บท 48: Father
Once the Countess left, Ellendise met the stern gaze of the Count. Count Davis Vitron was the youngest among two brothers in their family.
Ellendise's uncle, Viscount Rufus Mierheart and Valrug's father was the Count's older brother. Usually, it was the oldest child that was destined to be the heir in a noble family but that wasn't the case.
Viscount Rufus Mierheart was an illegitimate child.
In noble society, rarely were illegitimate children allowed to inherit the title of nobility. In fact, it was a disgrace in society for an illegitimate child to exist. Truth be told, if it weren't for the Viscount's illegitimate status as a child, he would have been the best candidate to inherit the county but the successor title still fell on Count Davis Vitron as the legitimate child.
The Viscount then became a knight in the Imperial Palace and he climbed into the ranks, earning merits and achievements for himself. He built his own connection and earned himself his own status and wealth. He would have risen far above his own brother if it weren't for the fact that Viscount Rufus dislike the ties associated of receiving the title of Duke. Hence, he remained as a Viscount even though his power and connections were comparable to that of a ducal family.
Count Davis Vitron, the younger brother, also excelled but compared to his brother's achievements, the Count was overshadowed. Still, this did not mean that the Count was useless or harmless.
In fact, as a legitimate child of a noble family and as the sole successor who inherited the county, he was trained from birth and given many privileges. He was carefully cultivated and given the best resources in order to be a person befitting of the title of Count.
Count Davis Vitron might seem like a harmless puppy compared to Viscount Rufus Mierheart, but like every head of a noble family, he possesses a meticulous personality and a keen eye for details.
Ellendise smiled when she saw the Count's expression. If she had truly been a ten-year-old child, she would have been fooled and would have blurted all of her secrets out. This kind and doting father persona would have allowed most people to lower their guards down.
But Ellendise was not most people and she was no ten-year-old child.
"Father, you can stop now. Mother isn't here to watch us." Ellendise told the Count.
"Ellen..."
"How long have you known, Father?" Ellendise asked.
The Count furrowed his brows. "I don't get what you mean."
"Don't lie to me. As the Count, Father should be aware, right? That his daughter has been receiving a strange guest every night. Perhaps you became aware when a 'monster' appeared at the county and a suspicious individual wearing a cloak was battling against it. Afterall, Father told me that the knights aren't there for 'decorations' alone. " Ellendise said sharply.
"But Father, you were also a knight before, right? Just like Uncle Rufus... You've been to countless expeditions when you were young. I don't believe that Father doesn't know what a real fairy looks like and that the person wielding a flaming blue sword is just a random thief, right?" Ellendise watched the Count's expression.
"I had put up with it. Afterall, there must be a reason why it was happening but after weeks of it happening repeatedly, I really can't stand it anymore. That young man who wears a mask and a cloak. He who wields a sword made of holy steel that was specifically designed to withstand the hellish blue flames of the underworld... Father, knows who it is, right? Among the empire's citizens, there is only one person who wields this sword."
The Count's expression turned serious and his eyes lowered. "Ellen..."
"Father, I want to know. How long have you been playing with your daughter's life?" Ellendise questioned with a pained expression.
"Ellen, that person is..."
Ellendise laughed and quickly cut him off. "Of course, Father is unable to go against a person from the royal family. Even so, Father is the Count. Is the title of the Count superficial? Why is it that Father is unable to protect me from that person? Unless you purposely stationed the weakest knights during nighttime just so that person could reach me while making it seem like the county is heavily guarded. Father wouldn't do that, right? Father, you love your daughter, right?"
The Count's expression became grave. Ellendise's eyes widened when she saw this. Her hands clenched the sheets tightly.
"Father! He wanted to abduct me! Even if he's part of the royal family, that doesn't give him the excuse to treat me like I'm some kind of animal! Did Father know what he told me? He said: I'm going to raise you! He said this line while holding me up as if I was cattle. Father, were you really going to allow such a person to abduct your daughter and to take your daughter away? Why? Because you know that that person could give you power and status? Connections to the royal family? Father, nobility or not, everyone knows the kind of person he is."
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