They are all characters I control.

Intentionally planting flowers but not blooming, unintentionally planting willows and willows make a shade.

The final necklace token in the treasure chest didn't require any extra effort, as it was already in 'your' possession.

Chapter 61 Liya's Good Mother

The maid Anna was digging in the ground, right next to Lia's mother's grave.

Lia hid the necklace around her mother's grave, simply because the little girl missed her mother and wanted to keep her most precious things together.

Watching the busy maid Anna, Claire and Earl Orlando, being women, were unable to offer any help.

"Why did you suddenly remember? Did Leah remember?"

Earl Orlando asked the question seemingly casually.

"Yes, it was Lia who remembered it," Claire admitted without any hesitation.

Anyway, Earl Orlando had already figured out that he and Lia were two different people, but Earl Orlando was unaware of Claire's true identity.

In addition, Earl Orlando cannot see the comments Leah sends, so Claire is now acting as a messenger.

"She also said she was sorry for burying the things here, as she didn't quite remember the location."

"I hope you don't mind that this place is full of potholes."

Earl Orlando chuckled upon hearing Claire's account.

“It’s alright. Although my sister is buried here, she is also Liya’s mother.”

[Lia: That's good...]

“That’s good.” Claire shrugged.

“I often come here to visit my sister, I never imagined there was something buried here.” Count Orlando looked at the shallow pits dug by his maid Anna.

The Rost family probably never imagined that the key to the treasure chest in the catacombs would be here.

Although Leah certainly didn't do this out of careful consideration, the pit she dug was very shallow and easy to discover if one wasn't careful, but it just so happened to be the safest place.

After all, the Rost family didn't care about the Marchioness at all and would never come to this cemetery.

"Found it! Master!" the maid Anna exclaimed.

Claire and Earl Orlando immediately rushed over and saw only something wrapped in a handkerchief.

When Anna carefully opened the handkerchief, a necklace appeared before everyone.

The chain was a thin, somewhat dark silver chain, but the ring-shaped pendant shone brightly, emitting a warm glow under the moonlight overhead.

[Lia: This is it, this is it. This is what my mother left me, and it's also my engagement ring with Prince Alvin...]

After her mother's death, Leah did not have a good time at the Rost family's house.

Elena saw the necklace several times, so Lia hid it near her mother's grave to prevent it from being taken away.

Claire wasn't particularly sentimental. He took the necklace and confirmed that its shape and style were exactly the same as the markings on the treasure chest.

“Let’s go try it now and see if we can open the treasure chest.” Claire turned around and led the way toward the underground tomb.

He couldn't wait to open the treasure chest and see if it contained anything he wanted.

Earl Orlando and his maid Anna followed closely behind, equally curious about the contents of the treasure chest.

As for Lia, who was feeling a bit sentimental just now, her attention was diverted by the current atmosphere.

The group returned to the underground tomb, and Claire controlled Leah's body to step into the magic circle once more.

The bloodline verification process of the magic circle was repeated once again.

Upon arriving at the treasure chest, Claire looked at the chest inlaid with the Rost family crest ring and family emblem. He raised his hand and placed the moonstone necklace, which symbolized his marriage to Prince Alvin, on it.

With a soft "click," the necklace and the mark fit together perfectly.

The moonstone pendant fits perfectly into the empty space, and the emblem on the back of the pendant connects instantly with the patterns on the box lid, forming a complete, complex, and subtly glowing magic circle.

"Buzz—!!!"

A stronger tremor than ever before emanated from inside the treasure chest, and the entire stone base began to shake slightly.

On the lid of the box, the intricate patterns seemed to come alive, emitting layers and circles of a deep blue light. The light flowed, as if countless tiny runes were being created and disappearing within it.

Dust fell steadily from the walls of the tomb, as if the underground crypt might collapse at any moment.

Earl Orlando and Anna involuntarily took a half step back, held their breath, and stared intently at the glowing, trembling treasure chest.

Claire did not back down; the treasure chest before him contained something that could break his century-long imprisonment.

The eerie blue light emanating from the treasure chest grew stronger and stronger, eventually converging at the center of the lid to form a dazzling point of light.

Immediately afterwards—

"Click".

A clear, crisp sound, like a lock popping open.

Claire leaned close to the open trunk, peering inside with anticipation, then froze.

All that could be seen was an empty black velvet lining.

Nothing at all.

"..." Claire stared at the empty box and remained silent for a full three seconds.

[Lia: Guiding God, is it... empty inside?]

Ignoring Leah's question, Claire was the most confused one at that moment.

He didn't think the Rost family would be so bored as to set up a magic circle similar to the royal family's for verifying bloodlines in their own catacombs, and then put an empty treasure chest there.

At this moment, Earl Orlando and Anna, who were standing on the periphery, also realized that something was wrong.

"What's wrong? Where's the stuff?"

"Master, is there a problem?"

Claire stared at the treasure chest before him, naturally feeling disappointed.

He thought the thing that could unlock the seal on his true form was right in front of him, but who knew it was empty?

With a sigh, Claire reached out and removed the black velvet lining that had been placed at the bottom of the treasure chest, just in case.

However, it was this very action of his that clearly activated some kind of magic at the bottom of the treasure chest.

A dazzling magical imprint suddenly shone brightly inside the treasure chest, followed by the moonstone necklace placed on top of it, which also emitted a corresponding magical power.

Claire, who had initially intended to quickly withdraw her hand, stopped.

The magical light gradually spread along the silver chain of the necklace, slowly covering the entire pendant.

Finally, it coalesced inside the gemstone into a tiny, slowly rotating point of light.

The tiny speck of light gradually took the shape of an eye, and the area around the gemstone on the pendant gradually took the shape of a ring.

"Wait? This is... an imprint magic? And a rather high-level imprint at that?"

Claire stared at the astonishing scene before him. Just as he raised his hand and touched the drastically altered moonstone necklace, the gemstone ring in the center of the necklace floated with a magical glow and slipped into his finger.

No, to be precise, the ring was on Leah's finger.

[System Notification: The special item "The Guardian's Gaze (Awakened State)" has been detected as deeply bound to the agent "Lia von Rost".]

This item can only be activated by Lia von Rost; it is exclusive to her.

[The Agent's Bond Value has been automatically increased by +20 (The Truth Revealed)]

[Current Bond Value: 76/100↑]

Looking at the update information for "The Guardian's Spying" displayed on the system panel, Claire couldn't help but chuckle bitterly.

No wonder the system said that you have to raise Liya's [bond value] to 100% to get this reward.

Of course, what deserves even more praise is Lia's mother.

Chapter 62 The Spying of the Exclusive Guardian

[Exclusive Item: The Guardian's Peep]

[Master: Lia von Rost]

[Appearance: Moonstone pendant, normally a warm, milky white; when activated, it turns a deep, dark blue, with a half-closed eye appearing within the gemstone, shimmering with a subtle light.]

[Core Effect: Consumes mana; can temporarily nullify or penetrate any magical barrier, seal, or protective magic.]

[Current Status: Lasts for 3 minutes (no need for player to wear it personally)]

[Note: When the bond level reaches 100%, all magical barriers, seals, and protective magic can be removed.]

[Background Description: This item was personally modified by Alice Nolan (Lia's mother), the master magic craftswoman of the Nolan family. The original cost of consuming life force was transformed into a unique artifact perfectly suited to her daughter's powerful magical constitution.]

On the return journey in the carriage, Earl Orlando gazed at the moonstone ring on Claire's (Lia's) finger.

After Claire described the item she saw on the system, she silently stared at the face of Leah, whom Claire was controlling.

The face that Count Orlando recalled in his mind was now gradually overlapping with Leah's face.

“I never imagined that the engagement ring my sister left for Leah would become the most precious treasure of the Rost family,” Earl Orlando said with a touch of nostalgia and sadness.

"The so-called engagement ring is actually 'the spy of the keeper of secrets'."

"It's usually hidden by the engraved runes, and can only be triggered when the treasure chest is opened. This is probably to prevent accidental exposure."

"Even if Elena steals the engagement ring, it doesn't matter. No matter whose finger it's on, as long as the imprinting magic is activated, whoever opens the treasure chest will have 'The Guardian's Sight' become Lia's."

Lia's mother, who was also her sister.

The other party's grave is still in the desolate woods that are visible everywhere on the outermost edge of the Rost family cemetery, but no one would have thought that the despised lady actually held the Rost family's trump card.

Compared to the scheming Marquis de Mara, Lia's mother was the real mastermind.

[Lia: Mom...]

Hearing Earl Orlando say this, the one who felt the most pain was none other than Leah herself.

Even though her body was being controlled by Claire, Leah's body still shed tears, beyond Claire's control.

The bond between a mother and daughter can overcome all obstacles, including magic and systems; even if one is gone, the other continues to selflessly help the other.

"Did the Nolan family's previous support for the Rost family mean they were determined from the beginning to obtain the 'Guardian's Sight'?"

Claire looked at Earl Orlando in front of him and wondered if Leah's mother's actions were a scheme by the Nolan family.

If Lia dies, will [The Guardian's Sight] self-destruct? Or will it never be activated again?

Anna had previously told me that the Nolan family was like a bunch of unfortunate people, giving away a huge dowry for every daughter they married off.

I initially thought the current members of the Nolan family were not very bright, but it turns out that the money the Nolan family gave to the Rost family was actually a cover for stealing the "Guardian's Sight".

“I don’t know that. I went to the Earl’s house at that time,” Earl Orlando said, shaking his head.

She came from a prominent family, and was a noblewoman who had lost her title and status.

While enjoying the comforts provided by their family, they must also dedicate their lives to their family.

For example, to help the Nolan family rise to power, one could conceal their identity, become an heir in a smaller noble family, and secretly work hard for the Nolan family.

Of course, this was due to Earl Orlando's talent, but Leah's mother, who did not have talent, was not abandoned. "Although my sister and I lived together when we were young, I have magical talent, while my sister does not, so our future plans are different."

"I only learned of my sister's whereabouts after she was married into the Rost family through an arranged marriage, so I didn't know about her mission."

"It's a pity that my sister passed away so young and suddenly, so I only just found out that the engagement ring is 'The Keeper's Spying.' Could this be the work of the Rost family?"

Claire smiled but offered no explanation.

The cause of Leah's mother's death was probably unrelated to the Rost family.

Using the "Guardian's Peep" skill consumes lifespan, as stated in the background description.

Neither of the first two Marquesses of Rost lived past forty.

The current generation of Leah's father didn't use [The Keeper's Sight], but he won't live long either. Otherwise, such a valuable item wouldn't have fallen into the hands of the Rost family.

"That savage Miss Lia, what are you going to do with this 'Guardian's Spying'? If you just wear it on your hand like this, won't you be recognized?"

Earl Orlando's reminder interrupted Claire's thoughts.