Chapter 73: The Illegitimate Daughter

I followed Charlotte out of the main hall.

The two of us walked along a corridor laid with a thick carpet, the surrounding walls covered with ancient oil paintings and exquisite tapestries.

Charlotte walked ahead, her steps light and elegant.

I walked behind, curiously observing this young lady.

I noticed that although this white-haired girl looked young, her every move revealed a maturity beyond her years.

The two walked one after the other without any communication, only the dull thud of their leather boots on the carpet echoed.

Finally, I could no longer bear the oppressive atmosphere and took the lead in breaking the silence: “Um.... Miss Charlotte.”

Hearing this, Charlotte's steps paused, and she turned her head to look at me.

“Is something the matter, Miss Melantha?”

I hurried my steps to catch up to Charlotte's side and then said: “Can you tell me something about your other brothers and sisters?”

“Big Brother Edward is skilled in swordsmanship,” Charlotte did not stop walking, speaking as she went.

“Not the kind of swordsmanship used for performance or exchange among nobles, but a real killing art. When I first came to this manor, I heard from the servants that he has studied swordsmanship for at least ten years. Although I have also studied it for a period, in terms of swordsmanship alone, I am probably not his match.”

“Swordsmanship, huh....”

I muttered for a moment, then looked at the back of my hand.

In a way, I seemed to have learned a little too.... although it was probably for less than a month.

But the experience of those seniors.... added up, it should be at least twenty years, right?

And besides that, I still had some knowledge from Jason in my mind.

If I hadn't left in such a hurry, taking Jason's body with me would have certainly been a great help.

But even though I couldn't bring the body, and couldn't even take the entire soul, I was not without gains.

Although something like Scepter Liberation couldn't be learned, the content about alchemy was remembered word for word in my mind—

【Forge Iron with Blood】: Convert between blood and iron.

【Smelt/Reforge】: Use Quintessence as a medium to smelt metallic substances and reforge them into desired shapes.

If it involves complex structures, one needs to have relevant knowledge of its structure.

For example, firearms.

If it's just hand-crafting daggers or short blades, there aren't too many restrictions.

“Wait, you just said... since you came to this manor?”

Suddenly, I seemed to realize something and frowned slightly.

“You didn't grow up here?”

“I was brought over when I was fourteen.”

Charlotte's voice remained calm.

“I do not share the same mother as my other brothers and sisters.... To put it bluntly, I am my father's illegitimate daughter.”

Hearing this news, my steps suddenly halted, and I looked at Charlotte in disbelief.

I wasn't surprised by Charlotte's identity, but I was surprised that she could say it so calmly.

Charlotte noticed my reaction, stopped, and turned to face me, her ruby-like, lycoris-colored eyes looking directly at me.

“Are you surprised?”

She asked softly, “In this family, everyone has their own secrets. My parentage is among the least worthy of mention.”

I came back to my senses and lowered my head in some embarrassment.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to....”

“You don't need to apologize,” Charlotte interrupted me.

“If I couldn't handle this level of candor, then I wouldn't have been able to stay in this place for three years.”

She said, and continued to walk forward.

I hurriedly followed.

I continued to walk with Charlotte, my heart full of curiosity about this mysterious white-haired girl.

“So, what about the others?”

I asked, “Mr. William, Miss Emily, and Miss Helena?”

Charlotte was silent for a moment, seemingly considering how to answer.

Finally, she slowly spoke: “Big Sister Emily, she herself hasn't learned any special self-defense techniques, but she has many supernatural items on her. And, I remember she also seems to have mastered some kind of mystical art.”

“Mystical art? What kind of mystical art?”

I asked curiously.

“I don't know,” Charlotte shook her head, “I've never seen her use it.”

“But isn't the burden of mystical arts very large for ordinary people who aren't Shepherds?”

I was confused.

“About that.... actually, the jewelry worn by the Michel family children is almost all supernatural items.”

Charlotte's voice remained calm.

“And their functions are nothing more than amplifying Quintessence or preserving life. The Michel family has close ties with Saint Clement's Lyceum, Cixin Hospital, and Hermes Workshop. Getting these things, or even having them custom-made, is not a problem for them at all.”

“But....”

Hearing this, I glanced at Charlotte.

She was quite unadorned, not to mention jewelry, she didn't even have a hairpin.

“Then, what about Mr. William?”

I didn't ask why, but continued the topic.

“William has an almost terrifying talent for marksmanship.”

Charlotte said.

Hearing this, I couldn't help but frown.

I recalled my observation and first impression of William just now; I couldn't imagine him as someone who could remain calm.

“He... is very good at shooting?”

“I have seen William's performance at the shooting range,” Charlotte nodded.

“Whether it's moving targets or long-distance targets, he almost never misses.”

“But he looks....”

“That's because Young Master William....”

Charlotte's expression suddenly became complicated.

After a pause, she continued: “He developed a morphine addiction a year ago, and since then he's been a bit.... you understand. A year ago, Young Master William was accidentally injured during a hunt—a wild boar suddenly rushed out of the bushes and charged at him. Although he shot and killed the boar in time, he was also scratched on the thigh by the boar's tusks. We immediately sent William for treatment, and to relieve the pain, the doctor prescribed him morphine. At first, it was only used occasionally, but soon....”

She didn't continue, but I already understood.

“Then what about Miss Helena?”

“Helena...”

Charlotte's voice suddenly paused, as if she didn't know how to describe her.

“Helena's legs are said to be disabled from birth, so Father asked the people at Hermes Workshop to customize a wheelchair for her. I haven't had much contact with her, but I can see that she is different from the others. Although her legs are disabled, Helena's personality has not become inferior or self-destructive because of it. She likes cooking and gardening, so Father even built a greenhouse especially for her. In her treatment of the servants, Helena is not as harsh as Emily. But I can see that she, just like Miss Emily, looks down on those servants. It's just that Emily expresses it directly, while Miss Helena disguises this disgust.”

After a pause, Charlotte continued:

“I even think that it's not just the servants she hates, but everyone.”