Now This Family Belongs to My Mother Chapter 70

* * *

“S-Stella! The thing is, actually…!”

 

“Shut up! Do you think I called you here to listen to your excuses?” Stella shouted sharply.

 

It was late at night, in a corner of the grand duchy’s garden. Maddux, already a mess after being thoroughly beaten by Nicholas, shrank his shoulders.

 

“Where did you get my bracelet? And why did you lie about getting it from your lover? What kind of scheme are you pulling here?”

 

“I-I didn’t know it was your bracelet. Epirosa dropped it, so I just assumed it was hers…”

 

“Epirosa?” Stella’s face twisted into a menacing scowl. That thing messed with me again?

 

If it were Epirosa, she must have deliberately dropped her bracelet in front of Maddux. So Maddux would misunderstand and mess everything up! But how did she even steal my bracelet?

 

“Stella, I’m sorry. But we agreed to be friends, right? Can’t you forgive a friend’s mistake just this once… ?”

 

“Get that shameless, incompetent face out of my sight!” Stella threw a fit and stormed off.

 

Maddux slumped down where he stood. Even Nicholas, who had let him stay in a room at the grand duchy, had told him to leave a while ago. If Stella abandoned him too, he had nowhere to go in the capital.

 

Serves you right. Someone watched the scene with a smirk. It was none other than Wise. Hiding in secret, he had been observing the two’s private conversation, his face brimming with satisfaction. Just as Lady Epirosa requested, I stole the bracelet and handed it over. Now, Lady Stella and that wretched Maddux are drifting apart, aren’t they?

 

As a lowly servant, Wise didn’t know much about what went on in the imperial palace. Still, seeing the rift between Stella and Maddux put him in a good mood. I feel sorry for Lady Stella, but stealing that bracelet was the right move.

 

* * *

It was a few days after the bracelet incident.

 

“Lady Epirosa, His Excellency has summoned you to his office,” said Britlyn.

 

Hubert often called me in for conversations. Disguised as casual chats, the topics ranged from business to politics to society. But this time felt different. It wasn’t the usual time he would call for me.

 

“Did Grandpa call for just me?”

 

“No, he also summoned Count Gale, Lord Nicholas, and Lady Stella.”

 

I had a hunch. He wants to talk about what happened at the banquet. Though I wasn’t sure why he waited several days after the banquet instead of addressing it on the day itself.

 

Not long after I arrived at Hubert’s office, the Gale family showed up as well. As soon as Gale took his seat, he spoke to Hubert. “Father, about what happened at the banquet—!”

 

“Stella, did you gain anything by becoming Duke Claude Clementi’s partner?” Hubert cut Gale off and directly addressed Stella.

 

Stella widened her eyes as if caught off guard by the unexpected question. However, she quickly regained her composure and spoke. “Duke Clementi seemed to have taken a liking to me. Even after that incident at the imperial palace, he said he wanted to see me again.” She spoke shyly, her cheeks slightly flushed. There was a hint of pride in her demeanor. Hubert furrowed his brows.

 

“Not that.”

 

“Pardon?” Stella asked back, flustered.

 

Hubert replied with a blank expression. “Not fleeting feelings of affection that can dissipate at any moment. I’m asking if you gained anything actually useful.”

 

Stella’s face went blank. She had always manipulated people by earning their favor. So, to her, there was nothing more useful than feelings of affection. More than anything, since she can’t tell if that affection is genuine or just a misunderstanding, she probably can’t answer because she hasn’t gained anything else.

 

When Stella hesitated to respond, Hubert spoke first. “You already know that the imperial family is keeping us in check. Duchess Clementi is the emperor’s concubine, and the duke is her son. They align with the imperial family.” His gaze swept over his child and grandchildren. “Even so, the reason no one stopped Duke Clementi from escorting you was because they hoped you would gain something from it.” But all Stella had gained was disgrace.

 

Gale, who had been watching, stepped forward. “Father, even if Stella wanted to gain something, she couldn’t! You say it yourself, don’t you? She got caught up in an unjust incident!”

 

“An unjust incident?” Hubert stared at Stella.

 

Stella spoke as if she had been waiting for this moment. “It was true that the bracelet Lord Maddux had was the one I received as a gift. But I lost it at home.”

 

“Are you saying Lord Maddux stole the bracelet and then lied about it at the banquet?”

 

“Lord Maddux’s story was a bit different.” Stella’s gaze turned to me. Her eyes, unable to hide the hostility, peeked through her innocent facade. “He said he simply picked up the bracelet that Epirosa had dropped.”

 

“Epirosa?” Hubert looked at me.

 

I put on a face that said I had no idea what was going on.

 

“Yes, if Lord Maddux’s words are true, then it means Epirosa took my bracelet. Of course, I don’t think Epirosa intentionally stole my bracelet. But still…” Stella looked at me with a face full of feigned kindness. “I think we need to uncover the truth of this matter, if only to prevent Epirosa from being misunderstood.” Then she added, “Don’t worry about my reputation, Grandfather. Lord Maddux said he would do his best to explain everything.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Yes. I just want to make sure that Epirosa’s honor isn’t tarnished because of Lord Maddux’s explanation.” Stella spoke shamelessly.

 

Nicholas nodded at his sister’s words. “Now that I hear it, it does sound strange. Why did Stella’s bracelet end up in your hands?”

 

Even Gale chimed in. “Did you perhaps intentionally drop it for Lord Maddux and then feign ignorance when things escalated? We’re family, so you can be honest with us.”

 

“Yeah. Maddux seems to be interested in you too. If you want, I can put in a good word for you.” Nicholas said with a wicked grin.

 

These guys planned this in advance. I waved my hands in a flustered manner, caught off guard by their full-on offensive. “Lord Maddux? No way. I’m not interested in men yet.” Then, I looked at Hubert with a sincere expression. “Lord Maddux kept approaching me, so I sent him away even when I was picking out clothes. I even went to the imperial banquet with Marchioness Gent.”

 

“That makes it clear you’ve drawn a firm line with Lord Maddux.” Hubert, who clearly didn’t like Maddux, said with a satisfied tone.

 

The expressions of the Gale family shifted as their plan started to crumble.

 

“Then why did you take my bracelet?” Stella asked, trying hard to sound kind.

 

I tilted my head in confusion. “Is there anyone other than Lord Maddux who claimed I had that bracelet?”

 

“What?”

 

“Don’t you think Lord Maddux, cornered and desperate to make an excuse, might have falsely accused me?”

 

“That’s…!”

 

Stella couldn’t argue back. The only evidence was Maddux’s words. Among our family, not a single person truly trusted him. Not even Stella, for that matter.

 

“My own family won’t listen to me but blindly believes Lord Maddux’s words? It breaks my heart…” I interrupted Stella’s words, tears welling up in my eyes as I spoke.

 

“Let’s bring Maddux here! Let him explain himself directly!” Nicholas shouted.

 

“There’s no need for that,” Hubert said firmly. “We can’t involve outsiders in our family matters.”

 

“But Maddux—”

 

“Since when has the Blanche family been swayed by the Luija family?” Hubert said sternly.

 

There was no way Hubert didn’t know Maddux’s surname was ‘Luiji.’ But he deliberately said it wrong. A man from such an insignificant family wasn’t even worth calling by his proper name. It was clear he had no intention of listening to someone like that.

 

“This issue arose because Stella failed to take proper care of her belongings in the first place. Let it end here.”

 

“G-Grandfather…!”

 

“If you caused a problem, you should reflect on it.”

 

Stella, trying to drag me into the matter, ended up being scolded instead. She bit her lip in frustration.

 

“And…” It was around the time I thought Hubert had finished saying everything he needed to. After a moment of silence, as if lost in thought, Hubert spoke in a deep, low voice. “From now on, I will entrust the management of our household to Epirosa.”