DBOFS 58

Chapter 58

“…Irene.”

The former Duke, who had remained silent, finally opened his mouth.

“Did you return as the Marchioness of Lairga or as the daughter of House Godwin?”

“Is there a difference?”

Only then did Lady Irene’s gaze shift away from me. The former Duke gave a bitter smile.

“A difference? Good heavens, Irene… You’ve become a proper Lairga now. Making wordplays like that.”

As expected of the former Duke—once the haze of guilt and affection cleared, his sharp judgment as a ruler returned.

“Irene, if you’ve severed ties with Lairga and returned to House Godwin, then you are welcome.”

But that couldn’t possibly be the case.

Shaking his head bitterly, the former Duke slowly swept his gaze across Irene and the opposing faction.

“But if you have returned as the Marchioness of Lairga to speak of the position of the Godwin heir… then I will hold Lairga accountable.”

“…Father!”

Lady Irene’s complexion darkened.

And at that outcry, the former Duke’s expression twisted further. That reaction was confirmation enough.

Lady Irene was no longer the heir of House Godwin—but the mistress of House Lairga.

“L-Lady Irene.”

“Is that… true?”

Even among the dissenters who had bowed before her like reeds in the wind, unrest began to stir.

To most of the opposition, Harris had never been an acceptable heir.

Not worth listing the reasons. Too many.

But since there was no heir of superior bloodline and ability, they couldn’t oppose outright. So when Lady Irene appeared, they jumped at the opportunity to wreck the succession banquet.

But—

“…Didn’t you just say earlier? That the heir to Godwin must be someone of exceptional ability and lineage.”

Lady Irene’s intentions diverged from theirs.

“In that case, my children are more than qualified.”

“…!”

“W-What did you just say?”

Amid the growing murmurs, Lady Irene brought forth two children.

A tall girl with a stern face, resembling her mother, and a small boy who was almost alarmingly beautiful.

“My daughter, Lenore, and my son, Dymuard.”

“Irene.”

“My children have the right as well!”

The louder Irene shouted, the greater the unrest became.

Of course it did. The old Godwin loyalists hated Norman Godwin more than anyone, and revered Irene as the rightful heir, loyal to the former Duke.

So they must have convinced themselves without even realizing it.

That even though she married into Lairga, she was still a Godwin to the bone.

That her return must mean she had cut ties with Lairga, to finally claim her rightful place as the heir of Godwin.

But instead of returning herself, she brought her children—while remaining the Marchioness of Lairga.

“How… How could you do this to us, Lady Irene?!”

The disappointment matched the hope they had held.

The dissenters were nearly wailing.

“How could I not?! What reason do I have to refrain?!”

Lady Irene roared fiercely.

“So Norman’s child qualifies, but mine doesn’t?!”

But while her fury silenced her children, it only brought tears to the eyes of the opposition.

“T-This is betrayal, my lady.”

“How could you do this to us, who have waited for you all this time…!”

Looking at them now, I couldn’t even pity them for their earlier rudeness to Harris. They brought it upon themselves. No one told them to oppose Harris. Their nostalgia goggles betrayed them.

And the one most blinded by such sentiment—yet unable to cry like the rest of these old men—finally opened his mouth.

“…Just one question, Irene.”

“Ask, Father.”

“You haven’t answered me properly once tonight. I hope you will now.”

“…”

“Which of your two children are you intending to present as Godwin’s heir?”

“That would depend on their ability—”

“So you leave the decision to me. That’s not an acceptable answer.”

“…”

“Let me ask again, then. Would the chosen child be able to sever ties with Lairga forever?”

“How could you say such a thing?! Are you telling me to cut off my own flesh and blood?!”

Lady Irene’s emotional outburst was met with a hollow laugh from the Duke.

“Ahahaha…”

The once-still banquet hall echoed with the bitter laughter of the former Duke.

“Irene.”

“Even you wouldn’t be able to bear such a thing. How could you ask it of me—!”

“Harris did.”

“What?”

“Harris, your one and only nephew, severed those ties.”

“…”

“And yet here you are, bringing two children of questionable blood and no proven ability, begging me to take from my grandson and hand over his rightful place.”

His sorrowful smile hardened, his expression reverting to the cold, emotionless mask he always wore.

“I hereby declare—Harris shall remain the sole heir of House Godwin, and that will not change no matter who comes.”

“Father!”

“And if it’s a child of Lairga’s blood, even more so! It’s not even worth discussion!”

The former Duke could no longer contain his rage and shouted.

“Do you wish to see House Godwin reduced to Lairga’s servant in my lifetime?!”

“Father, that’s not what this is!”

“Don’t shame me any further, Irene! You are no longer of House Godwin—you are the Marchioness of Lairga!”

Lady Irene’s face turned pale.

To have her own words turned back on her—it must have been a crushing blow.

“And today…”

The former Duke swept a furious gaze over the banquet hall.

“I watched you all ruin the banquet where I was to name my heir.”

“Y-Your Grace!”

“We only meant—!”

“Arrest every traitor here! Twist every last one of them!”

“Your Grace—!!”

The dissenters were dragged away kicking and screaming. Even those who had silently condoned them—or failed to speak up for Harris—were taken as well.

The banquet that began with sweet music ended in screams.

“Jade.”

A low baritone voice. A broad chest embracing me from behind.

Harris’s hand covered my eyes.

Only then did I realize how utterly exhausted I was.

“Rest now.”

I let my weary body collapse against Harris and closed my eyes.

The banquet had gone on far too long.

“Wow, that was a mess. A total trainwreck.”

Luken clapped as he chewed on a piece of squid.

“One of the three great houses of the Ramses Empire, huh? Even they can turn into this kind of disaster.”

Absolutely riveting.

He had long forgotten the discomfort of his clothes—or even the drink in his hand—and was completely engrossed in the unfolding drama.

“Succession disputes are always a mess.”

Unlike Luken, who watched as if it were theater, Alucas leisurely sipped his drink and commented.

“True. Ours was like that too.”

Luken nodded, but still couldn’t take his eyes off the exiting actors—no, the Godwin family.

“By the way, the former Duke really hates House Lairga. Is there a story there?”

“They forced his daughter to marry into it. How could he not hate them?”

“Even so, he seems almost unreasonably bitter…”

“Her husband is the infamous ‘Butterfly Lord.’”

“Ah…”

That explains it. No wonder he can’t stand him.

Luken nodded but then tilted his head.

“But don’t they seem like they get along fine? Remember when we visited House Lairga on that commission?”

The infamous womanizer, who unexpectedly inherited the marquessate after a plague took his sister and her family.

The imposing Marchioness and the fluttering, doting husband trying to catch her attention.

‘They seemed like a decent couple…’

And now the wife throws away Lairga and brings only the children back?

“Maybe they had a fight? Then again, with a husband like that, I’d want to smack him awake in his sleep.”

“…Why are you looking at me while saying that?”

“Oh, no reason, really. You just happened to be in front of me—Wait, ow!”

That earned him a physical shut-up from Alucas.

But Alucas’s mind was spinning.

Something’s definitely going on.

Lady Irene isn’t a foolish woman. She wouldn’t have come this far just to lose so pathetically.

Everything wrapped up faster than expected…

Alucas narrowed his eyes.

When the psychic detector was mentioned, she reacted.

That same stern face she had in Lairga.

And just like before—she wouldn’t let her children out of her sight.

“…No way.”

Alucas turned his gaze from Lady Irene. Coincidentally, the person now in sight was Jade.

“Hm…”

She had recognized Lady Irene from the start. Surely she had foreseen how the banquet would unravel.

Interesting.

Still, he had no intention of giving Jade any warnings. He was more curious to see how she would respond.

Would she resolve this properly?

More entertaining than I expected…

Alucas let out a quiet chuckle and scribbled something on a piece of paper. He folded it haphazardly and handed it to a nearby servant who had been frozen in place.

“Y-Yes, sir!”

The sharp-witted servant didn’t even think to open the note and hurried to Jade.

Alucas stared intently at her.

Leaning into Harris Godwin’s chest, she took the note, unfolded it—

—and frowned as soon as she read the short message.

She looked up.

“It’s me~”

Alucas grinned and waved playfully.

Honestly, he hadn’t expected her to spot him. The banquet hall was too chaotic, the distance between them too great.

And yet…

“…?”

Jade’s blue eyes landed on him without hesitation.

That piercing gaze.

Thump. Alucas unconsciously clutched at his chest.

I opened the note the servant handed me.

[Shall I kill them for you?]

“…”

What the hell is wrong with this lunatic?