“Please remove your hands.”
Walter, who couldn’t withstand the Duke’s threat, crushed the Duke’s hand.
When a mere guard had the audacity to block the Duke of Lexion, who held the second position in the line of succession to the throne, a profound silence enveloped the entire area.
“Walter!”
Edith urgently called Walter over, but he didn’t show any signs of yielding. Instead, it was Franz Lexion who gave in first.
『 What is this…?』
Only the Duke, who had infused magic into the necklace, could hear Leah’s voice.
When he stopped and didn’t push away the guard who had placed his hand on his body, everyone couldn’t help but be puzzled.
But Franz had no time to worry about other people’s reactions.
「 “Well, in fact, I’m not sure if Edith will have a chance to meet you, Father. But if she does have the opportunity, I hope it’s for a good reason. Like Edith becoming the top student at the academy and receiving a scholarship from Lexion.” 」
Leah’s voice was as lively and endearing as Franz remembered.
That was his daughter. Her cheerful and playful tone, along with her affectionate voice, couldn’t be replicated.
The Duke quickly withdrew his hand that had been pressing Edith.
He cursed himself for ruthlessly breaking his daughter’s first wish.
「 “Oh, about Edith, she’s a child I met at Fortrion. I became indebted to this child’s family. Mrs. Lowell said that her family had become no better than a commoner, but whenever I feel the warmth of the Lowell mother and daughter, I find comfort.”」
Franz looked at Edith, who was looking around nervously, with fear in her eyes.
He wondered what he had done to the child his daughter had cherished.
「 “I always thought that if I had a daughter, I’d want her to be just like this child. Very cute, lovely, smart, and righteous. That’s why I gave this necklace to Edith, the necklace that I promised to pass down if I had a daughter.”」
Franz infused more magic into the necklace as if he were in a trance.
When Leah said that if she gave birth to a daughter…
That means…
「 “I think my son likes Edith a lot too. Ah, I should tell you about my son first.”」
Leah’s child.
Franz couldn’t bear to hear about Leah’s child.
He couldn’t even bring himself to recall one of the most pathetic and stupid decisions he had ever made.
“… M’lady.”
Franz’s voice lacked strength as if he were on the verge of giving up.
“I have committed an act of discourtesy.”
When an apology came out of his mouth, not only Vane but also Walter and Edith couldn’t help but be surprised.
“This necklace has a spell that only I can activate. Would you please lend me this necklace for about a week?”
Edith thought for a moment.
She wondered if she needed to show kindness to the Duke who had threatened her and Walter’s safety.
However, she could bear it when she thought that she was handing over something that Mrs. Leah had been trying to convey to her father.
“Of course. But it’s precious to me as well, so it’s difficult to give it away completely. I would appreciate it if you could have someone return it to me in a week.”
Walter could not understand Edith’s decision. But when the Duke uttered words that he seemed unlikely to say at all, it became clear that she was right.
“Well… Thank you. Vane, make sure to see them off properly.”
Edith bowed silently and left the place with Walter to give the Duke, who was deep in thought about his daughter, some space.
After sending them away, the Duke moved to his study. Working there, he couldn’t help but remember the times when his daughters used to come in and read books, all gathered around.
It was he who shattered those beautiful memories.
⋙“Father. I’m pregnant. I can’t say who the father is, but I love him.”⋘
When Leah said that, Franz felt like the sky was falling. It wasn’t because his beloved daughter had a child with some man. It was because, from birth, Leah had an excessive amount of innate magical power, and because of it, she had a limited lifespan. To prolong her life even a little, she had to consume several vials of elixir every day.
When his daughter refused to take any elixir due to her pregnancy, Franz felt like he would go insane.
Without taking the medicine, his daughter would live for at most 10 more years and then die.
Franz, who couldn’t afford to lose his daughter, eventually received a bottle of black potion from an apothecary and went to his daughter’s room.
⋙“Leah, stop being stubborn and get rid of the child.”⋘
Franz could still vividly recall Leah’s expression when she heard those words along with the potion to terminate the pregnancy.
Her expression was a mix of resentment, as in ‘How could you say such a thing,’ and acceptance, as in ‘I thought you would say that.’
Leah understood her father, who had no choice but to make such a decision, while also not understanding him.
So, in the end, she left.
She hired people and faked a carriage accident to leave discreetly, but Franz undoubtedly recognized the staged accident scene.
After that, he used all of Lexion’s resources to search for Leah’s whereabouts, but his daughter, who possessed such immense magical power that she was diagnosed as terminally ill, had hidden her tracks completely.
More than a decade later, Franz received news that his daughter’s magic had been detected in Fortrion territory, and he was devastated.
This meant that his daughter ultimately died without being able to suppress the outburst of her overflowing magical power that couldn’t even leave behind a body.
Since that day, Franz had been haunted by nightmares.
In these nightmares, shadowy figures in human form would point accusing fingers in horror, claiming how a father could send his daughter away after demanding that she terminate the pregnancy.
So when Nicholas Fortrion sent an actor claiming to be Leah’s son, Franz’s judgment could only be clouded.
He was determined to protect his beloved daughter’s child until the end.
The mere act of suspecting the child who resembled Leah felt like a sin, and Vane barely prevented what could have almost been a deception from becoming known to the outside world.
But then, after that day, he had come to despise the Fortrions. And now, he heard that Leah had gifted Lady Fortrion her necklace.
“… Leah.”
Franz called out his daughter’s name with difficulty and infused more magic into the necklace.
Although he was in pain, he wanted to hear his daughter’s voice more, even if the whole point was blaming himself.
「 “Ah, I should tell you about my son first.” 」
Leah paused for a moment before continuing.
「 “I named my son myself, ‘Walter Isaac Lexion.’ Since I didn’t get married, I gave him my last name and Father’s, Lexion. I want to give my son his father’s last name, but I didn’t know if he would allow it.” 」
Raising the child as a Lexion is fine, but if the child’s father doesn’t allow her to use his last name despite her wishes, the Duke thinks of tearing that man apart.
Franz was thinking this way when he suddenly stopped.
⋙“Walter!”⋘
Without a doubt, Lady Fortrion called her escort, who had been watching her with affectionate eyes the entire time, by the name of Walter.
『 Could it be…?』
Before he could calm his pounding heart, Leah’s voice continued.
「 “My son’s personality is similar to mine. He’s fearless and bold, so if you meet him, would you recognize him at a glance? My son also wants to see his grandfather.” 」
“…”
Franz was at a point where he was ashamed of facing his dead daughter.
「 “That was a long introduction. The real reason I cast a recording spell before giving this to Edith is because I have something to say to Father.” 」
Leah’s voice became noticeably calmer. And it reminded him of the days when he and Leah discussed matters related to the estate with a serious tone.
「 “When Father first told me to get rid of my baby… I’m not sure what my expression was… I think I was a little sad, but also a little happy. I believe you said those words because you didn’t want to lose me, and not because of my baby.” 」
“My daughter, I…”
「 “There are rumors going around that House Lexion is abusing children and that we raise them to be human weapons, but I know… I know how much your father loves me. Learning to control magic is difficult, it can’t be helped, right?” 」
Every time Leah’s affectionate voice rang in his ears, Franz felt as though his heart was breaking into pieces.
「 “That’s why I wanted to have my own child. You know, I don’t have much time.” 」
“…”
「 “Thanks to Father and Mother, I have enjoyed all the happiness, so before my short life ends, I wanted to give love to my child as well. I don’t have the confidence to give as much as the two of you gave me.” 」
“I…I didn’t know how you felt…”
Franz couldn’t breathe properly.
Leah’s kind voice continued as if to calm him down.
「 “I love Isaac. And I also love Edith like my own daughter. When I see these two children, it feels like leaving was the right decision. I don’t think there’s anything worse than showing parents their child dying.” 」
Hot tears that the Duke had never shed since hearing of Leah’s death soaked the desk.
「 “So please forgive me for leaving Lexion, Father.” 」
Even just by hearing her voice, Franz could tell that his daughter was smiling and trying to hold back her tears.
「 “Please don’t think that I expect to be forgiven by you. It’s just that Father loved his daughter too much and didn’t want to lose her. How can love be wrong?” 」
“Leah. I am…”
His trembling body finally collapsed onto the desk.
「 “So please always stay healthy, and take care of Edith and Isaac. Send my love to Melissa, Hestia, and Lilliette. Oh! Please convey my regards to my Nanny and Vane. And also…” 」
Her daughter continued for a long time, listing the names of her loved ones, before finally whispering.
「 “Father’s proud eldest daughter, Leah Lexion signing off.” 」
Franz took a deep breath.
He recalled belatedly that he had threatened Lady Fortrion with his magic and how thin her body was when she collapsed in fear.
His daughter, who had to run away due to his unwise advice and couldn’t bid a proper farewell, had asked him to take care of them.
『 What have I done…』
Franz wanted to slit his own throat, but he couldn’t go see his daughter like this, so he forced out his voice with difficulty.
“Vane, investigate Lady Fortrion and her escort, Walter. Find out what kind of relationship those two have.”
❀.°• ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ •°.❀
