~Chapter 86~
Armians took Bella’s embarrassment as a good sign.
‘It means she is finally seeing me as a man.’
Since Bella’s fever went down quickly, he abandoned the thought of disposing of Charlotte on his own and instead asked Bella’s opinion.
“How should we deal with Charlotte, Bella?”
“Where is she now?”
“She’s locked up. There are plenty of empty rooms in the mansion.”
To be exact, Charlotte was in solitary confinement, sick and groaning.
That day when Bella dismissed the others to speak with Charlotte alone, no one heard their conversation. But when Bella ran out into the rain and later fell ill, the servants put all the blame on Charlotte.
“That woman must have threatened our lady!”
“Why else would she run desperately in the pouring rain?”
“Even her illness must have come from running away from that wretched girl!”
“I heard she demanded money! One of the knights read her lips—it’s true.”
“Then that’s robbery! Who does such a thing in broad daylight?”
Without Armians’s order, the servants had caught Charlotte and even beat her mercilessly.
If Armians hadn’t stopped them, saving her “for Bella’s share,” she might have been beaten to death.
“What should we do with her?”
Bella, lost in thought, slowly raised her head.
“Release her.”
“Just… like that?”
“Yes.”
Armians knew Bella’s heart was soft, but still… to release Charlotte with nothing done?
“I heard her story. She owes huge debts to Lady Lethene and others.”
“……”
“She has no way to repay them. She’ll spend the rest of her life hounded by creditors.”
For Charlotte, death would be an escape, not a punishment.
“I want Charlotte to live in this hell.”
Armians revised his thoughts.
His partner was indeed capable of cruelty when needed.
“Very well. It shall be as you wish.”
That afternoon, Charlotte was thrown out of the Grand Duke’s mansion, battered and broken.
She pounded on the gate and screamed:
“Do you know who I am? I’m Charlotte! I grew up like a real sister to Bella! You know Bella, don’t you? Just tell her I’m here—ahh!”
A servant dumping waste water splashed her instead, and she staggered away from the estate.
Having realized Bella would never help her, Charlotte went to find the Rohiltern couple, who were staying near the capital.
Lady Lethene had whispered their location to her, mocking her ruined state.
“Even if you’re penniless, your parents must be better off. Right?”
“Didn’t you know? They came to the Founding Festival.”
“So maybe it’s true they cut ties with you.”
“Father…?”
At the address Lady Lethene had given her, Charlotte saw Count Rohiltern.
Her jaw dropped in shock and anger.
She was living in rags, yet her father was dressed neatly and even had a fine house in the capital.
“Charlotte?”
Count Rohiltern was just as shocked—his daughter, whose whereabouts had been unknown for two years, suddenly stood before him.
“What are you doing here?”
But the surprise faded quickly. He wrinkled his nose and stepped back.
Her shabby clothes, her stench—he could tell she came for no good reason.
“Help me, Father.”
As expected.
When she begged for money, his face twisted in disgust.
“You must have money, Father. Otherwise, how could you rise into high society here in the capital?”
“……”
“I’m desperate! I’m not asking to live in luxury like you. I just… I just need to survive!”
“What?!”
His raised voice brought the Countess outside.
“What’s going on, dear? Oh my, Charlotte? I knew you were in the capital, but to see you like this…”
“Mother!”
Charlotte, remembering her mother’s kindness, grabbed at her skirts.
“Mother, please save me.”
“Don’t listen to nonsense. Go back inside.”
“At least hear her out. How much debt is it? Just listening won’t hurt.”
Sighing, the Countess listened. But when the full amount was revealed, even she groaned.
“How could you take on such debt without a plan? And how do you expect us to pay such a huge sum?”
“Sell this house! It’s in the capital—you’d get enough money.”
“You foolish girl! If we sell it, where will we live?”
“I told you, there’s nothing more to hear. After all this time, is that all you have to say to your father?”
Shoving his wife inside, the Count glared at Charlotte.
“You must help me, Father! If you hadn’t sold me to the Grand Duke, I wouldn’t be like this! You don’t know how miserably I lived, how I was treated!”
“Don’t blame me! If you hadn’t called in slave traders and caused trouble, our family wouldn’t have fallen this far!”
He spat on the ground. Then suddenly, he looked at her with a twisted smile.
“You must know, don’t you? That I erased your name from the family registry.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened. She tried to speak, but he was faster.
“You are no longer a Rohiltern. I have no daughter. And you—have no father.”
“Father!”
“Get out.”
“Fa—”
“I said get out!”
Not only did he point toward the gate, he also summoned a loyal servant.
“Zenoc! Throw this beggar out. She dares come here and beg for gold as if she has the right.”
Zenoc knew it was Charlotte, but pretended otherwise. He, too, had been struck by her many times in the past.
“Are you insane? You know who I am! And you still—”
“Out! Do you know where you are?”
Even after throwing Charlotte out, the Count couldn’t shake her image.
His only daughter had returned, miserable and desperate. It weighed on him.
“One child, and she causes nothing but trouble…”
He grumbled louder to shake off the guilt.
“She couldn’t even secure the Grand Duke! I don’t even care about that now, but she can’t take care of herself either!”
The Countess was also troubled.
She had always thought of Bella as nothing more than Charlotte’s servant or a burden tied to the Rohiltern family.
To admit her daughter had fallen even below “that girl” was bitter.
But Charlotte’s actions had gone too far this time, so she couldn’t defend her.
So instead, she changed the subject:
“Dear, we’re in front of the Marquis’s house.”
Their carriage had arrived at Marquis Blansia’s estate.
After attending the Founding Festival thanks to him, they now sought to strengthen ties by visiting in gratitude.
“Yes, we must be careful.”
The Count cleared his throat, straightening himself.
When the carriage stopped before the grand mansion, a servant approached.
“Do you have an appointment?”
“Tell your master Count Rohiltern has come.”
The servant looked unimpressed, as if to say, ‘And who are they?’
The Count clenched his fist but held back.
At least he saw the servant soon return, bowing deeply this time.
“Please, come in. The master has been expecting you.”
“!”
