LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 16
Episode 16: The Next Earl’s Logic, Part 2
Ace’s words left the three of them speechless. Ace, however, remained completely unfazed.
“Father… the value of Erde Village lies in its location.”
“Its location?”
“Yes. Erde Village is almost exactly halfway between Erkensk and the Raengeik Mine, correct?”
“……”
Earl Selens had no response to Ace’s question. Ace wasn’t disappointed by this. It was proof that Ace had already emotionally written off his father.
“You do know that Erkensk is a crucial hub for trade in our territory, right? And the Raengeik Mine is the backbone of our income… accounting for 40% of our revenue.”
“I know that much.”
“Good. So, after all that, do you understand the importance of Erde Village now?”
“……”
Ace’s overly blatant sarcasm made the Earl’s face twist in discomfort.
“What do you plan to do if Erde Village starts charging tolls?”
“Ah…”
“And exorbitant ones at that.”
The mention of tolls by Ace left the three of them utterly speechless.
“Erde Village may not generate much tax revenue, and its importance may seem low. But that’s only under the assumption that it belongs to the Selens Earldom. If it were to fall under another territory, Erde Village could become a poisoned dagger, economically strangling the Selens Earldom.”
“……”
“The problem is, there’s only one road connecting the Raengeik Mine and Erkensk, and Erde Village sits right on that road. To avoid it, we’d need to build a new road bypassing Erde Village… but that’s not something that can be done in a year or two. Plus, the detour would significantly increase transportation costs.”
Ace spoke calmly, but his tone hinted at the depth of his anger, leaving the three unable to respond.
“Now, after all this explanation, I hope you understand the importance of Erde Village… So, isn’t the 25 million dorado proposal worth it?”
The three nodded vigorously. After such an explanation, no one could fail to grasp Erde Village’s significance.
“Now, Father…”
“What is it…?”
“Since you now recognize the importance of Erde Village, I suggest you renegotiate the terms with Lord Giorg.”
“Renegotiate…”
“Yes, propose the transfer of Erde Village for 25 million dorado.”
“That’s impossible!!”
Fiona’s voice cut through Ace’s words. Ace glanced at her with clear displeasure, and Fiona’s face visibly paled with fear. The relentless scolding earlier had left her deeply afraid of Ace.
“Oh… do you even know your place?”
“It’s no use!! Offering that to that man would be pointless!! It would only lead to even worse conditions!! Right!? Father!! Mother!!”
“Ah… that’s true.”
“Fiona’s right.”
“What do you mean?”
Ace looked puzzled at the three’s reactions. Their behavior was clearly abnormal, especially Fiona’s palpable fear.
“What happened at the Zafing Residence? Speak!!”
Ace’s sharp tone made Fiona flinch. Fear of being hit again seemed to push her to start speaking, haltingly.
“I… went to tell Giorg that I was breaking off our engagement because I was going to marry Leon.”
“……”
“When… the topic of the next Zafing Marquess being Leon came up… Giorg had his servants restrain me and Leon.”
“The next… Marquess?”
“Yes… he suddenly had us restrained. Then he called us usurpers.”
“Usurpers?”
“Yes. Leon’s parents… don’t have Zafing blood. His father married into the family, and his mother is a stepmother…”
“I see. So Leon can’t inherit the Zafing House. No wonder Lord Giorg called you usurpers.”
Ace’s understanding of Giorg’s actions surprised Fiona a little.
“So, Fiona… you’re going to marry Leon. On top of adultery, marrying someone who tried to usurp the family… this would be the most scandalous disgrace in the history of the Selens Earldom. What reason could you possibly have for accepting such a scandal and marrying Leon?”
Ace glared at Earl Selens, who gulped audibly.
“It’s the Duke Zafing’s order.”
“Duke Zafing? You mean Lord Giorg? Ah… so he officially inherited the title when he turned 16.”
The resignation in Ace’s voice was palpable to the three. It was a tone that foreshadowed the end of the Earldom, more so than his earlier anger.
“A lower-ranking Earldom breaking off an engagement with the current Marquess, and then marrying the half-brother who hinted at being the next Marquess… haha, this is so bad it’s almost funny.”
“……”
“The current Marquess being told directly by someone with no inheritance rights that they’re the next Marquess… it’s no wonder he hinted at assassination.”
At the mention of assassination, the three looked visibly uncomfortable. Ace didn’t miss it.
“So, Lord Giorg claimed that…”
“No… actually, the previous Marquess couple… accused the former Marquess of being assassinated.”
“What do you mean?”
Ace couldn’t hide his confusion at this new development. The assassination of a former Marquess was a national-level scandal.
“Well… the former Marquess was poisoned… Giorg gathered evidence and accused them.”
“…Leon’s parents assassinated the former Marquess… and tried to make Leon the Zafing Marquess… hehehe, it just keeps getting worse. Hahaha!!”
“B-Brother…?”
The three looked at Ace with unease as he burst into laughter.
“Ah, so that’s why you’re marrying Leon. Hahaha, this is the end of the Selens Earldom. The son of a major criminal who assassinated the former Marquess is marrying my sister. The wedding announcement will probably come after Leon’s parents are executed, right?”
Ace spoke with a strangely convinced expression, accurately predicting the conditions Giorg had set.
“Well, I’ll have to break off my engagement with Myuzes.”
“Huh?”
Fiona gasped at Ace’s words. Myuzes was the daughter of the Cretomis Earldom and Ace’s fiancée. Though their engagement was politically motivated, they had built a trusting and good relationship over time.
“Of course. I can’t let Myuzes board a sinking ship like the Selens Earldom.”
Ace’s words were filled with affection for Myuzes, a bond forged over years of mutual care—something Fiona could never hope to achieve.
“T-That’s…”
“Fiona, how does it feel to have ruined your family’s Earldom and your brother’s marriage? Must feel great, huh? Father, Mother, your support for Fiona’s so-called true love is truly admirable.”
Ace delivered this in one breath, then elegantly bowed to the three.
“Well, I must now figure out how to live my life, so I’ll take my leave.”
“Wait!! What do you mean, ‘how to live’!?”
“Exactly what I said. I refuse to spend my life cleaning up your messes. The responsibility for ruining the Earldom lies with you.”
“Y-You’re abandoning us!?”
“Then the three of you should commit suicide here.”
“Wha… do you even understand what you’re saying!?”
Ace’s inhumane proposal left the three frozen. The Earl finally managed to shout, but his voice lacked any authority. He was clearly overwhelmed by Ace.
“If you offer your heads as compensation to the Zafing Marquess House, the Selens Earldom might be forgiven.”
“……”
Ace smirked sarcastically at their silence.
“You can’t do it, can you? That’s why I say the Selens Earldom is finished. If you can’t answer immediately in this situation, there’s no hope for survival.”
With that, Ace turned and left without looking back.
Click the heart to easily show your support. (Login required)
Support
Log in if you have an account
Learn more about the reading experience available on Kakuyomu