Now This Family Belongs to My Mother Chapter 130

“Thank you. This will be a great help to Leonoe.”

 

Mistaking the red liquid for my blood, Kobel greedily collected it into a glass vial. Now was the moment.

 

“Uh, uugh!” I screamed, spitting out the red liquid that had pooled in my mouth.

 

“Milady!” As if on cue, Britlyn burst through the door. She glanced back and forth between Kobel, who was holding the glass vial filled with what he thought was my blood, and me, who appeared to be vomiting blood. Then she shouted. “Lady Epirosa has been gravely injured because of Lord Kobel!”

 

“What nonsense is this? That’s not true!” Flustered, Kobel yelled back.

 

Supporting me as promised, Britlyn cried out. “Then what’s in that glass vial? Isn’t that our lady’s blood?”

 

“This was given to me by Epirosa! To use as ingredients for making Leonoe’s medicine!”

 

“Milady, did you really do that?” I was in no condition to speak, coughing up blood. Even without saying anything, it naturally seemed like a denial.

 

It was then that someone stormed into the room. It was Mom. When she saw me covered in blood, her eyes flared, and she grabbed Kobel by the collar.

 

“Ugh, keugh! Le-Leonoe! T-This is a misunderstanding!”

 

“I heard everything! You took my daughter’s blood to make some medicine? Is this supposed to be normal magic?”

 

“T-This…!”

 

“Isn’t this the kind of thing only a dark mage would do?”

 

At Leonoe’s words, Kobel’s face turned cold.

 

* * *

After returning home and being briefed on the situation, Hubert came rushing to me.

 

“Father, it’s dark magic. Kobel experimented with dark magic on Epirosa.” Mom strongly insisted.

 

On the other hand, Kobel shook his head vehemently. “The doctor said Epirosa had no particular abnormalities. How could it possibly be dark magic?”

 

Hubert turned to the doctor. “Can you guarantee that Epirosa coughing up blood wasn’t caused by dark magic?”

 

The doctor hesitated. “I can’t guarantee anything. I’m not a mage, after all…”

 

Hubert sighed and looked at Kobel. “There are only two ways to find out why Epirosa coughed up blood. Summon a mage or search your room.”

 

Kobel’s face turned pale.

 

Hubert continued speaking, unfazed. “And the faster method of the two is…”

 

Searching Kobel’s room immediately.

 

“Search Kobel’s room. Tear it apart and see if any dark magic tools turn up!”

 

* * *

As expected, Kobel’s room was overflowing with various dark tools and materials.

 

Hubert was furious. “Kobel, do you even realize what you’ve done?!”

 

Of course, dark magic was strictly forbidden in the empire.

 

Hubert clutched his head in frustration. First his eldest son, and now his second son, who had only recently returned, was causing trouble. For him, it must have felt like his efforts to raise his children had not just failed but had utterly collapsed.

 

Still, it’s better to catch the problem early than to find out too late.

 

The Hubert I know is someone whose sense of responsibility for the family outweighs his affection for his children. He would show no mercy to anyone who posed a threat to the family. Knowing this, Kobel desperately tried to explain himself.

 

“I only gathered this to study ways to break dark magic! I was actually trying to fight against dark mages!”

 

“And you expect me to believe that ridiculous excuse?”

 

“Ask the mages I am acquainted with! They will all testify that I’ve been researching ways to neutralize dark magic!”

 

“How can you prove that they aren’t in cahoots with you?”

 

When his excuses failed to work, Kobel looked up at Hubert with a determined expression. “Father, I’m not a dark mage. And if I were, it would bring no benefit to our family.”

 

If it became known that Kobel was a dark mage, Blanche would also suffer. Not only would we be suspected of colluding with a dark mage, but it could also give the emperor an excuse to shake the foundation of our family. Kobel had struck at this weak point of ‘Blanche,’ which Hubert was so determined to protect. And he did so right in front of his room, where even the servants could see and hear everything.

 

“If it is revealed that I am a dark mage, His Majesty will try to implicate the entire Blanche family in this matter.”

 

“Are you threatening your father right now?” Hubert growled low.

 

Kobel spoke earnestly. “I am merely stating the truth. I may be an inadequate son, but I am absolutely not a dark mage. I admit that I was reckless and made a mistake this time. But I am not, and will never be, a dark mage.”

 

“…”

 

“Father, for the sake of the family, please make a wise decision.” Kobel bowed his head. His expression was humble, and his tone was so sincere that it seemed as if he truly cared for the family. To someone who knew nothing, they might even think that, for the sake of the family, this matter should be covered up, even if he were indeed a dark mage.

 

Hubert silently stared at Kobel for a long time. Thinking it was a good omen, Kobel subtly rolled his eyes upward. He must believe that his plan is working.

 

But you’re wrong, Kobel. I’ve already anticipated every move of his. In a situation like this, his only escape route would be clinging to the family name.

 

“Haha!” Hubert suddenly burst into laughter.

 

Kobel’s face, which had brightened at his father’s unexpected reaction, stiffened.

 

Hubert approached Kobel, bending down to meet his son’s eyes directly. “What a coincidence. While searching your room, someone willing to testify against you appeared.”

 

“What?” Kobel asked back, flustered.

 

Hubert straightened his back and looked toward the door, giving an order. “Come in, Paterson.”

 

As Kobel’s eyes widened to the point of almost bursting, the door opened. Kobel quickly turned around in a panic. Though he looked much thinner and his complexion was dark, it was undoubtedly the missing Paterson. How could Paterson appear at this very moment? An undeniable look of confusion spread across Kobel’s face.

 

On the day of the treason accusation, I had captured the fleeing Paterson and hidden him away. For days, I worked on persuading him. I told him to confess all the evil deeds he had committed. Even though he fiercely resisted, in the end, he bowed his head to me. He had no other choice. The only way for Paterson to survive was to tell the truth and hope for Hubert’s mercy. And so, I brought the persuaded Paterson before Hubert at the right moment.

 

Paterson knelt before Hubert, pleading for mercy.

 

“Paterson, speak as you confessed to me earlier.”

 

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

 

Kobel stared at Paterson with trembling eyes.

 

Ignoring Kobel’s persistent gaze, Paterson began to speak. “I don’t know if Lord Kobel practices dark magic. However…” Paterson bit his lip hard and continued in a trembling voice. “I can testify with certainty that Lord Kobel conspired with Lord Gale in the treason framing incident.”

 

“Paterson!” Kobel shouted with a furious expression. “Do you think you can lift your head before God after telling such lies?”

 

“And!” Despite Kobel’s warning, Paterson did not stop speaking. “Lord Kobel has long ordered me to add small amounts of ‘Moredo’ to Your Excellency’s meals.”

 

As the word ‘Moredo’ left Paterson’s lips, everyone present was so shocked that they couldn’t even breathe. Moredo was a paralytic drug. It also had pain-relieving effects, making it commonly used for medical purposes. But prolonged use could lead to full-body paralysis. Eventually, it could even result in respiratory paralysis and death. Administering it secretly in small doses was a clear act of murder.

 

So, Kobel had been planning to assassinate Hubert for a very long time. It was no coincidence that Hubert collapsed shortly after being falsely accused of treason in my past life. It wasn’t just because of extreme stress, but because he had been taking Moredo for an extended period.

 

When exactly did Kobel start plotting this sinister scheme? Judging by how he cursed and eliminated Gale, it’s clear that the mastermind behind this scheme wasn’t Gale, but Kobel.

 

As Paterson’s testimony concluded, Hubert turned to the now petrified Kobel with a cold smile. “Isn’t this enough?”

 

“…”

 

“A sufficient reason to sever all ties between you and our family.”