Suspicions (1)
Chapter 95
Florya visited Phillip’s County.
The carriage that accompanied Florya was filled with gifts sent by the Count of Osiris.
Although not directly mentioned, it was a gesture of gratitude for resolving Florya’s issues.
After concluding her meeting with the Count of Phillip’s, Florya called Ray and strolled through the garden together.
Alesya, hiding behind the bushes, perked up her ears as she spied on the two.
Despite their lips constantly moving, their voices were too low to make out any words.
“Ugh, this is unsettling…”
Unsettling, unsettling.
Florya seemed to be subtly currying favor with Ray.
Alesya began pondering how to handle this situation.
Though she trusted Ray, the thought of the much larger Osiris Countdom compared to Phillip’s County made her feel uneasy.
“Karen, listen well.”
“?!”
Karen, who had come looking for Ray, blinked in surprise when Alesya grabbed her.
Alesya pulled Karen close and whispered,
“We are beings that can coexist harmoniously.”
“??”
A second question mark appeared above Karen’s head at Alesya’s grand declaration.
Frustrated, Alesya scolded Karen,
“If the principal wife agrees, there can be as many concubines as desired. I have a broad heart and can tolerate a few concubines. Though six might be a bit excessive…”
My knight seems to be more lecherous than he appears.
With dissatisfaction, Alesya continued,
“But Florya is unacceptable. Florya is also a noblewoman.”
It was taboo for a noble to take another noble as a concubine, and typically, there could only be one principal wife.
In other words, the noblewoman Alesya and the noblewoman Florya were not entities that could coexist harmoniously with Ray in between.
If Florya were to take Ray away, he would surely leave for the Osiris Countdom.
“Therefore, we must join forces to keep an eye on Florya!”
Having roughly understood Alesya’s words, Karen hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.
“Then… I’ll side with Lady Florya. I think Florya will win.”
“…!”
Alesya stared at Karen as if struck by lightning.
Stunned by this unexpected betrayal, Alesya grabbed Karen’s arm and shook it.
“Are you serious? Haven’t I treated you all well?”
Even the necklace sparkling in Karen’s bosom ultimately came from Alesya’s funds.
Not just that, but numerous other things, including the significant budget allocated to Jimy’s orphanage.
As Alesya repeatedly expressed her sense of betrayal, Karen finally changed her mind.
“Alright. I’ll side with you, Lady Alesya.”
“Thank you!”
Alesya’s face lit up with relief.
Even though having Karen beside her didn’t offer much practical leverage, it still gave her some reassurance.
*
Contrary to Alesya’s expectations, the atmosphere between Florya and Ray wasn’t particularly warm and friendly.
Florya, unsure of how to approach Ray, ended up walking silently through the garden for quite some time.
Eventually, Ray spoke first.
“Why did you visit Phillip’s County?”
“Hmm, well…”
Florya used wind spirits to ensure their conversation wouldn’t leak outside before responding,
“I came to express gratitude.”
Once the first words were out, her tension eased slightly.
After clearing her throat, Florya continued,
“I received great help, didn’t I? My father wanted to express his gratitude and strengthen ties with our neighboring lord, so he sent me along with gifts. Originally, two more carriages were supposed to follow, but due to recent events, we suffered significant losses.”
“Recent events?”
“The Crown Prince passed away.”
This was confidential information meant only for the Count of Phillip’s, but Florya revealed it without hesitation.
Given her knowledge of Ray’s true nature, there was no reason to withhold such non-critical information and lose points unnecessarily.
Ray accepted the news of the Crown Prince’s death calmly.
He already knew the Crown Prince had fallen out of the Emperor’s favor, so there was nothing surprising about it.
“It seems it finally came to this.”
“Did anything unusual happen in Phillip’s County?”
“What do you mean?”
“The Crown Prince attempted to flee to the Rubia Kingdom but was pursued and killed.”
“…!”
Ray froze in his tracks momentarily.
Florya, who had been admiring the flowers in the garden, didn’t notice Ray lagging behind.
Regaining his composure quickly, Ray caught up with Florya.
“You said he was pursued?”
“Yes. Although the details aren’t entirely clear… We learned that the Crown Prince crossed Phillip’s County heading towards the Sigini Mountain Range. But since nothing happened here, that’s fortunate.”
“…”
Ray’s eyes flickered with unease.
An imperial high-ranking noble attempting to escape over the Sigini Mountains.
The Empire mobilizing several Graduates-level experts to eliminate the fleeing noble.
And now, the identity of the fleeing noble turned out to be none other than the Crown Prince?
“Shit.”
Without realizing it, Ray muttered a curse under his breath.
Florya pretended not to hear and moved on.
Ray pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to suppress his confusion.
But his jumbled thoughts wouldn’t settle easily.
Bella was pregnant.
Who the biological father of the child was didn’t matter much to Ray.
After all, the child was set to be recognized as Jimy’s.
However, if the child carried royal blood…
If that were the case…
“Huff…”
Ray stopped in his tracks and took a deep breath.
He needed to regain focus. He wasn’t alone here.
Forcing himself to calm down, Ray recalled the conversation with Florya from the beginning and asked,
“You said the Count of Osiris suffered great losses because the Crown Prince was purged?”
That was strange.
The Count of Osiris was supposed to support the Second Crown Prince.
Florya fanned herself, masking her awkward expression.
“The Second Crown Prince was assassinated.”
“That doesn’t make any sense!”
While the First Crown Prince losing power and being purged was understandable, the Second Crown Prince couldn’t be taken down by a simple assassination attempt.
“Who exactly attacked the Second Crown Prince?”
“Not sure. There aren’t many families at this point with the intelligence network and influence to uncover that.”
“Can you share any rumors?”
“…Some nobles believe it was Poibos.”
Poibos. The Emperor’s only illegitimate son.
“The relative silence from the Imperial family supports that theory. If a noble within the Empire or a foreign spy had assassinated the Second Crown Prince, the Imperial family would have reacted far more violently by now.”
“Still, how could a mere illegitimate son of the royal family defeat the Second Crown Prince?”
“Everyone wondered the same thing. As those doubts spread, various rumors started circulating among the nobility.”
An enigmatic figure from the Empire’s Sword Saint ranks attached themselves to Poibos for unknown reasons.
Someone within the Empire’s Special Task Force sold information to Poibos in exchange for guarantees of personal safety, fearing betrayal.
Forces close to the First Crown Prince either survived or sought revenge by supporting Poibos.
There were countless rumors, though none could be verified.
After sharing these tales, Florya seemed to realize she’d gotten overly excited and coughed lightly, using her fan to cover her face.
“In any case… With the passing of the Second Crown Prince, my father also suffered greatly.”
There were still several members of the royal family left in the Empire, including the Emperor’s illegitimate son.
But who would ascend to the throne remained unclear. Without the Second Crown Prince, they all had relatively equal claims to legitimacy.
Facing this chaos, fortunately, the Count of Osiris didn’t misjudge his political capabilities.
Rather than betting everything on the game, he stepped back and accepted the losses.
After hearing the entire story, Ray swallowed hard and asked a difficult question,
“Who do you think will ascend to the throne?”
“My father said…”
Florya snapped her fan shut.
“The Emperor will support whoever he chooses next.”
That was the end of the conversation.
Didier blocked Ray’s path with a stern look.
*
Count Phillip had been walking a dangerous tightrope for years, invisible yet perilous.
The expanded Jimy Family was no longer a simple gang of thugs.
They were a powerful armed force capable of overthrowing the entire county if they timed their move right.
Yet Count Phillip didn’t severely suppress them.
This was objectively a very risky decision.
Allowing a stronger armed group than the lord’s own soldiers to establish itself within the territory?
Any other noble would have branded him insane upon learning this.
Therefore, Count Phillip conducted thorough investigations into Jimy and Matthew’s pasts and continued to monitor them closely as minimal precautions.
Though Jimy and Matthew were aware of these measures, they didn’t mind much because the Count’s judgment was highly rational.
Through extensive research, the Count realized:
Jimy was a trustworthy mercenary who kept his promises. He avoided indulgence, remained modest and unambitious, and while he harbored some ambition, he valued loyalty far more.
Jimy was a saintly figure worthy of trust.
Could such a man really make mistakes after drinking?
This was the initial doubt the Count had when hearing about Bella’s pregnancy.
However, everyone makes mistakes occasionally.
When Jimy immediately took responsibility for his one mistake, it aligned perfectly with his character.
Thus, the Count managed to erase his initial doubts.
But then, hearing that the Crown Prince had passed through Phillip’s County…
A chill ran down his spine.
Once the seed of suspicion sprouted, it grew rapidly.
As pieces of the puzzle fell into place, an absurd hypothesis formed in his mind.
No. It couldn’t be.
The Count’s fingertips trembled.
At that moment, Ray entered the study.
“…”
“…”
Upon meeting each other’s gaze, both men instinctively grasped… ‘the truth.’
However, given all they had shared, neither was ready to draw swords immediately.
Ray quietly sat down.
After staring at his teacup for a long time, the Count finally opened his dry lips.
“Congratulations to your mother for forming a new bond.”
“Thank you.”
“And… regarding the unfortunate incident involving your mother…”
“…”
“Have you… identified the nobleman responsible for the misconduct?”
“I haven’t.”
Ray emphasized his response.
“I don’t know whether the perpetrator was truly a noble, a lesser gentry, or perhaps just a wandering samurai boasting falsely. Nothing is certain.”
Yes, everything remains uncertain.
The identity of the person who assaulted Bella was unclear, and even whether the child Bella carries is truly the result of that assault remains uncertain.
Everything was uncertain.
However, one thing was certain.
The bloodline of the First Crown Prince remaining within Phillip’s County could never be tolerated.
The Count’s voice cracked harshly.
“You’ve done me many favors.”
“Not at all, my Lord. The favors I’ve received from you have been far more valuable.”
“There is a birthing chamber within the Manor. It’s equipped to protect mothers and infants, and originally, only members of the Phillip family could use it. When the time comes, I will ensure your mother has access to the birthing chamber within the Manor. Is that acceptable?”
The gazes of the Count of Phillip’s and Ray collided in the air.
After a heavy silence, Ray bowed his head.
“Thank you for your consideration.”
