Although they had promised to keep her in the temple, since she escaped, it seems that she is being held accountable.]

[……There are rumors circulating that Lady Rida Vanderbilt’s daughter, Yeongae, ran away with a slave.]

Nabel lifted the corner of his mouth and smiled.

He had expected them to act disgracefully.

However, Lady Rida Vanderbilt was even more disgraceful than he had imagined.

“……”

Should I inform Lady about this fact?

This was her matter.

‘Do I want to be your decoration?’

That was out of the question.

It was absurd for her to expect him, who should be her subordinate, not to inform her about her own affairs.

But now was not the time.

She was still not fully recovered.

She had already erased the family from her heart.

Nabel vividly remembered her desire to erase the name of Lady Rida.

They would soon see the power of the divine beings they had disregarded and treated so disdainfully. It would be thanks to the cursed maiden, Lorna de Rida.

No, thanks to Lorna von Iber.

Nabel chuckled silently.

***