"Sunshine? Is something the matter?" Grand Duke Rasmus called Ingrid's attention. His emerald eyes, like those of Ingrid's, were filled with worry as he looked at his daughter, who was staring blankly into space.

"Is the food not to your liking?"

Ingrid looked down her plate and realized she hadn't taken a single bite of her food. She shook her head and cut a small piece of the chicken leg and placed it in her mouth. But despite the explosion of flavor in her tongue, her mood remained bland.

They continued their meal in silence. From time to time, Grand Duke Rasmus would lift his eyes to check on Ingrid. It seems as though he wanted to ask her something but in the end decided to keep it in.

He knew his daughter well. The more he asks, the more she'll shut her mouth like a clam. It was better to wait for her to open up on her own or better yet have the Grey Platoon investigate things. If he finds that it was some pest that caused his precious daughter's foul mood, he can just eradicate them in silence. Then they won't be able to bother her again.

What the grand duke didn't know was how right he was. However, the pest in question this time is a new breed that he may find quite tricky to purge.

"Papa."

Grand Duke Rasmus' face instantly softened at the sound of Ingrid's voice. It was an expression rarely seen on the grand duke—the empire's guardian and shield's face. Apart from Ingrid and the late duchess, no one else was blessed to be graced by those loving eyes.

"Yes, sunshine?"

Ingrid hesitated. But she couldn't hold her curiosity any longer.

"What does my mother look like?"

Grand Duke Rasmus dropped his fork. No matter how he tried to act calm, the pain in his eyes could not escape Ingrid's gaze. His rough hands trembled as the memories he tried hard to suppress resurfaced. Ingrid instantly regretted her question.

"I'm sorry, forget I~"

"You are a spitting image of your mother," Grand Duke Rasmus said in a voice full of longing. "She was the most beautiful woman there is in the world."

The grand duke's words did not sound like they were from a man who was enamored by a woman's outer appearance. Instead, they came from a man who would fish the moon and the stars and turn them into a crown to adorn his woman's head. Regardless of what the grand duchess truly looked like, in the grand duke's eyes she was the most beautiful.

"But I thought my mother had a giant birthmark covering half of her face. Isn't that why she kept her face hidden?"

Grand Duke Lennox turned his head towards Elias, who was standing close to the dining hall door, and said, "Elias, I think it's time to show Ingrid the room of portraits."

"As you wish, my lord," Elias heeded without question and left.

Meanwhile, Ingrid's brow furrowed. She had already seen the room of portraits countless times; what other things are there to see?

Though confused, Ingrid allowed her father to lead her towards the room of portraits, where the family portraits of the previous Lennox's grand ducal families were displayed.

When they arrived, Elias was already there waiting for them.

The room of portraits was still as it was before—clean and full of portraits of has-been people from left to right. Meanwhile, at the central wall of the room lay the portraits of the current grand ducal family.

Ingrid stared at the central painting with an inexplicable feeling in her heart. The portrait was painted seventeen years ago. Her mother was sitting on a velvet chair, looking poised and elegant. Her face was covered with a white veil, while the baby in her arms was positioned in a way that hid her face.

Behind her mother stood her father with his hands on her shoulders. Though he was not smiling, the sparkle in his eyes spoke of his happiness and contentment at that moment.

Ingrid's eyes shifted towards her father beside her. It has been seventeen years since the portrait was painted. How is it that his father did not seem to have aged at all? The only difference between her father in the portrait and her father now was the loss of the carefree air around him. Aside from that and the fact that his skin had gone a tad bit darker, his father was pretty much the same.

"Time sure flies. You were such a tiny little bundle back then."

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The grand dukes eyes droop. To everyone, he was a strong and unshakable wall that shields the kingdom from any and every harm. But at the moment, the strong and unshakable wall is trembling as he holds back his tears.

Grand Duke Rasmus swallowed the giant lump on his throat and clenched his fist. As much as possible, he wished to remain a strong and reliable man in front of his daughter. That is the only way for her to live in this world without any fear.

"My lord, it's ready."

Ingrid turned her head towards Elias. There was a flicker of surprise in her eyes when she found Elias standing near an entrance that wasn't there before. It was located in between the portraits of the first and second grand ducal families, where a pillar was and whose lower half is now missing.

The grand duke held Ingrid's delicate hand once more as he led her towards the secret passage. Elias was in front of them with a mana lamp in his hand, lighting up the way.

Ingrid couldn't hide her nervousness as soon as they entered the dark and narrow passage. The passageway was so small that they had to walk in a single line with Ingrid in the middle.

Ingrid held her father's hand tightly, as though afraid that he would suddenly vanish in the darkness, leaving her all alone. She couldn't see what was in front of her apart from Elias' back, so she began studying the walls to distract herself.

The walls were made of granite, a type of stone known for its strength and durability. She read that granite walls are so strong they can withstand an aura attack from a master swordsman. Based on the discoloration on the granite stones, this place may have been built over a century ago.

After walking for more than five minutes, Ingrid caught sight of a metal door ahead of them. Had it only been Elias and the grand duke, they would have arrived at the secret chamber in a minute or two. But because Ingrid was with them, they deliberately slowed their pace to match hers.

A soft clinging sound echoed within the small tunnel as Elias took the bundle of keys hanging on his belt. There were several hundred keys attached to the key chain, but Elias managed to pick the right one with familiar ease.

Soon the door was opened, revealing a giant hall.

Ingrid stood agape as soon as she saw what lay within the secret chamber. On the chamber's walls were several portraits of two outrageously beautiful women.

The women in the portraits were so beautiful that the room shone golden, overshadowing the mana lamps bluish-white glow. She did not even notice the fine details of the room as her eyes were glued on the images.

Her eyes stopped on one of the portraits. Though she had never seen the woman in the portrait before, she instantly recognized who it was.

Indeed her father was right. Apart from her eyes, she was a spitting image of her mother. She stared intently at the portrait, as though memorizing every single detail. Her mother had electrifying blue eyes, akin to those of a siren's that lures sailors to their demise.

"Your grandmother was born with beauty unparalleled in the world; so was your mother."

Ingrid's gaze shifted towards another portrait containing the face of an unfamiliar woman. Ironically, the only similarity that the woman in the portrait had with her mother was their eyes.

Her mother had soft and delicate features that gave people the urge to treasure and protect. In contrast, her grandmother has a sharp and sophisticated face, which made her look strict and aloof. Yet for some reason both had an air of regal superiority that the seat of the grand duchess doesn't seem to be enough to hold.

"Your mother and grandmother lived while hiding their faces from the world, aware of the kind of tragedy they entail if seen. But it's not just those pesky and hungry pests that your mother and grandmother feared," Grand Duke Rasmus said with a hint of disgust. "It was something bigger and way more powerful."

Grand Duke Rasmus walked towards the cabinet at the corner of the room. He injected the first drawer with his aura, and it opened. Inside was a wooden rectangular box adorned with gold linings. Grand Duke Rasmus took out the box and gave it to Ingrid.

"Your mother told me to give it to you on your coming of age. But I guess there's no harm in giving it to you a month in advance."

"What's inside it?" Ingrid asked as she gave the box a light and careful shake.

Grand Duke Rasmus shook his head. "Only your mother and grandmother know."

Ingrid caressed the rectangular box with her hand. It felt heavy in her arms. Yet it feels warm, as though she can feel her mother's presence within it.

"A few days before your mother died, she would constantly make me swear to protect you. She seemed to be in constant fear and anxiety."

Grand Duke Rasmus' face turned gloomy as he continued to speak. "The physicians believed it was a type of mania that affects mothers post-birth. They told me it will go away on its own and to be patient with her. It never crossed my mind that a few days later, I will find your mother laying on our bedroom terrace, cold and lifeless."

The grand duke's shoulders trembled as the tears he was withholding flowed freely down his face. That night remained a nightmare that kept haunting him every single night.

Elias' face turned solemn as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. He was one of the few who witnessed how much the grand duke crumbled after the death of the grand duchess. If possible, he wished to never remind the grand duke of those nightmarish days. But the young lady also deserves to know what happened to her mother.

Ingrid handed the box to Elias and wrapped her father in a tight embrace.

"Your mother was strangled to death. She was dying a few feet from me, while this useless father of yours was sound asleep!"

"Papa, it wasn't your fault."

Ingrid tiptoed and wiped her father's tears with her thumb. But while she was wiping her father's cheeks, tears were also brimming from her eyes.

"I didn't mean for you to find out this way," Grand Duke Rasmus said when he realized what he had just unwittingly revealed. "But back then, I had no other choice. I had to protect you."

It was a secret that only him and a few trusted subordinates knew. Back then they had no other choice but to hide the real reason for the grand duchess death in order to protect those he held precious. But that doesn't mean they had stopped searching for the ones responsible for her murder.

Ingrid shook her head. "It's okay, papa, I understand. But papa, do you know who did it?"

Grand Duke Rasmus' eyes turned towards the rectangular box on Elias' hand. Ingrid followed his gaze.

"I believe your mother knows more about them than I do."