Chapter 10 – What Gives You Two The Right to Talk

“Liv!”

I almost slumped against the wall but was startled to my feet by Benjamin’s voice calling for me.

“There you are.”

I didn’t expect Benjamin to resolve the situation, but I also didn’t expect him to bring those two, who I couldn’t stand to see at the moment, in front of me.

“Liv, I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to handle it, so I brought them out from there. I’ll tell them to leave, so just…”

“What do you mean? We’re not leaving. Benjamin, how could you do this to us?”

“Mother.”

“Why are you acting so serious? We were just talking about old times…”

“Mother, please stop!”

“How dare you raise your voice at your mother!”

What a fiery temper. I was stunned. Benjamin, looking frustrated, snapped.

“What gives you two the right to talk about Liv?”

“What was I supposed to do when she asked?”

I really wanted to strangle them. I quietly spoke to my shameless uncle and aunt.

“I told you I never wanted to see you again. You seemed to understand for a while. So why have you reappeared in society?”

“Olivia, you still can’t forgive us?”

Oh, what should I do?

I’m so angry I feel like crying again. I closed my eyes tightly and took a deep breath. While I was trying my hardest to hold back my tears, Benjamin yelled.

“Please stop. You’re tarnishing the Hershey family name!”

“You’re my son. You can’t treat us like this!”

“It’s not like I chose to be born your son!”

“What did we even do? Abandoned your mother? Do you know how hard I worked to protect the family assets your father wasted? Disowned your niece? I told you! If Olivia had waited, I was planning to gather a dowry and marry her off to the Hudson family. But she couldn’t wait and disgracefully brought in a matchmaker…”

“Father! Please shut up!”

“You disrespectful, insolent boy!”

My uncle raised his fist as if Benjamin was still the powerless boy he used to be. But grown-up Benjamin easily grabbed and pushed his uncle’s arm away.

My aunt caught my uncle, who nearly fell backward, and started to cry. What a total disaster. I had no will to resolve this situation. I just wanted to disappear.

My aunt, seemingly realizing it was useless to talk to her son, turned to me, crying.

“Olivia, please stop. Anyway, when you get divorced and return to the Hershey family, won’t you have to get along with us?”

I felt utterly deflated.

So, they were afraid of my warnings when I became Duchess Keppel, but now, since Ian Keppel is ignoring me, they see me as nothing and have come back to society.

Just last season, my position wasn’t like this. Ever since Ian first mentioned divorce to me a few months ago, rumors have spread, and now everyone treats me like dirt.

“We thought you had forgiven us when you called Benjamin. Honestly, we did nothing illegal, but we’ve been avoiding social activities for three years because of you!”

Now I found it a bit funny. Now they were acting like the victims.

“Even if I didn’t avoid you, two people who kicked out the late Earl’s wife and daughter would never be welcomed in society. You should have known that. If you hadn’t kicked out my mother, she could have taught you the basics of upper society. But you threw away even that chance. Honestly, you underestimated society.

You thought of it as a high-class club you could enter just with a title. So you easily abandoned me, thinking I wouldn’t be able to return to society without a dowry. You thought there would be no way for your coldness to be exposed if we were expelled. And now you want forgiveness?”

My uncle was speechless, feeling the sting of my words. But my aunt was more shameless.

“So, are you planning to make the Hershey family disappear? Is that your desire? To prevent us from social activities, making it impossible for Benjamin to find a marriage partner, and eventually ending the Hershey family line? Is that your revenge?”

I sighed. I didn’t want to speak to them any longer.

“Fine. Do as you wish. But if we meet in society, don’t acknowledge me. I will ignore you. And if you care about your son’s future, act with proper manners so as not to disgrace the Hershey family name. If I hear even a whisper about me, I’ll start talking about your past.”

“Liv, wait, just a moment.”

It was Benjamin who grabbed my hand as I turned to leave. I was overwhelmed, thinking he might join them, but he quietly spoke to my uncle and aunt while holding my hand.

“Father. Mother. This is my first and last request to you. Please go back to the estate and live quietly. Then I’ll stay quiet too.”

“You, you, you!”

“Father. I’m not a child anymore. Liv will help with social activities, and I’ll find a marriage partner on my own.”

My uncle pushed my aunt aside and grabbed Benjamin by the collar in one swift move, veins bulging in his neck as he shouted.

“You! You insolent boy! You’re just a lucky brat! Do you think you’re something special? Your uncle and you are the same! He became an EEarl just because he was born first, and you’re no different! If that girl had been born a boy, you’d be nothing!”

“I know.”

“You know? What do you know! Do you know what it means to worry about making a living all your life? Your uncle knew nothing but to hand out free wheat to lazy peasants with the wealth our ancestors built! Do you know anything, you who have done nothing but live comfortably under your parents and go abroad for studies?”

“Strictly speaking, it was my uncle who sent me abroad.”

“Who swallowed his pride and begged to send you abroad? Huh? You shameless, ungrateful wretch!”

“I did. I begged him! I begged to leave and live far away rather than get beaten up by you!”

As Benjamin shouted, my uncle was so startled he let go of Benjamin’s collar, and my aunt collapsed to the ground as if her legs had given out.

“Tell me. Was it out of inferiority that you beat me? Because I was likely to become the EEarl since Liv had no brothers, and you envied me?”

“You! You!”

Unable to hold back, my uncle slapped Benjamin. Benjamin took the first hit but didn’t stand for the second. Or rather, my uncle’s hand stopped mid-air as if held by an invisible force. He strained to move, but his face just turned redder and redder. I realized it was magic.

“You forced me to apply to law school when I wanted to learn magic. I resented you then, but now I’m grateful. It helped me understand the law well. Do you know, Father? I’m still holding back a lot because you’re my father. When Uncle passed away, I was already an adult.”

My uncle’s face turned pale. I felt like I had finally understood something I had been too focused on resenting my uncle to realize.

“You kicked out Aunt and Liv because you thought they might claim my inheritance rights, right? Then you wouldn’t have had any chance to become the Earl.

I was going to let you keep the title you wanted so much. All I had to do was pretend I didn’t know.

I don’t care about the title anyway. As long as I leave the empire, I can gain honor and wealth as a mage. But because you’re my parents, I was going to apologize to Aunt and Liv on your behalf and leave.

It was a stupid idea.”

Benjamin took a deep breath, almost like a sigh, and said.

“Ridiculous.”

He slowly moved away from them and took my hand again.

“The conversations inside this building won’t leak out, but be careful what you say outside. If you want to preserve what little honor you have left, that is. It would be best to tell people I held the title temporarily while I was studying abroad. That’s my last request to you. Retire honorably and live quietly on the estate.”

“Benjamin! Son, don’t go. Let’s talk…”

“Mother, especially you. It’s better if you don’t say anything at all.”

“How can you say that? Do you know the pain I went through to give birth to you…”

“So you ignored my pain?”

I pulled Benjamin’s hand firmly.

“Ben, let’s go.”

Benjamin followed me like a powerless boy. We left the cathedral, leaving the despairing couple behind. We didn’t say a word in the carriage on the way back. Yet somehow, I felt a little relieved. The couple was sinking into the swamp they had created. No revenge I could exact would be more painful.

It was good not to have to see their faces anymore, but I still faced unresolved issues. After arriving at my mother’s townhouse, we explained everything to her. After hearing the whole story, my mother said,

“Ben, it’s best for you to step away from social activities for a while. It’s better to debut as Earl Hershey to avoid any rumors.”

It was a wise decision for the family. But now I had to find another partner. I sighed involuntarily. Benjamin fidgeted anxiously.

“I’m really sorry, Liv.”

“It’s okay.”

Actually, it’s not okay. At the Canova ball, I showed discord with Ian, and at the cathedral charity auction, I exposed dirty family affairs. Now society would be buzzing with my story.

“For now, focus on properly handling the title issues and mastering etiquette. Next social season, make sure no one remembers the Hershey family’s affairs.”

Having spent half her life as the Countess of Hershey, it was natural for my mother to prioritize the family’s problems. But I also needed comfort. I lost my partner and had to face the aftermath alone. I wished someone would pity me.