TCBVF 87

Chapter: 87

“Ah, Father.”

Seraphina called out to the Count desperately.

In the past, if Seraphina addressed him so boldly, crossing the line with such a familiar title, Count Gusto would have merely laughed warmly and brushed it off as cute.

But the current Count Gusto only glanced at Seraphina with a gaze utterly devoid of warmth.

“Who said I was your father?”

“…What?”

Seraphina was left stunned, as though she had just been slapped across the cheek.

“You need to face reality now.”

Count Gusto clicked his tongue deliberately.

“You two were nothing more than childhood friends. How long do you intend to keep pestering Gregory and following him around?”

The Count looked Seraphina up and down as though she were pathetic before speaking sharply again.

“Isn’t it about time you started living on your own?”

“W-What do you mean by that…?”

“How long are you planning to keep clinging to the Gusto family?”

Seraphina simply could not believe the reality before her eyes.

Count Gusto had always treated her as though she were his own daughter.

He had said that it would be wonderful to have a daughter like her, and that having only two stiff, serious sons made life hardly enjoyable.

He had definitely said those things…

‘Lies.’

Seraphina could not recover from the shock.

Yet no one paid any attention to the devastated Seraphina.

Instead, Gregory warmly asked about Larrit.

“Lari, are you okay?”

“You weren’t too surprised, were you?”

Count Gusto also approached Larrit as though he had been waiting for the opportunity.

Larrit stared at the father and son with an incredulous expression before narrowing her eyes and snapping back.

“I don’t think we’re close enough to be asking about each other’s well-being.”

“Come on, Lari. How long are you going to keep being so prickly?”

Gregory replied with a sly smile.

“Anyway, I didn’t expect you to come all the way to the Great Temple.”

His eyes gleamed ominously.

“So? Does it feel better now that you’ve confirmed everything for yourself?”

He spoke as though he had already secured victory.

Gregory continued in a coaxing tone.

“You’ve done enough by now, haven’t you? Just stop.”

“By what right does Young Master Gusto tell me what I should or shouldn’t do?”

“Why? There’s nothing strange about a husband giving his wife some advice, is there?”

Larrit could not hide her disgust at his shameless words.

But Gregory went even further.

“You’re going to be my wife anyway, so do you really have to make things this troublesome?”

Gregory deliberately shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t like women who make a big fuss over everything, you know?”

“Gregory is right. You should stop being so stubborn now and think about arranging the marriage as soon as possible.”

Count Gusto subtly supported his son’s words.

“What good will come from making an even bigger commotion here? Wouldn’t it only damage the reputation of the Viscount Ancy family?”

His tone was almost as though he were genuinely concerned for Larrit and trying to persuade her.

At that moment, Larrit felt a powerful sense of incongruity.

‘Wait.’

Why were these men here in the first place?

If the Gusto family truly had the upper hand, there would be no reason for them to come looking for Larrit like this.

They could simply sit back and let the situation unfold.

But…

‘They’re the ones desperately pressuring me instead.’

Besides, Count Gusto had always looked down on the Ancy family, saying that their status was beneath his own.

If something had happened that was serious enough to make them bow before someone they had always looked down upon…

‘Could there have been a problem with the procedure for registering this marriage?’

Larrit’s pink eyes suddenly sharpened.

‘And what if they’re trying to rush the marriage through in order to cover up that problem?’

At the very least, it was worth investigating.

‘Enough. There’s no reason to waste any more time here.’

After giving the Gusto father and son one last disgusted glance, Larrit turned away without saying another word and quickly left.

“Larrit? Larrit!”

“My dear!”

The flustered Gregory and Count Gusto hurried after Larrit.

Naturally, Seraphina was left behind alone.

“…This is too much.”

Tears like pearls streamed endlessly down Seraphina’s pale cheeks.

“This is really too much…”

Until now, she had endured everything because of her pride, but she could no longer suppress her emotions.

Seraphina bit down on her lips hard.

‘How could they abandon me?!’

Strictly speaking, the two of them had only ever been friends, and it was actually strange that Gregory had supported Seraphina in every possible way until now.

But Seraphina, blinded by anger, had not a shred of reason left in her mind.

‘How could he choose Larrit instead of me?!’

And then—

“Lady Lopes.”

Someone spoke to her gently.

Seraphina quickly turned around, her eyes sharp.

“Who…? Ah.”

Her hostility immediately softened.

At the same time, her tear-filled eyes widened.

“…Chief Priest Evans?”

Isaac Evans.

Heir to the Marquis Evans family, a collateral branch of the Claudius family, and the youngest Chief Priest.

He was also a popular figure who was admired by countless ladies.

And now, he was looking at Seraphina with a gentle gaze.

“Um, I’m sorry if I startled you.”

“Ah…”

“You looked so heartbroken standing here and crying alone that I couldn’t help but speak to you.”

Could it be…

Did this man have feelings for her?

Instinctively, Seraphina lowered her eyes demurely and let her tears fall.

“I-I… Well…”

But despite her innocent and delicate appearance, Seraphina was busily calculating in her mind.

‘If it’s Chief Priest Evans, he’s much better than Gregory.’

His family status, his abilities, even his appearance.

If she wanted that, she needed to win Chief Priest Evans’s favor as much as possible from this point onward.

“…Sniff.”

Seraphina trembled as she tried to hold back her sobs.

Not knowing what else to do, Isaac gently placed a hand around Seraphina’s shoulder.

“Oh dear, please don’t cry.”

“I’m sorry… I must be causing you a lot of trouble.”

Seraphina also gave him a sorrowful smile through her tear-filled eyes.

At that moment—

‘Hmm?’

Seraphina blinked her tear-dampened eyelashes.

‘Did Chief Priest Evans just smile?’

But the smile disappeared almost instantly.

“If you don’t mind…”

Isaac comforted Seraphina with a deeply concerned expression.

“May I ask what happened to make you so sad?”

“…My Lord.”

“…”

“Your Grace!”

At the call, Dietrich suddenly came to his senses and lifted his head.

“What is it?”

“Well, that is…”

The attendant standing beside him looked anxiously at his hand.

Following the attendant’s gaze, Dietrich looked down.

Black ink was pouring out from beneath the fountain pen he was gripping.

His hand and even the documents were completely covered in ink.

“Ah, damn.”

Dietrich slightly furrowed his brow.

“Here.”

The quick-witted attendant handed him a handkerchief.

Dietrich took it and irritably wiped his hand.

“…”

As he stared at the black ink stains spreading across the pristine white handkerchief, he felt something rising bitterly inside him.

Eventually, Dietrich sighed and spoke.

“Let’s take a short break.”

“Pardon?”

The attendant stared at Dietrich in surprise.

It was understandable. Dietrich almost never suggested taking a break from work himself.

Yet he seemed completely serious.

He closed his eyes and leaned back against his chair.

While the attendant stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do, time passed.

“What? Do you want to keep working?”

Dietrich slightly lifted his eyelids and snapped somewhat sharply.

The attendant hurriedly shook his head.

“No, Your Grace. Please rest comfortably.”

‘The Duke seems strangely depressed lately. Am I imagining it?’

The attendant left the room feeling somewhat bewildered.

Click.

The door closed.

“…Phew.”

Dietrich let out a long sigh.

He had unnecessarily taken his frustration out on an innocent attendant.

‘There was no need for that.’

Lady Ancy.

The marriage registration between Larrit and Gregory.

And Gregory proposing to Larrit so openly, as though he wanted everyone to see it.

All of it kept getting under Dietrich’s skin.

…Even though Dietrich knew very well that he had no right to interfere in Larrit’s affairs in the first place.

‘This is suffocating.’

Dietrich irritably tugged at the cravat tightening around his neck.

But then—

Bang!

“Brother!!”

The door burst open as Evangelin rushed into the study.