Chapter 11…
The Villainous Heir’s Daughter?!
“Look here, Duke Shablin. Just look at my son’s teeth—he isn’t even married yet!”
Inside the spacious reception room,
Count Colson pointed at his son’s mouth with an expression that barely suppressed his anger. Joseph, as if to show it off, went “Eee—” and revealed the gap where his front tooth used to be.
Even I, hiding in the corner, couldn’t help but gape at the chilling emptiness where cold wind could practically pass through.
‘My condolences to that front tooth.’
May it rest in peace…
His face was also bruised black and blue, so even Duke Shurman couldn’t hide how pitiful he found the situation.
Count Colson, overcome with emotion, began ranting tearfully.
“I raised him well, without lacking anything! No one ever said he was ugly! Even I thought he had a decent face. But… but to think it was all thanks to that front tooth!”
“……”
Duke Shurman clenched his teeth.
“Do you know what it feels like to see your son’s face look empty every time he smiles? You wouldn’t know—you have a son whose face is perfect! My son—! Even the one decent thing about his face is gone now!”
“……I have no excuse. I am truly sorry.”
“My handsome boy now looks like a fool! I keep wondering if he’s lacking somewhere, and it makes my eyes well up!”
“I sincerely apologize.”
“He’s covered in bruises too—I thought he turned into a cow!”
Joseph, his face mottled with bruises, chimed in as if wronged.
Meanwhile, I reluctantly examined his face.
‘Honestly, even before losing his front tooth, he didn’t look that great.’
If anything, his slick, smug impression had softened quite a bit without the tooth. He actually looked kinder now.
At Duke Shurman’s signal, servants of the ducal house brought in five luxurious wooden boxes.
They placed them neatly in front of Count Colson and Joseph, and Shurman spoke.
“I know well that nothing in this world can restore a lost front tooth. Still, if you’ll accept it, please take this as compensation. I’ve prepared more than what you might have expected.”
The servants opened the lids.
At that moment, sunlight streaming through the window reflected off the contents, scattering dazzling light across the reception room like a mirror ball.
I instinctively raised my arm to shield my eyes.
‘What is this—how many jewels did they bring?!’
And five boxes of them!
Count Colson and Joseph’s eyes widened as well.
Even they seemed to realize that, for mere “compensation,” this was excessively lavish, elegant, and extravagant.
The brilliance of the jewels proudly displayed the class of the Shablin ducal house.
“Your Grace, Duke Shablin!”
Suddenly, Joseph Colson stepped forward as if struck by realization.
“I have yet to receive a single apology from Marquis Shablin. After humiliating me so greatly, not even a letter! I’m too ashamed to face any ladies now. I don’t know how I can show my face in society anymore—it brings me to tears!”
Joseph finished, voice trembling.
Duke Shurman let out a long sigh, as if at a loss for words.
“As you know, Leonardo still lacks much. He does not have the generosity to admit his faults. He must reflect on his mistakes in solitude. I will make sure to teach him well so that one day he will apologize to you.”
“Reflect? He was playing poker at a club until dawn today—”
Thud!
Count Colson jabbed his son in the side, shutting him up.
‘Hmm.’
Watching this, I felt oddly solemn.
Looking around, it wasn’t just me—Nocturne and the others of the ducal household also looked far from pleased.
‘Grandfather didn’t bow his head, but… this still feels awful.’
What kind of family was the Shablin ducal house?
A powerhouse ranked within the top five in authority after the imperial family, overflowing with tradition, power, and wealth.
People even joked—half seriously—that they wished to be reborn as a dog in the Shablin household.
And yet, they had to speak so humbly to a family like the Colson count house, which didn’t even compare to a speck under Shablin’s fingernail.
The fact that this wasn’t the first time made it hurt even more.
At least because Duke Shablin himself stepped in, the nobles’ resentment toward Leonardo hadn’t escalated into full-blown revolt.
‘Because of his father, Grandfather’s dignity is suffering. Such a noble person, reduced to this…’
Had Marquis Leo ever seen scenes like this himself?
As I looked at the duke with pity, Count Colson hesitated.
“Well… in any case, your generosity has eased my heart. Since you have sons as well, I’m sure you understand my pain.”
“Of course. I’m ashamed I can only do this much. Instead, I will personally introduce you to the most skilled physician among our household doctors. The medicine will also be prepared with only the finest ingredients.”
“Such overwhelming generosity. Truly worthy of Duke Shablin.”
A warm exchange followed between the duke and the count.
But Joseph’s eyes were trembling.
I had been watching him the whole time, so I noticed immediately and narrowed my eyes.
“N-now, I don’t need a doctor! Just one of these boxes is more than enough to heal all my wounds! I’ll go see my own physician now. I must get rid of these bruises as soon as possible. Haha!”
Joseph laughed awkwardly and gestured to the servants to take one of the boxes.
Seeing that he was about to make a quick escape, I hurried over to where the adults stood.
“Are you gonna use that to pay off your gambling debts now?”
“Hm?”
“?”
At the sudden childlike voice cutting through the air, everyone’s gaze turned toward me.
Last night, I had asked Evot to investigate Joseph Colson. I had a feeling there was something more than just unpaid club tabs.
Through a friend working in the Colson household, Evot found out about Joseph’s situation.
‘A mountain of gambling debts he hid from his father!’
Joseph, a gambling addict, had all his financial sources cut off by Count Colson in an attempt to stop him.
But his debts kept growing, so he must have gone as far as provoking the empire’s notorious troublemaker.
‘Is he insane?’
Trying to extort wealth from the ducal house while Marquis Leo was causing chaos!
Count Colson looked bewildered.
“Gambling debts? Who is this child? My son doesn’t gamble anymore! He promised me it was the last time and cleaned everything up.”
After speaking kindly, the count shot Joseph a terrifying glare.
“Isn’t that right, Joseph? You didn’t go to a gambling den again, did you?”
“N-no!”
Joseph shook his head frantically.
“Absolutely not! What is she saying? It’s a lie, Father! Stop joking around, kid!”
As expected, he denied it. I grabbed Duke Shurman’s sleeve.
“Grandpa! I’m telling the truth. The owner of the Rutemund gambling house keeps demanding money from that man every day.”
“……Th-that’s ridiculous—!”
Joseph clamped his hands over his mouth, but it was too late. Count Colson’s face darkened ominously.
“If you don’t believe me, go to Rutemund! And people say that man started it first! He told my daddy things like, ‘May your father bite a stone while eating,’ and ‘May your father trip on a rock and smash his head while riding a carriage!’”
“What?”
“That’s not true! Everything that child says is a lie! Kid, you shouldn’t slander adults! And Marquis Shablin bumped into me first—that’s how the fight started!”
“Grandpa! Please clear my daddy’s name! You can investigate and find out who’s telling the truth! That man got hit on purpose! He was aiming for Grandpa’s money!”
“……!”
“W-what is all this?”
Duke Shurman looked back and forth between me and Joseph, speechless.
Unable to bear it any longer, Count Colson shouted to his aide.
“Go to the Rutemund gambling house immediately and verify the child’s claims!”
“I-it’s true, Your Excellency.”
“What?”
At the confirmation that came back far too quickly, Count Colson looked as if he had bitten his own tongue.
