Now This Family Belongs to My Mother Chapter 145

Before the hunting festival, Mom promised that she would win and give me the trophy. She had kept that promise. A smile blossomed across my face, so wide that I could hardly smile any wider.

 

Another round of applause erupted from the people. A winning present from a mother to a daughter. It was an undeniably heartwarming sight. Even Ignasio, who had been nervous that my mother might give the trophy to Hubert, readily applauded when he saw that she was giving it to me, her daughter. Ludwig and Claude’s expressions were also bright. The only one with a dark expression was Stella.

 

“Come up and receive the trophy, Lady Epirosa.”

 

When Emperor Ignasio called me up to the podium, Stella turned around and walked away. I ignored her and climbed up to the podium with a joyful heart.

 

“I kept my promise, didn’t I?”

 

I said, accepting the rather heavy trophy. “You won this for me to keep that promise.”

 

Mom then smiled.

 

* * *

Leonoe donated all the game he hunted to the poor. Following the winner’s lead, a line of donations continued. That night, dinner at the Blanche Mansion was lively and cheerful. Stella had excused herself, saying that she wasn’t feeling well, but her absence was hardly noticeable.

 

Epirosa, you damned thing! You ruined all my plans again! Stella pulled the blanket all the way over her head and fumed. She was so angry that she could hardly stand it.

 

Claude had refused her handkerchief. If only I hadn’t tried to give the handkerchief to Ludwig, he would have accepted it, right? After all, he said he wouldn’t take a handkerchief meant for someone else! He only did it because he was jealous!

 

If Epirosa had simply brought a handkerchief in the first place, Ludwig wouldn’t have given his handkerchief to her! Then perhaps he would have accepted my handkerchief instead!

 

Lost in her delusion, Stella blamed Epirosa. In the end, Epirosa had once again become the start of the hunting festival, and the thought continued to gnaw at Stella. She hadn’t even received a single piece of game. Not only does she interfere with me inside the family, but even outside of it too. What a wretched person!

 

Fuming, Stella climbed down from her bed. She thought maybe a walk would help cool her head. Should I try buttering up Violet again? If I stick close to her, I might get a chance to improve my relationship with Claude too.

 

As she draped a shawl over her shoulders and strolled through the garden, Stella’s steps came to a halt. Someone had just come out of the main mansion and was scurrying toward the servants’ quarters. The way they looked around cautiously made them seem incredibly secretive.

 

Isn’t that… Juliet? Why would she be heading to the servants’ quarters? Stella quickly recalled that Kobel was locked up in the underground prison there. Kobel is already a wreck, barely clinging to life. Why would she bother going to see him? What good could such a parent possibly do? Besides, Grandfather wouldn’t be pleased if he found out about this.

 

At that thought, the corners of Stella’s lips curled up maliciously. I might be able to get hold of Juliet’s weakness. Then she could control Juliet however she pleased. With those wicked intentions, Stella followed Juliet.

 

* * *

In front of Juliet, a magic scroll burned away. The guard standing in front of the servant prison collapsed silently under the spell.

 

“Sorry. Just sleep for a little while.” Juliet spoke indifferently and stepped into the prison. Inside, it was pitch dark, with not a single ray of light. Only the faint glow from the lamp in Juliet’s hand illuminated the space. She walked to the last cell in the prison.

 

Kobel lay collapsed there, his frail body held down by all sorts of restraints. He looked so wretched that it wouldn’t have been strange to mistake him for a corpse. Yet regular breathing could be heard from him.

 

Juliet’s eyes turned cold. “You’re still alive, I see.”

 

At those words, Kobel flinched. Like a rusted machine, he slowly raised his head. Squinting from the light he hadn’t seen in so long, he soon recognized the figure before him as his daughter. He then crawled madly up to the iron bars. “My daughter! Juliet! You’ve come to see your father!”

 

“Yes, I’ve come to see you, Father.” Juliet looked down at Kobel’s eyes, which gleamed with hope, and spoke. “To be precise, I’ve come to see your corpse.”

 

Kobel’s face stiffened at his daughter’s cold words.

 

“Why are you still alive?”

 

At that, Kobel’s face twisted in a grotesque manner. He recalled Mizulin and the servants holding down his limbs and forcing water and bread into his mouth. Even beasts wouldn’t be fed in such a manner. I would have eaten on my own without them doing that! It was clear that Epirosa had deliberately ordered them to treat him that way. That witch!

 

The water and food were barely enough to keep him alive. Kobel was suffering from extreme hunger, barely clinging to life.

 

“This father of yours doesn’t die so easily.” Even in such a miserable state, Kobel spoke arrogantly.

 

Juliet’s face twisted. “How do I kill you, Father?”

 

“Why? To make things easier for your father?”

 

Juliet pulled something out from her bosom. It was a dagger. “Isn’t it better to die than to live like this?”

 

Kobel stared blankly at the dagger before slowly nodding his head. “I’m tired of it all now.” Then, he stretched his scrawny neck through the bars. It was an invitation to stab him.

 

Juliet gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on the dagger. And she thrust the dagger toward Kobel’s neck. At last, I can avenge Mother…!

 

Clack! At that moment, Kobel’s bony hand had firmly grabbed Juliet’s wrist, the one holding the dagger. For someone on the brink of death, his strength was overwhelming. He had mustered every last ounce of his power.

 

“Le-Let go!” Juliet shouted as her grip loosened, causing the dagger to fall from her hand.

 

Kobel smirked wickedly and spoke. “Juliet, I will make you a saintess.”

 

“…!”

 

“Let us go to the great temple together. You will become someone special.”

 

“No! I don’t want to spend even a moment with a monster like you!” Juliet screamed.

 

Still holding Juliet’s wrist, Kobel gazed into the air and began chanting a spell. “Basilisk! I offer you a sacrifice, so lend me your power!” Though he had lost his abilities as a mage, his connection to the demonic beast had not yet been severed.

 

Soon, a dark cloud formed above Juliet’s head.

 

“No! Stop it, you monster!” Juliet bit down on Kobel’s fingers with all her strength.

 

“Argh!”

 

The moment the strength left Kobel’s fingers, Juliet broke free from his grasp and bolted out of the prison. The dark cloud that had formed disappeared as well.

 

“Damn it, damn it all…” Kobel collapsed backward in despair. “I need to use her to make a comeback…!”

 

The guards and servants always restrained his limbs before giving him food, so he couldn’t grab their wrists to chant a spell. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance! Kobel cried out in anguish. Is this really how Kobel Blanche has to end? I-I’m a special human being!

 

Amid Kobel’s wailing, the quiet sound of footsteps stepping across the stone floor of the prison could be heard. The owner of the footsteps stopped in front of Kobel’s cell, which was completely swallowed by darkness. Exhausted from crying, Kobel let out ragged breaths before freezing in place. The breaths of two people were crossing paths here. Someone was there.

 

“You, who are you! Mizulin, is that you?”

 

“Uncle.” A gentle voice flowed out from the darkness. “It’s me.”

 

“N-No way…!”

 

“Yes, It’s Stella.”

 

Kobel shot up from his spot.

 

“Come closer, Uncle.”

 

He crawled toward the direction of Stella’s voice. “Y-You, what brings you here?”

 

“I was worried about you, Uncle, so I secretly followed Juliet. But Juliet is too much. How could she treat her own father like that?”

      

Stella spoke as if she was genuinely concerned. But Kobel easily saw through the true intentions of his cunning niece.

 

“By the way, Uncle, can you really turn someone into a saintess?”

 

Kobel spoke in a low voice. “Not a real saintess.” He spoke honestly.

 

“That doesn’t matter.”

 

He knew Stella would accept even the ugly truth.

 

“As long as people believe I’m a saintess, that’s all that matters.” Stella groped through the darkness and extended her wrist through the bars. “Uncle, make me a saintess.”