------------------
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kie]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
------------------
Chapter 22: In The Vacant Capital
Brandon snapped at Flora, who had suddenly barged in and started piling things on the floor.
"What are you doing, Mother?!"
"There's no time for this! We'll all die if we stay here. We're all going to die!"
"Why would we die? Thanks to Selina running away, I'm now the Acting Head of the family. I'm the temporary Head of the merchant group. Once Father passes, all of this property will be ours, so where are we going?"
"Ours? Don't be ridiculous. If we stay here, we'll die a dog's death along with the Count. That can't happen. I've been ignored and treated like dirt for years. I didn't come here to die like this. Pack your things, now!"
Under Flora's fierce gaze, Brandon reluctantly pretended to pack his things while grumbling.
"Even if we pack, where are we going to go? The village we used to live in... it's gone!"
At those words, Flora collapsed and began to cry.
"It's all because of that Selina. The Count should have just sent her to the Imperial family, but he hid her away... How am I supposed to live now, how am I supposed to live!"
"What are you talking about? How would she go to the Imperial family? Who is she?"
"The reason this mansion has been locked down for the past few days is because of her! She received an order from His Majesty, but she ran away with the Grand Duke because she didn't want to join the Imperial family! I should have known something was wrong when he started giving you orders while pretending to be sick, oh dear."
'Join the Imperial family? Don't tell me she's going to marry Crown Prince Eric? That's...'
Brandon found it hard to believe.
'It's not like the Crown Prince is blind. He has Lady Hazel, so why would he marry her? Mother must have misunderstood. Father must have pushed Selina into the Imperial family, and upset His Majesty.'
Brandon quickly started to piece together the situation in his own way.
'Since the Imperial family opposed it, Selina must have clung to the Grand Duke as a backup plan. That vicious girl. She should know her place. How dare she aim for the two most prominent figures in the empire? Does she think she's Lady Hazel?'
"Why aren't you packing?!"
"Mother, this isn't something that will be solved by us packing and running away. Whether she went to the Imperial family or the Grand Duke, a wedding won't happen overnight. We should use this opportunity to get rid of Selina and secure our position in this family."
Flora was frustrated by Brandon's inability to grasp the situation.
"His Majesty might be so enraged that he storms in here to take Count Arsene's head this very instant, and you're saying this?!"
"Stop yelling. No matter how I think about it, it's strange that the Imperial family would want to take that dimwitted girl. You didn't hear the full story from the office, did you?"
"Well, that's true, but..."
Flora wavered. She had only overheard bits of the conversation, so she wasn't sure.
"Father must have pushed Selina into the Imperial family. She had nowhere to go after breaking off her engagement with Morgan Patel. No matter how much of a friend's daughter she is, His Majesty must have opposed it."
Brandon's words sounded plausible, so Flora asked,"Then what about her running away with the Grand Duke?"
"Selina must have clung to His Grace as a backup plan in case the Crown Prince didn't work out. The Emperor must be angry that Count Arsene tried to send such a promiscuous girl to the Imperial family. That's why he is pretending to be sick. He's showing that he's also struggling because his daughter is disobedient."
This seemed more likely, so Flora started to listen to Brandon.
"The Crown Prince has a more suitable partner. If we support her from now on, she might recognize our contribution when she becomes Empress. Then our future will be bright."
"Is there really such a person?"
"Yes. And the Grand Duke is too good for that girl. They probably haven't realized what kind of person Selina is yet."
"What are you planning to do?"
"We'll mobilize everyone around us to spread the word about what kind of person Selina is. No one will know who started the rumors since Father is hiding while pretending to be sick."
"Yes, that's right. People are acting like this because they don't know her true colors yet. Once they find out, they'll never accept her. We need to teach that vicious girl a lesson so she can never raise her head again."
With that, Flora slapped her own cheeks hard with both hands.
"Why should I run away? For whose benefit? If there's a misunderstanding, we should clear it up and find a way to survive here. We've endured so much to get this far. Absolutely not."
'If worse comes to worst, I can always threaten to reveal the secret I know to His Majesty.'
Flora decided she couldn't just run away.
* * *
Baron Hazel's estate was located on the border between the capital and a neighboring city. It was a small mansion without a yard, in a very remote area with no other houses nearby.
The gifts sent by Lady Hazel's supporters had to be collected and delivered two or three times a week due to the remote location, and the procession often became a topic of conversation among the commoners.
"That young lady from that house must be something special."
"Why?"
"Gifts are delivered two or three times a week. When they first moved in, they were ridiculed for living worse than wealthy commoners. Now they even ride in a carriage that looks quite noble."
"Looks like they found a good one."
"I heard they adopted a niece who was living far away in the countryside."
"Do you really think it's their niece? Can't you tell just by looking?"
"If she's not their niece, then what is she?"
"They must have bought a commoner."
"No way...Could that be true?"
"How would we know the true intentions of those nobility? But since they have no heirs and are so poor, they must have resorted to something like this."
Buying a commoner.
It was a method used by nobles only when they had no heir to carry on the family line, and even then, only if they had the money to buy someone.
"I heard that family didn't even have enough money to eat. They moved here after selling all their land."
"Even if they're bankrupt, they're still nobles. They must have borrowed money from somewhere."
"But if that's the case, why did they buy a daughter instead of a son?"
"They probably couldn't afford a son."
The tavern owner, who had been quietly listening to the excited chatter, stood up and said, "If you carelessly gossip about the nobility, you might disappear without a trace. Be careful."
Those chilling words silenced the crowd.
As he said, the Hazel Barony held secrets unknown to commoners.
"Ah... Miss."
"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me Miss in front of others? Get it straight."
"Ah..."
"Baron Hazel, I paid you for my status. So if you don't play your part convincingly and dispel any suspicions, it'll be a problem for both of us. How many times do I have to tell you I'm not here for fun?"
"I... I'm sorry."
Ingrid sighed and asked,
"Why did you call me?"
"You asked me to collect any letters from your followers separately. Here they are, Miss."
"Again with the 'Miss.' Ugh... Forget it. Leave the letters and gifts and go."
"Yes, yes."
Baron Hazel left the largest room in the house, having set down the gifts and letters he had carried in both hands.
In this small house, the one who enjoyed the best of everything was not Baron Hazel, the head of the household, but Lady Ingrid Hazel.
A woman who appeared one day in the home of the aging Baron Hazel, claiming to be his third daughter.
This woman was the reason the Hazel Barony had come to the capital and was enjoying its greatest glory.
When Ingrid bought her status from Baron Hazel and moved into this small house in the capital, she had said,"Baron, how long do you think we'll live in this house? Once I make my debut in society, it's only a matter of time before we leave this place."
Though the plan was progressing slower than expected, Ingrid had definitely caught the Crown Prince's eye and captured his heart.
But Ingrid's goal was not simple.
"What? That woman is doing what? First, she targeted the Crown Prince, clinging to him like a thorn in his side, and now she's seducing the Grand Duke? What do these men see in her?! What is she, anyway?!"
Ingrid, unable to contain her rage, tore the letter to shreds and threw it into the fireplace, screaming.
In the next room, Baron Hazel covered his ears and trembled, cursing the thin walls.
------------------
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kie]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
------------------
