Now This Family Belongs to My Mother Chapter 93

“Claude! Is this really the time for you to be holed up in your room?” Violet stormed in, her voice sharp as she approached Claude. “Why on earth do you keep avoiding your mother?”

 

Claude frowned and got up from his seat. “Mother, didn’t I tell you I wanted some peace and quiet?”

 

“What? Peace and quiet? After ruining the entire plan, that’s what you have to say?”

 

“Didn’t you say it was a perfect plan? And now you’re saying that perfect plan fell apart because of me?”

 

“Yes! If only you, you idiot, had managed to calm the unicorn, it would have been perfect!” Violet strode forward and grabbed her son by the collar. “I even got you the handkerchief with His Majesty’s scent on it. So why were you dawdling until His Majesty reappeared?”

 

“I wasn’t dawdling. It’s just that the unicorn didn’t react to His Majesty’s scent like it did when it was younger.”

 

“Then you should have at least pretended to calm it down! You useless fool!”

 

Unable to contain her anger, Violet grabbed the vase sitting by the window and hurled it. Crash. A sharp, shattering sound echoed through the room. Far from being startled, her face twisted with even more fury.

 

“Mark my words, Claude!” Violet hissed through gritted teeth. “I will do whatever it takes to make you emperor! But if you fail to become emperor…” Her venomous eyes glinted coldly. “I’ll abandon you.” With that icy declaration, she stormed out of Claude’s room.

 

Claude stared coolly at the spot where his mother had just been. People believed that Violet cherished Claude dearly. Some even said that Violet’s maternal love resembled that of her cousin, Diane, and that it was proof they shared the same bloodline. But that woman and my mother are different. Claude sneered.

 

To Diane, Stella and Nicholas might be beloved children. But to Violet, Claude was a beloved ‘tool’. A tool to elevate her to a place of glory.

 

While a child might not be discarded, a tool that fails to serve its purpose can be thrown away. Claude was well aware of that fact. A dry smile crept onto his lips. But Mother, there’s something you don’t know. Violet was merely a ‘tool’ to Claude as well. If she failed to offer him the imperial throne, he, too, was fully prepared to cast her aside at any time.

 

That was how the mother and son loved each other.

 

* * *

Meanwhile, after leaving Claude’s room, Violet couldn’t contain her anger and began knocking over the decorations in the hallway. Crash! Bang! The sound of expensive ornaments shattering drowned out the noise of the emperor’s servants entering the mansion, leaving her unaware of their arrival. It was only when she recognized the familiar faces that Violet’s expression brightened.

 

“What brings you all here? Did His Majesty summon me?”

 

“Yes, Duchess Clementi. You must head to the imperial palace immediately.”

 

The emperor calling for her first? It was the first time since the scandal with Maddux. Violet, her face lighting up as if she’d never been angry, spoke excitedly. “Just give me a moment. Let me redo my makeup and change my clothes—”

 

“His Majesty has ordered you to come ‘immediately.’”

 

“But I still need to look pretty!” Violet snapped irritably.

 

At that, the women accompanying the servants stepped forward and seized her arms.

 

“What do you think you’re doing!” Violet shouted.

 

“There’s no need for you to dress up. The crown prince is waiting as well.”

 

At those words, Violet’s face turned pale.

 

* * *

Hubert returned to his office with a flushed expression. I need to look into past records on the divine beast’s healing abilities. I also need to find out how it affects the successor.

 

Bang. The moment Hubert opened the office door, his expression hardened.

 

“Father!” Gale was waiting for him. He rushed up to Hubert in a single stride. “Father, is it true? That you said you’d bring Leonoe into the mansion!”

 

“Yes. Starting today, Leonoe will be staying at the mansion.”

 

Gale froze like a stone. Hubert walked past his son and headed toward his desk. Gale then belatedly followed after Hubert.

 

“This is absurd! Bringing a mentally unstable person into the Blanche Mansion? It’s a disgrace to the family!”

 

Hubert glared at Gale with cold eyes. “And leaving a sick family member out in the cold isn’t a disgrace to the family?”

 

“T-That’s… For Leonoe’s sake, it’s better for her to stay in the sanctuary than in the mansion where no one can properly look after her!”

 

“Leonoe will stay in Epirosa’s room and be cared for by Epirosa. She’s been looking after her own mom since she was young, so there’s no need to worry.”

 

“But—!”

 

“Gale Blanche!” Hubert’s booming voice cut through Gale’s continued protests. “You always told me, didn’t you? That Leonoe was living well outside!”

 

Gale flinched at the furious shout.

 

“It’s my fault for believing that so easily. But you! Do you really want to kick out your sister who just barely made it back home?”

 

“T-That’s not what I meant…”

 

“Get out!” Hubert commanded.

 

Gale instinctively felt it. If he said another word here, something terrible might happen.

 

“Wait.”

 

But just as Gale, with a defeated expression, turned to leave, Hubert called him back.

 

“Gale, why is your sleeve torn?”

 

“What?” Gale, startled, looked down at his sleeve. His right sleeve was ripped, and the button had fallen off.

 

Damn it! When I was escaping from Epirosa’s room earlier! Someone had grabbed Gale’s arm. It must have been then that the button came off.

 

“What happened?” Hubert asked sharply, his eyes piercing.

 

“No-Nothing happened. I heard something serious had happened to Epirosa and was so shocked that I rushed over and tripped. It must have thorn then.” Gale quickly made up an excuse. His face was calm, but his heart was pounding like crazy.

 

Gale’s steps quickened as he left the office. Who the hell grabbed my arm back then? If that person has my button as evidence…! That would be a disaster. He had to find the button and the witness.

 

* * *

“Nanana…”

 

Even after Hubert left, Mom kept singing. Her expression was blank, but her voice was full of excitement.

 

I smiled brightly. “Mom, you’re happy to be staying with me, right?”

 

“Yeah, I am,” Mom answered right away.

 

“Ppiitppi!” Ppinix, who was curled up on Mom’s lap, chirped as if agreeing.

 

“The phoenix had told me. That the time has come.” I muttered softly. Then I recalled the stage structure that had collapsed on me and the sight of Mom’s face when I opened my eyes. “So this is what it meant.”

 

I had barely escaped death because of the rampage of the divine beast. And because of that very incident, Mom was brought back to the Blanche Mansion. Had the phoenix foreseen all of this?

 

Then who knows how many more times I’ll have to risk my life in the future. But I would endure it as much as needed. For Mom. For us.

 

“Mom, I promise I’ll make you better,” I whispered as I leaned my head against her. “And I’ll return everything that should have been yours in the first place.”

 

Mom started humming a song again.

 

“Now it truly begins.”

 

* * *

“I missed you so much, Your Majesty!”

 

In the emperor’s private parlor, as soon as the servants closed the door, Violet rushed toward the emperor.

 

“Did Your Majesty not miss this Violet even a little?”

 

It was just as Violet reached out to the emperor with a sultry voice.

 

“Duchess Clementi, I suggest you compose yourself.” Out of nowhere, Ludwig appeared and blocked Violet’s path.

 

What? When did he…!

 

A smirk tugged at the corner of Ludwig’s lips, and shame spread across Violet’s face. Emperor Ignasio cleared his throat. It was an unspoken agreement to the crown prince’s words.

 

Ludwig smiled faintly and spoke. “Duchess Clementi, stand and show proper courtesy to His Majesty.”

 

“…” Violet clenched her skirt tightly and bowed. “Greetings to the sun of the empire. And…” Reluctantly, she turned to look at Ludwig. “Greetings to the little sun of the empire.”

 

After finishing her greeting, Violet quickly raised her head and clasped her hands together. Then, with sparkling eyes, she looked at the emperor. “Your Majesty, why have you summoned this Violet, I mean, Clementi?”

 

Her voice was still dripping with coquetry. However, the emperor’s stern expression did not waver. It was then that Violet sensed something was off.

 

Ludwig threw something in front of Violet. “Do you recognize this piece of cloth?”

 

Violet’s face stiffened as she looked at the cloth that had fallen at her feet. It was a piece of cloth stained with the emperor’s blood, the one she had secretly taken.