Chapter 9 (Part 7)

“Go.”

“…….”

“There’s no need to stay here any longer.”

“Did he tell you too?”

When Cardin remained silent, Hernes Messerode raised her head. A sudden, inexplicable anger flared in her eyes.

“That woman.”

Cardin chuckled faintly as if he’d heard something amusing.

“Do you think Father was the sort of person to say such things to me?”

“Then….”

“I overheard him speaking to the butler. I believe Rodain knows about it.”

Hernes’s small hands trembled slightly. Cardin gestured to a nearby knight, who immediately stepped forward and grabbed Hernes’s arm. She tried to shake him off irritably, but the knight didn’t budge.

“You’ll be taken to a good place, so don’t ever show yourself in front of me again.”

“…….”

“Though I doubt that will be possible.”

“You….”

“I’ve done my best to accommodate you, Mother, but you were the one who crossed the line first.”

Cardin’s lips curled into a soft smile. Hernes stared at him with cold eyes before turning her head away.

“You accommodated me?”

“I even let it slide when you served Brienne that tea.”

“Wasn’t that just to provoke me into taking things this far?”

When Cardin didn’t respond, Hernes smiled faintly.

“Well, at least it’ll make for a good story when it’s published in the papers later. Don’t you think?”

Cardin merely gazed at her with an indifferent expression, offering no reply. Hernes turned her head away. She seemed to have regained her composure as she spoke calmly.

“If I must leave, I’d like to take the coachman as one of my own. Surely that much is acceptable?”

Cardin regarded Hernes with a low, piercing gaze. Without waiting for a response, she allowed herself to be led outside by the knight.

Once Hernes was completely gone, Cardin slowly looked around the room. At that moment, Damon approached him.

“Your Grace, the Madam wants to take the coachman as her own. Should we allow it?”

“Let her.”

After all, this would be her last chance to do as she pleased.

***

The newspaper on the table had been discarded. Brienne felt uneasy, worrying that Cardin was struggling because of his father’s affairs. Since he had gone to meet his mother, it was clear this matter was connected to Hernes Messerode.

Though her mind was in turmoil, she found some solace in the fact that the charity event was scheduled for the next day. Held annually by the Messerode family, the event would take place at their townhouse in Devok.

Right after breakfast, congratulatory letters, dresses, and accessories began pouring in from all directions, leaving her overwhelmed. She left the task of replying to the letters to a maid and managed to choose a dress for the event amidst the chaos.

“Madam, the Grand Madam has arrived.”

Startled by the unexpected visit, she asked in disbelief.

“My mother-in-law is here?”

“Yes, she says she has some final words to share. Shall I send her away?”

For some reason, Brienne couldn’t immediately respond. She didn’t want to see Hernes, yet the mention of “final words” made it sound as though this would be the last time. Perhaps Cardin had managed to resolve things when he met her earlier. Above all, Brienne felt a strange urge to hear what Hernes had to say.

“Tell her I’ll be down shortly.”

The maid looked at her with a worried expression.

“Madam, are you sure? The Master specifically instructed that you avoid meeting the Grand Madam if she came here.”

“She said it’s the last time. I’m curious.”

Besides, Brienne wanted an apology for Hernes’s actions. Though the herbs Hernes had given her had ultimately helped, their original purpose was malicious and unpleasant.

When Brienne descended to the drawing room, Hernes was seated with a detached expression. She looked much the same as usual, but her eyes held a peculiar emotion. The air of boredom that had once surrounded her seemed to have dissipated.

As Brienne approached, Hernes lifted her head.

“I have some final words for you.”

Hernes’s face was calm. As soon as Brienne sat down across from her, Hernes placed a blue potion bottle on the table.

Brienne stared at it, unsure of its significance, until Hernes spoke.

“Did you know that Cardin’s father died suddenly?”

It was the first time Brienne had heard this. She struggled to find words, but Hernes continued speaking, her tone indifferent.

“I’ve always wondered why he died so suddenly. He was such a healthy man. Even during the plague that swept through the battlefield, he returned unscathed. So why did he die so abruptly?”

The unexpected question left Brienne no time to think deeply. Hernes’s inquiry was one she couldn’t answer, as she had no knowledge of the matter. After a moment of silence, Hernes fixed her gaze on Brienne.

“Why do you think Cardin’s father died so suddenly?”

It felt as though Hernes was tossing a distant question directly at her, as if she already knew the answer. Brienne couldn’t respond. She neither knew the truth nor could she guess it.

Hernes gestured toward the blue potion bottle.

“It’s a scentless poison.”

For the first time, Hernes’s lips curled into a rare smile. Her demeanor exuded confidence, as if she knew everything. She glanced at the potion bottle thoughtfully before continuing.

“Two weeks before his death, Cardin suddenly challenged him to a duel. Naturally, he accepted his son’s challenge—and lost.”

“…….”

“After that, he fell ill and passed away two weeks later.”

Brienne’s heart pounded. The more she thought about it, the more her mind raced toward an answer she didn’t want to consider. Her breathing grew labored, as if she were being chased.

Hernes watched her calmly and asked again.

“How do you think Cardin killed him?”

It was clear that Hernes already knew the answer. Her eyes gleamed with a vivid darkness. She didn’t take her eyes off Brienne, as if savoring the moment. Hernes looked pleased, as though she had come here solely to witness this reaction.

Her lips curved into a soft smile.

“He coated his sword with that poison and pierced his father’s chest.”

Brienne froze, unable to move or speak. Hernes’s eyes softened as she continued.

“No one suspected a thing. The wound was minor enough to treat with bandages at first, and he even seemed fine afterward.”

“…….”

“But from that moment on, he was slowly dying.”

Hernes sipped her tea slowly. Her movements were as elegant and flawless as ever, leaving no room for doubt. Even the sound of her placing the teacup down was inaudible. In the stifling silence, Hernes spoke again.

“And then he came to kill you.”

Though Brienne already knew this, a chill ran down her spine as if she were hearing it for the first time. Hernes murmured thoughtfully, lost in her own musings.

“It seems that since then, Cardin has lived with death constantly by his side.”

Hernes Messerode lifted her gaze and met Brienne’s eyes.

“He’s a madman.”

Her tone was so calm and indifferent, as if she had always thought so. Brienne’s eyes trembled. Everything she was hearing felt like a lie, something she couldn’t believe. She finally stood up, unable to accept it. Cardin had always disliked his parents, and Hernes had disliked Cardin in return.

As Brienne turned to leave without looking back, a sharp voice rang out.

“Cardin claims that photograph is fake, but it’s real.”

Her steps halted instinctively. She knew she shouldn’t listen, that it was surely another lie.

“He hated his father so much that he used it to blackmail him into inheriting the bank.”

At that moment, Brienne turned around.

“If Cardin were truly so cruel as to kill someone, wouldn’t he have killed his father much earlier?”

She believed Hernes’s words didn’t add up and must be false. Hernes laughed, as if mocking her.

The unexpected reaction left Brienne frozen in place.

“I always thought Cardin was foolish, but in truth, he’s clever.”

“…….”

“There’s a prophecy tied to Cardin—a prophecy passed down through the Messerode family. It can only be inherited by the son who takes over as the head of the family. But there’s a condition: the previous head must reach a certain age before Cardin can inherit it.”

“…….”

“That’s why he insisted on inheriting the bank. Once the prophecy is fulfilled, he can take over without any restrictions.”

Brienne’s mind went blank. She couldn’t fully believe it, but she couldn’t dismiss it either. It felt like she was seeing an entirely different side of things.

Tears suddenly fell. She had thought she was complete by Cardin’s side, but now it felt like an unexpected storm had hit her.

If she had heard this story before marrying Cardin, it wouldn’t have been as shocking. Perhaps she could have given up on her feelings for him then.

“Why are you telling me this now?”

Her voice trembled as she spoke, and Hernes replied indifferently.

“Isn’t it more entertaining to tell you now?”

“…….”

“And the herbs I gave you must have been helpful, weren’t they?”

Hernes’s lips curled into an elegant smile. Brienne felt suffocated. Hernes seemed to have already guessed her current situation.

“At first, I didn’t know you couldn’t conceive. I realized later that I’d made a grave mistake.”

Brienne’s hands trembled. It seemed Hernes had always intended to harm her in some way.

At that moment, Hernes stood up.

“I hope the child will at least be useful to the Messerode family.”