Even though Edith saw it with her own eyes, she couldn’t accept it. It felt like time had stopped.
No matter how she looked at it, the woman in the portrait was Mrs. Leah in her younger days.
What’s more, the painting on the wall closely resembled a small portrait inside the locket she had received as a farewell gift.
In the picture, there were a total of four women, and judging by their similar physical features, they seemed to be sisters.
The four of them stood side by side, and Mrs. Leah appeared to be the eldest, judging by her height.
At that moment, Edith recalled the information she had heard from Benjamin.
⋙“Lexion is a bloodline family that passes down magic through their blood. I heard that the eldest daughter of the ducal couple, who is not well known in the world, inherited too much magic power and became terminally ill.”⋘
⋙“Actually, my job at the capital newspaper was to uncover one of the Duke’s rumors. The Duke’s first daughter… what was her name? Anyway, there is a rumor that she secretly gave birth to a child.”⋘
If Mrs. Leah was the Duke’s eldest daughter, all the things she had been wondering about made sense.
The fact that she had expensive jewelry and clothing, even though she was a wandering lady, and her extravagant use of court etiquette to an extent that not even Mrs. Gray could match—all of it became natural if she was originally the first daughter of the Duke.
The question that was solved was not only about her identity.
Edith clearly remembered the conversation between Elizabeth and Aizen that she had overheard through the secret passage.
⋙“First, I plan to bring in about 40 assassins disguised as servants.”⋘
⋙“We also need to take care of anyone who might assist Walter. If there’s anyone with exceptional skills, keeping them alive could lead to trouble.”⋘
Edith reflected on the reason why they wanted to eliminate a simple stableman who was kidnapped by Nicholas. After all, they answered to House Gerturk, the family of the Imperial Consort Dowager, who was keeping Lexion in check more than anyone else.
Now she could understand what Geoffrey, the Viscount’s gambling friend who tried to kidnap her during the pregnancy celebration party, meant.
⋙“Is it true that the child you’re pregnant with is not the Viscount’s seed but that of the kidnapped stableman?”⋘
⋙“If you reply late, it will be obvious that you’re lying. Would the Viscount really break his plan and lay his hands on you?”⋘
Geoffrey had implied that Nicholas’ original plan was to make her have Walter’s child.
Edith could easily deduce why the Viscount wanted to treat Walter like a stud.
If she bore a child that inherited noble power, he would be able to sell the child for a high price as an experiment or use the child as leverage against the family. This was likely Nicholas’ intention, treating Edith like a goose that lays golden eggs.
『 Nonsense. That means-.』
A shiver ran down Edith’s spine.
She now felt like she understood why Nicholas had initially pretended to be willing to help recover Walter’s memories but had ultimately kidnapped her.
『 Then Walter… Walter is…』
The first impression Edith had when she first encountered him was correct.
『 Walter was Isaac.』
The fact that he had gained the ability to break her imprisonment spell within a short period was entirely plausible given the Lexion bloodline.
The way he was born to control others and the way he destroyed the manor when he was trapped in it fit perfectly with the well-known rumors about Lexion.
When Edith’s thoughts reached that point, her baby became more important than anything else.
『 Oh, Lord. What kind of lie did I tell to deceive about my baby’s father?』
Answering that it was Isaac’s child to deceive that it was not Walter’s child… it felt like she had just shouted it aloud, and her face was burning hot.
Her face got hot as if she had loudly proclaimed that there was no other man in her life except him.
Could there be anything more embarrassing than having a one-sided crush on the same person twice in her life?
She could already feel the throbbing in her head, thinking about how Walter, when he found out the whole truth, would tease her with a triumphant look on his face.
But there was a more important fact than his teasing voice.
『 If Walter is Isaac, and a direct descendant of Lexion, then our child…』
Edith had never been with another man besides Walter.
Because of his pride, he had a way of making sure that no other man entered her field of vision.
As she concluded, if Walter was Isaac and Leah Lexion’s son, then their child was an inevitable direct descendant of the Lexion family.
However, according to the rumors, Lexion was definitely managing bloodlines strictly to control the power that flows through their blood.
T/N: This may mean selecting partners for marriage or relationships to produce better or more suitable offspring who can continue the family legacy.
Edith was even more confused because the images that the well-known Duke and Mrs. Leah described seemed to differ greatly from the Lexion family’s reputation.
What is the truth, exactly?
Edith clenched her teeth and suppressed her trembling, trying not to show her confusion.
“M’lady, is there any problem?”
The moment Edith paused when she looked at the painting on the wall was very brief, but Vane’s keen senses were sharp enough to catch even that moment of agitation.
“No, nothing. I was just admiring the painting.”
Edith smiled awkwardly.
However, in her mind, she couldn’t help but wonder how much the Duke of Lexion knew and why he had summoned her, or whether he was aware of her pregnancy. The thought was causing a chain of anxiety.
First and foremost, she needed to confirm what was true.
Even in cruelty, there are usually exceptions. It could be that he was only affectionate toward Mrs. Leah, or her disappearance may have made him even more fierce.
She didn’t want to make any hasty judgments that might bring misfortune, especially to her unborn child.
“This way, please.”
Vane guided Edith and Helen to the Duke’s study.
But before he could announce their arrival, the door opened from the inside with a creak.
“Don’t be alarmed by the magic. His Grace is waiting for Lady Fortrion.”
“…”
Helen, together with Edith, felt something was preventing her from going any further.
As there was no way to go against the Duke of Lexion’s intentions, Edith continued to walk a few more steps as instructed.
The Duke, whether she approached or not, continued to gaze out the window at the half-set sun and spoke.
“Viscountess Fortrion will not be able to hear the conversation you and I are having. If you want, I can make it so you don’t see her at all.”
His deep voice had such weight that merely listening to it inclined one’s head respectfully.
“Greetings, Your Grace. My name is Edith Fortrion. Thank you for inviting me to this splendid banquet.”
“I am Franz Lexion. You must have noticed that I didn’t mean to invite you to a fancy banquet or enjoy yourself.”
Already knowing the true identity of Mrs. Leah, Edith’s first thought was that the Duke’s speaking style was similar to Walter’s.
Edith carefully raised her head, as she had learned from Mrs. Gray and Mrs. Leah.
Then, as it had reached a dead end, she met a pair of golden eyes that seemed to be bored.
Although there was no comparison because she had not yet met the Emperor, the Duke of Lexion clearly possessed the dignity and authority to stand as a potential Emperor.
At the same time, he was breathtakingly beautiful, enough to make her instantly realize that the man she loved and this Duke shared the same bloodline.
“I don’t like playing with words, so I’ll ask you straight.”
“…”
“My subordinate was visiting the academy for a scholarship matter and happened to see you. He said he felt Lexion’s magic.”
The Duke grinned like someone who had discovered something amusing.
“That’s why I called you to check for myself, but I never thought I could really feel the power of our lineage.”
Even though Edith now understood why he had sought her out, she was unable to react in any way.
『 He felt Lexion’s magic in me?』
He could have thought that since Walter was with her when she stopped by the academy, he must have felt his magic.
However, at this moment, she was alone, and Helen was not magically inclined. Therefore, the Duke’s claim did not appear to be a lie.
There were three possibilities that Edith could think of.
『 It’s either because I brought the necklace that Mrs. Leah gave me that’s under my dress as a good luck charm, or because Walter’s magical power temporarily remained in me.』
If not... Since the child in the womb was also of Lexion’s blood, the Duke and his subordinate may have sensed the fetus’ magical power.
『 But I can’t tell him yet about the one who inherited Lexion’s magic.』
She had no way to know how much the Duke would be pleased about having an unknown grandchild he’d never seen.
Furthermore, Mrs. Leah had abandoned the comforts of her opulent life in the Duchy to travel from place to place alone with her young son.
『 Perhaps there were some disputes between the Duke and her.』
There was no other reason for a noble lady who had nothing to envy, to leave the duchy and become pregnant and give birth alone.
Now that Edith thinks about it, even when Walter was Isaac, she never heard him talk about his biological father.
Obviously, it must have not been easy for a noblewoman to carry a small child alone.
Then, to the Duke, Walter would be the offspring of the man who made her daughter leave, and the culprit that caused her to lose her.
Would such a presence be even remotely welcome, especially to someone in the position of the Duke?
Edith’s thoughts were tangled, but she made an effort to carefully choose her words to hide her true feelings.
If she claims that it was all a misunderstanding, it will not convince the Duke, who seems flawless in every way, so in the end, she has no choice but to cautiously bring up the topic of his daughter’s necklace.
“When I was growing up in Fortrion, a woman with a capital accent took care of me. She introduced herself as Mrs. Leah.”
“…”
The moment she mentioned the name Leah, the Duke, who had seemed unshakable, hesitated.
No, rather than being agitated, it seemed more accurate to say that it was an outburst of anger.
“…!”
Edith stiffened as soon as something hot and thin touched her neck.
Although she didn’t know much about magic, she could tell that this was a blade conjured by the Duke’s magic.
“M’lady. Don’t you dare let my daughter’s name come out of the mouth of a filthy Fortrion.”
“…”
“Give me only the facts I can trust. I am quite busy. You know that I feel discontent with Fortrion, associating with a despicable man and all.”
Edith bit her lip, but when she felt the scalding and sharp blade touching her throat, her vision blurred.
Her instinctive fear caused her body to shed tears against her will.
The Duke, showing no emotion at her tears, impatiently tapped his desk, urging her for an answer.
Edith tried to hold her head up, trying to keep her shaky legs from collapsing.
She sensed that he was nearing the limit of his patience. To keep him from harming her and to protect her secret about Walter and her pregnancy, she had only one option.
❀.°• ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ •°.❀
please no more stupidity