| Chapter 28

Beitram didn’t tell Cecily about her brother’s death until she gave birth. And only after confirming that the newborn child was a girl did he say with a displeased face.

“You’d better hurry and recover. We’ll need to have a fourth. Oh, and your brother is dead. There are rumors it was suicide. I guess the burden of shouldering the family alone was too much for him.”

Cecily, who had fainted from shock and then woken up, wailed in pain. And as soon as she recovered, she refused her husband’s advances for the first time.

Not because she suspected her husband, but because she thought it wasn’t proper etiquette towards her family. She hadn’t even had time to mourn her brother’s death. But Beitram didn’t even snort and forcibly covered her.

“Cecily. I wish you were just a little smarter. It’s time you realized what your usefulness is.”

Beitram whispered in a cold tone while caressing her wet body.

“Bear a son. It doesn’t make sense that there’s still no firstborn son in the Balshwin family. I need a son with legitimacy. A noble son with the mixed blood of our Balshwin and Ohr.”

It was from then that she realized her husband’s attitude had changed.

Cecily asked the servants about her brother’s death, but they had all been silenced by Beitram. There was no one in Balshwin Castle who would tell her the truth.

After a few helpless months passed like this, Cecily encountered her husband’s true face for the first time.

“What?”

She was feeling stuffy staying only in the castle and wanted to ask to take the children to the villa. So she was on her way to her husband’s study with tea she had brewed herself. Around that time, Beitram was very busy.

“I didn’t expect the royal family to react like this.”

“How did that half-witted prince know about such an old law? That incompetent fool of a prince!”

She had never heard Beitram’s voice so filled with anger and excitement before. And he was cursing at the prince. Although it was against her nature to do anything undignified, she instinctively quieted her footsteps and eavesdropped, sensing this was no ordinary matter.

“He couldn’t have suddenly remembered it. Perhaps Prince Pelowic has been wary of the Count since the death of Ohr’s firstborn? There were various rumors circulating, after all.”

“Couldn’t even keep one incompetent fool’s mouth shut…”

Her body trembled not only from suddenly hearing about her brother but also from the cruel killing intent emanating from Beitram’s muttered words. It felt as if the scent of blood was brushing her nose.

“It’s my fault.”

The subordinate, seemingly accustomed to this, knelt down. Beitram, who had been pacing, asked.

“So what happens now?”

“Rugel, the second son, died without formally succeeding the title. Therefore, since the family succession cannot be considered properly continued, the Countess cannot inherit all of the Ohr family’s assets. She will only inherit the daughter’s share as stipulated by law, and the rest will revert to the royal family.”

Cecily nearly collapsed as her legs gave out, but she barely managed to hold onto a pillar. The cup in her hand rattled, but fortunately, it wasn’t heard. Beitram had roughly swept the items on his desk.

“Does that make sense? Cecily is the only heir to the ducal family. So it’s natural that all business rights and assets should be inherited by her. That’s why I married her. You calculated it that way too, didn’t you!”

“Truly, I apologize. But originally, that’s how it should have been. If Pelowic hadn’t brought up that old noble law, no one would have thought it strange.”

Beitram smiled coldly at the subordinate’s words. A metallic sound, sring, coldly cut through the air. Beitram was drawing the sword hanging on the wall. However, the subordinate, without fear, bowed his head before him and said,

“Even if you kill me here, I have nothing to say, but please let me resolve one doubt before I die.”

“…What is it?”

“Pelowic is certainly intelligent, but not to that extent. There must be someone by his side. Someone who is wary of you gaining power is helping Pelowic. Please give me a chance to uncover their identity.”

Beitram didn’t strike the man. He lightly swung the sword in the air and then sheathed it again. He looked displeased, but seemed interested in what the man had said.

“Fine. Who am I supposed to discuss all this with from the beginning again?”

“I’m grateful for your mercy.”

“Since it’s already happened, we need to think about what we can do with this. How much is Cecily’s share? Does it include business rights?”

“We can’t take everything, but it’s possible to exert influence through shares. And…”

The man, who had paused briefly, quietly added.

“If there were a son of direct lineage, we could increase that share ratio.”

Beitram clicked his tongue. A wrinkle formed between his brows, surrounded by coldness.

“It will take time. Another daughter.”

“For now, we should prioritize the lady’s health. In the meantime, let’s continue to recruit merchants. We managed to get two ledgers on the day Rugel died, which should help.”

“A son. The problem is that damn son. The child takes after me well, so why won’t a son be born?”

“You’re doing it every three days, right? I’m not certain, but they say the probability is higher if you do it every day without skipping. According to the midwives, that is. How about trying every day for about a week? It would be good for pregnancy too.”

At the man’s cautious words, Beitram frowned and waved his hand, annoyed.

“I’ll try it.”

“I’ll procure some good herbs. Then, I’ll take my leave…”

“Darling.”

A delicate voice cut through the air. Startled, Beitram and the man turned their heads. Cecily walked towards them, holding the teacup.

“It seemed you were working late, so I brought some tea.”

The two men, with wide eyes, exchanged glances. Cecily, crossing the messy floor, approached the desk and set down the teacup. Her empty eyes were dry without a single tear.

“It’s not good for your health, so please go to bed.”

“Cecily. You.”

“Back then.”

Light footsteps continued softly.

“If only I hadn’t stumbled like a fool and fallen into your arms.”

Beitram’s gaze fell on where her hand was reaching. Cecily smiled faintly.

“Would my father and brothers still be alive?”

“Cecily!”

The sword was drawn and slashed at her neck. The subordinate quickly jumped up and snatched the sword away, but red blood was already gushing out, staining Cecily’s green dress.

Beitram quickly caught Cecily as she fell. He pressed the wound with his large hand as if strangling her neck, and blood flowed between his fingers. He whispered with a growl.

“You can’t die, Cecily.”

Panting eyes met crazed ones. Beitram twisted the corners of his mouth and smiled.

“Not without my permission.”

The subordinate ran like the wind to fetch a doctor. Meanwhile, Beitram firmly applied pressure to Cecily’s slender neck. He didn’t give even the slightest chance for her life to slip away. If the Grim Reaper had come to take Cecily, he would have cut it down immediately.

The wound created by Cecily’s clumsy first attempt at wielding a sword wasn’t deep enough to be fatal, but it wasn’t shallow enough for her to regain consciousness. Even now, a year later, she remained in a sleeping state without regaining consciousness.

People etched in their minds both sorrow for the curse that had befallen the Ohr ducal family, and fear of Count Balshwin. They would even take a step back just at the sight of a Balshwin family carriage in the distance.

“Waaaaaah!”

“It seems the young miss is hungry. Wet nurse.”

Beitram frowned at the sound of a child crying from a small, comfortable-looking bed. He disliked such useless banquets, but he was enduring it because it was a politically necessary occasion.

The recent ominous rumors circulating about the Balshwin family were a bit excessive. People described him as a monster without blood or tears, and even went so far as to say that he drank the blood of the dead every night and summoned witches to enjoy demonic feasts.

When Beitram heard that there were even rumors saying his three daughters would eventually follow their mother’s fate, or rather, that he was raising them as sacrifices from the beginning, he finally decided to hold a birthday party for his youngest daughter.

He wanted to cut out the tongues spreading these rumors, but that would mean killing most of his territory’s residents. They were worthless lives, but they had their uses.

“Lord Beitram. Quido has arrived.”

At the whisper of the butler who had quietly approached, Beitram nodded and stood up, causing all eyes to turn to him at once. He raised his glass.