Chapter 95. Family Feud

"Lord Romandor? Where has Lord Ian gone?"

Butler Samen asked Romandor, who was walking down the corridor alone, in puzzlement. Romandor waved his hand as if it were nothing and soon entered, requesting the necessary items.

"Parchment, pen, and ink, please."

"Yes, I understand."

Upon entering the bedroom, the smell of blood hit him. Along with it, the thick smoke of incense. From inside, the continuous sobs of Dive could be heard, and Lady Rien sat on the sofa with a detached expression.

"You've come? What about Lord Ian?"

"There was a sudden matter, but he will be here shortly, Lady."

Romandor looked around and sat opposite her. It was clear that he had something to say, and Lady Rien, aware of the inner bedroom, looked at Romandor.

"Why is that?"

"Lady, Lord Ian asked me to convey a message. He said it would be best if you kept the seal as it is."

"Oh."

Lady Rien exclaimed in surprise. Ian had sent a message. If she made up her mind, he would lend his strength to overthrow the Merelop family.

Romandor poured the cold tea and whispered quietly.

"I will submit a report, but depending on the meeting upstairs, an investigator may be dispatched again. At that time, I and Lord Ian will be on the way to the capital and won't be able to assist you, Lady."

"You mean I have to do it alone."

"I will explain the detailed plan after the matter is settled. Anyway, do you intend to keep the seal?"

It was a question of whether she would become the head of the household.

"Yes, I will manage the seal."

"Good. Then there is one thing you need to do. First, dismiss the knights."

"The three knights?"

"Didn't Lord Ian say anything about that?"

"Just now, he did. He said they were not cost-effective and that I should dismiss the knights first when managing the mansion."

Lady Rien's words made Romandor smile faintly.

"Well, that's not entirely unreasonable. The procedure is important. If they die as Merelop family knights, their names must be reported to the palace, but if not, there's no need to mention it."

'Die as Merelop family knights.'

Lady Rien's greenish eyes sparkled. Romandor was saying he would kill them all.

"Oh, I see."

"I believe you understand the meaning."

"Yes, I understand. Completely."

Ian was under the scrutiny and surveillance of the palace. If it became known that he had killed the Merelop family knights and interfered with the succession, it would certainly be very troublesome. Lady Rien nodded and glanced at the bedroom again. Dive's pretentious sobs were gradually subsiding.

"What about him?"

"He will be dealt with directly by Lord Ian, so you can leave it to him. However, there is one thing you need to promise, Lady."

A condition to firmly tie Ian and Lady Rien together.

"Five thousand gold coins."

"No problem. I'll sell the land if I have to."

"Maintain the number of soldiers to less than half of the current number."

It was a way to keep Merelop in check. A treaty for mutual peace in case Ian was away. Of course, it was no problem for Lady Rien.

"Alright."

"Give Lord Ian the right of first refusal in all matters of trade given to you. Of course, you have the right to reject Lord Ian's proposals."

Since the nearest territory was Ian's, it would naturally be the first to be mentioned in any trade or exchange. Lady Rien nodded, indicating that this was also no problem.

"If you agree, I will write up the contract formally after the matter is settled."

"There's no way out. I'm fine with everything."

"Understood. Oh, and about a man named Clark."

Lady Rien's expression stiffened. She had racked her brain, but there was no way out. The only option was for her to become the lord and grant him a pardon.

But she didn't know if Dive and the knights would keep Clark alive until then. It was a miracle he was still alive, as Ian had said.

What torture he had endured in the underground prison, whether he was already dead, Lady Rien could not know from the bedroom.

"Is there a way?"

"There is, but…"

Just as Romandor was about to continue, Dive appeared, dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief. When he only heard the sobs, it seemed he was about to fall over, but his face showed no swelling. It meant he had only raised his voice.

"Sister-in-law. It's regrettable that things have come to this."

"Now you can see me. You ignored me earlier, didn't you? Was it because Lord Romandor was here?"

That was the answer. As an advisor officially dispatched by the palace and the one who would submit the certified report, he had managed his image. However, Dive replied without batting an eye.

"That's not true. I was so shocked by my brother's death that I rushed to the bedroom. Sister-in-law, you're still the same."

"Indeed. You're still the same, Lord Dive."

Crack. It felt like sparks were flying between the two. Romandor only cleared his throat and interjected.

"Calm down and sit, please."

"Yes. Lord Romandor. Though it's sad, we need to settle things. I heard that the cruel slave who did this to my brother is still alive in the underground prison."

"His name is Clark."

"Please describe the incident in detail in the report to the palace, and I also request that you report the succession of the title."

This was not a new grant of a family and title, but a succession within the family. It only needed to be reported to the center, not approved by the emperor.

Dive's butler brought the writing materials and a parchment holder. Romandor nodded and dipped his pen in ink.

"Of course. Where else could such a tragedy occur? A slave killing his master… and a noble at that. By the way, Lord Dive, do you have any family?"

"Yes, but…"

"I heard you trust the underground deity."

"Me? No. Who said that? Did my sister-in-law say that?"

Dive replied with a straight face. While Barie had freedom of religion, it was freedom to be non-religious. In an empire where the Pope officially served a deity, being a heretic was a serious matter.

While there might not be direct sanctions in the border region, there would certainly be disadvantages. Mentioning the underground deity or making the gesture of prayer in his home would have been something he would have avoided if he knew Ian was a neighboring lord.

"Or did Lord Ian say that?"

"Whoever said it, it doesn't matter. The fact itself is important, isn't it?"

"No, that's not true. There is absolutely no such thing."

"I see. I understand."

He denied his faith for the sake of the title. Dive found this situation deeply painful and wanted to offer a penitent prayer as soon as possible.

However, he pretended to be unaffected.

"Since this is an unpleasant matter, we can't have a grand succession ceremony. Let's proceed with a simple ceremony tomorrow and then hold my brother's funeral."

"No, the funeral should come first. That's the proper etiquette."

Romandor firmly refused. Time needed to be bought for the lady to settle the knights. Dive, who was about to argue, shut his mouth at the mention of etiquette. As a noble, wasn't that the most important thing to maintain?

"I will ask a few questions to include in the report. Is that alright?"

"Go ahead."

"If the succession is granted, Lord Dive, you will be the 9th generation, correct?"

"My brother was the 8th, so I will be the 9th."

Romandor diligently wrote down the information and asked various questions. Meanwhile, Lady Rien's mind was boiling with the desire to quickly erase all traces of her husband.

Start anew, abandon everything and start over.

Survive first, and then, even if it means losing everything later, survival was paramount.

'Clark…'

"…Lady?"

"Yes?"

"Are you listening?"

"Ah, sorry. I missed it for a moment. What did you say?"

Lady Rien smiled and turned to Romandor. Dive seemed to dislike even her attitude. His disapproval became more overt.

"I asked the townspeople to announce the matter today and to help with the mansion's cleanup."

"Ah, the mansion's cleanup. Of course."

It meant dismissing the knights. When the lady nodded to proceed, Dive interjected with a truly unpleasant expression.

"No, that's not necessary."

"Not necessary?"

"Why should someone who is leaving the mansion manage it? I will take care of it from now on, so you should step back and take care of yourself."

The phrase 'leaving the mansion' was a jab. It meant she should not even think of being part of the family as a former slave. He was also worried that she might take everything from the mansion during the brief period she was in charge.

Romandor tried to mediate, but Lady Rien immediately countered sharply.

"Have you not been expelled from the mansion for quite some time? I doubt you know where to start managing it now."

"Sister-in-law, your words are a bit presumptuous?"

"Not at all. If you feel that way, I'm not sorry. The viscount is already obsessed with the title before the funeral. I understand your expulsion due to your belief in a heretical religion, but there are limits."

Each of her words was a sharp attack. Dive, about to strike her, raised his hand, but Romandor and the butler quickly stopped him.

"Hey, what are you doing, Lord Dive?"

"Lord Dive! You can't do this!"

"Even if expelled, you are still of Merelop blood. Resorting to violence so easily is disgraceful."

But the lady did not flinch. The venom in her words was fierce, as if she had nothing left to lose.

Dive, feeling humiliated by being contradicted by a former slave, trembled and shouted.

"Know your place, you lowly creature!"

"Exactly. By making a lowly creature the viscountess, the viscount must have been truly mad. He was out of his mind. As family, you are the same. Well, being mad, that's why he did it."

Dive waved his hands more violently but could not overpower Romandor and the butler. As the lady said, the brothers even resembled each other in their slender builds.

The lady sipped her tea and looked towards the door.

A knight was checking the inside due to the sudden commotion.

"Hey."

The knight raised an eyebrow at the lady's call. She nodded at Dive and asked in a mocking tone.

"As a knight of the viscount, isn't it your duty to protect me?"

"Lady, we cannot protect you until the truth about the viscount's death is revealed."

"Even with Clark in the underground prison, what truth can there be? If you won't, I have no choice."

Her gaze was a challenge.

"Lord Romandor has proven that the responsibility of the mansion is mine until the funeral. I will dismiss all three knights of the Merelop family."

"Dismiss them?"

The knight laughed. What did it matter if they were dismissed? But at that moment,

Bang!

A strange noise came from the lower floor.

The sound of something being crushed and broken, not an explosion.

The knight looked down the corridor in confusion. Someone was coming up the stairs with fierce momentum.