<Chapter 10> Caught in a Trap (Part 1)

Kiern quietly gazed at the Duke, who lay unconscious all day. The father he had wished would just die was now lying there like a living corpse, and it made him feel strange.

The elders who followed Kiern urged him to take over the family since the Duke would be crippled even if he woke up. Meanwhile, the elders who followed the Duke whispered among themselves, busy discussing what to do next.

It was a truly futile position. When held, it seemed like holding the world, but the slightest flaw made it so easy to fall.

His father had cruelly neglected his wife just to hold onto such a position. And he had humiliated her with her friend.

“Is this the result of clinging to it so desperately?”

Kiern’s cold voice echoed in the quiet bedroom. It was a question that the unconscious man couldn’t answer, especially since they were alone.

“If it was going to be like this, you should have just died immediately. Holding onto life unnecessarily.”

If he had died right away, things wouldn’t have become so complicated. After all, Kiern was the only heir to Agaphel.

Even if he inherited the title a bit early, it wouldn’t be too difficult. He had been trained as an heir since childhood.

“Did you enjoy rolling around with that woman while Mother was dying?”

“…….”

“Couldn’t you at least not get caught by Mother? If you hadn’t, she might still be alive.”

Kiern sneered and sighed. His mother had witnessed the sordid scene with her own eyes that day. It was because she had received a letter exposing their secret meeting place.

His mother must have hoped it wasn’t true all the way there. And when she saw the sordid scene, her world must have crumbled.

No one knew who wrote that letter. Comparing the handwriting, it wasn’t Stella’s.

Stella probably didn’t want to be caught in such a way either. If she did, she would be nothing but garbage that couldn’t even be disposed of.

By the time they tried to track down the informant, they had already disappeared. They likely fled, fearing the Duke’s retaliation. Or they might have already faced retaliation.

Kiern spoke harshly to his dying father.

“I hope you die tomorrow.”

Then he left the bedroom without hesitation. Eddie, who was waiting outside, spoke.

“Mr. Miller has come to visit.”

Miller was the attorney in charge of the Duke’s will. Even he seemed to have confirmed the Duke’s life as ‘death.’

Following his secretary to the drawing room, Miller stood up and bowed. Kiern tilted his head, annoyed to see Stella there.

“Why are you here, Madame?”

“Mr. Miller asked me to come.”

“I did call her. Please have a seat, Young Master.”

Miller pulled out a chair, urging Kiern to sit. Kiern glanced at the two before sitting down.

He thought Miller had come to discuss the will, but calling Stella made him uneasy. And that unease soon turned to anger.

After checking the Duke’s will, Kiern growled as if his reverse scale had been attacked.

“Did you bring this as a will?”

“You can tell from the handwriting that the Duke wrote it. It has his seal and has been notarized.”

“Ha!”

Kiern was speechless. He never imagined Stella would have a share in the will.

He never dreamed there would be a trashy will appointing her to his mother’s position.

Kiern repeatedly checked the end of the will.

[The title of Duchess promised to Stella Lua is bestowed upon her. Additionally, one-tenth of the Agaphel estate is inherited under her name.]

It was a vile clause. Kiern couldn’t understand why the Duke was acting so foolishly.

He was a man sensitive to public opinion. He would never place Stella, his mistress and the friend of the deceased Duchess, in that position.

But as Miller said, the will was genuine. Hence, Kiern was confused. Even in death, his damned father seemed intent on leaving him with nothing but a vile feeling.

In this case, it would have been better if the Duke hadn’t died. At least then, he wouldn’t powerlessly lose his mother’s position like this.

“Is this really true?”

At that moment, Stella covered her mouth with her hand, as if she couldn’t believe it. Her trembling voice rose and fell sharply as if she hadn’t expected it at all.

Kiern couldn’t tell if she was pretending to be surprised or genuinely shocked. But to him, it all seemed like an act, so he snapped at Stella.

“Is pretending to be innocent a family trait? Surely won’t say you didn’t know, will you?”

“Young master…….”

“There will be no following this will. I have no intention of keeping a woman like you as my legal mother.”

“Is it because of Elizabeth? Because if I become your mother, your relationship with her will be disrupted?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Who are you trying to test?”

Despite the threatening question, Stella didn’t flinch. Miller cleared his throat, glancing between the two.

“Well, I’ve delivered the message, so I’ll be on my way. We’ll discuss the announcement of the will after observing the Duke’s condition.”

Then he quickly left, as if he didn’t want to stay long. With only the two of them left in the drawing room, the exchange of harsh words continued.

“Do you want to boast about being a mistress now?”

“I’m just taking the position I was promised. The Duke said he’d give me that position years ago.”

“You act as if my mother’s position is yours.”

“The living must live, don’t they?”

“You have some nerve. As long as I’m alive, don’t even think about coveting that position.”

“Even so, if the Duke dies, the will takes legal effect immediately.”

“Not if he doesn’t die.”

“How do you plan to save a father who’s as good as dead?”

Stella snorted, mocking him. Now she was revealing her true colors. Kiern found it absurd that he had to wish for his father’s survival.

The two people he most wanted dead. It was frustrating that the world wasn’t as easy as his heart desired.

Kiern didn’t want to give Stella a penny. In fact, seeing her act so brazenly made him want to take everything she had. Even if it was her cherished daughter.

Even as the vile emotions swelled like a tidal wave, Kiern’s expression grew colder.

“There’s no benefit in provoking me, Stella.”

“You provoked me first. Why did you say such things to Elizabeth? She’s an innocent child.”

“If she’s your daughter, she should know. How terrible her mother is.”

“Growing up under a terrible father, you’ve only learned terrible words. The Madam would be sad if she knew.”

Bang!

Kiern slammed the table when Stella mentioned his mother. As Stella looked at him in surprise, he said through gritted teeth,

“Don’t mention my mother with that filthy mouth.”

Kiern was furious at Stella’s shamelessness. She had no qualms about ruining someone else’s family but seemed to see her daughter’s pain as significant.

If I took away her beloved daughter, what would she think then?

At that moment, Kiern realized how to effectively take revenge on the woman before him. The seed of malice hidden deep within him sprouted, immediately swelling and consuming Kiern.

He felt an urge to take Stella’s beloved daughter as his mistress, just like her, making it a relationship she couldn’t proudly speak of. No matter how shameless she was, she wouldn’t be able to smile as she did now.

Kiern now understood that Stella had a strong sense of inferiority. She wanted to be like the Duchess.

But her greed was excessive. Kiern wasn’t kind enough to let Stella run rampant.

He had grown up under a terrible father, as she said.

Kiern abandoned the restraint he had been holding onto. He also let go of the thought that he shouldn’t drag Elizabeth, who had nothing to do with this, into it.

“Now I understand.”

Suddenly, he smirked like a madman, and Stella’s face hardened.

It didn’t matter anymore.

Kiern was too exhausted and broken to have compassion. Only broken things existed around broken people.

Kiern decided. He would take revenge on Stella. By ruining her daughter, he would make Stella experience the same misery as him.

“What do you understand?”

Sensing something amiss, Stella asked. Kiern gave a gentlemanly smile and replied coldly,

“You’ll find out in due time.”

His tone was polite, but his gaze was as sharp as ever.