Chapter 62. Shallow Ground

“I can’t bear it sober……”

The Duke’s tone softened at Paris’s dejected response, but his words were still probing.

“You seemed fine for a while, but now you’re back to your old ways. What’s the problem this time?”

Paris sighed repeatedly, his eyes unfocused. Just as he was about to speak, Isabelle covered his mouth.

“He’s distressed because Helen is getting married. He’s struggling to find his match.”

“Even though we’ve introduced him to many suitable families, he’s ruined every chance.”

“I’m struggling too! It’s hard for me! Do I have to smile all the time?”

Paris suddenly stood up and threw a tantrum, seemingly triggered by the conversation.

“Useless b*tch.”

The Duke clicked his tongue in disgust and left the room, unable to stand Paris’s whining. Isabelle followed him, leaving Paris to his outburst.

Paris buried his head on the table, muttering to himself. His slurred speech made it hard to understand what he was saying. Helen, annoyed by the smell of alcohol, snapped at him.

“Cut down on the drinking! You stink!”

“You’re lucky. You have no worries, do you?”

“What are you talking about?”

Helen recoiled as Paris clung to her. Ignoring her reaction, he gulped down the honey water brought by a maid and continued his rant.

“I never thought I’d be jealous of you……”

It was unclear who he was jealous of. If it was because of Helen’s wedding, as Isabelle suggested, it was ridiculous.

If he wanted to get married so badly, he should have lived better.

I glanced at Aster, signaling him to deal with the situation.

Aster supported Paris, who shook him off and shouted. His words were mostly incoherent muttering.

“You, you! The only thing I could beat you at was being legitimate. Now……”

Paris couldn’t finish his sentence and slumped. Aster, watching him with a peculiar expression, spoke to me.

“I’ll be back.”

“Hurry and get rid of him.”

I waved my hand, covering my nose to block the stench of food and alcohol emanating from Paris.

* * *

Paris groaned as Aster dumped him on the bed. Even with a hangover, seeing Aster made him furious.

He had always looked down on Aster as a bastard, but now the situation was reversed. He envied Aster for having even a drop of the Duke’s blood.

The pride he had always felt in being a Blanche seemed to be slipping away. Paris recalled his conversation with his mother.

‘It seems only Joseph and Alyssa know.’
‘And you let those people stay at the Blanche villa? Mother, are you out of your mind?’
‘What else can I do? They’re blackmailing us.’
‘Do what you always do! Get rid of them!’

He shouted at her to kill or drive them out just a few weeks ago. But his mother still let them stay at the villa.

Paris’s heart shrank whenever he ran into them by chance. He heard they had come to leech off his mother.

If they had stayed quietly in Kamatie, he wouldn’t have had to learn this unwanted truth.

“Pathetic.”

Still in the room, Aster muttered disdainfully. Paris glared at him.

“What did you say?”

Unable to contain his anger, Paris grabbed Aster by the collar. He didn’t want to hear such words from Aster of all people.

Aster had already figured out why Paris was so troubled.

‘You, you! The only thing I could beat you at was being legitimate. Now it’s all meaningless……’

It was easy to deduce from his behavior and the timing of Alyssa moving into the villa.

He had probably learned about his birth when Joseph argued with Isabelle that day. Paris had a habit of eavesdropping like a rat.

Moreover, there had been several assassination attempts on Joseph and Alyssa recently. They had been attacked more than three times in a single day.

Thanks to the bodyguards he had assigned, all attempts had failed. Isabelle’s anxiety during breakfast suggested Paris was pressuring her.

Paris tightened his grip on Aster’s collar and demanded.

“What did you say, you bastard!”

“Let go and I’ll tell you.”

Aster easily shook Paris off. Paris fell onto the bed like a tragic heroine.

“Paris Blanche.”

Paris flinched at the mention of his name. How could he endure this when it was so obvious?

He understood why Isabelle was so anxious. Paris was a boastful yet weak-hearted person.

All he knew was how to indulge in vice. He had been good at playing the piano, but he seemed to have quit, realizing it was a talent he inherited from Joseph.

When Aster heard he smashed the piano he used to play, he thought he was truly insane. Aster coldly rebuked him.

“If you understand the weight of your name, shouldn’t you change?”

“What?”

“Nothing will change by acting like this. You must have realized how fragile the foundation of your life was.”

“……You.”

Paris’s face turned pale as Aster’s words hit home. Aster leaned in and pressed down on his shoulder.

When Paris gasped under the pressure, Aster smiled and said.

“How does it feel? Knowing the bastard you looked down on is the true heir.”

“Huh……!”

“Did you think everything would end if Joseph and Lady Brilly died? You’re more naive than I thought, Brother.”

Aster emphasized the word ‘Brother.’ Despite his smile, his grip on Paris’s shoulder was brutal.

Paris screamed and recoiled. He looked pitiful, almost insane, but Aster felt no sympathy. His reaction indicated he knew about Isabelle’s plan.

He tried to kill Joseph even after learning the truth about his parentage. Blood may be thicker than water, but it’s thinner than money and comfort.

“At times like this, you should stay on Father’s good side. If you keep acting up, you’ll be kicked out.”

“Ugh, hmh!”

Paris, feeling nauseous, staggered to the bathroom. Aster left, grimacing at the sound of retching.

After struggling with his nausea for a while, Paris stood up suddenly. Aster was right.

Wallowing in drinks wouldn’t change anything. It would be quicker to try to gain his father’s approval.

‘I have a special proposal for you, Brother.’

At that moment, like an angel’s whisper, Paris recalled what Sezad had hinted at. At the time, he refused, burdened by the thought of investing even while in debt. Sezad had urged him to take out a large loan in Blanche’s name.

But now, he regretted that decision. If he had invested, he could have made an enormous amount of money. If the investment succeeded, his father would surely recognize him.

‘Money, I need to make more money!’

It was only a matter of time before Paris would hurriedly run to the bank.

* * *

Meanwhile, Isabelle’s anxiety had reached its peak due to repeated assassination failures. Now she was becoming desperate because it was an action she had forced through, disregarding her relationship with Letia.

By now, Alyssa must have realized Isabelle was behind it, which made her even more anxious.

The original plan had been to steal the pregnancy test. But now that Paris knew the secret of his birth, it was urgent to deal with Joseph and Alyssa quickly.

Seeing Paris’s gaunt face over the past few days broke Isabelle’s heart. Paris was her precious son, and seeing him suffer was unbearable.

She even planted a confidant under the guise of helping with the villa’s move to search for evidence, but they found nothing.

This meant that Alyssa either always carried it with her or had hidden it well. Isabelle needed to find and destroy it. Ideally, Joseph and Alyssa would die before that.

But repeated failures left her frustrated. It was clear that Camilla and Aster were backing them. Otherwise, ordinary individuals couldn’t fend off specialized assassins.

Isabelle wondered how much Camilla and Aster knew. If they knew everything about Joseph and Paris’s relationship, it would be incredibly dangerous.

If that truth came out, both she and Paris would be out on the streets.

A decision had to be made. Isabelle secretly headed to the back garden of Blanche Castle.

After passing the walking path and reaching the dense forest, she found the hidden door. It was a secret library she had long-forgotten. She planned to retrieve an item she had hidden there.

It was a Black Shadow summoner given to her by the Duke for emergencies. She saved it for a critical moment, and now was the time to use it. Just as she was about to grab the doorknob, Isabelle paused. There were signs that someone had been there.

Startled, Isabelle entered the library and lit a lamp. As she scanned the neatly arranged records, she noticed one inserted upside down.

For someone like her, who habitually organized everything meticulously, it was a mistake she would never make. Someone had been in the secret library. Isabelle murmured in shock.

“Who on earth…?”