Chapter 10: House Winston (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 10: House Winston (3)
From the moment she was born, I never liked that child.
She was never part of the plan to begin with. Cedric had never once desired a child with Veronica.
Yet, an unwanted child was conceived, and that child was Claudia.
The purple eyes she inherited from him were tolerable, but everything else was a disappointment.
He felt a sense of revulsion at her appearance, which was the spitting image of her mother, Veronica. He was certain that as she grew, she would become just as spiteful and malicious as the woman who bore her.
However, the child had been sickly since birth, constantly ailing. Even though the times Cedric actually went to see her could be counted on one hand, it was rare to find her in good health.
She must be receiving her punishment.
House Winston, the family that had formed a contract with a demon.
And the Empress Dowager, who supported the Temple.
Between these two opposing forces, the Imperial Family had long engaged in a tug-of-war to reap the benefits for themselves.
At times, they upheld the prestige of the Ducal House to secure military power and funding; at other times, they supported the Temple to garner the respect and love of the citizens.
After banishing the Crown Prince to the borderlands, the Empress Dowager joined hands with the Temple to expand her influence. And that greedy woman eventually set her sights on the power of House Winston as well.
Cedric, who carried the blood of a Count but was treated as less than a noble because of his status as an illegitimate child, had no choice.
He had been made a Marquis in recognition of his achievements in the war, but that was all. In social circles, the mockery of him being a "half-baked Marquis" only grew more severe.
In such a situation, marrying a high-ranking noble whom everyone had to acknowledge was a necessity for Cedric.
That was the only reason for the marriage. Even when he looked at the Ducal Lady, who was praised as the flower of society, his heart did not flutter. Despite having lost his memories, he had never once held another woman in his heart.
“Then let’s get a divorce.”
“I’m saying we should divorce. Let’s just become strangers, cleanly.”
But he had never dreamed that Veronica would say such words to him.
While he had never felt any affection for her, he knew perfectly well that Veronica had liked him from the moment they first met.
And even after that, Veronica had constantly tried to win Cedric’s heart.
“The weather is lovely today, Cedric. Would you like to go out to the garden with me?”
“The chef says the shrimp you like are particularly fresh today. Won’t you dine with me?”
“Cedric, today…”
“Cedric…”
She was a persistent woman, even though he made his dislike clear.
She had been like that since the first time he saw her. Like a beautiful, flamboyant rose, she looked utterly fresh and radiant, as if she had grown up receiving nothing but love.
Surely, she had never been rejected or hurt by anyone.
That made him dislike her all the more. From their first meeting, Cedric had deliberately treated Veronica with even more coldness.
Yet, she was always the one to approach him. She did it every single time, never tiring of it.
“And yet, she dares to mention divorce?”
How dare she be the first to utter that word?
Cedric, who had first been scowling at the thought of Claudia, ground his teeth as he recalled the way Veronica used to smile at him.
At the very least, he should have been the one to say those words first. Not Veronica Winston. He should have said it only after he had made everything of hers his own.
Unable to contain his fury, Cedric slammed his hand down on the desk.
“Damn it!”
“…What shall we do, Your Excellency?”
Amidst the trembling knights, Haven was the only one who asked in a calm tone.
Cedric’s dark gaze shifted toward the upright Haven.
Yes, if Haven had at least been there, the outcome might have been different.
To think that House Winston would have noticed something so soon. It was his own blunder.
The Duke of Winston surely wouldn't have been in private contact with Veronica. Had he planted a spy in the mansion? What a devious man.
Grinding his teeth, Cedric finally spoke again.
“Recall all members of the Deborah Knight Order. I am going to the Imperial Palace.”
“Yes, sir.”
“…”
First, he had to meet the Empress Dowager and get Veronica back from the Duke of Winston.
If that failed, he would not hesitate to start a domain inversion.
Cedric’s eyes sank into a dark gloom.
*
“…”
Inside the extravagantly decorated dining room sat a long, wide dining table.
The table, far too large for just six people, was covered in all sorts of delicacies from land and sea. It was the very definition of a table groaning under the weight of the food.
But why am I…
I rolled my eyes while sitting on something much harder than a chair.
I could understand the wide table and the food I had never tasted before. I had heard that the wealth of House Winston was truly immense.
But…
“Dia, shall Grandpa feed you?”
“Haha…”
I was currently sitting on Duke Winston’s lap.
The Duke sat at the head of the table, with his eldest son, Vincent, beside him. Opposite them, Veronica watched with a pleased expression.
Next to Vincent was Henrietta, and across from her, Brandon was staring at the Duke with envious eyes.
Naturally, I thought I would sit next to Veronica or at the very end of the table.
But on the Duke’s lap? Setting aside the fact that it was the seat of honor, it was far too burdensome.
And what on earth were the Duke’s thighs made of? They were harder than iron, and my butt was starting to hurt.
[Master! That looks delicious! That too! And that one, and that one!]
“…”
Desmond shouted excitedly. My head began to throb.
“…I’ll eat by myself, Grandfather.”
“Oh my, our Dia can even eat well on her own. You’re all grown up, all grown up.”
“…”
The Duke chuckled and stroked my head.
The Duke certainly didn't have this kind of image when I first saw him. Where did things go wrong?
I chewed my food thoughtfully.
“Is it delicious?”
“Yes.”
“Try this too.”
“Okay.”
I nodded and ate the fish dish the Duke gave me.
I thought the food in the North would be tasteless because the land was barren and cold, but I was mistaken.
The food at the Marquis’s mansion had been quite good, but it couldn't compare to this. I felt a bit sorry for them, but it seemed the chefs of the Ducal House were far more skilled.
“Dia, eat this too.”
“Lady Dia, would you like to try this as well?”
“Dia…!”
In an instant, the dining room became noisy. Everyone was anxious to feed me just one more bite.
I looked at them and gave a bright smile.
“Thank you!”
“Ugh…”
Brandon clutched his chest. Henrietta quietly pulled out a small gem. I had seen it a few times before; it seemed to be a recording stone.
It was a bit bothersome, but not bad.
I had expected the people of the Ducal House to find me off-putting because of my purple eyes, which resembled the male lead's.
But that was my own misconception. The members of the Ducal House I actually met cherished me deeply as Veronica’s daughter and because I looked just like her.
Surrounded by the boisterous members of the family, I enjoyed a satisfying meal.
[Ugh, I wish I had a real body so I could eat all this delicious food to my heart’s content.]
Don’t even think about it. If I say I’m raising an animal at this age, they’ll say no because of the shedding.
In the meantime, I had figured out how to converse internally with the demon I had contracted.
When I muttered to myself, Desmond whined loudly.
[There are animals that don’t shed!]
Like what, reptiles? Snakes or lizards? As if they’d ever allow that.
[Uuuuu…]
Desmond’s ears drooped in disappointment. I snorted and finished off the cake that came out for dessert.
“Whew, I’m full.”
With a very full stomach, I returned to my room and let out a loud burp. Sophia laughed as if I were adorable and rubbed my back.
“My lady, it seems you ate quite a lot.”
“Yeah, everything was so delicious.”
“Shall I bring you some digestive medicine?”
“Mhm.”
When I nodded, Sophia told me to wait a moment and left the room.
I lay on my stomach on the bed for a bit before suddenly jumping up.
I should probably go for a walk to help with digestion. By now, I was used to climbing down from the bed by myself.
[Ooh, another exploration today?]
“It’s a walk, a walk.”
The Duke’s mansion was so vast that there was no end to it, no matter how much I walked.
Lately, I had been roaming the mansion in secret, killing my presence to test Desmond’s abilities. Today, I hummed to myself as I walked vigorously down the darkened hallway.
I’ve come quite far today.
Sophia would be surprised if she came back and I was gone, so I should head back soon.
Just as I was about to turn around, thinking that—
“So, what did that damn bastard have to say?”
“…!”
A loud voice echoed through the hallway. I flinched and turned my head.