Kapitel 121: [Chapter 121] The Same Viscount's Bloodline
It was the Viscount who provided Catherine with all the information she needed to attract the Duke's attention.
The name Catherine used here was different. She wasn't even from Holcastle. Before catching the Viscount's eye, she had built up her career as an actress and had decent lovers.
However, if she could rise to the position of the Duchess, her past was of little value, so she decided to discard it all.
The only thing she brought with her to Penmwick was Bella, who had died a few days ago.
"And now Bella is gone."
Having deceived the nobility and joined hands with another noble family, there was no turning back. If her true identity was revealed, she would face charges of fraud and deception, among other crimes. She had come this far, and the die was cast. If her accomplice showed a passive attitude, it would be troublesome.
In response to Catherine's cold gaze, the Viscount muttered as if making excuses.
"No, I brought you here, so why would I think that way?"
"What about spreading rumors that the woman is a concubine of the royal family?"
"It didn't seem to work, so I stopped. It's better than causing unnecessary backlash."
The Viscount was in a dilemma. Could he rashly expose the Counselor, who had ties to the Elendria family, without repercussions?
'This is really getting tricky.'
The Viscount knew better than anyone what had driven the former Duke mad. It was not surprising that the son of that man was infatuated with a woman to the point of recklessness.
That's why he hadn't brought Catherine, who had the same eyes as his deceased daughter, the former Duchess, with the same color eyes as the Viscount.
He suspected that the only weakness of that damned man was his deceased wife, right in front of his eyes. If he was going to go crazy, he might as well go crazy in a direction that could be useful.
But he probably already had a mistress. In this case, there must be reasons beyond merit for the Counselor's radical appointment.
'Perhaps he was trying to establish a position for the future Duchess.'
It seemed like the world was favoring Nerys Trued. So if he pushed that woman now, after she and the Elendria family had secured the North, they could also benefit.
The Viscount was in a dilemma. Should he gamble on seizing the North before the Elendria family, or should he align with the side that seemed more likely to succeed?
However, there was no reason to confide in Catherine about these complex matters. She was just a pawn to be used once and discarded.
So the Viscount simply blinked once.
"Everything is going well, I trust you."
"Let's not worry about what we both want and just wait. Then I won't hand Mainland over to you until you're ready."
Catherine laughed heartily.
---
After days of snowfall, the sky finally cleared. It was a suitable day for a mission.
In front of the castle gate, the Platinum Knights were preparing to depart in an orderly manner. And just as Cledwyn was about to give the order to depart.
"Just a moment!"
It was not a complete departure of all the Platinum Knights but a large-scale mission. The area in front of the castle gate was bustling with knights, soldiers, servants, and those bidding them farewell."
***
"A woman made her way through the crowd, striving to reach them. She was the famous 'guest lady' of the castle these days.
Her usual fresh appearance was nowhere to be seen, as if she had hurriedly arrived. Her makeup seemed lighter than usual. Catherine thanked each person who made way for her and walked forward, step by step.
And when she finally stood in front of Cledwyn, she looked up at him and smiled brightly.
"I heard you're going away. I've heard that moving in winter is very dangerous, so I wanted to wish you luck like this. Please take care and have a safe journey, Vireb-Chant."
Most people present here heard the last words for the first time since they were born, even Nerys, who spoke several languages.
However, because she could speak so many languages, Nerys could roughly infer the meaning of the words.
'Vireb might have a similar meaning to Leve, which means to wish in Common Rundian, and Chant might mean luck in Verelenian...'
Wishing for luck.
Nerys's eyes narrowed for a moment as she looked at Catherine Haricot. Was it a dialect from Catherine's hometown?
Regardless of where the words were from, it was presumptuous. Interrupting the owner's outing and running to wish luck. As if she were the owner herself.
Cledwyn silently gazed at Catherine for a while. Then he nodded slightly.
"We're departing."
Dozens of hooves hit the ground simultaneously. As Nerys listened to the thunderous sound, she watched the knights leave the castle gate and disappear around the corner of the lower town.
Catherine, who had approached Nerys, sighed.
"You are truly magnificent, Your Grace."
"That's right."
"So, I'm really sorry to the Counselor."
What? Nerys looked at Catherine suspiciously. Catherine said playfully.
"I know that the Counselor likes you."
"What, Miss Haricot?"
"So I tried to deny my feelings, but... I couldn't reject such a wonderful person like you. I hope you understand."
"Reject?"
"I'm truly sorry."
Blushing cheeks, Catherine sighed, wrapping her hands around her cheeks as if embarrassed. It was a shy gesture that raised the imagination of the onlookers.
Nerys stared at Catherine for a long time. Then she smiled, devoid of any emotion.
"...Is that so? Without my knowledge, the two of you..."
"Yes. I'm sorry."
Apologizing for the third time, Catherine realized that Nerys's smile felt very similar to the smile Cledwyn had given earlier. A carefully crafted smile.
But even so, was she going to hesitate without the Duke for a few days? By now, Catherine Haricot had practically become a resident of the Duke's study.
'The second level is clean.'
Catherine was truly confident.
So she ignored the instinctive warning that briefly passed through her spine and continued speaking.
Cledwyn's absence left the White Swan Castle unusually quiet. Even considering the number of people who were absent, it was still quiet.
Perhaps it was because of the snow, Nerys thought. The snow had fallen heavily in this land, enough to pile up so much that it was said the Knights' movement would be impossible in the capital, yet the people here shamelessly left, saying 'this is warm enough.'
And thanks to that resulting silence, the person who embraced it most gracefully was the Tiphian Viscount.
"I have only one son, a Tiphian Viscount who assists me splendidly."
The Viscount happily chatted about himself. It was information Nerys already knew, but she responded politely, listening attentively. She was like someone who had no deceased daughter.
"Viscount, you must be proud. I don't know much from a young age, but having a reliable heir is a very joyful thing."
The Viscount chuckled.
Under the guise of entertaining a guest, he had brought Nerys to the reception room. He planned to strengthen his relationship with her and, if possible, extract information about the Elendria family.
"In a few years, won't you also marry into a very distinguished family? You'll understand when the time comes."
It was a hint about future plans. Nerys responded with a wry smile to the simple speculation.
Nerys had been cautious of him more than Catherine. He had been involved in politics for a long time and had deceived Cledwyn, so she thought that even a slight vulnerability could be exploited.
'But it wasn't.'
When she thought about it, despite being a member of the nobility, the Viscount had not experienced the ups and downs of high society in the capital. While he frequented the capital and managed his subordinate lords, he had his own cunning and ruthlessness, but he was not as sophisticated as Nelushion, who had harbored ten snakes inside him since birth.
The fact that Cledwyn had once been deceived by the Viscount was probably due to the former Duchess. A few precious bloodlines would have been important to him when he was young.
He had checked for any other movements through spies, but there were hardly any attempts. If the knights the Viscount had brought had done something, it would have been very noticeable in this exclusive castle.
So the Viscount was shallower than she had thought. His current words felt like mere pretense.
If he truly valued bloodlines, he would have respected Cledwyn more.
Bringing a woman who resembled his deceased daughter to seduce his grandson and insulting the entire family of his daughter was not something he would have done.
It crossed her mind that perhaps the late Duchess had brought her adopted daughter for a strategic marriage, but the woman in the portrait looked too similar to the Viscount overall.
"A distinguished family, you say. I dare..."
Nerys's response was lukewarm. The Viscount laughed heartily.
"Haha! Surely a beauty like you has nowhere to go."
"Thank you for the kind words."
At that moment, the Viscount acknowledged that it was not easy to discern Nerys's true feelings. He eventually got to the point.
"Do you know what the commoners are gossiping about these days?"
"Yes. It was about Your Grace persecuting me. I apologize for not cracking down on it in advance."
"It seems you misunderstood my visit. That I was bothering you to push my niece to you..."
Since Nerys revealed herself as a concubine last time, the two had faced each other in this manner a couple of times. It was a result of animosity between the Viscount and Nerys, both of them.
The Viscount wanted to extract information about the Elendria family, and Nerys needed to work behind the scenes to use the gemstone effectively.
The power of the gemstone was not infinite. In some cases, the process of putting enough effort into the opponent was more important than actually using the gemstone.
"Nerys used a method that was effective in relieving people's tension from her previous life. That is, she maintained a cold expression and then let out a faint smile.
"Such a funny thing. Why would someone like Your Grace need to do that? And Miss Haricot already seemed close enough to you. Even the greeting just now."
By now, it would be good to reassure him and get more decisive information. Nerys looked into the Viscount's eyes and spoke slowly, as if engraving her words.
"...Very, it's a good thing. I really think so."
Her monotonous voice seeped willingly into the Viscount's mind like water given in thirst. Yes, that's how I think... The Elendria family would allow the Tiphian family to swallow the North...
If he had a clear mind, the Viscount would have doubted. If Nerys truly worked for the Elendria family, it would be more beneficial for her to become the Duchess, as it would naturally benefit that family. However, somehow her words were convincing...
Soon, the Viscount's eyes glazed over slightly. Thinking he had obtained good information, he couldn't hide his joy.
"Haha, yes! That's right! I also think things are going very well. That girl has suffered a lot since she was young!"
"Miss Haricot's guardian is Your Grace, Viscount. So you are almost becoming the master of Mainland again. The heir is the Duke, the distant cousin is the Duchess... It's a great thing. You should be respected."
The Viscount's mouth widened. Nerys smiled at the right moment.
"Yet the Duke behaves so coldly and rudely... Your son, the Viscount, would never behave like that. He must be very angry."
The Viscount's son was now in his middle age. Even though he didn't seem willing to pass on the title, if he received praise for being reliable from his father, he knew how well he could adapt to his father's usual preferences.
"Of course!"
The Viscount's eyes momentarily glazed over as he answered. He realized he was angry.
Yes, his son, the Tiphian Viscount, who was following his orders now, would never behave so rudely! There are only rude people in the North!
Nerys lightly licked her lips.
"I don't understand why the Duke behaves like that... After all, you all share the same Viscount's bloodline. Is there any difference?"
"Same bloodline? Nonsense!"
Sparks flew from the Viscount's eyes. Soon, unintended words came out of his mouth.
"The Dukes of this land have been crazy for generations! Let alone mixing with bastards! The offspring of bastards, where can they be brought to real nobility!"
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