Chapter 26: Chapter 14.2

Vicil rested his chin on his hand and made a hmmm sound.

“I think that’s amazing, Yernia.”

She swore she could sense a faint smile in his voice.

“I just figured out that you are my son’s fate.”

“What?”

To her surprise, Vicil’s countenance didn’t scare her anymore.

At that moment, his amused smile looked very similar to Cassian’s.

Yernia glanced up at him with a blank look.

“I just can’t believe that your name came out on Cassian’s skin. I find it amazing, Yernia.”

“What?”

Wait, so Cassian’s father didn’t know about it?

“His Majesty will be mad if he found out that you tried to erase your fate, Yernia. Since I am not the Emperor, let’s just move on from this.”

“…….”

“You hadn’t erased each other’s destiny in the end. That’s all that matters to me.”

Yernia was too stunned to speak.

Duke Lecardo had no idea that his son’s fate had already appeared in the identity of Yernia.

Even if she was willing to commit such an illegal act, Cassian’s father was able to move on from it with ease.

Everything just shocked her to the core.

Vicil Lecardo was a temple inspector who belonged to the royal family.

He was known to be merciless.

The Duke, nicknamed the “mad killer” on the battlefield, took over the post of temple monitoring after the war.

The necks of corrupt officials and those who had bribed them were often flung into his hands without exception.

Yernia was the only exception.

“Yet, I must punish this servant of God who tried to betray his faith for only a few pennies. We don’t know what will happen if he might repeat this.” Duke Lecardo said coolly.

Yernia gasped in shock.

The priest had turned pale as she glanced at him.

“Please have mercy, Your Grace! I just did what this girl, Celie, told me to do. If you’re going to punish me, you should give Miss Celie–”

That’s right.

That’s right.

All of the people involved in this illegal act had to be punished even if it included her.

“Yernia is my daughter.”

Pardon?

“Did you just tell me that my daughter is guilty?”

Since when did she become Duke Lecardo’s daughter?

Yena gulped down the things she wanted to utter.

“I promise to leave the temple, Your Grace!”

“Your Grace.”

Visil shook his head to refuse the priest’s plea.

“Take me with you!” Yernia called out as she watched the butler drag the helpless priest out of the room.

He didn’t even fight back.

“And Yernia–”

Yernia’s gaze, which had followed the priest earlier, snapped back to Duke Lecardo’s direction.

“Don’t get up just yet.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to punish me, Your Grace?”

“Yes,”

Yernia still couldn’t believe that Duke Lecardo claimed her as his daughter and that he would overlook her faults.

It wasn’t like she would insist on being punished if Duke Lecardo had decided not to give it.

Yernia tried to get up from her kneeling position earlier before he could change his mind.

‘Ulysses.’ She thought. ‘Even if you are corrupt, I sincerely apologized for the trouble you have caused.

As she rose steadily to her feet, Yernia planned to donate a lot of money to the shrine as a consolation gift.

But at that moment–

“Ouch!”

Yernia’s body tilted slightly to the side.

The moment she stretched one of her legs, a sharp pain stabbed her in the knee.

Her legs were stiff and cramped for a while.

“Well, my legs were a little numb.”

“All right. Get up slowly.”

Visil looked at Yernia while he rested his chin on his hand.

Yernia couldn’t even touch her legs.

“My knees felt so painful that it scared me.’

Yernia saw most of Cassian’s features in Duke Lecardo’s face and she quickly realized how much they resembled each other.

They didn’t look the same when Cassian was young but as they grew older their features gradually became similar.

Maybe it’s because of genetics?

“Yernia, did you say that you hated being married and that was why you wanted to erase your destiny?”

“Yes, Father.”

“It appeared like Cassian isn’t important to you.”

Duke Vicil was a war hero and a competent temple watcher, but he was not a good father to Cassian.

After the death of his wife, Lily, he drowned in his sorrow and even neglected his son.

He didn’t know much about Cassian.

They weren’t on good terms either.

Yernia shook her head.

“I don’t love Cassian more than that. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to love him.”

“I see.” Vicil looked at Yernia in silence.

Yernia still had to get married, though.

Yernia regretted acting hastily.

Who knew that Duke Lecardo had never heard who Cassian’s fate was?

“Your Grace–”

“You have charmed me by calling me Father and now you are addressing me ‘Your Grace’ again?”

“I apologize, Father.”

“Yes. Yernia.”

Yena was afraid of Duke Lecardo, but Vicil seemed to love her every time he met her.

Yernia had no idea why but the idea of knowing the reason behind it made her shiver.

“Thank you for coming over, Yernia.”

“It’s nothing to thank you for, Father.”

“You can leave now.”

Yernia was about to tell him that she was leaving but then she heard footsteps.

Cassian had just entered the house.

A moment later, Yernia found  Yernia kneeling in the living room.

He was about to say something to his servant but he pursed his lips instead.

Cassian’s feet stopped moving and stared at the scene in front of him.

Duke Lecardo sat on the sofa while crossing his legs.

From Cassian’s point of view, Yernia seemed to be in tears as she knelt in front of him.

After reading the situation in just one glance, Cassian suddenly shouted, “Father!”

An unexpected cry startled Yernia and made her flinch.

‘Oh, that scared me.’

She wanted to protest and accuse Cassian of being loud but she saw his face crumple before striding forward to them–

“What did you do, Father?”

“Oh? My son is here.”

“What was she doing on this cold floor, father?”