Chapter 33: The Illegitimate Daughter of Glais II

Anna sat upon a large stone, her slender, pale legs swaying gently. Dressed in furs as if she had just emerged from a cave, she carried herself with an undeniable aristocratic grace.

“My name is Chloe,” Chloe introduced herself. “Chloe Raina.”

“Lady Raina, I am terribly sorry my Simon has caused you trouble,” Anna said, gently stroking Simon’s head. “Simon, apologize to this elder sister.”

A creature as proud as a tiger would never easily lower its head. Yet, Simon now docilely bowed his head towards Chloe, a clear gesture of apology.

“He listens to you so well!” Chloe exclaimed in admiration. The last time she had seen such an obedient tiger was at a zoo, but even then, keepers needed whips to control such fierce beasts. How could Anna, a seemingly defenseless maiden, have tamed a tiger?

Anna seemed to discern the confusion in Chloe’s eyes. “I saved Simon’s life,” she calmly replied. “Years ago, someone shot an arrow into him. I treated his wound and helped him recover. That is why he listens to me so intently.”

“That sounds like something out of a fairy tale.”

Chloe had encountered such plots in high school English creative writing, but she never imagined they truly existed in reality.

“However, he also saved my life, for that arrow was actually meant for me.”

Chloe stared at Anna in astonishment, never expecting her to possess such a story. “Someone was hunting you?” Chloe asked.

A flicker of hatred ignited in Anna’s vacant eyes, only to subside instantly. She let out a sigh.

“That is why I have been forced to hide in these woods. But, Lady Raina, since you bear a surname, does that not indicate you are a noble?”

“Oh? I am merely a humble Count.”

Chloe placed her hands on her hips, attempting to conceal her burgeoning pride.

“A Count… of where?” A hint of hesitation flickered in Anna’s eyes.

“Avros, Pannoria, and… Lagaya.”

“Three earldoms simultaneously? That is truly unheard of,” Anna said, clearing her throat. “Perhaps I am simply ignorant, but I recall Avros belonging to the Sirena family, while Pannoria and Lagaya were held by the Vitricia family.”

“Ah, Prince Cliff bestowed these lands upon me. The current head of the Sirena family co-governs with me. As for the Vitricia family… I apologize, I am not very familiar with them.”

Chloe found this rather peculiar. Why would someone seeking refuge here ask so many questions?

“Cliff? What about Prince Glais?”

Anna pressed on, relentless in her inquiry.

“Glais was deposed by the Elder Council. They officially appointed Cliff as Prince.”

“Hmm… such a thing happened,” Anna mused, propping her chin on her hand. “Lady Raina, do you truly know nothing of the Vitricia family?”

“My apologies… I am a newcomer myself.”

Chloe began to suspect Anna’s identity. “May I ask, do you have any connection to the Vitricia family?” she pressed.

Anna was momentarily speechless, her gaze averting, clearly unwilling to answer the question. Just then, a familiar figure burst forth from the nearby tall grass.

Xina charged forward in a fit of pique, but the moment she spotted Chloe, she dropped to her knees. She slid across the ground, embracing Chloe tightly.

“Little Chloe, I thought you had been eaten!”

Xina clung to Chloe, almost suffocating her with the embrace. She rubbed her face against Chloe’s, terrified that Chloe might be dragged away by the tiger once more.

Simon bared his fangs, appearing ready to pounce on Xina at any moment. Anna blocked Simon, recognizing Xina and frowning slightly.

Xina’s face was contorted with anger, but her expression transformed the instant her eyes landed on Anna.

“Sister Anna?”

Anna quickly turned her head away, but Xina rushed to her front, scrutinizing her intently.

“Sister Anna, it truly is you!”

Xina cried out in delight. Anna turned her back, but Xina followed her, rotating alongside her. Anna desperately tried to cover her face with her hands.

Chloe was bewildered. “You know Anna?” she asked.

Xina nodded vigorously, pressing her hands together. “Of course! Anna Vitricia is my cousin! We used to play together every day when we were little. She disappeared without a trace a year ago, and we all thought she was dead.”

“There’s more to this?!” Chloe’s jaw dropped. ‘What a small world,’ she could only think.

“Yes, her mother is my father’s cousin, so we are family.”

Anna sighed, seemingly abandoning her struggle. She jumped off the stone and settled onto the grass.

“Alright, I am Anna Vitricia. The previous Count of Pannoria was my maternal grandfather. So, can you tell me what happened to him?”

Xina’s gaze flickered, and she stammered, “Vitricia… should have…”

“He was executed for treason.”

Tucker emerged from the tall grass, Norria trailing beside him. “Faran Vitricia was blinded by greed, intending to surrender to the Empire,” Tucker said with disgust. “Fortunately, Prince Glais didn’t let him succeed.”

Anna’s face turned pale, her throat constricted as if pricked by needles. “Then my mother… Valerie Vitricia, where is she?” she urgently asked.

“Her? She went mad long ago. She disappeared without a trace when her home was raided. Probably ended up in some brothel, though I doubt they’d take a madwoman.”

Tucker’s tone was utterly flippant. Anna’s face flushed with indignation. Simon, sensing her fury, seemed poised to pounce. Seeing this, Tucker hastily retreated several steps.

However, Anna managed to control her emotions, calming Simon.

Chloe quickly pulled Tucker aside. “Why would you say such things about their family?” she asked him.

“Why? Ha! The Vitricia family ruled Pannoria for nearly a century, and every single lord among them was insatiably greedy, corrupt, and lustful. Old Faran was the absolute worst of their lot. He levied heavy taxes on us while he spent his days carousing with his mistresses. During the great drought, he hoarded nearly full granaries of food, yet refused to share even a scrap with his hardworking servants. My parents starved to death then. His wretched sons went around bullying men and defiling women; one even harassed my wife. It’s a blessing that some of them are dead and others have fled, otherwise Pannoria would never know peace.”

“To hell with the Vitricias!” Tucker spat on the ground, his gaze fixed on Anna with profound resentment.

Chloe had never imagined that common folk could harbor such deep hatred for their wicked lords, a hatred that could even persist into the next generation. She swallowed nervously, fearing that she, too, might one day be reviled by thousands.

Anna lowered her head, remaining silent. It seemed she had no defense for her family’s notorious misdeeds. However, Xina instinctively shielded Anna, loudly declaring to Tucker, “No matter how many wrongs Sister Anna’s grandfather committed, what does that have to do with Sister Anna? Why are you cursing her?”

“Not a single good person bears the Vitricia name,” Tucker venomously stated. “I advise both of you ladies to stay far away from her, lest you become tainted by their cursed bloodline.”

With those words, Tucker turned and walked away without a backward glance. It was clear he found the sight of the last Vitricia descendant utterly repulsive.

“Sister Anna, are you alright?” Xina asked with concern. “He was truly too much. I initially thought he was a good person, but I never imagined he could be so vicious.”

Chloe, however, remained noncommittal. After all, Tucker had personally experienced the devastating harm of corrupt and tyrannical rule. If Chloe were in Tucker’s shoes, she might even wish for the complete eradication of the Vitricia lineage.

“It’s alright. I simply failed to make my grandfather correct his mistakes in time,” Anna said coldly. But her eyes were already veiled with tears. Simon whimpered, rubbing his head against her face.

“Sister Anna, it’s fine! You just need to prove to them that you are not like your grandfather!”

Xina and Anna could be said to share a similar fate. As a lord who also bore the sins of her predecessors, Xina had ample experience in this regard. She had indeed managed to change her people’s perception through her own efforts.

“Let’s go home!”

“Home? Where do I even have a home…?” Anna murmured. “My mother is missing, and the Vitricia family has been utterly annihilated. Now, I only have Simon left.”

Simon gently leaned against Anna’s shoulder, offering his companionship in this silent way.

“Come back to our home, Sirena Castle,” Chloe told Anna. “Simon can come along too, if he wishes.”

“Can I really…?” Anna murmured.

“We are family, after all! Lucia would be thrilled if things were livelier,” Xina said with fervor.

“Thank you both very much,” Anna said, bowing to them. She rubbed Simon’s ears, and he nodded, seemingly eager to reside in Sirena Castle. Chloe wondered what Lucia’s reaction would be upon seeing Simon.

However, Chloe had one more question for Anna, an inquiry that her subconscious mind deemed exceptionally important.

“Excuse me, Miss Anna, but are you perhaps using your mother’s surname?”

In this world, children typically bore their father’s surname. Anna’s surname matching her mother’s and grandfather’s was truly rare, suggesting a hidden truth.

Anna fell silent for a moment, appearing hesitant. But a glance at Simon and Xina seemed to steel her resolve, and she decided to reveal the truth.

“I am an illegitimate child, and thus had to take my mother’s surname. My biological father is the former Prince—Glais II.”