Chapter 32
Cedric’s seeds were ignored as a matter of course, but memories of being insulted, along with personal errands and the humiliation of his deceased parents, seemed to have crossed Ronan’s mind as he scowled deeply.
“Well, that’s convenient. Then, I have a favor to ask.”
I took out the letter I had prepared in advance from my pocket and handed it to Ronan.
“What’s this? Who should I send it to?”
“Send it to Hilos Jajak, please. I don’t think he’ll bother reading it if I send it personally. Since Jajak cherishes his son so much, he will surely read a letter from Ronan Kyung, who was once his son’s seed. Can I ask what’s written in it?”
“If I thought you should know… Didn’t I convey it?”
I blocked with a laugh, and Ronan awkwardly followed suit.
“Then, is it enough to just deliver this?”
“Yes. It would be even better if you could attract Jajak’s attention so that he can definitely read it.”
“That’s my specialty.”
After receiving Ronan’s firm answer, I nodded my head and turned away. With the rumors about Laches alone, I couldn’t afford to let more rumors spread, especially involving Ronan.
I hurriedly left my seat. From behind, I heard Ronan calling out to me, as if he hadn’t finished speaking yet.
Since my business was finished, I lightly ignored him, but Ronan persistently followed.
“If you ever need me again, please don’t hesitate to call!”
Thinking that he couldn’t hold onto me pretending not to notice, Ronan stopped and shouted loudly.
I was startled and looked around. “Crazy…! Please, Ronan. Please be quiet.”
People around us were looking at us after hearing Ronan’s shout. I brought my index finger to my lips, gesturing for him to be quiet, but Ronan didn’t budge.
“I’m welcome anytime, If you call me because you need me, I’ll rush over.”
Look at that man with eyes filled with vengeance. He doesn’t consider my situation at all!
“Please call me, Please. I’ll wait, Leah. I’ll definitely wait.”
I understand wanting revenge against Cedric, but does it have to be so desperate?
I glanced around, then quickly left as if fleeing the scene.
It didn’t even take a day for the new rumor to spread.
I don’t know if the Northern women are thirsty for gossip… or why rumors spread so quickly.
“Have you heard? The maid that the Duke was holding… and also with Ronan Kyung…”
“Ronan Kye begged for patience.”
“Who? Who? I want to see their face.”
“They’re supposedly torn between choosing between the Duke and Ronan Kye…!”
I casually strolled around, pretending as if it were none of my business whenever I heard rumors. The only relief was that such rumors hadn’t reached Laches or Ronan yet.
I didn’t have time to listen to rumors circulating within the castle walls.
Celly and Cedric, along with their entourage, were still not coming to their senses.
Celly seemed to be telling the truth, but Cedric and his companions were denying it. They claimed it was just a lowly maid trying to get involved to gain something.
To almost get two people killed and still not come to their senses… Their shamelessness knew no bounds.
And that evening, Hyllos Jacquez hurriedly visited the Violetus Castle.
“Seems like there are more visitors to the castle lately, Someone might mistake it for a party.”
“…I greet Duke Violetus.”
“Anyway, I’ll graciously welcome the impolite visits, Hyllos Jacquez.”
Hyllos Jacquez frowned at Laches’ arrogant welcome.
“I need to see Cedric, Where is Cedric right now?”
“Hyllos Jacquez, It seems to me there’s a rat in the castle. What do you think, Jacquez? Maybe it’s better to do a thorough spring cleaning.”
“…Please call Cedric, Duke Violetus.”
“That’s exactly what I meant, Hyllos Jacquez.”
Laches chuckled smugly as he put his hand on Hyllos Jacquez’s shoulder. At first glance, it seemed like they were old comrades who had been through life and death together.
“Why did you come now of all times? Cedric is currently repenting, Hyllos Jacquez.”
“My son is innocent, Duke Violetus.”
“Despite coming all this way, unfortunately, it means you won’t be able to see Cedric. …Oh, perhaps you already knew?”
laches smiled arrogantly, but his eyes, as fierce as those staring at a prey, were relentless as he gazed at Hilos’ figure.
“Just enjoy yourself while staying in the castle with Count Deberti and Lord Palo, Hilos. I’ve been busy investigating the unfortunate incident that occurred in the castle recently.”
After finishing the necessary formalities, laches swiftly turned away. Simillarly, Hilos, guided by the butler, made his way to his accommodations.
“….”
Hilos glanced over the assembled maidservants, I knew well what his serpent-like, slender gaze implied.
He seemed curious about the sender of the letter.
I didn’t bother to approach Hilos first.
He would probably come find me after verifying the details of the incident there.
And exactly a day and a half later.
“Is it the maid who sent the letter?”
Hilos’ aide, who accompanied him to the visit, came looking for me.
I nodded in confirmation, and the aide exhaled deeply, looking somewhat relieved.
“Follow me, The Master awaits you.”
The aide commanded as if this were Hilos’ mansion.
Following the aide to an annex, I saw Hilos waiting for me.
His body was adorned with jewelry and his clothes sparkled with gems.
Being born into nobility enough to buy lineage with money, he looked even more magnificent than an emperor.
“Did you send this letter?”
On the table lay the letter I sent through Ronen.
“Yes.”
“You dare to summon me here so audaciously.”
“I am simply moved by the determination in the letter you sent.”
I replied casually and took a seat on the opposite sofa without permission. Hilos chuckled dryly at my audacity.
“Cedric caused quite a fuss over nothing. I rushed here immediately upon receiving your letter claiming it was urgent, only to find it was nothing of significance.”
As Hilos flicked his fingers, the aide brought a poem. Trimming the end, he handed it over, and Hilos lit it up, inhaling deeply.
“Adults quarreled over love and parted ways. Do I really need to intervene in such matters?”
As Hilos exhaled a thick cloud of smoke from the poem, the harsh scent wafted towards me.
“Do you not know why this breakup escalated into an incident? Cedric made a wager on the woman. Whether he could seduce her or not, he said. Is that what a decent person does?”
“…Tsk. Foolish child.”
Hilos clicked his tongue in annoyance.
“…I’ll make sure Cedric understands. I’ll personally explain it to him. I’ll also offer compensation to the maid who suffered. She had a debt to our family. I’ll forgive it.”
If you have any other requests, you can ask me.
“Your love for your son was so extreme that you ruined him completely, sir.”
I waved my hand to dispel the intense smoke.
“If your child did wrong, it’s the responsibility of the parents to educate them properly. Instead of covering up, you rushed to do so… How can a child grow up properly like that?”
“You’re speaking so audaciously with a loose tongue.”
Hilos Jasak leaned against the sofa, rubbing his forehead as if exhausted.
“How could a parent ever abandon their child? I’m sorry for the maid, but I intend to compensate for the damages as much as I can.”
“What about Cedric?”
“…Cedric is my son. I wouldn’t turn him away. I do feel remorse. So, I offered debt relief and various compensations.”
“Even considering what Cedric has done?”
Hilos frowned. I took out a note from my pocket and placed it beside the letter.
“What’s this?”
Hilos Jasak leaned forward to inspect the note.
“…Whose names are these? It seems like more than one.”
“Seems like you don’t remember, so let me remind you.”
I reached out and pointed to the name written in the middle of the note.
“These are the names of those who have been assaulted by Cedric Hilos. And here are the names of those who had their fortunes taken away for Cedric’s amusement. And here are the names of those whose businesses collapsed due to Cedric’s violence.”
“Hmm.”
As I spoke, there was no change in Hilos Jasak’s face. Instead, my detailed revelation of his son’s misdeeds seemed uncomfortable for him.
“You can probably guess, but these names are all people who suffered because of Cedric.”
More precisely, they were names forgotten by Cedric or names I gleaned from his memory.
“Do you want me to lament with guilt?”
“Well, hardly. If you had felt even a hint of guilt, you would have confined and educated Cedric from the start.”
“I can’t understand what you’re aiming for.”
Hilos Jasak rose from his seat, showing signs of discomfort.
“I rushed here in surprise at the letter claiming Cedric caused an accident, but it seems like a waste of time. I’ll have to punish Ronan for sending such unnecessary letters.”
Hilos Jasak abruptly turned around. I smiled at his back and said,
“By the way, do you really need to read through all the names listed here, Mr. Hilos?”
“What’s the point of looking at those names…”
“However, here are the names of your late eldest son, youngest son, and Lady Hilos.”
“!!”
Hillos Jasak, who seemed surprised at the mention of those two people, turned to me. His aide, who had been clucking his tongue towards me, also widened his eyes in surprise.
“Now, what did you say?”
“Madam Jasak’s carriage overturned, and her eldest son was beaten by robbers while intoxicated. The youngest son fell into the lake and drowned. …Technically, it was disguised as accidents, but they were actually murders.”
“What, what are you saying? How do you know that?”
Hillos Jasak’s expression crumbled, The poetry that had been burning in his hand fell to the ground. The acrid smoke seemed to fill the room.
“I think Jasak already knows what I mean. You’ve also suspected that these three incidents weren’t accidents but murders, haven’t you? You’ve asked Cedric about it, haven’t you?”
“How… How could you…”
I will drive Cedric out of the North. To do that, I had to get rid of this old man who was blinded by his love for his son, covering up each of Cedric’s misdeeds.
I will take everything Cedric has.
“Yes, Jasak. The suspicion you’re thinking of right now is correct.”
With a calm smile, I looked at Hillos Jasak’s face, which was darkened with disbelief and despair.
“The one who killed your beloved wife, eldest son, and youngest son is all the same person.”
I got up from the sofa and walked towards Hillos Jasak, whose face was stained black with shock.
“It’s your monster, Cedric Hillos.”
“…No, that can’t be.”
His voice, squeezed out as if someone was strangling him, flowed out.
“He’s even thought about killing you and taking all your money. It seems you were too strong for him to give up. Cedric tends to be weak towards strong people and strong towards weak people.”
“Cedric couldn’t… couldn’t have killed his younger brother… his own brother… or his mother. …How dare you lie to me!”
“His own mother? Cedric is not the son of Madam Jasak but a bastard born between you and Cortisan.”
As I revealed the secrets that I had carefully concealed from leaking out, Hillos Jasak’s face turned pale with shock.
“Then you probably don’t know this either. In fact, Cedric is not the son of Hillos Jasak but of another man.”
“……!!”
“So Cortisan tricked you into thinking that the child she was pregnant with was your son.”
Hillos Jasak’s mouth gradually widened. Unable to even let out a surprised sound, he swallowed irregular breaths.
“Cedric already knew. He knew that his real father wasn’t you.”
“What, what?”
“So he killed Madam, his eldest son, and the youngest son. It’s like a magpie pushing out the existing chicks and taking over the nest.”
Hillos Jasak’s lips trembled. Overwhelmed by an unbearable shock, he staggered, touching his forehead.
“Jasak!”
His aide hurriedly ran to support Hillos Jasak.
“Come on, Hillos Jasak.”
“……”
“You need to deal with Cedric Hillos’s atrocities this time, just like you’ve always done.”
“Ah, ah….”
“That’s what you’ve always done, Jasak.”
