Chapter 14: Silent Bait

Chapter 14: Silent Bait

"What in the world!?"

Hearing the wind spirit’s voice, my composure returned. My heart began to settle.

I had finally taken revenge on the monster I had wanted to skin more than anything.

I looked up.

Although I could not see the wind spirit’s face, I could feel her shock and anxiety from the way her voice trembled.

Did she say Gramps Zach ordered her to bring that goblin alive?

Even if that were true, it no longer mattered. There were countless reasons he might want the goblin. He could have intended to read its memories or pry into its thoughts.

Whatever the method, it would have something to do with me.

He was clearly suspicious.

I already knew that.

But why? Could he have realized I was lying back then?

If so, I would not be surprised.

If something strange and impossible appeared out of nowhere within my territory, I would be wary too.

Especially if that something was me.

Even Szélanya, with all her power, had not sensed my arrival.

Not because she failed, but because the system had dragged me into this world in a way that bypassed their awareness entirely.

That alone made me a threat.

But it no longer mattered.

The only witness was dead.

No matter how much Gramps Zach investigated, he would never uncover how I entered his domain. There had only been one goblin who had seen me. I had just killed him.

Even if Zach eventually uncovered the truth, eliminating the witness bought me time.

My rapid growth was already suspicious. The girl who emerged from that cave had been weak. Yet here I stood, transformed in just a few days. That kind of change would never go unnoticed.

But with no one left to tell the story, I felt a sliver of relief.

Gramps Zach's expectations might ease over time. And based on the contract, I knew I would be safe.

That thought helped.

Even my fear about the child inside me, the one draining my life force, began to fade.

I had to think clearly now.

I had nearly broken down over a single threat.

There was still a way to survive.

Now that every trace of my past was gone, Zach’s attention would turn toward the child growing inside me. That alone might be my path to survival.

He would not ignore something so mysterious.

Maybe I was beginning to understand why he was so curious about me. It was not my beauty or my origin.

It was my physique.

The No-Mark Physique.

Szélanya had been drawn to my bloodline because it reminded her of her daughter. But Gramps Zach was different. He had shown no interest in who I was or what I looked like.

That left only one answer.

He was intrigued by my body’s potential. Could he have seen something in this physique that even I had not?

It was only considered a mid-grade type, not something most would treasure.

But its potential for growth was enormous.

Maybe he had sensed something ancient buried deep within it. Something hidden. Something even the system had yet to define.

I did not understand how the minds of ancient beings worked, but for now, this theory was the only one I had.

I had to act quickly and come up with an excuse for killing the goblin.

So I began my performance.

I twisted my expression into one of rage and grief. I forced a smile that trembled with hatred and bitter satisfaction. I activated Divine Vision and looked toward the wind spirit.

She hovered silently, her overwhelming presence pressing through the air.

Now was the time.

"I... I’ve finally killed you, bastard. I finally got my revenge," I said with trembling hands.

I poured all my hatred into those words and smiled as if I had longed for this moment more than anything.

The wind spirit did not react right away.

Then, in a quiet voice, she replied.

"Revenge?"

I could not see her true form.

She was a spiritual being, after all.

But I could feel the shift in her tone.

It was filled with something heavy.

"I see. You are different from our lady. I wish she had possessed that kind of vengeful will."

What?

Her words caught me completely off guard.

I had assumed she would understand why I did it.

I thought she would remember the moment she saw me hiding in the blood-soaked bushes by the river.

I had counted on her seeing through it, on her grasping my motive.

But she had not.

She missed it completely.

Instead, her thoughts had wandered elsewhere.

She had mentioned "our lady."

She must have been thinking of Szélanya’s daughter.

Damn it. I had miscalculated. I relied too much on my own cleverness.

What a stupid mistake.

A wave of embarrassment surged through me.

I thought my plan was flawless. I thought my act would work.

But I had misread her.

When you know nothing about someone’s past, it is easy to step into a minefield without realizing it.

I sighed, trying to steady my breath. Then the wind spirit spoke again.

"If she hadn’t been so naive, she would not have sacrificed herself."

She was clearly speaking about Szélanya’s daughter.

At least her words hadn’t broken the flow of my plan.

I knew she would not blame me for killing that hateful goblin, so I kept silent and watched as she descended the river and drifted closer.

Seeing it, I smiled inwardly.

Now I could act.

I pretended to be wary and shifted into a defensive stance.

I picked up a few stones, each with sharp edges, and held them tightly as if ready to attack. I adjusted my body and expression to match the fear of a girl who didn’t know what she was facing.

My eyes showed hesitation, and my hands trembled just enough to be believable.

I needed her to think I was afraid.

This wind spirit wasn’t ordinary.

She would only believe me if I acted like a frightened girl, overwhelmed by something beyond her understanding.

When she got close, the wind pressure surged. The stream began to dry as the gusts blew the water away.

I raised my arm to shield my vision.

The force almost staggered me, but I stood firm. My entire body radiated nervous tension.

Finally, the wind spirit’s voice softened.

"Don’t be scared, princess. I’ll take responsibility for this. That empty goblin corpse is nothing but trash. I doubt His Highness will make a fuss over something so meaningless."

Her tone was warm and reassuring. These were the exact words I had hoped to hear.

I widened my eyes and replied with shaky confusion.

"What... what do you mean?"

I sounded completely lost, as if I hadn’t intended for this to happen at all.

She answered gently.

"I was asked to bring that goblin because I told him it was the only monster that survived the slaughter. The one drawn to your blood. I don’t know what he wanted with it, but it’s dead now. I’ll explain the situation to him. So don’t worry, alright?"

I nodded slowly, pretending to understand for the first time.

My face showed guilt, as if I had made a mistake and now regretted it.

But inside, I felt a deep wave of relief. She had taken the bait completely.

She spoke again, more firmly.

"Don’t worry, princess. Leave everything to me. I doubt your grandfather would blame you for this. You were only taking revenge. I approve of your choice. Kill them if they ever try to hurt you."

Her words were blunt, even harsh, but they didn’t lack warmth.

I responded with a timid nod, shifting my weight and fidgeting like a girl overwhelmed by fear and gratitude.

Seeing me like this, her presence changed. The pressure around us faded.

The sharp wind turned gentle.

She seemed to care about me.

I didn’t know why.

Was it because of the bloodline I shared with her original princess?

I found myself curious about Szélanya’s daughter.

The wind spirit spoke of her with such fondness. Based on everything I had heard, she must have been incredibly kind.

What kind of person had she been?

While I was deep in thought, the wind spirit’s voice came again.

"Princess, that’s enough for now. I’ll take the corpse with me, just in case His Highness still needs it. You never know."

Like hell he did.

I could already picture him frowning once he found out. But it didn’t matter. What was done could not be undone.

Before she left, I bowed politely, expressing my gratitude. That made her pause. She didn’t say anything, but I felt her hesitate before turning to leave.

Maybe she was smiling.

I wasn’t sure.

Not that it mattered anymore.

My head had cleared. I felt lighter. Coming to this stream had been the right choice.

Now I knew exactly what I needed to do.

I had to find a way to feed the child inside me and keep my body from collapsing.

Even the system had triggered something, but I didn’t check the prompt.

Instead, I remembered the tasks I had set in motion. I had asked Mia to purchase mana stones and Lynn to gather potions.

They should have what I needed by now.

It was time to return.

I put on my sandals, which I had left under the old oak tree, then turned and made my way back toward the mansion.

For now, I had narrowly avoided a dangerous problem. No one would question what had happened.

The only witness was dead, and the wind spirit had misread the entire situation in my favor.

If someone ever discovered what I truly was—a fragile blind girl who had grown stronger in mere days--it would cause chaos.

But Gramps Zach wasn’t just anyone. He was one of the strongest beings in this world.

Even if he knew, he wouldn’t spread it.

He had likely seen all kinds of rare powers and strange bloodlines before.

Still, my physique was unlike anything else. I had designed it myself, with the help of the system. Even though it was considered mid-grade, it was the only one of its kind.

The system had confirmed that.

It was customized to fit my strengths. If I ever had the chance to evolve it, I wouldn’t hesitate. But that was a future concern.

For now, I needed to survive.

The child inside me still threatened my health, and until I solved that, I couldn’t move forward. I had to protect my body, secure my strength, and preserve my path forward.

I had resolved my inner doubts.

Everything was falling into place again.

As I walked through the mansion’s backyard, I moved at my own pace. The grounds were vast, and it would take a few minutes to return to my room, but I wasn’t in a rush.

The peace felt strange, but welcome.

Then I noticed something in the yard.

A group of servants were training. They moved in perfect rhythm, swords flashing in the sunlight. Twelve of them in total. Most were men, but I saw three women among them.

Were they knights? Guards?

It seemed likely.

At first, I was going to ignore them.

Training didn’t interest me.

But something sparked in my memory.

I could copy low-grade skills.

As long as the skill was considered low-grade, and it suited my body, I could absorb it. I had been waiting for this chance.

Back in the forest, I had admired the monsters’ low-grade skills. They were perfect for fusion. But none of them were compatible with a human body, and I had been forced to let them go.

These people, however, were different.

They had stable mana and human forms. They likely carried dozens of basic skills that I could absorb and fuse later.

My eyes lit up.

I stared at them, unable to hide my interest. One by one, they turned to face me.

Their bodies stiffened.

Each one trembled slightly as my gaze landed on them. They shivered as if I could see into their souls.

And I smiled.

They had no idea.

This was exactly the opportunity I had been waiting for.

And I was going to take everything I could.

.