Rebirth Of The Duke's Daughter

Chapter 56

After finishing her bath, Mila changed into her usual disguise, carefully concealing her identity once again. She glanced around the room, noticing that it was empty, and let out a sigh of relief—ZH wasn't there. The absence of his presence allowed her to relax if only a little. Nearby, Net was happily wagging his little tail, and Mila couldn't help but smile at the sight. It was a small comfort to see that he was content and safe.

Just then, a scratching sound came from the doors of her room. Curious, Mila opened the door, and to her surprise, Cotton leaped into her arms without warning. "C-Cotton?!" Mila gasped, startled by the sudden embrace. She felt Cotton clinging tightly to her, almost as if in desperation. "There, there," she soothed, gently stroking the soft fur. "I won't die easily, you know. Have you already eaten?"

Cotton whimpered softly, a mix of shame and relief evident in the creature's demeanor. Mila couldn't help but laugh at how endearing Cotton was despite the worry she seemed to carry. In her mind, she heard Cotton's apologetic voice, 'Mila!!!! I'm sorry!!!' even though there was nothing to apologize for.

Net, ever the practical one, chimed in with a scolding tone. 'Hey, she didn't say it's something to apologize for.' His words made Cotton grumble in frustration.

'Who's the little slithery beast?' Cotton retorted, her voice filled with playful irritation. The tension between the two was almost palpable.

'Who are you calling slithery?!' Net shot back, clearly offended.

'It's you, of course!!!!!' Cotton responded with a huff.

'You bush tail!!!!' Net retaliated, his voice rising with mock anger.

'Who are you calling Bush tail!!!' Cotton snapped back, neither willing to back down.

Mila sighed, shaking her head as she watched the two beasts bicker like children. Their quarrels, while silly, brought a strange sense of normalcy to her life. In the midst of their argument, Vivian's calm voice echoed in her mind. 'Mila, do you want to toss them both out?' She suggested a hint of amusement in her tone.

Mila took a deep breath before responding. "Vivian, I wanted to talk to you about my mana."

'What do you wish to know?' Vivian replied, her tone gentle and patient.

"I wanted to know if my mana is really like that. I have too much mana in me. That's why I vomited blood." Mila's voice was tinged with confusion as she tried to make sense of what was happening to her. She couldn't understand how her body had accumulated so much mana.

'Apparently, it's true,' Vivian explained, her voice steady. 'Your body has collected so much mana that it can't hold anymore. Even with your family's symbol, it's still not strong enough to manage all the mana you've gathered. That's why it had to expel some of it, which is why you vomited blood.'

"Then I have to surround myself with beasts to stabilize my mana," Mila murmured, still struggling to comprehend why she had accumulated so much mana in the first place. The realization weighed heavily on her. "We need to find Skye soon," she added, feeling the urgency growing inside her. As she held her head in her hands, she gently set Cotton down, who immediately resumed bickering with Net. The sound of their argument continued to echo in the background, grating on her already strained nerves.

Finally, Mila could take no more. "I've had enough of this nonsense," she muttered, her patience worn thin. Without another word, she left the room, leaving the two beasts to their petty squabble. Although she had just finished eating, her mind was already set on finding Skye despite the danger posed by the Mana Hunters. 'I'd rather take the risk than do nothing,' she thought with determination as she made her way through the palace grounds.