Chapter 60: Successor of the Crest 1 (3)

Chapter 60: Successor of the Crest 1 (3)

"It's possible, isn't it? ......After all, this is the House of the Oubeniels, after all."

Linus felt as if he had been splashed with cold water.

It was true. In the past, it was not uncommon to see people fleeing from this house.

The time when the abominable heretic's laboratory was located in the basement of the mansion. The screams and cries that could be heard all night, the sight and smell of dead bodies being cremated as if the dead were trees burning. There was no end to the number of people who became frightened and ran away without even tendering their official resignation to the head of the family.

Was this a repeat of those days, Linus thought. What has Tullius done again? Even though he was in a remote area of Marlan, far from the royal capital, had he done something that would cause people to flee from his mansion?

Langogne flashed a wry smile at Linus, who was considering the possibilities.

"Perhaps you're thinking of your brother? If so, let's just say that you're off the mark by a wide margin."

"Huh?"

Linus looked, wide-eyed, at the contemptuous look directed at him by Langogne.

They were emotions that would never be directed at an equal person, such as pity for a naughty child or ridicule for a foolish servant.

"Let's get down to the main point, shall we? The reason I'm here today in the first place"

The man said, and snapped his fingers.

His retainer, who was waiting outside, must have received the signal. The door opened behind Linus.

The sound of footsteps approached. Simone, who had turned to see what was going on, gasped and froze. Linus couldn't move.

He had a bad, bad feeling about this.

He felt an ominous feeling that if he turned around now, his life would be ruined. That sensation forced his head down, and he couldn't move as if he were paralysed.

Linus had the right premonition. However, it was futile to refuse to turn around.

From behind me, he heard a woman's voice, tinged with joy.

"......Welcome home, Master."

Linus looked behind him, trembling, as if the voice was grabbing him by the hair. He didn't want to, he shouldn't look, but he couldn't stop his body from moving on its own.

......He turned around and saw the slave he had kept, supported by a male attendant.

"Ah..."

A cracked voice leaked out from Linus throat.

Langogne was right.

What if, by any chance, even after the birth of this slave child, no heir was born to Linus and Simone? ...The legitimate bloodline of the Oubeniels would be passed on to a person with the blood of a status that was looked down upon even by commoners. To nobles, this person would be a failure, unaccepted by all. This was the birth of an existence that contradicts the obsession with nobility of blood, the foundation of aristocratic society. To have a child with a slave, much less to have it as your first child, was to spit on the very system of this kingdom and the continent.

"How cruel of you, Linus. To marry such a beautiful bride, and to have a man as great as the Marquis Lavallee to act as the intermediary, and yet cause such a scandal."

And this problem will surely affect Simone and Lavallee.

A noblewoman cuckolded by a slave would likely be subject to constant scorn and ridicule for the rest of her life.

Whereas the matchmaker who arranged a marriage for the man to disregard his wife for a slave would be questioned by those around him on his choice.

This was an extraordinarily ugly scandal that could hardly be compared to the slave-killing of Tullius.

"I-It cant be...tell me its a lie."

"It's sad, but it's true, Madame Simone. If you still think it's a lie......why dont you ask Linus? Command the slave to tell us who the father of the child is. If Linus uses obedience magic, surely she would not be able to tell a lie, would she?"

Langogne kindly hinted to Simone, but in reality, he was pushing Linus to the thirteenth step of the execution table. Admit your guilt now, he was basically saying. Face your judgement.

"I-Impossible..."

The voice that escaped him was not directed particularly to anybody..

"T-there's no way its mine ...... I had properly"

Except for the first time when he was careless, he had always been concerned about that. Ever since he realised that he couldn't use this woman to bear children no matter what, he had been taking steps to avoid this situation.

But the accuser was not concerned at all.

"What is it? Did you use some kind of fish bladder? Or did you use some weird medicine? ......How ridiculous. I'm sure it didn't work, which is why we're in this mess today. It's about time you gave up on finding excuses."

Linus made a squeaking motion and turned again towards Langogne with difficulty.

"What......"

"Hmm?"

"What do you want?"

The voice that asked sounded like Linus was throwing himself at Langogne and begging him.

Such a scandal would have too wide an impact to be exposed simply to kick out a competitor within the faction. There was even a possibility that the centralist faction itself would lose its weight if this entire incident blows up. As the leader of young aristocrats in the faction, surely he was concerned with that.

It was hard to believe that he was simply trying to protect the reputation of the faction and wanted to handle this matter in secret. If that was the case, it would make more sense for him to report it to Lavallee and receive his approval before moving forward. From Langogne's attitude, Linus did not think he had such intentions.