The Paternity Test
The moment the word “paternity test” left the presiding judge’s lips, every soul in the courtroom seemed to stop breathing.
The temple’s paternity test was regarded as profoundly humiliating, not only among the nobility but even among commoners. Its accuracy was barely fifty percent, which severely undermined its credibility. Yet agreeing to such a test was tantamount to publicly declaring that your family harbored some shameful secret. In the entire empire, cases involving the test could be counted on one hand.
“Of course he’ll submit to it. It’s terribly insulting, but what choice does he have in this situation?”
“To overturn all the plaintiff’s evidence and prove his innocence, the paternity test is the only option left.”
“I hope the results come quickly so that maid-turned-baroness gets hit with a countersuit.”
The jurors whispered among themselves in low voices. They were all convinced that Count Silanda would agree to the test.
But.
“…I will not take it.”
“Pardon?”
“I refuse to undergo the paternity test.”
Count Silanda’s answer was the exact opposite of what the jurors had expected.
“I cannot drag my wife and child into this unsavory affair that has befallen me. I reject the paternity test.”
“Are you aware that refusing to proceed with the examination will result in a ruling against you?”
“I am fully aware.”
“And yet you still refuse?”
“Yes.”
“You coward!”
Karina shot to her feet with a scream. She snatched up the metal paperweight that held down the documents and hurled it at the count.
“Karina!”
Ebony, rarely rattled, tried to stop her, but it was already too late. The sharp edge struck the count’s forehead, and blood began to trickle down his face. Crimson droplets slid along his cheek and fell onto the white papers with soft, heavy plops.
“You don’t want to involve your wife and child? No—you’re refusing because the test would prove your wife isn’t the biological mother. Don’t try to wrap your filth in pretty words, you disgusting wretch!”
Karina’s voice cracked with raw fury.
“Shouldn’t you be on your knees begging for my forgiveness? What makes you so brazen that you can look me in the eye? Have you no conscience? Are you saying I’m the one at fault for dragging you into this mess?!”
“Guards, remove the plaintiff from the courtroom.”
At the judge’s command, the guards seized Karina by both arms and dragged her away. Even Ebony could only watch helplessly as she was hauled off.
“Watch closely from now on! I will take back my sister’s child without fail! Rubia is my niece—my family!”
Karina’s wretched scream echoed through the chamber. Jurors and judge alike stared at the spot where she had vanished, faces slack with shock.
This court accepts in full all evidence and witness testimonies submitted by plaintiff Karina Linton and her counsel Ebony Bladin.
However, the request for a paternity test concerning Countess Silanda and Miss Rubia Silanda carries no compulsory force, as neither is a defendant in the present case. Furthermore, because Count Silanda has refused to consent to the examination, his right of appeal is hereby revoked. The final judgment shall be determined following consultation with His Imperial Majesty. This concludes the proceedings.
“How do you think Count Silanda will fare?”
On the way back from the trial, Hellion asked in a low voice as they walked side by side.
“There’s no decisive evidence, so pinning a heavy crime on him will be difficult. Still, I doubt he’ll walk away innocent.”
“It does seem that way. Especially after he refused the paternity test to the very end.”
Illid nodded from beside them. He studied my complexion with concern before asking gently, “Ishtel, are you all right? You’ve been terribly pale since the trial.”
“……”
“Ishtel?”
“Yes? Ah… Illid. Were you speaking to me?”
I had been lost in thought; Hellion’s light nudge against my shoulder brought me back. My mind was still crowded with images of Count Silanda and Karina. The two archdukes wore unusually grave expressions, suggesting they shared the same heavy thoughts.
“We should all steel ourselves where the Silanda family is concerned. No matter how toothless the tiger, Bladin is still Bladin. With that house leading the charge, this will not be an easy fight.”
“Thank you for your concern, Illid. The Silanda family has many clever minds; they will find a way through this somehow.”
Illid gave a small nod at my words. Hellion glanced at him and remarked, “It’s almost amusing. The thing that dealt the great Silanda family such a blow wasn’t some hidden weakness after all—it was their conscience.”
“The sudden appearance of that former maid must have been a variable no one in the count’s house anticipated.”
“But why did Count Silanda refuse the test? Unless his daughter really is…”
Hellion trailed off, a puzzled look on his face, then clamped his mouth shut as if realizing his mistake. He glanced at me, but I had no intention of rebuking him. Anyone would harbor the same doubt.
Refusing the test had been the correct choice for Count Silanda. Its reliability was already questionable, and against his wife the result would almost certainly fail to confirm parentage. Better to endure public suspicion than to invite undeniable proof.
How on earth did things become so tangled with Karina?
Even now, none of it felt real. The fact that Count Silanda had poisoned Karina’s sister. The fact that Rubia was her niece.
An indescribable knot of emotions tightened in my chest. My head throbbed; strength drained from my limbs until I felt as though I were coming down with a fever.
“Duchess Wintera!”
While I dragged my heavy steps forward, Chief Maid Abigail came running from afar, breathless. All three of us—myself, Illid, and Hellion—turned at once.
“Duchess Wintera, something terrible has happened!”
“Why such an uproar?”
“Baroness Linton… Baroness Linton…!”
“What about Karina?”
“She’s stormed off to the Silanda residence, declaring she will take the child!”
I headed straight for the Silanda residence. In my haste, I nearly tripped over my own hem while stepping down from the carriage. Clutching the folds of my dress with both hands, I ran toward the mansion.
“Ishtel!”
Just before I could enter, someone called my name. From the side, my sister-in-law Duchess Regentra came rushing over. Silvia must have left without any time to prepare; her normally immaculate hair was completely disheveled.
Behind her I glimpsed my brother Zar Regentra. He was trying to keep up with his swift wife, but Silvia had already reached me.
“Silvia! How did you—”
“I received word that our family home had descended into chaos! What about you, Ishtel?”
“The same. Let’s go inside at once.”
Without waiting, Silvia and I pushed through the entrance together. Every servant in the count’s household had been summoned by the capital guard for questioning. Not even a doorman remained, so the two of us had to heave open the heavy iron doors ourselves.
The deeper we went, the louder the sharp cries and shattering sounds became. A woman’s screams and the crash of breaking glass echoed through the halls.
Familiar with the layout of her childhood home, Silvia led the way. When we finally reached the drawing room, we found Countess Silanda collapsed on the floor in tears and Karina tearing through the mansion like a madwoman.
“Rubia! Where are you, Rubia?!”
Karina’s piercing shriek reverberated throughout the entire room. It appeared she had already unleashed her rage once; every plate from the countess’s cherished display cabinet lay in shards across the floor. Karina staggered unsteadily among the broken pieces, still searching.
“Esmeralda!”
Silvia ran to her sister-in-law and guided her onto the sofa. The moment the countess saw her, she collapsed into Silvia’s arms and burst into loud sobs. She could not even bring herself to look toward Karina.
“Rubia! Rubia!”
Karina stormed up the staircase that led from the drawing room to the second floor. I hurried after her.
“Karina!”
At the sound of her name she whirled around. The breath that escaped her carried the sharp reek of alcohol. Her golden eyes were bloodshot, burning with a savage light.
“What kind of scene are you making here?”
“Ah, you’ve arrived. To what do I owe the visit, dear Duchess?”
“That is what I should be asking you. Why have you come here?”
Karina leaned against the banister and let out a giggling laugh. She swept her long silver hair back from her face and answered with venom.
“Didn’t you witness it yourself earlier, Duchess? Count Silanda refused the paternity test. She is my sister’s child… my family… Even if my sister could not live, I at least had the chance to reclaim the child…”
“How dare you spout such drivel in this house!”
Silvia left Esmeralda in Zar’s care and strode to my side with heavy steps.
Unlike me, who knew the full truth of the matter, my brother and his wife knew nothing. To them, Karina was nothing more than a pawn of the Bladin family—an evil woman who had destroyed a happy household in the blink of an eye.
“Was turning the Silanda household into a wasteland not enough? Now you want to steal my niece? Just what kind of person are you?!”
Silvia’s voice was fierce enough to suggest she might seize Karina by the hair at any moment. Karina descended the stairs, sneering.
“Niece, niece… Ah, that’s right. Then you must be Rubia’s aunt. Allow me to introduce myself for the first time. I am Rubia’s maternal aunt, Karina.”
“What—how can someone like you even exist?!”
“Silvia, don’t engage with her.”
I stepped between them, blocking Silvia from lunging forward. Silvia continued to hurl accusations at the woman who had shattered her family home, while Karina laughed loudly, clearly enjoying the provocation. I entrusted Silvia to Zar and stood directly before Karina.
“Return to the imperial palace at once.”
“No. Why should I? My one remaining family member is right here—where else would I possibly go?”