The Shadow of the Heir
Helmut Schwaben cast a glance around the parlor and pursed his lips as if to whistle, but stopped himself, remembering that it had not even been ten days since the funeral.
Lutgarth Castle was a place that rarely received guests. It was not only because it was far from the capital, but also because the previous Count had lived in near-seclusion after losing his honor.
Having the chance to explore a place so few had ever visited, he couldn't help but feel a sense of amusement. Lutgarth Castle was a historic site, built well over two hundred years ago. Despite several expansions and renovations, the classical atmosphere remained intact.
Well, it’s not like this is something to get all worked up about, is it?
Ezekiel and his father were wearing grave expressions, but Helmut didn't think this matter was particularly important.
"Is this Lady Peril woman really that significant? She’s already dead. And the dead tell no tales."
The Schwab faction had long known that Peril, known as the mistress of the Count of Lutgarth, was the maid who had fled the scene when the late Empress was assassinated.
They hadn't bothered to touch her because they knew she was paralyzed by fear. Since she was keeping her mouth shut, had changed her name, and was living in hiding, there was no need to antagonize the Lutgarths just to kill her.
If they tried to provoke her for no reason and it turned into a conflict between the Schwabs and the Lutgarths, it would only serve to drag her into the center of the political stage. If the Klaus Duchy, the late Empress’s family, discovered Peril’s existence, it would only become a nuisance.
They had kept an eye on her, of course. But Peril had died several years ago, and Pavel Lutgarth, who likely knew the secrets she might have shared, had also passed away while keeping his silence.
As far as Helmut was concerned, the Schwab family’s headache had vanished.
However, Ezekiel had spoken in his characteristic, cold tone:
"Her daughter is still alive."
"Peril’s daughter? So what?"
"Sir Grayson, whom I sent to offer condolences, managed to obtain the contents of the will. It says Pavel Lutgarth left a final wish for Sir Theodore to marry Peril’s daughter. That means Peril’s daughter is not Pavel Lutgarth’s biological child."
Helmut was no fool; he understood Ezekiel’s suspicion at this point. But he couldn't accept it immediately.
"Are you suspecting that woman is the Empress’s daughter? I thought she died back then. There was a body, wasn't there?"
"There is no proof that it was real. The Empress’s body was found four days after it had been swept away by the river. It was only judged to be the princess because it was wrapped in imperial swaddling clothes and tied to the nursemaid’s body with a baby carrier."
"Hmm."
"Pavel Lutgarth’s will is too strange. Until now, I didn't think much of it because I assumed Peril was his lover and was pregnant with his child, so she fled to Lutgarth to hide. But if that wasn't the case, he was hiding a lover who was carrying another man’s child. Furthermore, even if he raised her like an adopted daughter after Peril died, he wants to marry her off to his eldest son? That isn't normal."
Helmut thought that one never knew the private affairs of another family, and that the Schwab household was hardly "normal" either, but he didn't voice those thoughts. Ezekiel spoke, a cold glint frosting his pale blue eyes.
"I don't intend to go looking for trouble, either. Perhaps it really has nothing to do with us."
"Hmm."
"So, go and confirm it. If the Lutgarth family’s private situation can explain this entire strange scenario, find out what it is."
Ezekiel had commanded Helmut. And what power did Helmut have to refuse? When the head of the house spoke, he had no choice but to obey.
However, he felt Ezekiel’s paranoia was excessive. There were plenty of parents in the world who wanted to marry their children off to someone they favored. There were also plenty of people who could accept a child born to someone they loved, even if it wasn't their own blood.
Though, for Ezekiel, who lacked even a fingernail’s worth of humanity, that would be impossible to understand.
Even if the suspicion is true, it feels like something that would just disappear if we left it alone.
Helmut thought as much. Of course, he did have a modicum of curiosity. It was merely an interest in the gossip unfolding in another man’s house, nothing more.
The atmosphere in Lutgarth Castle was certainly subtle. However, considering it was right after a funeral and there had been a strange will, the restless air lingering in the castle was understandable.
It was only when he was on the verge of stretching from waiting that the parlor door opened.
Theodore Lutgarth, dressed in black mourning attire, stepped inside. Helmut quickly rose from his seat.
Helmut was tall himself, but Theodore was even more imposing. He had always possessed a neat appearance with an austere aura, but perhaps because of the mourning clothes or his dark expression, he looked even more dignified than before.
Helmut tried to suppress his habitual smile and bowed his head slightly.
"It has been a long time, Count Lutgarth. My deepest condolences for your loss."
"Thank you for coming such a long way to offer your comfort. Though, I am not yet the Count."
"The procedure of the succession ceremony remains, but isn't that merely a formality? To us, you are already the Count."
"It sits uneasily with me. Please, just call me Theodore. Please, sit."
Theodore replied in a calm voice and gestured for him to sit. Not even a fragment of emotion could be found on that solid face. He was a noble man in a different sense than Ezekiel.
Helmut shook his hand and sat down. Theodore spoke straight to the point.
"I heard you came under the orders of the Imperial Court."
"It is nothing of great consequence. The late Count Lutgarth had not visited the Imperial Palace for a very long time, had he?"
"That is true."
"So, I came to ask what you think about holding the succession ceremony at the Imperial Palace this time. I know it won't be easy, as there are many retainers in Lutgarth who must be called upon for their oaths of loyalty."
Theodore wore a thoughtful expression for a moment.
Whether he held the succession ceremony in Lutgarth and then went to the palace to swear loyalty, or held the ceremony at the palace and then returned to Lutgarth to receive the oaths of his retainers—there were no procedural issues with either.
However, if he held the succession ceremony at the palace, he would have to put on a grand display. Many people and supplies would have to be moved, and it would become the talk of the capital’s political and social circles.
This is a message to define his relationship with the Schwabs.
Pavel had essentially cut off exchanges with the capital and had never taken any significant political action. Traditionally, the Lutgarths had not been on good terms with the Schwabs, but they had never actively antagonized them during Pavel’s time.
But now, a generational shift had occurred, and the Schwab influence had grown overwhelmingly over the past few decades.
If he went to the capital, he would have to choose between the aristocratic faction and the royalist faction. In reality, these were effectively the Schwab faction and the anti-Schwab faction.
Would he hold the succession ceremony in Lutgarth, then? Even that wouldn't solve the problem. It was impossible to maintain a neutral, ambiguous stance while keeping his distance from the center, as Pavel had done. Theodore was not a sickly old man who had lost his honor and was living in seclusion.
Rather, rejecting the hand of the Schwabs, who had even gone so far as to send someone to make the suggestion, would be tantamount to declaring war.
Theodore looked at Helmut with deeply sunken eyes and spoke with gravity.
"I have been mourning my father and have not yet given any thought to the succession ceremony. I will deliberate on your proposal."
"Yes. You must think it over thoroughly."
Helmut replied, then added nonchalantly:
"If you do decide to hold the succession ceremony in the capital, it would be wonderful if you held the wedding at the Imperial Palace as well. The future Countess would surely be delighted."
"What do you mean by that?"
Theodore revealed a faint, sharp edge. It was true that he had been probing, but the reaction was more intense than he had expected. Helmut did not hide his surprise, feigning ignorance as he asked back:
"Did I commit a discourtesy? I heard that the late Count had arranged Sir Theodore’s marriage in his will. Since I had come all this way, I thought I might meet your fiancée before I left."
"..."
Theodore clenched and unclenched his fist once. The clear spark that had appeared in his black eyes was quickly hidden, but Helmut realized he had touched a raw nerve.
Theodore soon spoke in a voice that had regained its composure.
"My fiancée has been sent away to recuperate, as her grief was so great it took a toll on her health. I regret to say that you will not be able to meet her."
"I see."
At that moment, for the first time, Helmut clearly understood Ezekiel’s suspicion. It was because he realized that both the late Count of Lutgarth and Theodore had been hiding a woman.