Chapter 6 – Part 8

“Let her in.”
 
Eli ordered Leton, and he left the room for a moment.
 
“Is the Marchioness here?”
 
“Really? Shouldn’t we call the doctor?”
 
“Isn’t it better this way? We can make sure about the heir.”
 
“But while we’re talking about the succession, if the Marchioness comes, doesn’t that mean she’s pregnant? ”
 
The nobles murmured amongst themselves.
 
They were trying to keep their voices quiet, but they echoed through the hall and were practically audible.
 
Emily scowled at them for calling a meeting when they had already decided on an answer.
 
And her mother, who stood by and said nothing,.
 
‘Who is it? ’
 
If Ruby was coming, she would have come with them from the carriage, so the vassals’ guesses had been wrong.
 
Still, Marie secretly wished that Ruby would show up here herself, so that everyone would know about her condition and they could push her out of the Marchioness’s position with certainty.
 
Soon there was a knock on the door, and it opened at Eli’s command to come in.
 
“Eek…!”
 
“Who is that?”
 
Expecting it to be Ruby, they were surprised to see someone else enter the room, huddled behind Leton, who had entered first.
 
They were surprised, first by her appearance, then by her recognition.
 
“Isn’t this Mrs. Bennette?”
 
“Didn’t you say you quit being a handmaiden at the Marquis’s and went back to your hometown? Surely…….”
 
Their gazes snapped to Eli Grit.
 
Marie’s did too. How could she be there?
 
“As you all know, she is Mrs. Bennette, who has worked for the Marquis of Grit for many years.”
 
Eli explained nonchalantly, as if he had already anticipated the commotion around him.
 
“Surely you haven’t forgotten her by now?”
 
He even asked cheerfully when they didn’t respond.
 
“Th-that’s not possible. We were just momentarily surprised to see her return to her hometown.”
 
The vassals replied, unable to take their eyes off her unusual features.
 
Her white hair was unkempt, with stray strands sticking out, her eyes unfocused, and her attire plain.
 
She was completely different from her previous appearance as the Dowager Marchioness’s attendant, who liked to dress up.
 
“Mrs. Bennette has something to say about the Marquis of Grit’s succession.”
 
He nodded, and Leton stood at eye level with Bennette.
 
“Mrs. Bennette, didn’t you say you had something you wanted to say?”
 
At the polite question, Mrs. Bennette slowly raised her head and looked at the people in the hall. 
 
Her soulless eyes were like those of a dead woman, and the vassals who made eye contact with her shuddered.
 
“Mrs. Bennette must be exhausted from his long journey, Leton. Get her some water.”
 
Mrs. Bennette’s eyes suddenly sparkled at Eli’s words.
 
“The Marquis of Grit will not have an heir; I cut it off! I dried up his seed!””
 
She suddenly shouted so loudly that the hall echoed.
 
“I was wrong… I was wrong…”
 
This time, Mrs.Bennette covered her head with her hands and muttered.
 
Yet when Eli remained silent, only the strained, tired eyes of Mrs. Bennette swept uneasily through the people in the hall.
 
“I did it. I did it.”
 
Then her eyes met Marie’s.
 
It was time for her to frown at the eyes shining towards her.
 
“The Dowager Marchioness told me to make the Marquis unable to have a successor. She said to hurt him if necessary!”
 
Mrs. Bennette spat out her words in a tirade, barely breathing.
 
“So the Dowager told me to make it look like the Marchioness couldn’t have a successor. She said that if she could just change the Marchioness… Ah! I was wrong.”
 
Leton put a hand on Mrs. Bennette’s shoulder as if to say that was enough, and she shuddered and lowered her voice again.
 
In the quiet hall, Mrs. Bennette’s apologies, admissions of guilt, and acknowledgments of wrongdoing were all that could be heard.
 
“What is this…”
 
The words echoed through the silent hall, almost like a sigh.
 
“What the hell is Mrs. Bennette talking about?”
 
Everyone looked around, trying to figure out what was going on.
 
“You heard her; the Marquis of Grit’s line is broken.”
 
“What…… are you talking about?”
 
“It means that I am no longer able to produce an heir to the Marquis of Grit, just like Mrs. Bennette said.”
 
“What?”
 
“What…… nonsense. How…… could you possibly……”
 
The people in the hall were confused even after hearing Eli’s response.
 
“You didn’t hear? Mrs. Bennette said she made me like that, and the one who ordered it was…….”
 
Eli’s gaze shifted to Marie next to him.
 
“My mother, as you can see.”
 
His voice was strong, as if in confirmation.
 
“She favors the Marquis of Grit more than anyone. There’s no way your own mother would do that.”
 
“Y-yes.”
 
“So you’re saying I’m lying?”
 
Eli asked sincerely, with a curious voice.
 
“Well, no, I’m just saying that the Dowager would never do such a thing.”
 
“Yes. I have my doubts that Mrs. Bennette is not telling the truth.”
 
“There may be another family behind her.”
 
“Yes. Then why don’t we ask her directly?”
 
Before anyone could understand the meaning of Eli’s words, his head turned towards Marie.
 
“Mother, you have to speak. Everyone is waiting for an answer. If it’s a misunderstanding, you’ll clear it up.”
 
And then he squeezed Marie’s arm.
 
But she could only glare at Eli, fists clenched tightly, and say nothing. There was nothing she could say.
 
Although the claim that Mrs. Bennette had harmed Eli was false, the fact that Ruby could not become pregnant was Marie’s doing.
 
The fact that she had destroyed her body so that she could never remarry was reprehensible in an aristocratic society where succession was paramount, and Marie had no words to retort.
 
“If my mother doesn’t understand, shall I call more witnesses?”
 
Eli asked, already expecting it.
 
Tearing his eyes away from Marie, who still didn’t answer, Eli looked at Leton and nodded to bring in more witnesses.
 
Marie, who was relieved when the employees who knew her wrongdoings disappeared, noticed that even this had been done in advance. The reason he willingly accepted the family meeting was also why.
 
“That’s enough.”
 
Marie’s jaw clenched so tightly as she spoke that her muscles stood out.
 
She didn’t meet the eyes of the vassals, who watched her expectantly.
 
“Then I will not call more witnesses.”
 
Eli replied, holding up a hand to stop Leton.
 
“But you will be punished for your misdeeds.”
 
“What……!”
 
Marie frowned, and he turned to face the vassals.
 
“How do we punish those who have caused problems for the Marquis of Grit’s succession?”
 
The vassals glanced at each other, unable to answer easily.
 
“Well. You don’t seem like the people who were worried about the family lineage just a moment ago. Are you also selectively serving the members of the Grit family? ”
 
“Oh, no.”
 
“Then was my question difficult?”
 
“Well, that is…… stripping anyone who has caused trouble for the succession of the family of their title and making sure they never set foot in Shuban again.”
 
Since most of the members of the Grit Marquisate, including the vassals, have lived their lives centered around their estates, this means taking away their homes and giving them nowhere to set foot.
 
“For those without titles, their punishments are based on the gravity of the offense.”
 
Eli explained.
 
“Those who cause trouble for the Marquis of Grit’s succession are sentenced to 80 strokes in the dungeon and banished from Shubann.”
 
“…….”
 
“And Marie Grit, my mother, will no longer be treated as a Dowager Marchioness and will not be allowed to set foot in Shuban like the others.”
 
As he pronounced the sentence on Marie, Eli looked her in the eye.
 
“We will also expel her name from the family.”
 
There was silence in the hall as he finished the last word.
 
“These are the punishments I have decreed. What do you all think?”
 
Eli was still locked in a stare-down with Marie.
 
The vassals looked back and forth, unable to easily decide. They had clearly thought that they would be able to press the Marquis of Grit’s nostrils and increase their power, but instead, they had gotten the opposite.
 
“Well, it’s an unnecessary question. It would be unfair to those who have been punished so far to make an exception because they are nobles leading Shuban. In exchange, I will allow you to spend your last few days here, though you will not be able to attend meetings from now on.”
 
With that said, Eli gestured, and those waiting outside entered the hall.
 
“Ha, but!”
 
One of the vassals spoke up. All eyes in the hall turned to him.
 
“The Dowager has not yet responded.”
 
The eyes shifted from him to Marie.
Eli’s demeanor was relaxed, as if he could wait. But he also had no intention of changing his mind.
 
“How could you do this to me? How could you turn against your own mother, who raised you? How could anyone fall for such a ridiculous lie?”
 
She stood up, unable to contain her anger.
 
“Do you mean to say that I lied to you?”
 
“Your body is perfectly fine! Call the physician! Call him to examine the Marquis!”
 
“…….”
 
“…And don’t try to cover up your wife’s shortcomings with lies. I won’t easily overlook it!”
 
Eli remained unmoved by her tirade.
 
“The Marchioness?”
 
“Is there a problem with the Marchioness?”
 
The agitation came from elsewhere.
 
“Mother.”