060 Successor of the Crest 1 p.5

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"You're the one who's out of your mind."

The reply was spiteful and straightforward.

"Use your common sense. Brainwashing is very obvious and though it is powerful, there are plenty of countermeasures for it. There is no way he could have successfully used brainwashing as a method to get his way. As a matter of fact, when the nobles who assisted your brother were experimented with brainwashing cancelling methods, none of them showed any changes."

"C-Count Cartan...... Count Cartan was—"

"Ah, the former Count. Something tells me he's making a big deal about being brainwashed too. It's been almost a year since the trial ended, and it's not a pretty sight. That's just an excuse, isn't it? A former court mage was manipulated by the lowly art of alchemy. Isn’t that even more shameful?"

Langogne snorted contemptuously.

Yes, this was the common sense that one should have. Alchemy was an inferior art to other forms of magic, and the use of brainwashing and other dirty methods were the stuff of fairy tales. Langogne was the one with the sane mind.

"As for the great fire of the royal capital, ...... well, let's not pursue it any further, shall we? It would be bad for us if the truth were to come out, wouldn't it?"

He was implying that Lavallee was complicit in that. In fact, Linus had thought so during that time too. Was the fire used as a diversion while purging the countryside nobles who happened to be at the capital for work and Tullius? This suspicion was a good cause for Langogne to oust the old man. Therefore, there was no chance that Langogne would think otherwise about the great fire.

"Urgh......!"

Linus slumped his shoulders and looked down.

He couldn’t find the right words to retort with. What could he say in this situation? If he rejected the offer, Langogne would bring the scandal to light. The Centralist faction itself would be damaged, but for Langogne personally, he stood to gain more by bringing Tullius to their side.

Linus would be accused by the whole kingdom of being a fool for allowing a slave to have his child, and the honour of the Oubeniels would suffer yet again. There was no vassal who would willingly support the head of a family with such a reputation. Rather than the father of a child born from a slave, a slave killer might be preferable to the other nobles. Of course, a certain old fox who was the matchmaker for his wedding would be taken along for a ride too.

It was better to accept the deal. Even if he had to step down, it would be less painful for all parties involved.

That’s the natural conclusion one with rationality would come to.

"N-No…..."

Still, Linus’ emotions didn't quite agree.

"No? What no?"

Langogne replied as if he was dealing with a child throwing a tantrum. Langogne did not bother hiding any of his exasperation.

Linus continued.

"No! I can't let Tullius, that man, take over the family! I am the legitimate son of this house! Since I was a child, I have never neglected my studies to become my father's heir. I practiced etiquette. Since the fall of my father, I have been acting as his representative. Who do you think has done the most for this family? It's me! Look at it this way. What did that man, that abominable child born after my mother's death, do? He bought a slave with a disfigured face and then slaughtered slaves one after another in the basement! Studying alchemy? Research? What lies! He was satisfying his sadistic streak, or offering them to demons or evil gods! I will not give this house to a monster who is like that...... The Oubeniel family is my family!"

The words that gushed out like a waterfall sounded like a heartbreaking plea. What has Linus done up till now? What has his brother done instead? He poured out his deepest feelings.

Linus' vision became clouded. He was so overcome with emotion that tears began to well up in his eyes.

He was angry, he screamed, he cried. But all of this did not touch the heartstrings of the man in front of him.

"So......? What possible extenuating circumstances could that possibly have to do with the mistakes you have made? If you, before you became the head of the family, put in painstaking effort, does it cancel out the sins you do afterwards? If your brother was killing slaves, is it okay for you, his brother, to violate and impregnate them? Answer me this, Linus. If you think that you are worthy of being the head of a Count's family, why don't you express your opinion in a dignified manner like a noble?"

You can’t, right? Without saying these direct words, this was being put across to Linus. Langogne casually brought the glass to his lips. As if waiting for an answer, he slowly swallowed the amber fluid. During this time, Linus could not even move his tongue the way he wanted to.

After a short pause, Langogne continued.

"If you can't tell me, I'd like to hear your approval or disapproval of my proposal first. Do you want to swallow the pain and minimize the damage to yourself and others? Or you can refuse, ruining your family's name and bringing some people down with you to heal the pain. Either way, you'll be brought down and Sir Tullius would be the one left standing...... I hope you make a wise decision."

"Take the deal, Linus."

A cold, emotionless voice. It was Simone.

"This is a situation brought about by your selfishness and rashness. At least get it over with without causing any trouble."

What a cruel woman, Linus thought.

You were the one who betrayed me. You sided with him instead of me, your husband. You chose to support Tullius but not me.

Linus slowly shifted his point of view to Simone. Her expression was twisted beyond contempt, as if she was disgusted with the filth on the street. Nobody could endure this. Linus quickly brought his line of sight downwards.

"......It's okay, Master."

Suddenly, a warm feeling enveloped him.

That slave woman, the source of all this, hugged him from behind.

The touch of her skin, separated for two months, touched him with a horror he had never experienced before.

"No matter what happens, I'll be with you. I'll take care of all the painful things."

"Ah......"

"As always, please let it all out on me...... Oh, but I have a baby now, so...... I'd appreciate it if you'd be a little kinder."

The woman's voice was subdued. Still, he could clearly hear the joy in her voice.

Yet, the father of the child was suffering immensely.

And yet, she was more than happy to cling onto him.

This is all crazy, Linus thought.

"Vulgar..."

Simone muttered from the side. From what the female slave had said, she must have guessed the relationship between the two of them.

Linus wanted to shout, this was not true. But he himself couldn’t figure out what was not true.

"Ah. the baby just moved. Can you feel it......? Here."

The woman pressed her belly against Linus. Her innocence stood out like a sore thumb. It was terribly revolting for Linus.

Something was going wrong with his head. Crazy wrong.

Linus's mind was being shaken by the incomprehensible words and actions of a woman he should be familiar with.

The fear of a madman touching him made his fingers instinctively move in search of a weapon. A few attempts at grabbing nothing but the air, and then the feel of hard metal. The candlestick on the table. Linus grabbed it and raised it violently.

"!!! Linus Oubeniel, what are you—"

Langogne became anxious for the first time today.

Linus could hear no longer…...

"Aaaaaaahhhh! Aaaaahhhh! Aaah! Aaaaaaahhhh!"

"Stop it! Stop this nonsense! Hey, somebody stop him!"

"No, no......! You murderer!"

......Linus didn't really remember what happened.

The only thing he felt was a sense of exhilaration, as if he was completely freed from something annoying.

The negative feelings had cleared up and yet, why was he crying......?

When Linus tilted his head in wonder, he noticed red drops dripping from his hair.

His blond hair, stained with blood, looked like rust, and he wore an innocent, aimless smile… The sight of him killing a slave made him appropriately deserving of the nickname he hated so much. As if he were the same as that somebody.

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