Declared Dead, Exiled, and Betrayed— Now I Walk Away, but I'll Save One Who Cared - Chapter 34

“Big sister?”

I couldn’t help but shout.

It might seem coldhearted coming from her own younger sister, but I had already assumed she was long dead.

I had accepted it.

Yet, standing right before me was unmistakably Eranda—

The sharp eyes, the self-assured expression, the impeccable figure—

She was undeniably my sister.

The last we heard, she had entered the Forbidden Forest.

But the Forbidden Forest isn’t like a dungeon—it’s far worse. Monsters roam freely, and even seasoned adventurers avoid it whenever possible.

A noblewoman with zero combat experience had no chance of survival.

That’s why we stopped searching for her.

We officially declared her missing and moved on, believing she would never return.

Yet—

“Oh my, must you glare at me so? I’ve finally returned—you could at least be a little happy to see me.”

Happy?

Happy?!

This woman betrayed Lord Lax, stole his wealth, and ran away.

Maybe Alessandro was the one who actually took the money.

Maybe she was tricked, just like he tricked others.

But none of that changes the fact that she abandoned Lax—

She chose to run off with Jekyll, her so-called fiancé.

If she had never betrayed him, this land could have had a different future.

A less chaotic one.

And now she comes back?

Expecting a warm welcome?!

“And who is that child?”

Father was the one who broke the silence.

His voice was strained—

His gaze fixed on the infant in my sister’s arms.

No way…

“This is Phil. Phil Riofendarl.”

And with a calm voice, she declared it—

That this child was hers.

That this child carried the name of our house.

“Don’t be ridiculous! After all this time?!”

My anger burst out before I could hold it back.

We had worked so hard to rebuild.

We had struggled through hell to restore order.

I had already accepted that I would govern this land alongside Lax—

And now she comes back to claim her rights?!

“How cruel. The child has done nothing wrong, has he?”

Damn it.

She knows exactly what she’s doing.

She’s weaponizing morality against me.

Acting like she’s the reasonable one.

“So you acknowledge your crimes, then?”

Father’s voice was cold.

“Of course. There’s no point in denying it.”

She shrugged as if it was nothing.

“Yes, I tricked Lax out of his wealth. That’s true. But that doesn’t change the fact that this child has the bl00d of House Riofendarl.”

“You—!”

“Let’s make this simple, shall we?”

Her smug smile infuriated me.

“I’ll leave the territory in your hands for now, Shifa. But the next heir will be Phil.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me…!”

“I’m serious. You’ll hold things together for, let’s say… fifteen years?”

Her smile was sickening.

This country follows primogeniture inheritance.

That means the firstborn child always takes precedence in succession.

Now that she was alive, Eranda’s rights as the eldest surpassed mine.

Of course, her crimes disqualified her from ruling.

But her child?

Her child was blameless.

Had she conspired against the throne, plotted treason, or colluded with foreign enemies, her entire bloodline would have been executed.

But fraud?

Stealing from an adventurer with no noble status?

That wasn’t enough to strip her child of his inheritance.

The reality was cruel.

Even if I became the current ruler, even if I took over in her place—

Phil would still be the rightful heir.

And as long as I had no children of my own,

I had no claim to challenge him.

I clenched my fists.

Eranda smiled knowingly.

She had already won.

“How did you even survive? I was told you entered the Forbidden Forest…”

Father’s voice was calm—but his eyes weren’t.

He was carefully watching every move Eranda made.

“Not even a warm welcome, Father? But look—your long-awaited grandson!”

She smiled as she lifted the child in her arms, as if presenting some sort of divine gift.

“The House of Riofendarl had only daughters for generations, but now, I have brought forth a son.”

Her words made my stomach churn.

“I nearly died, you know?”

She spoke as if she were some tragic heroine.

“I was prepared to die in that wretched forest, but I held on. And when I finally collapsed, a group of kind adventurers found me. They took me to the capital of the Horneld Duchy. That’s where I was saved.”

“And the child?”

“Oh, the duke himself assisted with my care. He can personally attest to my son’s legitimacy.”

“….”

I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my skin.

It’s Jekyll’s child, isn’t it?

Father never approved of their marriage.

Jekyll died before anything was officially arranged.

That means Phil is illegitimate—a bastard in noble society.

A stain that will follow him for the rest of his life.

Does Eranda even care what this means?

But now that she’s back, we can’t just throw her out.

If we did, the Horneld Duchy would swoop in and use this exact situation against us.

“Are you truly denying the rightful heir of the Riofendarl family?”

That’s exactly what they’d say.

Even though the duke was replaced, this is clearly his strategy.

By sending Eranda back at this precise moment, he’s forcing our hand.

They’ll support Eranda.

They’ll support Phil.

And in doing so, they’ll reclaim influence over our territory.

Father had no choice.

He accepted them.

A room was prepared.

I forced myself to calm down.

Then, I reached for the communication magic tool.

If there was anyone who could help, it was the royal family.

But—

“I’m sorry.”

The moment I heard the princess’s voice, I knew.

“Eranda has returned, alive. That alone makes this a matter of House Riofendarl.”

“But—”

“If the royal family interferes in every succession dispute, the entire kingdom will descend into chaos.”

Her voice was gentle—but firm.

She wasn’t mocking me.

She genuinely wished she could help.

But she couldn’t.

“I’m sorry, Shifa. This is your family’s battle.”

“I understand…”

I lowered the magic tool.

Feeling utterly alone.