The Reincarnated Noble Lady is the Infamous Viscount's Heir - I've Accepted a Contract Marriage for Estate Management. - Chapter 1.39

Lady Catherine, accompanied by His Grace, the Mage Academy staff, and her guards, departed from the Redgrave Ducal Estate.

I later learned that the raid scheduled for tomorrow had already been communicated to Duke Brocklebang, and Catherine would be taken into custody as part of what appeared to be a voluntary surrender.

It reminded me of those police dramas from my past life, where the captured culprit always asks to meet someone before turning themselves in.

From Catherine’s perspective, the position of being a royal bastard must have felt relatable.

She would now be under the custody of the Mage Academy.

I also heard that her execution would take place there.

It was only fitting, as His Grace had said—Catherine was essentially the mastermind behind an attempted coup against the royal family, and her sentence of death was already certain.

Tomorrow, after an audience with His Majesty, Duke Brocklebang would likely receive the same fate.

Knowing how busy things would get, we were invited to stay for dinner at the Redgrave Ducal Estate, where I shared a meal with Lady Angelina, His Grace, and the Count. Afterward, we were offered tea in the salon to wind down.

“But Grace, how did you figure it out?” Lady Angelina asked. “That Vincent is His Grace’s son, I mean.”

“The Count’s eyes—they’re royal purple. And his ear shape is similar to His Grace’s.”

“I see! Well, it took me quite some time to figure it out after marrying His Grace,” she admitted with a laugh.

Lady Angelina was his second wife, and while I’d secretly thought of her as a timeless beauty, I realized I’d completely misjudged her.

She was only in her twenties!

The same age as the Count!

Your Grace, this is borderline criminal!

And you married her when she was 15?! What kind of age gap is this? I quickly did the math in my head. His Grace must have been quite young when he first married, considering his royal background.

“Well, Grace, you’re so reserved despite holding a viscountess title at such a young age! When I was 13, I already knew I wanted to marry His Grace. It was love at first sight!”

“You pursued him boldly,” the Count commented dryly.

“Of course! His Grace was so handsome—he still is!”

Lady Angelina’s personality reminded me of my younger sister.

But wasn’t her boldness a bit too much?

His Grace’s first marriage had been to a marquess’s daughter.

However, the bride had eloped with the family gardener the day after the wedding.

This was a secret I’d only recently been told.

Her family had been mortified, apologizing profusely to His Grace after the scandal. They had even worked with him to conceal the situation by claiming she was ill and had gone to the estate to recuperate, all while secretly searching for her.

Eventually, they found out that she had a child with the gardener but had passed away due to complications after childbirth. The gardener had also died shortly after from an illness.

Since the marriage had not been annulled, His Grace had taken in the child—the Count’s older brother.

Sympathizing with His Grace’s plight, it was a maid from the Redgrave household who had comforted him after the failed marriage.

That maid had later become pregnant with the Count, only to disappear from the estate soon after.

Though His Grace had wanted to marry her, she felt unworthy of a man of such high status and instead raised the Count on her own while working as a wet nurse. Tragically, she died from overwork.

His Grace had spent years searching for her, only to find her after her death.

The Count, who had been attending the military academy at the time and believed himself to be alone in the world, discovered at her funeral that his father was His Grace, the Duke of Redgrave.

When His Grace tried to take him in, the Count reportedly said:

“My mother didn’t tell me your name because she believed she wasn’t worthy of you. I will honor her judgment.”

He refused to join the family but accepted the title of Count upon reaching adulthood.

Knowing this, it was clear that both the Count and His Grace had endured their own share of struggles.

Though, to be fair, His Grace ultimately ended up with a much younger wife who was utterly smitten with him—quite the victory, wouldn’t you say?

“Grace?” the Count called, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“I don’t want to ask this, but I have to. Is the Count’s position in the royal line of succession… in the single digits?”

The Count glanced at His Grace, then back at me.

“It’s only temporary,” he said. “Once the Crown Prince and the Second Prince recover from Catherine’s charm, things will return to normal. But if the treatment takes too long or complications arise…”

The Count held up two fingers with a wry smile.

“I’m second after His Grace.”

Your Highnesses, I’m begging you, please recover quickly!

Wait a moment…

“Lady Angelina,” I said.

“Yes?”

“Please do your best.”

“Huh? At what?”

Never mind. If you don’t know, it’s fine. Sorry.

You’re still young, and I’m sure you can manage. His Grace, you too—keep up the effort. If the two of you have a child, the Count’s position in the line of succession will drop, right?

I’ll pray for your success—and the princes’ recovery—at church when I return to the townhouse.

Please, God, help us!

The Count chuckled as he watched me spiral.

“Well then, I should be able to return home by tomorrow evening,” I said.

“Oh, you’re leaving already?”

“Yes, thank you for your hospitality.”

“I wish you’d stay longer! Oh, I know—why doesn’t Vincent just move here instead?”

Lady Angelina clapped her hands, as if she’d just come up with the most brilliant idea.

The Count quickly shut her down.

“Absolutely not.”

I nodded in agreement.

“Well, in that case, come visit us for tea or at least let me know when you attend a soirée,” Lady Angelina said.

“If Vincent gets married, you wouldn’t need to worry about that,” His Grace said calmly.

Lady Angelina beamed at him.

“You’re right! Vincent, hurry up and get married! I’ll come visit!”

Please, Lady Angelina, no surprise visits!

By then, I’ll probably be busy helping the Count manage his estate.

The next day, Duke Brocklebang was arrested as the mastermind behind the attempted coup, bringing the incident to an end.

In Lazurite Kingdom, particularly in the capital, special editions of the Ainsworth Times flew off the presses as the news spread.

And at long last, I returned to the Wilcox Viscount’s townhouse.