Chapter 85 – The Count and Countess

“What exactly is the meaning of this?”

In the drawing room, Father and Kathryn faced each other across a table.

As for me—I would intervene with Caduceus if necessary, and I was prepared to step in myself… but if my absence would suffice, then so be it.

Kathryn twisted her expression as she spoke.

“What do you mean, ‘meaning’?”

“You know perfectly well, don’t you? Why would you strip Byron of his inheritance rights?”

“If he barges into another noble’s residence and behaves and speaks rudely, that’s what happens. We were fortunate the other party handled it discreetly, but precisely because of that, I cannot issue a lenient punishment.”

“—I will settle the matter. Which family is it?”

This reaction… So Kathryn was unaware of Byron’s actions.

“This is beyond that stage now…. Are you saying you know nothing of Byron’s actions?”

“Of course not! I told you I was going to pay a visit to the Marquis’s household! When I returned, Byron was confined to his room! The servants don’t know their place and refuse to tell me anything! What exactly are you implying I should know?”

After her outburst, Kathryn pressed a hand to her forehead as if enduring a headache, then widened her eyes and curled her lips into a sneer.

“So—that’s it, then? You secretly went to meet Theodore, didn’t you?”

She must have had her own suspicions about why she had accompanied him.

If Byron were to commit such an outrage, the only possible target would be me. Kathryn had hit the mark.

“…Who the other party was is irrelevant. Byron arbitrarily entered that household simply because Theodore is an illegitimate child.”

“And what, pray tell, is the problem with that?”

Kathryn narrowed her eyes and coldly retorted, causing Father to furrow his brows.

“You too… Are you saying that if the other party were a commoner, such behavior would be acceptable?”

“I’m asking if it’s truly grounds to disinherit the legitimate heir.”

“It is indeed grounds. It’s also a matter of his suitability as a lord, and Theodore is far from a commoner—he is now a direct vassal of His Majesty the King.”

Upon hearing this, Kathryn froze for a moment, her eyes widening.

So Kathryn hadn’t known about my status either. It seemed the replacement of the servants had restricted the information reaching her.

She rose from her chair, a look of disgust on her face, and began pacing restlessly left and right.

“That’s—only because he didn’t know. If you had explained it to him, you could have persuaded Theodore to forgive Byron, couldn’t you?”

“Don’t be foolish. Theodore understands reason. If I had tried to rely on family ties at that moment, he would have rejected me and acted as a stranger. Besides, other nobles were present. This isn’t just about Theodore.”

“If sentiment won’t work, then offer him benefits. Pile on enough, and it should suffice. If he’s a lower noble, you can even invoke the name of the Count’s family—or my own family name.”

“You—”

If familial affection doesn’t work, lure him with money or profit. If he isn’t convinced, just pile on the money. If he’s beneath you, use the names of the Count’s or Marquis’s families to make him kneel. That’s essentially what Kathryn was saying.

Certainly, there might be those who would comply if tempted with practical benefits or power, but even though it was just a conversation between the two of them, Father seemed at a loss for words at Kathryn’s shameless declaration.

“I’m merely—suggesting that there are methods other than the ones you favor. If we can just overcome this, Byron can still start over. Isn’t that right?”

She spoke as if she were reluctantly searching for a way for Byron to survive.

If I may say so, this is the Kathryn I’ve always seen. It was a side she never showed in front of Father, but now, resigned to the fact that she couldn’t avoid responsibility, she was laying all her cards on the table.

Kathryn and Byron… Well, they probably won’t be allowed to leave the Count’s territory from now on. At worst, they might meet with a “sickness” or “accident,” though I doubt Father would resort to such methods.

It was malicious of her to say this, knowing full well Father’s leniency and his desire to avoid that if possible. If he yielded to Kathryn’s sweet talk, he would become an

accomplice

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.

And despite it all, this composure.—Kathryn hasn’t given up. This is the composure of someone who understands the situation itself. If things truly didn’t go her way, Kathryn would throw a tantrum. It’s safe to assume she still has something up her sleeve.

“It seems—I was mistaken.”

“About what?”

“Until now, I thought what you two did behind my back was because the other party was Lisa’s child—because it was Theodore. I felt sorry for everyone, thinking my own actions had come back to haunt Theodore. But—to you, if they’re not nobles, they’re all just pebbles by the roadside, aren’t they? Byron was the same… I cannot let him succeed me.”

Yes, that’s right. Kathryn’s philosophy is probably that if you’re not a noble, you’re not even human.

Having been called out, Kathryn, already resigned, let out a small laugh.

“Fu, fufu. The responsibilities a noble must bear—is that it? Such moldy idealism. You know, I actually hate that. There are others who manage things much better, so why must I…?”

Responsibilities. What responsibilities did Kathryn bear, and who was she comparing herself to?

For example—was it marrying into the Count’s family? Was she dissatisfied with having to clean up the Marquis’s family’s financial mess?

I don’t know how the other siblings of the Marquis’s family are faring, but to hear Kathryn tell it, they’re probably the ones who “managed things better.”

Kathryn was always very fixated on hierarchy and status. That, too, was likely a reflection of her dissatisfaction in that area. There were many instances where she made remarks, leveraging the fact that the Count’s family was of lower rank and that she came from the Marquis’s family.

Father started to speak, then swallowed his words. I don’t know what he was going to say. Shaking his head as if to recompose himself, he spoke quietly.

“At this point… there’s no use complaining about our respective parents. But since we’re at it, may I ask you one thing? When you arbitrarily handled the servant personnel, was it for your own tyranny? Or was it Marquis Broderick’s intention?”

“Who knows? If you’re so curious, why don’t you subject me to a Magical Inquisition or something?”

Kathryn smiled thinly. She seemed to be saying this knowing it was impossible.

The Magic used in a Magical Inquisition is kept secret.

Those capable of using it are quite limited, and the state monitors their whereabouts. To summon one for this…

Would be no different than exposing the unsavory aspects of a noble family to outsiders. Given that we must also conceal today’s disgraceful incident with Byron, it’s a difficult proposition.

The reason behind the personnel manipulation. That holds significant meaning. If Kathryn did it to freely control household affairs… it’s problematic, but not to that extent.

But if it was Marquis Broderick’s intention—it could be interpreted as the Marquis’s family exerting strong influence within the Count’s family. In essence, it could be called a takeover.

The only difference is whether they intended it from the start when arranging the marriage between Father and Kathryn, or whether they did it because the environment allowed it.

In any case, it seemed difficult to get Kathryn to reveal whether Marquis Broderick was innocent or complicit.

“Will you not let me see Byron?”

“…He’s in the inner room. I have the key.”

As Father said this and slowly stood up, averting his gaze from Kathryn—

The sneer vanished from Kathryn’s face in an instant. She thrust her hand into her bosom and pulled out a packet of medicine.

This

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was Kathryn’s trump card.

A sleeping drug or a poison. Or perhaps something else—some other drug. Her plan was to subdue Father here and now, and take some kind of action. For example, relying on the Marquis’s family. Or perhaps casting Subjugation Magic on Father and slowly working to resolve the situation. Or maybe this single packet was enough to solve the problem outright.

But she was too naive. That’s precisely why I had Caduceus accompany Father.

The sound of a cup falling on the carpet made Father turn around, and both of them froze.

“Wha—”

—In other words, there stood Kathryn, staring blankly, having scattered the powdered medicine onto the empty table, spoon in hand.

This was the result of having Caduceus pull the cup off the table from the side. Kathryn must have been utterly bewildered.

What she had been trying to do was obvious at a glance. To any observer, it would only look like she had dropped the cup due to nervousness.

“You would—go that far?”

“I—I was—”

This time, for sure. The smile vanished from Kathryn’s face.

“Thi—This is different! I would never—!”

It’s no different. She just had no chance of success.

“…Enough. I dismissed the servants to question you about your involvement with Byron in today’s incident… but to betray me in this manner…”

As Father spoke in a quiet, matter-of-fact tone, Kathryn looked stunned, but the next moment, as if she had hit upon a brilliant idea, she placed a hand on her chest with a triumphant expression and shouted.

“If—if you lay a hand on me, just imagine what Father will say!”

So that’s what she was going to say. Impossible. That is. Father seemed to know it too; he narrowed his eyes, then shook his head.

“—He won’t say anything.”

“Eh—”

“I’ve already dismissed the veteran servants you brought with you. If Marquis Broderick’s intention was involved in the servant personnel, he’s likely already detected it and is planning his escape.”

Conversely—if his intention wasn’t involved, the result would be the same.

“Even if that weren’t the case. If he does say something, I’ll present him with the evidence of the servants’ betrayal, and that will be the end of it. If he shields you, he’ll be suspected of involvement. If he still insists, then I’ll simply have to accept the challenge.”

The servants Kathryn brought had indeed committed acts of betrayal. Confronted with that evidence, he would have no choice but to fall silent rather than protect Kathryn.

Confronted with the fact that her own family was completely unreliable, Kathryn paled, the blood draining from her face. But then—

“Y-You country Count, how dare you speak so disrespectfully to the Marquis’s family! Me! Who do you think I am!”

As expected, she flew into a rage. She must have felt cornered.

After that, it was incomprehensible. Kathryn was shrieking something, but she was restrained by the servants and guards who had rushed into the room upon hearing the commotion.

“She seems somewhat confused. Take her to her room and ensure she does not leave.”

—Well, that’s enough. It should be fine to leave the rest to Caduceus alone.

Just to be safe, I’ll have him collect a small sample of the medicine Kathryn was trying to use. We might learn something from it.

“—You were here.”

A little while later. Father came to the room where I was waiting. As if nothing had happened during the commotion in the drawing room.

“Yes. I came to deliver this.”

I handed him the forgotten item, and he accepted it with a quiet smile.

“I see. Sorry to trouble you. Things have been a bit hectic. It seems I kept you waiting.”

“Not at all. I had business nearby. It was on the way.”

“Did you finish your business?”

“Yes. It’s taken care of.”

“I see…”

Father was smiling quietly, but—it looked so much like his usual self that it made me wonder if things like this had happened before.

Recalling the conversation between Father and Kathryn just moments ago, these words unconsciously escaped my lips.

“I can proudly say that the time when Mother… Grace, and I lived together as three was a happy one for me.”

Even if Father regretted not being able to bring Mother into the mansion, those days were like a treasure to me.

No matter what anyone else thinks or says about it. From my perspective, it’s something that will never waver.

“I see…”

“So—you don’t need to feel sorry or anything like that toward me.”

“I’ll remember that.”

Since Father nodded, I nodded too.

“Well, I’ll head home today. Especially since we just had that conversation. If you want to talk with me, please come visit my house, that’s all.”

When I said this jokingly, Father laughed, looking somewhat amused.