OHNIR - Chapter 77
Chapter 77: Origin
Tina Hippol lifted the hem of her skirt and gave Kelusta a slight curtsy, smiling. “We meet again, Miss Breviou.”
Kelusta subtly furrowed her brow.
She never would have imagined, not even if she racked her brain, that her sudden visitor would be the noble lady she had met by chance just once.
With so little information to go on, her mind was a complete muddle, and she couldn't quite grasp the situation... But her visitor was a dignified noble lady who had been so polite from the very beginning. Kelusta couldn't bring herself to be rude and ask her purpose outright.
So, the brown-haired girl could only give a bewildered curtsy in return, offering a polite, professional-looking smile. “Good afternoon, Miss Hippol.”
Tina's eyes curved into a smile, her brilliant, lemon-gold pupils fixed on Kelusta. Her pale face was etched with illness and fatigue, looking so pitiable that one would feel an immediate urge to invite her inside, unable to bear the thought of her standing in the cold wind for another moment.
But Kelusta, having suffered enough at the hands of nobles, did no such thing.
She hardened her heart and stared at Tina with a probing gaze. She didn't ask any questions, nor did she invite her in. Instead, she cautiously used her body to block the view into her dormitory room, silently waiting for the other girl to speak.
Only when she could confirm that Miss Tina posed no threat would she grant her entry into her private space.
However, though Kelusta hadn't openly expressed her attitude, Tina seemed adept at reading people. The moment Kelusta fell silent, she appeared to notice her vigilance and defensiveness.
A hint of panic appeared on the girl's pale face, and she gave another uneasy curtsy. Her posture was exceptionally deferential, and her voice was soft and gentle, as if she were afraid of startling Kelusta. “I know my sudden and impolite visit has likely disturbed you,” she said softly. “For that, I must offer my sincerest apologies...”
—Nobles are so long-winded, and they have so many rules.
Kelusta thought to herself, her attention drifting.
She remained silent, not uttering a word in response, but her gaze on Tina gradually shifted from wary to inquisitive.
The count's second daughter was being far too polite... one might even say she was trying her utmost to express respect for Kelusta.
This wasn't normal. No noble would show such respect to a commoner.
Not even Gloria had been so humble upon their first meeting. Besides, Kelusta had never heard of the Hippol family being particularly kind to commoners...
Something was amiss, and she had to be cautious.
Under Kelusta's increasingly suspicious gaze, Tina grew visibly more nervous. The noble girl's face seemed to pale with emotion. She raised a hand to her lips and coughed several times, her sickly appearance intensifying until she looked as if she might collapse on the doorstep at any moment.
...She's not here to run a scam, is she? Kelusta thought uneasily.
Clearly, this jesting suspicion was baseless. Tina quickly brought her coughing under control, no longer being impolite. She gave Kelusta an embarrassed smile and said calmly, “I assure you, I bear you no ill will. You can rest easy... I have come today primarily to complete an important task entrusted to me by an elder. But this isn't the place to speak. Would you be willing to let me come inside so I can explain in detail, Miss Breviou?”
“I'm sorry, but I can't confirm the truth of your words,” Kelusta said, looking the petite girl up and down before shaking her head. “Out of an abundance of caution, I cannot allow you into my room so easily.”
As she spoke, she had already raised her fingers behind her back. Magic surged, her water spell poised and ready to deal with any sudden developments—
But her visitor gave her no such opportunity.
“Again, my apologies. I was being reckless.”
Tina sighed and, as if she had anticipated this, reached into a pocket in her dress. Under Kelusta's unblinking stare, she produced a black bracelet and held it out, explaining with a faint smile, “This is a single-use Magic-Sealing Bracelet. It lasts for one hour, which is long enough to seal my magic until our conversation is over—”
“I am willing to wear it until the moment I leave your room. Will that be enough to demonstrate my sincerity?”
As she spoke, Tina opened her palm and channeled her magic, causing a translucent, pale green sapling to appear—a semi-corporeal manifestation of wood magic. It was the most direct way to demonstrate that the bracelet would indeed seal her magical power.
Kelusta stared at the black bracelet in surprise, hesitating for a moment and drawing a sharp breath.
She had heard of such things as Magic-Sealing Bracelets... Once a mage put one on, it would instantly suppress all of their magic, rendering them as powerless as an ordinary person. Before another mage, they would be utterly at their mercy.
Such a magical device was typically only used on criminal suspects.
For Tina, the dignified daughter of a count, to willingly wear such a device just for the chance to speak with her... It had to be said, that sincere gesture alone was enough to convince Kelusta seventy percent of the way.
But a stubborn thirty percent of her remained wary.
So, at the risk of being offensive, Kelusta firmly took the bracelet. Carefully watching Tina's expression, she fastened it around the wrist her visitor offered.
With a soft click, the clasp fastened. Tina smiled at her calmly, and the illusory sapling in her palm vanished without a trace.
The Magic-Sealing Bracelet was genuine.
Kelusta pressed her lips together and gave Tina a deep bow. Raising a hand in a gesture of invitation, she said with flawless sincerity, “I must apologize for my rudeness. I hope you can forgive me. Please, come in, Miss Hippol.”
“There's no need to apologize. I did this of my own free will.” Tina shook her head and gave her a kind nod before accepting the invitation and stepping into the brown-haired girl's simple room.
She led her guest to an armchair by a small round table. Just as Kelusta was about to turn and prepare some tea, Tina stopped her. “Please, don't trouble yourself,” she said gently. “To save time, shall we get straight to the point?”
Since her guest insisted, Kelusta didn't argue. She simply sat down opposite Tina, folded her hands, and assumed an attentive posture, quietly meeting the noble girl's gaze.
“System.”
“Present, temporary host.”
“Monitor her micro-expressions,” Kelusta instructed calmly. “One can't be too careful. If you detect anything unusual, alert me immediately.”
“Command registered. Commencing monitoring. Please rest assured.”
In the few seconds it took her to instruct the System, Tina seemed to compose herself. She pressed her lips together and parted them slightly, as if about to speak.
“First, I should explain my purpose in coming,” the Count's younger daughter said with a faint smile, her gaze resting on Kelusta's beautiful and vaguely familiar face. “I am not here today on behalf of the Hippol family... but as a representative of the Amirium family. I am here to present you with an invitation, written by Duchess Amirium's own hand.”
The Amirium family?
Kelusta's eyes widened slightly. She glanced down at the white, gold-foil invitation on the table, which was embossed with a flowing water pattern, before looking up to ask, “Forgive my confusion, Miss Hippol—why would the Amirium Ducal Family send me an invitation? A humble commoner like me should never have the opportunity to catch the Duchess's attention.”
In a flash, she recalled the tense, veiled conversation between Gloria and Lewis at the dress shop.
—“The Amirium family has made its decision.”
What decision?
Was it related to Tina's visit?
“...It seems Lady Gloria truly told you nothing.”
Tina sighed. Seeing Kelusta's uncomprehending expression, she suddenly stood up. Under the brown-haired girl's bewildered gaze, she gave a deep bow to the girl who bore a slight resemblance to her.
“Honorable Miss Kelusta Amirium Breviou—it is my great honor to welcome you home on behalf of the Amirium family.”
The name and the statement struck Kelusta like a bolt of lightning, sending her already muddled brain into a state of utter confusion.
Kelusta: “...?!”
Since when did she have a middle name?
In the Nobili Kingdom, a child's middle name was typically their mother's maiden name—
Which meant, according to Tina's form of address, that her mother's full name before she married was...
“Ricanarias Amirium”?
Kelusta gasped. She snapped her head up, her eyes locking with the Amirium family's messenger. Her pure gold pupils were filled with unconcealable astonishment.
“It seems you were unaware of your identity,” Tina said with a smile. She straightened up and looked at the dumbfounded Kelusta with a gentle expression, softly beginning her explanation.
“If you've heard any of the rumors surrounding the Amirium family, you would know that the Duke and Duchess once had an only daughter, who was announced to have died young. But in truth, the family's heiress never passed away. She was your Aunt Ricana, who secretly went to live in Seaside Town with your father.”
“After Aunt Ricana left home, the Duke was filled with regret. He spared no effort in searching for his daughter, but he never found a trace... The years of toil, combined with the increasing burden of family affairs, took their toll on his health. Before long, he passed away, still consumed with longing for his daughter, leaving Duchess Amirium to take charge of the family alone. By my calculations, that was more than a decade ago.”
Tina sighed wistfully. She gazed at Kelusta, who was clearly still reeling from the shock and unable to process it all. “I imagine you might need some time to accept this,” she said considerately.
“Yes, I do,” Kelusta said, stunned. “Based on Gloria's reaction when she saw you and your brother, I had already deduced I must have some connection to the Amirium family... I just never imagined my mother was the Duke's only daughter.”
“You truly are Aunt Ricana's daughter—just as your grandmother said, you're as clever as she was,” Tina remarked with feeling. She then asked tentatively, “May I call you Kelusta?”
“Of course, Tina,” the brown-haired girl said, managing a faint smile and a deep sigh. “After all, by relation... you're my cousin now.”
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