Chapter 373. Viscount Roteschu’s Intervention (2)
Translator: Aura / Editor: HB168
The Isqua couple was surprised by Viscount Roteschu’s strange remarks. Viscountess Isqua asked directly.
“Our real daughter? What do you mean?”
Since they had failed to find the two daughters they were separated from, they became attached to their fake daughter, Rashta. Although the affection they felt for her was not understood by others, since they had met her less than a year ago, it was strong enough that the couple decided not to blame her unfairly. However, they were perplexed to hear about their real daughter.
Viscount Roteschu smirked.
“Oh, no. I thought you already knew because you visited Rashta often. Don’t you know yet?”
Viscount Isqua exclaimed with a stiff expression.
“Speak plainly!”
“It seems that the fake daughter you are trying to protect deliberately hid this from you.”
“It can’t be…”
“Who is our real daughter?! Say it at once!”
The Isqua couple guessed who it was, but they pressed Viscount Roteschu to speak the truth. His words seemed to imply that Evely was their real daughter, but, if that were true, it would be cruel and horrible. They feared to acknowledge it, so they shouted, distraught, at Viscount Roteschu.
“You have already figured it out, but you don’t want to accept it. It’s Evely. Evely. His Majesty’s second concubine, the mage Evely.”
The atmosphere suddenly became cold, as if the air had disappeared.
Viscountess Isqua covered her face with both hands, her lips turned pale and her body trembled.
“It makes no sense… It’s absurd… It’s a lie!”
Viscount Isqua shouted angrily.
“Why should we believe you?”
Viscount Roteschu antic.i.p.ated their reaction, so he smiled bitterly and handed over the orphanage doc.u.ments he had brought along to clear up their doubts.
“Of course, I’m not entirely sure because a paternity test was not conducted. I went to the temple and was told that it could not be done if the parties involved didn’t show up. But given the evidence, it’s very likely that Evely is your long-lost daughter.”
Viscount Isqua crushed the doc.u.ments in his hands and shouted.
“Why do you say it now? Why didn’t you say it before?”
If Roteschu hadn’t waited so long to reveal the truth, they could have escaped with Evely to another country. At least, they wouldn’t have tried to throw Evely out of the Imperial Palace for Rashta.
But Roteschu waited until their situation came to a head to confess. He certainly must not mean well.
“Rashta tried to kill my daughter. I don’t have to cover for her anymore.”
Viscount Roteschu didn’t deny his motive. Then he turned around and left..
Although the information he had obtained was inconclusive, he had to reveal it. It was no longer up to him if the couple believed him. At least he had cast a doubt in their minds that would haunt them. And even if Evely turned out not to be their daughter, it was none of his business now.
As he walked up the prison steps, he heard heartbroken cries behind him that caused him to pause for a moment.
“Hurry up.”
When the guard who secretly let him in rushed him, Roteschu quickly left the prison and gave the guard a large jewel as a reward.
“Go away at once.”
Unbeknownst to Roteschu, Sovieshu watched him intently from the shadows.
***
Viscount Roteschu went straight to the capital to exchange his jewels for cash.
Once this was done, he put all the cash into several ordinary-looking bags, then he put the bags in a simple wooden box, and lastly, he sealed the box with nails.
He would send all the cash to his estate.
While Rivetti was a smart girl and running the estate wasn’t very difficult, she had no experience and had not learned how to govern, so she would surely make some mistakes. It would take a lot of money to cover those mistakes.
After Viscount Roteschu completed the preparations that would help his daughter and wife, he walked back to his mansion proudly.
But the feeling quickly faded. Within a few steps, tears began to fall down his cheeks. In fact, he was so scared that he wanted to run away.
However, the Emperor had been benevolent by giving him time to organize his a.s.sets and save both his daughter and his wife.
He knew that if he tried to abuse the emperor’s benevolence, not only Roteschu and Alan would be executed, but the entire family would suffer the same fate. He had no choice but to go ahead despite his fear.
When Roteschu arrived at the mansion, a black carriage was already waiting in the center of the garden.
The mansion had lost its splendor and looked desolate, as it no longer had any employees.
The butler, who was waiting in front of the carriage, came over and said sadly,
“My master…”
“Give this to my wife.”
Viscount Roteschu handed the sealed boxes to his trusted butler.
“Master, shouldn’t you do it yourself?”
The butler held back tears. He had been by Viscount Roteschu’s side since he was very young, so he cared more for Roteschu than his children.
Although Viscount Roteschu was now a middle-aged man, the butler still thought of him like a little brother he had to look after. If only one person in the family could survive, he wanted it to be Viscount Roteschu.
“No chance to save me after Alan’s scandal…”
“Master…”
“I will trust you.”
Viscount Roteschu patted the butler’s shoulder, then took out a small bag full of money.
“This is for you, so don’t give it to Rivetti even if she asks for it. With this money, you will be able to live quietly.”
When the butler accepted the money in tears, Viscount Roteschu looked around as he wiped his own tears.
“Where is Alan?”
Alan, who had been imprisoned even before the paternity test, was briefly released after Roteschu made the deal with Sovieshu. However, Alan was unable to see his father again.
“Some of the emperor’s knights came to take him away.”
“…”
Viscount Roteschu closed his eyes helplessly.
The butler sniffled and wiped his tears with the sleeve of his black suit.
“You, too, must leave.”
“I would like to serve you until tomorrow.”
“If you want to help me, leave now.”
When the butler reluctantly climbed into the coachman’s seat, Viscount Roteschu himself spurred the horses into motion.
As he watched the carriage drive away, Roteschu’s eyes filled with tears.
He remembered a time when he became angry because his only successor was too dumb, and his then-healthy wife defended her son. Alan was still little back then, and Rivetti had not yet been born… He remembered his weakened wife sitting in a rocking chair singing to little Rivetti in her arms… He remembered his emaciated wife lying on the bed. She was breathing hard but whenever he took her hand she squeezed it as hard as she could…
“My darling…”
Disconsolate, Viscount Roteschu entered the mansion.
Suddenly, he wondered what had happened to Ahn, but quickly put the matter aside because he didn’t care whether he died or not.