Declared Dead, Exiled, and Betrayed— Now I Walk Away, but I'll Save One Who Cared - Chapter 37

Lord’s Manor (Shifa)

“A casino is unnecessary! Have you already forgotten what Duke Horneld’s men did to you in the past!?”

Father’s anger was justified.

After all, his beloved daughter had been deceived, buried in debt, and nearly had her authority as lord manipulated because of it.

We had finally managed to rid the city of the casino under the pretense of reconstruction, yet now they wanted to bring it back? It was insanity.

But despite Father’s fury, Eranda remained unfazed, her expression cool and detached.

“It can’t be helped. That was Lord Leonard’s… no, Duke Horneld’s condition for his support.”

She spoke matter-of-factly, as if she had completely erased the past from her mind.

Or perhaps she had chosen to bury it.

She didn’t care in the slightest that reopening the casino would only lead to more people becoming addicted and drowning in debt.

And this woman… this woman’s child is supposed to become the next lord?

“The kingdom supported our reconstruction! We no longer need Duke Horneld’s assistance!”

Father’s voice rang out, a cry from the depths of his soul—anger at being deceived. But it didn’t reach my sister at all.

She only looked at him with empty, emotionless eyes.

“How cruel of you. If I hadn’t done this, I would be dead, and this child would never have been born.”

“Ugh… you…”

Seeing Eranda’s indifference, Father slumped to the floor.

His health had never been strong. He had been bedridden ever since the last stampede.

Recently, he had forced himself to recover, claiming he wanted to pass on his duties to me. But perhaps he had pushed himself too hard.

The attendants quickly moved to support him and carried him away.

“Would it have been better if I had died? How unfortunate… for you.”

Eranda muttered as she absentmindedly watched Father being taken away.

I could only wonder—how did things end up like this?

My sister had made countless mistakes.

There was little that Father or I could have done to change that.

And yet, we were the ones who had to pay the price for her failures.

Father, myself… and Lax.

It was unfair. It was cruel.

But there was nothing we could do. That was how nobility worked. That was the law of this country.

No… the ones truly paying the price were the people of this city.

No, not could be. They were.

If Lax never returned, if I was forced to leave, and if Father passed away…

The only ones left would be Eranda, her son, Feil, and Duke Horneld’s so-called “support,” which was nothing more than his control over the territory.

The city would become an unbearable place to live.

That was unacceptable.

After Father was taken away, Eranda glanced at me absentmindedly but said nothing. She simply turned and walked away, likely returning to her chambers.

Since returning to the city, she had not left the estate even once.

She had brought servants from Duke Horneld’s domain to take care of all her needs.

She barely left her son’s side.

Did she have something to hide?

No, she had plenty to hide.

If not for that child, she could have been arrested as a criminal at any moment.

But because of him, her crimes were forgiven, her wrongdoings against the commoners erased.

She had secured a future as the mother of the next lord.

But…

“Is that child really yours and Jekyll’s? His hair color is completely different from both of yours.”

“Are you calling me a liar? Are you saying I didn’t give birth to him after carrying him in my own womb?”

Once she said that, there was no way to prove otherwise. Even if the truth was different, it would be impossible to prove.

I glared at her, but she showed no reaction.

“If you’re so suspicious, why don’t you find out for yourself? You enjoy sneaking around, don’t you?”

“Ugh…!”

She was obviously referring to how I had exposed her past crimes.

She twisted her lips into a mocking smile, her words dripping with malice.

What a wretched woman.

To think that this person was my sister…

“Oh, and one more thing. You’re free to investigate, but do it outside the city. I’m exiling you.”

“What!? What are you planning to do while that child is still too young to rule!?”

“It’s simple. I’ll issue an official pardon under his name—once Father is dead.”

“What…?”

What was she saying?

Was she planning to get rid of Father?

Was she willing to go that far?

“Goodbye, Shifa. Stay safe.”

“Stop! What are you planning to do to Father!?”

“You don’t need to know. Now, take her away.”

At her command, Duke Horneld’s men grabbed my arms.

“If you don’t resist, I won’t have them rough you up. You might end up as some noble’s wife in another city, after all. You’re smart enough to know that causing a scene here wouldn’t be in your best interest, aren’t you? Now, goodbye.”

“You… Eranda! Stop! Let go of me! Let me go!”

My struggles were in vain.

I was restrained and forcibly removed from the lord’s manor.

At some point, my belongings had already been packed away.

They were thrown into my item box before I was shoved into a carriage.

I have to find Lax…

Father… I will come back for you.

Please, hold on.

Until then… stay safe. I beg you.