The Last Will and Testament
During his lifetime, Pavel never cared for his family. Even though it was his duty as the head of the house to look after his kin, he had severed ties with most of his relatives and practically cast aside some of his own retainers. This was because they had persistently urged him to drive Peril and Olivia away.
This was a far greater issue than the fact that he had made his wife unhappy by being blinded by a mistress. It was tantamount to abandoning his duties as the Count of Lutgarth and his responsibilities as a patriarch.
Then again, the Marquis of Asensio, his best friend in his youth, had been much the same. He had been deeply disappointed in Pavel; while he hadn't severed their connection, his heart had grown quite distant.
'Still, I was the only one left.'
He still couldn't quite grasp why Pavel had acted that way. Pavel Lutgarth was not the type of man to abandon his wife. His attitude toward Peril had been affectionate, but it hadn't seemed like he was blinded by passion.
His heart felt heavy. He pitied Theodore, who had lost his mother at a young age, and he fully understood the disappointment and anger felt by Dennis and Daria.
However, Olivia was just as pitiable. Whatever her parents had done, she was merely an innocent child at the time. And now, she had even lost the place she relied upon.
'It would have been better if Pavel had at least married her off beforehand.'
Olivia was twenty-two, well into the prime age for marriage. He assumed Pavel hadn't been able to see to it while bedridden, but...
'That’s exactly why he should have arranged a match even sooner.'
All the rights to the family estate would pass to the blood relatives, and none of them would look after Olivia. Perhaps she would be left with a small sum of money, but a young lady also needed someone to be on her side.
In the end, the Marquis of Asensio steeled his heart, deciding that he would be the one to look after her. Olivia was a gentle and kind child. His wife would eventually come to like her as well.
As he was lost in these thoughts, Theodore entered last and closed the study door.
On his handsome, composed face—as if carved from stone—there was no sign of the emotional fluctuations typical of a young man. There was no sorrow over his father's death, no joy over the death of someone he hated, and no anticipation of becoming the Count of Lutgarth. The Marquis of Asensio found this pitiful.
Since all the close relatives who would be mentioned in the will had arrived, the Marquis of Asensio reached to break the seal on the box containing the document.
At that moment, Pavel’s secretary stopped him.
"My apologies. There is one more person who must arrive."
"Oh?"
Click.
The door opened once more. Everyone’s gaze turned toward the entrance. Olivia stood there, dressed in mourning clothes. She had removed her veil.
"Ah."
The Marquis of Asensio nodded. If it were her, it wouldn't be strange for her to be one of the heirs.
"Olivia, are you alright?"
The Marquis asked her in a kind and gentle tone. Her face was as white as a candle. Her lips, too, lacked any color, making it seem as though she were the one who had died.
"I am fine."
Olivia’s gaze touched Theodore once before returning to the Marquis of Asensio. Her voice was calmer than he had expected.
"If it is too difficult for you, we can delay the opening by a few hours."
"No. I apologize for being late."
In the meantime, Dennis, who had finished a glass of whiskey, jumped to his feet. With a flushed face, he pointed a finger at Olivia.
"If you knew that, you shouldn't have come at all! By what right!"
"Sit down, Uncle."
Before the Marquis of Asensio could speak, Theodore uttered the words in a cold voice. Dennis flinched, intimidated, but he did not think he had said anything wrong.
In fact, everyone was likely thinking the same thing. Even his younger sister, Daria, was looking away without saying a word.
"But isn't that right, Theodore? She may be called an adopted daughter, but she is ultimately the child brought in by a mistress, a girl who has absolutely no relation to the Lutgarth family."
"Perhaps that is what he was trying to correct."
A hint of sarcasm laced Theodore’s cold tone.
"Sit down, Uncle. Making a scene will not increase the share that has already been decided."
"Theodore!"
Insulted, Dennis turned red to his very ears. Theodore commanded.
"Sit down."
"Ugh."
Dennis let out a sound of indignation, but he dared not disobey.
Olivia looked at Theodore again, and when their eyes met, she bowed her head slightly to express her gratitude. Theodore, with his cold face, pretended not to see it. He did not even offer her a seat.
Olivia simply stood by the wall, not far from the doorway.
"Then, I shall open the will."
The Marquis of Asensio said.
The box was opened. Inside were several letters.
The Marquis of Asensio opened the envelope placed on top, which was well-sealed with wax. After confirming the format of the will and the signatures of the witnesses at the end with Theodore, Dennis, Daria, and the lawyer, he began to read.
The long will began with the smallest items.
He distributed enough money to the castle employees to be considered a gift, and he left the butler who had served him for a long time enough of an inheritance to buy a small farm and retire. To his friends, he gave gifts such as high-quality liquor he had saved but never drank, and ivory chess sets.
Only after that long list was finished did the turn for his close relatives come.
Pavel left some cash to distant relatives, trust deposits to the family's wards, and some land and corresponding money to his siblings and cousins.
Dennis’s face turned ashen. As the younger brother immediately below him, he received a considerable amount of cash, a large villa near the capital, and the pine forest attached to it, but it was not an amount that satisfied his expectations.
And until that point, Olivia had not been called.
The relatives glanced at her. Her name did not appear in the will until the inheritance for the siblings was announced.
It meant either that there was no inheritance for her at all, or that she was to inherit as a child.
It couldn't be the former. There was an inheritance even for the laundry maid; there was no way he would exclude his adopted daughter.
However, Theodore’s name appeared before Olivia’s.
"I bequeath the titles and lands of the Count of Lutgarth, Horta, Astvel, and Münster, and the Baronies of Bedenburg, Ironhazel, Brück, and Kalin, along with all rights and obligations pertaining thereto, to my only son, Theodore."
"..."
It was content that was naturally expected, and there was nothing surprising about it. What was surprising was that this was not the final sentence.
The Marquis of Asensio cleared his throat lightly and continued reading.
"And all other rights and properties are bequeathed to Theodore under the following condition: that he marry Olivia Peril within six months from the time this will is made public."
Before the sentence had even finished, the drawing room was filled with murmurs. It was to the point where the Marquis of Asensio found it difficult to continue.
"Quiet!"
The Marquis of Asensio raised his voice.
The heirs kept their mouths shut, cautiously watching Theodore. It was an absurd demand.
Theodore’s complexion was an icy, expressionless mask. Daria tried to approach his side.
"Theodore."
"I am not angry. Please continue, Marquis Asensio."
Theodore made a gesture with his hand. The Marquis of Asensio cleared his throat once more and finished reading the will, summarizing the rest. He knew that if he read every single sentence, Dennis or someone else would surely burst into a rage and turn the room into a chaotic mess.
"If the two do not marry, Miss Olivia may choose and take one of the country houses owned by the Lutgarth family as her residence, and half of the remaining assets will be Miss Olivia’s share. The other half is to be donated to orphanages and the families of fallen soldiers."
"Is that the end?"
"That is the end. I will keep the original until the execution is complete, but I will make a copy and send it to you so you can review it again."
"Understood. Thank you."
"This is nonsense!"
Dennis shouted, and the others murmured as well. However, the expression on Theodore’s handsome face remained calm. His countenance was as composed as if the story written in the will had nothing to do with him.
"Are you alright, Theodore?"
"Why wouldn't I be, Marquis? I will honor the will, so do not worry. The reputation of the Lutgarths will be elevated, so my father will be satisfied."
Theodore said calmly.
That meant he intended to refuse the marriage to Olivia. Even half of the remaining assets amounted to a vast sum of millions of gold; if that were donated, the Count's family reputation would indeed be elevated.
He turned on his heel and walked out of the drawing room.
"Theodore! Theodore! Does this make any sense!"
Dennis scrambled to his feet and followed him out.
The Viscount Milo hurriedly supported his wife, Daria, who was staggering. Other relatives whispered among themselves as they left the drawing room one by one.
Even then, Olivia stood still, her face deathly pale.