Chapter 35
“…Tie her up for now.”
“Just tie her up?”
“Yes. When she wakes up, we will interrogate her, so don’t touch her without my orders.”
“Understood.”
While the knights tied up Charlotte, Armian called another servant to ask how Bella had lived in this household.
He had expected the answer since the first time he met Bella, wearing clothes worse than a maid’s uniform.
“Unbelievable…”
Bella ate hard bread every day, only wore dull clothes unless attending a party, and slept in a small, cold room worse than a storage closet.
She even endured Charlotte’s constant slaps.
Except for being free of chains, her life was no different from his own as a slave.
But Bella wasn’t a slave. She was the legitimate daughter of the Rohiltern family, the only child of the former Count, and she should have lived with all the privileges of a noblewoman.
All of that was stolen by her uncle’s deceit.
If that’s the case, I have to return her rightful position.
This wasn’t even revenge.
I’m simply giving back what was hers all along.
Armian walked upstairs from the basement.
Even though it was late at night, the mansion was brightly lit.
At the center of the first-floor hall, the Count was kneeling. When he saw Armian, his face turned pale and he looked away.
Armian walked toward him slowly.
It had only been a few days since they last met, but the Count already looked crushed.
“So you’ve heard, haven’t you?”
The Count trembled, barely able to breathe.
“Please spare me, Your Highness!”
He bowed and shouted,
“I didn’t know my daughter was doing such things! I swear I didn’t know even a little!”
“You didn’t know?”
“Yes, I had no—”
“The records clearly show that the Rohiltern lady bought a slave with family money, and you dare lie to me?”
The investigators had thoroughly examined the Rohiltern family’s ledgers under the excuse of tax evasion. There were no secrets left. The Count lowered himself silently.
“Even if you truly knew nothing, you’re still guilty. Isn’t it a crime to fail to control your own child?”
The Count wasn’t bold enough to argue that it was his wife’s duty to manage the children. He closed his eyes tightly, imagining his doomed future.
Then Armian softened his voice slightly.
“But I understand that you might feel wronged.”
He had scared the Count enough. Now it was time to set the trap.
“I will give you a chance to prove that you had nothing to do with your daughter’s crimes.”
“R-really?”
“Of course.”
Armian found the desperate look on the Count’s face disgusting but held back his disgust.
“But only if you succeed in the task I give you.”
“Tell me what to do, and I’ll do anything! Even if I must give half of my fortune—”
“It’s not such a big thing.”
“Then… what is it?”
“Sign the papers to disown Charlotte Rohiltern from the family and name Bella Rohiltern as the heir.”
“!”
“If you do, I will hold only Charlotte responsible for all the insults I suffered.”
Armian wanted Charlotte erased from the noble registry.
Once a noble was erased from the registry, the family could no longer protect them no matter what happened.
He was basically telling the Count that Charlotte’s life could be spared if she was cast out.
When the Count stayed silent, Armian smiled.
“Is the decision so hard?”
He let go of the Count’s hair and stood up.
“Perhaps your corruption runs deeper than I thought. If you want to sink with your daughter, I will respect that choice.”
“N-no!”
As Armian turned to leave, the Count called out loudly to stop him.
The fear of the executioner’s block moved him.
“My daughter was always arrogant and lacked self-control. She hurt the servants and even Bella. Her reckless personality has now led to unforgivable sins. As her father, how can I allow this? If I shield Charlotte just because she is my blood, she will never learn to repent!”
“So?”
“I will do as Your Highness says…”
Armian chuckled.
To remove a name from the noble registry, the head of the family’s signature and the approval of a royal were both needed. He couldn’t do it alone. Luckily, the Count was a coward.
Still, Armian gave one last push.
“Thank you, Count. Now I don’t have to sign the papers ordering your execution.”
“……!”
The Count instinctively raised his head but quickly lowered it again when he saw Armian’s cold eyes.
“Then I’ll trust you to handle this properly.”
“Yes… of course.”
“This is just a matter of signing papers. It won’t take long, will it? I’ll come tomorrow to check.”
“Tomorrow?”
“There’s no reason to delay what can be done today.”
As Armian started to leave, he suddenly turned back.
“Or… are you planning something else in the meantime?”
“N-no, never!”
When Armian put his hand on the sword’s hilt, the Count hiccupped in terror.
Father and daughter are both equally pathetic before the strong.
Armian smirked and left.
He’s gone?
The Count kept his head low like an ostrich until he was sure Armian had left. Then he let out a long breath and sat down.
The shame of begging like a dog to someone younger than himself was brief. Fear was stronger.
He’s coming back tomorrow…
Because Armian had declared it publicly, he was certain to return. The word of a royal carried weight.
The Count didn’t think Armian wanted the weak Rohiltern family for its power. He believed Armian’s actions were because of Charlotte.
If I had known that fool had done such a thing…!
He never would have sent Charlotte to seduce the prince.
Now he shivered with regret and relief. He had angered the prince yet kept his head. That meant Armian probably wouldn’t kill him.
But Charlotte… she’s doomed.
After the recent scandal, she could never marry into a proper noble family. If sacrificing her guaranteed his safety, he didn’t mind offering her up.
He looked around at the knights who had stayed behind to watch him. Their presence was heavy and threatening.
If he didn’t do as Armian said by tomorrow, he couldn’t imagine what these knights might do.
“Where is Charlotte? Where?”
The Count, supported by a servant, asked about Charlotte’s whereabouts.
Though he knew the mansion had a basement, it was his first time visiting it. As head of the house, he had never felt the need to go into such a dirty place.
As he descended the stairs, the cold, musty air hit his face. But before he could shiver, he heard voices.
Charlotte was awake.
“So when are you going to let me go?”
“Charlotte, my poor child.”
The Countess cupped Charlotte’s cheek as if comforting a wounded animal. Seeing a chance, Charlotte began to beg.
“Please untie me, Mother. You know I’ll die if I stay here. The prince will kill me!”
“……”
“I didn’t even mean to do anything bad. I just bought a slave, that’s all. The real villain is the slave trader! I’m the victim here!”
“Don’t get angry. You’ll ruin your pretty face, okay?”
Hearing his wife spoil their daughter even now made the Count frown.
No wonder Charlotte grew up so reckless!
