I Became the Abandoned Daughter of an Underworld Boss - Ch. 59

Inside the carriage.

Yuriana, feeling a bit light-headed, was being gently cared for by Asil. His large hands were surprisingly more attentive than Levina’s.

Her damp clothes had been removed, and her face was wiped, though her matted hair could only be wrapped in a towel.

Once they reached Elodia, Yuriana would head straight to the bathroom in Levina’s arms.

With an unintentional nun-like appearance due to the towel on her head, Yuriana spoke softly.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

With a more downcast expression, Yuriana replied.

“… for losing my temper at the kingdom’s knights because I relied on my dad’s influence.”

Knights were generally known as righteous and brave, gentle to women and children.

However, such stories didn’t apply to Asil and his daughter Yuriana.

They knew all too well that people looked down on them because of their dubious origins. There was even an incident where Asil, while visiting the capital to meet Alice, got into a scuffle with some rookie knights.

Perhaps that was why she was angrier. The mocking glances directed at Dark Town seemed to have been passed down to her as well.

The Dark Town folks who accompanied them today must have been angry too, right?

Asil shook his head.

“No, you did well.”

“Dad…?”

“And you misspoke. They’re not kingdom knights, but knight scum. You don’t need to attach <sir> to their title anymore.”

Publicly, Yuriana was known as a quiet girl, especially since the Dark House was attacked, and she rarely ventured outside.

No wonder the attitude of the two servants who initially looked down on her wasn’t uncalled for.

Asil was secretly pleased with today’s incident.

‘My daughter is growing up strong.’

It would’ve been better if Yuriana hadn’t been splashed with mud, but he was immensely proud of how she stood up to those rough, ugly knights without backing down.

He sincerely said.

“Today, you truly acted like Asil’s daughter. If anyone dares to mistreat you in the future, feel free to get angry. You don’t have to step back even a bit!”

Forgetting to blow the whistle was no big deal.

They were together in this.

“Dad…”

“I’m proud of you. It’s not right to just swallow your anger after something like that. I’ll make sure to save you and punish the villains who wrong you.”

People might call Asil of Dark Town a villain, but the kingdom knights Yuriana saw today were the real villains.

Hmph. Reflect on their actions? Even if Alice scolded them with a rod, none of them would change. They didn’t even look at her, only at the queen’s side, apologizing and kneeling.

Hmph. Hmph. Hmph!

I’ll glare at those kingdom knights myself!

Yuriana harbored mischievous thoughts.

“And you know what? I learned something new today.”

“What is it?”

“The maids always whispered about how handsome and dashing the kingdom knights were, but it’s all lies! How could there not be a single attractive knight out of the six? Even Uncle Million, your assistant, is leagues ahead of them!”

If Million wasn’t so reserved, people would see him as a strikingly handsome man.

“That’s right, they’re all ugly. I wasn’t happy having to deal with those poorly grown pumpkins either. They seemed like they’d been banged up against rough walls growing up.”

Asil laughed openly.

And indeed… those knights, who splashed mud on Yuriana and stood by her, were all unsightly.

If they were ugly in appearance, couldn’t they at least have good hearts? And if not, couldn’t they improve their skills? They even failed at splashing the mud properly!

Asil had already figured out that the curly-haired one wasn’t aiming for Yuriana, but for the bald knight next to her.

The idiot had misfired with his aim and failed.

Everything was a complete mess, except for one question that remained:

‘Why was the bald one so fixated on him when he was ugly himself?’

“Dad…”

Yuriana’s slow blinks were a sign of her growing tired, something Asil now recognized.

“Rest, Yuriana. Just close your eyes and sleep peacefully.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll leave my dagger by your bedside, so those ugly knights won’t appear in your dreams.”

Asil loosened something from his waist and set it down.

And as if by magic, sleep quickly overtook her.

Even in her drowsiness, Yuriana cursed those despicable kingdom knights.

‘Dad was right about everything. What’s the point of parents passing down good genes? They messed up the meiosis in their mother’s womb themselves!’

“Ugh…”

“Sleep well.”

It was a secret that Asil had cast a sleep spell before picking up the dagger.

…..

‘Phew!’

As Alice tried to board the carriage while suppressing her anger, someone approached her. It was Countess Paul.

Since the incident last time, Alice had firmly insisted that the countess not to be punished and had demanded to join the journey to Elodia.

Aidan had no choice but to agree in order to appease his wife, and Countess Paul had cheerfully said she would gladly take the long journey.

‘Your Majesty, I’ve brought herbal compress for your thigh. I’ll serve you until we reach Elodia.’

It wasn’t uncommon for someone of the countess’ rank to temporarily serve as a queen’s attendant.

So, no one stopped her.

“… come in.”

Alice, who had boarded the carriage, pulled down the shawl from her shoulders and clutched its ends tightly until they crumpled.

Though the countess had gone to the trouble of coming, Alice didn’t feel like offering her a greeting.

It was humiliating!

She had held back earlier because of the people around, but the more she thought about it on the way back, the more furious she became.

‘How dare he humiliate me like this. Asil… you closed off your heart after the tragedy of your first love and couldn’t meet anyone, but you opened your heart only to me, didn’t you? Then you should be focusing only on me, not ignoring me because you’re busy taking care of your lost daughter!’

The words Aidan had said on the night he apologized came to mind.

– Alice, Harun said it would take quite a while to reorganize internal affairs. Because of that, he wants to delay formal relations with the kingdom for as long as possible.

– I understand. But still…!

– Using Dark Town as a temporary trading post is part of that plan, isn’t it? If we were to suddenly stop supplying goods to the kingdom for some reason, it would create diplomatic burdens for both sides. There would also be protests from the residents who depend on that trade. But if we trade through Dark Town, which is a gray zone, the burden of a one-sided cancellation would be lighter.

– I suppose… haa, I have no choice but to accept it.

– I don’t want to completely block interactions with the Reef Empire either. So, could you wait patiently?

Alice still had hope.

‘Yes, if what he said is true, it means that Asil will eventually be abandoned by the empire, right? But my intuition keeps telling me that something’s not right. Why does it seem like the empire is increasingly siding with Dark Town…?’

Countess Paul cautiously spoke.

“Your Majesty.”

“Yes?”

The herbal compress, which had been her excuse to enter the queen’s carriage, lay unopened on the empty seat.

The countess’ real business was just beginning.

“I have something to tell you. It’s a matter of last year, so I’m not sure if it’s too late to mention it.”

“Go on.”

“The young lord from the empire who came today—someone mentioned that they saw him at Dark House last fall. It’s not certain, but we have a witness who claims to have seen him.”

What? Last fall? But I never saw Karas Ifrit back then!

Alice’s blue eyes stared intently at the countess, nearly shouting out loud.

‘Wait. Is that how they became close? Is that why Karas suddenly sided with Dark Town?’

Alice froze in place, having inferred something completely unexpected—that Karas, who was originally destined to become emperor, and Asil’s daughter were friends.

The countess continued to whisper.

“Oh, Your Majesty. I only tell you this out of loyalty. There’s no place in the kingdom where more information circulates than Dark Town.”

Why wouldn’t I know it’s a blatant lie?

Alice, who had experienced the cold atmosphere of Nea Palace and endured many hardships, showed no reaction. For now, she desperately needed the loose-lipped gossip the countess was providing.

“Tell me everything you’ve heard. Since it’s from Dark Town, I won’t blame you later if you’ve confused truth and falsehood.”

As if waiting for those words, the countess immediately spilled her secrets.

“Yes, aside from that, we received another report earlier this year. It was in the capital! Around the New Year.”

“What?”

“Someone claims to have seen that father and daughter along with a handsome young man and that blond imperial boy together.”

“Is that true?”

They met at Dark House last year, and now they’d met again this year? In the capital?

The countess nodded so quickly that her amethyst earrings, which resembled Asil’s eye color, jingled.

She hoped to someday replace them with more expensive rubies or sapphires.

But to do that… she’d have to bow her head to the queen in front of her, at least for now.

“Yes, yes. That father and daughter both have silver hair and striking looks, so they’re easy to remember.”

The report had some errors since Asil was quite youthful in appearance, but it wasn’t entirely wrong.

Asil often had a fierce expression, but his face was handsome, and his body was lean, enough to draw the admiration of many women. And Yuriana, the girl, was also quite charming and pretty.

Alice’s lips twisted into an ugly sneer.

“Unbelievable…”

“I thought they were living quietly in Dark Town, but they’ve come to the capital to do whatever they please? I can’t say for certain, but I’ve passed on the information exactly as I received it without any embellishment.”

“No, Countess, you did very well.”

Alice’s tone was changing to a more respectful one, which delighted the countess.

Was this her chance to rise as the queen’s closest confidante? Now was the time to reveal everything she knew, no matter what it was.

“The person who reported it wasn’t very meticulous, so I don’t have the full details. I apologize that the testimony isn’t definitive.”