SWWYV CHAPTER 161

Chapter 161

Beatrice spoke.

There was no need to mention the Fraus family and the Rosarphi deal.

She had intertwined the two families to keep them both under her control.

Furthermore, since the Fraus family was distributing Rosarphi and Killian was chasing after them, they made a good match to monitor each other.

Besides, Fraus and Killian couldn’t join hands and betray the royal family.

Publicly, it would appear as the union of two great families, which would look well-balanced.

Considering all aspects, binding Fraus and Killian together was advantageous for the Empress.

“The Fraus family is not lacking for a grand duchy. Also, their relationship with the royal family is strong. I decided on this match because I wanted to find a good union for both families.”

“…Because its Fraus family.”

“Yes. But you seem to disapprove of this marriage.”

Beatrice looked at Ian as she asked.

Ian, feeling his mouth dry, gulped down the tea in front of him.

Beatrice narrowed her eyes at Ian’s reaction, which easily revealed his thoughts.

Anyway, it wouldn’t hurt to hear about Killian.

“Is what you want to say related to this marriage?”

“Before I say anything, I want to make it clear that Sophia is not at fault or to blame for any of this.”

“What problem?”

“…First, can you promise to keep what I’m about to say a secret?”

Ian boldly put a condition on the Empress.

Though it was somewhat audacious, Beatrice nodded, curious about what Ian had to say.

“Keeping secrets is a virtue that an Empress must have.”

Beatrice gently coaxed Ian to speak.

After a few more seasoned words, Ian finally spoke.

“The reason I came to see you is that this marriage is a scam.”

“What…?”

“But Sophia knows nothing about this.”

Ian added again, worried about Sophia.

“What do you mean, a scam?”

“…Actually, Sophia is not a Fraus.”

Ian clenched his fists tightly.

Beatrice tilted her head in confusion.

“What do you mean by that?”

“In other words, Sophia does not have Fraus blood.”

“But Sophia is the daughter of the late Countess Fraus, isn’t she?”

Beatrice remembered the late Countess.

Despite her frail health preventing her from participating in social activities often, she tried her best to fulfil her duties as a Countess.

She had several miscarriages, and Beatrice remembers she went to a villa to recover and gave birth to Sophia.

This was before Ian was even born.

“The Countess miscarried all her children. And Sophia… Sophia was a child the Countess adopted.”

“Adopted?”

“To replace the child she lost, the late Countess, raised Sophia as her own.”

“There’s no way. There was no noble family that sent an adopted daughter to the Fraus family at that time.”

In noble families, adoption usually involved sending a child from a minor branch of the same family to the main house or sending a child with guaranteed lineage to a better family.

It was extremely rare to adopt a child of unknown origin from an orphanage, and such cases often resulted in significant discrimination due to the child’s unknown origins.

Estelle Niore faced basic contempt in society because of this.

Even if a child from a noble family lived in an orphanage due to unfortunate circumstances and was later taken in by another noble family, people would still click their tongues over the lack of proper upbringing.

In a society where bloodline was crucial, origins were a significant issue.

“That’s because she wasn’t adopted from a noble family. The late Countess used her recovery at the villa as an excuse to find a child who resembled the one she lost and raised her as her own.”

Ian revealed everything.

He hoped the Empress would reconsider Killian and Sophia’s marriage.

It might hurt Sophia, but it didn’t matter.

It was better than Sophia marrying the Black Moon.

And if anyone dared to speak ill of Sophia, he would personally deal with them.

“Sir Ian… If this is true, it could work against your family in this marriage.”

“…I know.”

“Then why tell me this?”

“…It’s a matter of conscience.”

“Does Killian know about this?”

“No… Only my father, Sophia, and I know. Sophia only found out recently, after the party.”

Ian recalled hinting to Sophia that they weren’t real siblings.

Though she didn’t show it, she must have been greatly confused.

“And I thought it was right to tell Your Majesty first.”

It was all an excuse to say that the Empress, being a high-ranking person, should know first.

The real reason was that he believed only Beatrice could stop the marriage.

If he told Killian, he would cover it up and proceed with the marriage.

Mikhail would tell Killian after pondering, and he would follow Killian’s decision.

While contemplating, the orchestrator of the marriage, Beatrice, had called him in.

Beatrice’s eyes narrowed at Ian’s answer.

“It seems you want me to stop this marriage, Sir Ian.”

“…”
Ian did not deny it, and Beatrice smiled faintly.

“I will look into this matter and make my decision.”

“You must keep it a secret.”

“Of course. Considering how much I care for Sophia, I will never divulge it to anyone.”

Beatrice ordered Ian to return. Ian wetted his dry lips and stepped back.

After Ian left, Beatrice shook her head.

“I don’t know what he was thinking, saying such things.”

Beatrice muttered to herself as she looked in the direction Ian had departed.

In truth, she had no intention of investigating Sophia Fraus’s origins.

Whether what he said was true or false, Beatrice had more important matters to attend to at the moment.

There was no reason to spend time and effort investigating the old affairs of the Fraus family or focusing on Killian’s marriage.

“It’s surprising that Sophia Fraus is not the real daughter…”

She wondered why the Fraus Count had not introduced Sophia to society much—now it made sense.

Was that why she was discriminated against and made to live in the attic?

Knowing more about the Fraus family’s internal affairs might be useful later.

“But thinking I would stop the marriage because of that… Sir Ian Fraus is still quite naive.”

Ian probably believed that Beatrice cherished Killian as if he were her son.

If it had been Mikhail’s marriage, she would have cancelled it immediately. She couldn’t allow her son to marry such a woman.

However, it didn’t matter to her whom Killian married.

What mattered to her was how to control Killian and keep him under her grasp.

“Even if Sophia is an adopted daughter, nothing changes.”

Beatrice stood up and walked toward the cushion where Elisabeth was lying.

“I don’t have time to worry about Sophia’s origins. Right now, I need to… wait a minute.”

Beatrice stopped, something catching her attention.

“Sophia had a large scar on her back.”

One day, after Sophia had saved Elisabeth in the Imperial Palace, the maid who dressed her had mentioned it.

A young, pretty lady having such a scar warranted a remark.

And.

“I heard what the imperial bastard looked like.”

Nicholas had told her about the appearance of the emperor’s illegitimate child.

Green eyes and a scar on the back.

And a child adopted by a noble family.

She had thought there was only one person who fit these conditions.

“This is unexpected…”

Beatrice’s mind was in turmoil. (T/L: Seriously, I want to stab Ian.)

“Where did the Countess Fraus go to recuperate back then?”

She quickly called for a maid and ordered her to find out exactly where the late Countess had gone for her recovery.

Within less than an hour, the answer came: a small hot spring village in the north, where the Fraus family had a villa.

A place close to the Grand Duchy.

Beatrice hurriedly examined the birthdate of Sophia, which she had obtained when arranging the marriage.

There was a discrepancy of more than six months between Estelle’s birthdate and the time the illegitimate child was born.

But Sophia’s…

“It fits perfectly.”

The time the illegitimate child was born and hidden, and the date recorded as Sophia’s birthdate.

A difference of just one month.

Realising this gave Beatrice goosebumps.

“This changes things a bit.”

Beatrice’s red lips twisted into a subtle smile.