Episode 66
Tom’s eyes lit up.
Like a hyena spotting prey, he rushed straight toward Estelle.
“Estelle! Estelle!”
“Yes? What is it?”
Estelle had just finished eating and was heading back to her room.
Tom’s hair was messy, his skin looked rough from losing weight over the past few weeks — he looked almost insane.
Startled, Estelle hid her hands behind her back.
“Let’s make it official as soon as possible — become my daughter legally, and let’s live together! Please!”
Tom looked ready to drop to his knees and beg.
Estelle’s eyes widened for a moment, but she calmly replied,
“That’s not possible. I’m already married. I can’t live with my father instead of my husband.”
“No, I mean — how are you still sane in this house?”
“What do you mean?”
For Tom, just being near a Winterlen person gave him chills and made him feel small.
But Estelle looked like she didn’t understand him at all.
‘Has she already lost her mind?’ Tom wondered.
But that didn’t matter — he wasn’t after a “real daughter” anyway.
“Well… anyway, let’s officially add your name to my family register. I heard the Bellonsa Count’s household is not doing well these days.”
“……”
“I appreciate all they’ve done for you, but honestly, I can’t stay on a sinking ship forever. If you join me, it’ll be better for you in name and status…”
“You mean, cut ties with Bellonsa and live as a Newman?”
“Don’t say it so coldly. You never know what will happen in life…”
“Alright.”
Estelle nodded without hesitation.
Tom almost shouted in triumph.
“Shall we go to the courthouse now?”
“Yes! Let’s go right now!”
It struck Tom that recently, he hadn’t seen Glesiana or Lennox at all — not even Duren, who usually stuck to Estelle like glue.
But joy outweighed any suspicion.
‘Finally! I’m getting out of this cursed mansion!’
His silent cheer would soon turn into a scream.
Changing families was simple.
Sign the papers, submit Dr. Jerry’s medical report — done.
Because Estelle wasn’t a minor, it was even faster.
“At last…!”
Tom nearly cried.
“You’re legally my daughter now!”
Estelle stepped back from Tom when he tried to hug her.
“They said the paperwork will be processed in about a day.”
“That’s fine! I just wanted the world to recognize you as my daughter as soon as possible!”
Hearing “my daughter” made Estelle’s lips curl in a faint, bitter smile.
“Estelle. My daughter. I have to tell all our relatives the good news! The post office is nearby, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll send the letters right now.”
Tom returned shortly after, walking lightly from sending the letters — but thinking about going back to the mansion made his steps heavier.
“Why is the street so crowded?”
As if reading his mind, Estelle spoke.
“They say the late Prince Caesar’s son has appeared. Today’s the paternity test, so everyone came to watch.”
“Oh… that.”
Feeling uncomfortable, Tom tried to change the subject.
“Let’s go see it too.”
“Us? No, no — there’s no space left. Let’s just go home.”
“There’s a seat for us. My husband lined up since dawn.”
“What? Is that why the Winterlen people weren’t home…?”
“My husband left early, and Duren and Lady Rea went out before you came.”
Tom cursed himself for not asking earlier.
“It’s close by. Let’s walk.”
“Still…”
Tom tried to refuse, but the coachman had already stopped the carriage and opened the door.
“Father?”
“I… feel a bit unwell. How about you go alone?”
“You’d let the lady walk alone without a guard?” the coachman cut in.
“Then you go with her—”
“I have to guard the carriage! Now, please get out and accompany the lady.”
The huge coachman practically dragged Tom out.
“Lord Newman, if you leave the lady’s side even for a moment…”
“Yes…?”
Slice.
The coachman mimed slitting his throat.
“You’ll die.”
“By… who?”
“Who else? Our Duke, of course.”
The warning was deadly serious.
Tom knew the duke was capable of carrying it out.
So, stiff as a board, Tom went with Estelle to the amphitheater.
Lennox, who had queued since dawn, had secured front-row seats.
“Mom!”
Duren lit up with joy at seeing Estelle.
“Tia, sit next to me!”
Glesiana also tapped the empty seat beside her.
Thanks to the intimidating aura of the Winterlen people, no one else sat nearby.
“Father came too,” Estelle said.
“Alright. You two sit with me — one on each side.”
Tom reluctantly sat beside Glesiana, comforted only by the fact he was far from Lennox.
“You came just in time,” Lennox said to Estelle.
“Is it starting now?”
“Yes.”
Soon, the emperor appeared on stage, looking troubled, alongside a confident Dr. Jerry.
“I’m honored to take on His Majesty’s request,” Jerry said.
“Please do well.”
“Haha, thanks to you, I can finally set up my research foundation.”
Then, he pointed to a middle-aged woman and a child who joined them on stage.
“So this is the child?”
“Yes. I personally delivered this baby when the mother gave birth. I didn’t know then, but the man with her was Prince Caesar.”
Seven years ago, she had given shelter to a young couple for one night. The man was tall and handsome; his wife was heavily pregnant. The woman gave birth that night, and she helped deliver the baby.
“They seemed nervous, like they were being chased.”
One day, the couple left the baby with her, saying they’d look around — but never came back.
She raised the abandoned baby as her own.
Then, while visiting the capital, she saw a portrait of Prince Caesar and realized the boy’s identity.
“I’m here today to return him to his rightful place.”
Dr. Jerry looked at the boy.
“What’s your name?”
“Oliver.”
“Oliver, can you give me one hair?”
“Here.”
“Your Majesty, I’ll need yours too.”
The emperor’s servant brought out a jewel box containing a bundle of bright red hair.
“This is Caesar’s hair from over ten years ago. Can you still use it?”
“Yes, it’s been well-preserved.”
Jerry put both hairs into a flask.
The result…
“He’s definitely Caesar’s son!”
The liquid turned green.
The crowd applauded.
“You’re really Caesar’s child… He must have left me to protect you…”
The emperor’s voice trembled.
The boy’s red hair, blue eyes, and round features matched Caesar’s childhood exactly.
Just as the emperor reached out to hug Oliver—
“Can you explain to us here why the liquid turns green?”
A strange man’s voice echoed through the theater.
“Who are you?”
A hooded man stepped forward.
“I’m the Tower Master.”
He showed a seal engraved with a full moon — proof only a Tower Master could have.
“I was curious as a scholar. Please explain.”
“My thesis explains it in detail. If you’re truly the Tower Master, you can read it.”
“No, no — surely you’ve memorized your own work?”
“I have a bad memory, haha.”
Jerry tried to laugh it off.
But the man wasn’t letting go.
“If you can’t explain, I’ll test it myself. I have some reagent left.”
The Tower Master, Claude, plucked a few silver hairs and put them in a fresh flask with the reagent — before Jerry could stop him.
The result was…
