Ch#126
Chapter 126"Not long ago, I heard a very interesting story by pure chance, Lady Canian."
"Dowager Marchioness Celestine? This is no place for you to intervene!"
"No, I'm Edel's guardian. I have more rights than you do."
Barbara took another step forward.
"I assume you all still remember the name Edgar Langburn. Edel's and Rin's biological father."
The completely unexpected bombshell made everyone who had been listening attentively prick up their ears in shock.
"Biological father? Does that mean Lady Edel is not Count Canian's true daughter?"
"It seems that way?"
As murmurs spread through the crowd, Rudmila shouted.
"What do you mean by that? How dare you spread such malicious lies without fearing heaven...!"
"Edel cost 100,000 ringtons, and Rin 80,000, right? After bearing two sons, you could no longer have children, but Count Canian needed a daughter to continue the bloodline..."
Barbara's cold gaze shot toward Dustin.
"So the solution he came up with was to buy children from distant relatives."
"Lies! All red lies, everyone!"
"There was adoption as an option, but the reason he registered them as true daughters is obvious—he thought the Four Great Families wouldn't accept a marriage proposal if they weren't blood-related."
"Even if by some chance we had taken in and raised Edel and Rin, what would be the problem?"
While Rudmila kept screaming that it was all lies, Dustin brazenly retorted with venomous eyes.
"We didn't go through formal adoption because we didn't want the girls to be hurt when they grew up. We did our absolute best to raise our daughters. Is that something to be condemned?"
.
He shouted toward the surroundings.
"Everyone knows we hired the finest teachers to educate our daughters! We raised them to be impeccable young ladies! Shouldn't that be praised?"
It sounded reasonable at first glance. However, Edel could not forgive him for claiming they had done their 'best.'
"Beaten with a switch for a single mistake on a test, struck for slightly displeasing you, barely fed because I gained weight—is that your 'finest education'? Most would call it abuse."
"It started when we were five or six! From that tender age, we had to grow up under your abuse!"
"That was...!"
Edel, grinding her teeth, did not stop there.
"You said you raised us as precocious young ladies, but when I returned after fending off Tolle or the second son's advances, what did you do? You slapped my cheek and got angry that I couldn't endure it?"
"Wh-when did I ever...!"
"It was the summer I turned eighteen. I haven't forgotten. Of course, the most unforgettable is Rin's suicide."
As the name that had briefly come up earlier resurfaced, people finally recalled the youngest daughter of House Canian who had died long ago.
"Rin was as good as murdered by you! That girl who threw herself off the balcony out of unbearable pain was only sixteen. Do you think I can forgive you for not pitying her suicide but instead cursing her as disappointing?"
Edel slowly shook her head.
"I can never forgive you."
A cold sneer formed on her lips.
"I've heard you've been frequenting House Winblair lately? Do you think I don't know you're trying to sell me off to Marquis Winblair now?"
"Don't treat us like fools, Count Canian. His Majesty and I are well aware of why you're suddenly trying to take Edel back."
As Laslo joined in, Dustin faltered. Edel drove the final nail in.
"If you ever claim rights over me again or slander House Criserus, the next place you'll meet me is in court."
- 3 -
"You...! How can you do this to your parents!"
"Of course I can. You're not my real family, and for your power and house, my youth was stolen. When I was thrown into the mud, you never reached out to me."
The Celestine family party turned into a battlefield, but thanks to it, people realized whose words were closer to the truth.
Dustin, who had boasted to Isaac that he would 'bring back Edel in exchange for Laslo's information,' grew desperate and started screaming.
"Ungrateful wretch! Without me, you'd be a back-alley whore—how dare you betray me!"
"Ah, Father!"
Startled, William tugged at Dustin's clothes, but the already hot-tempered Dustin shook off his hand, claiming he had endured enough.
"Fine, since it's come to this—if not for me, a lowborn wench with commoner blood could never play noble lady! Who do you think enabled it? Speak!"
The ones who answered were not Edel or Laslo, but the people around them.
"That's enough, Count Canian."
"This looks bad. Barging into another house's party—what kind of behavior is this?"
"This side is the truly vulgar one."
As the temperature of the surrounding gazes cooled, Dustin only raged more.
"No, listen! This girl could never have become a noble lady from the start! She became one thanks to me, so she should repay that grace...!"
"Who forced you with threats?"
"Exactly. Isn't this a form of fraud? Hiding her commoner origins to arrange a marriage."
"Count and Countess Criserus haven't said a word that's wrong."
The mood in the banquet hall had completely turned.
Dustin and Rudmila paled in panic, while their two sons merely supported their mother or watched their father nervously.
Barbara glanced at William and Jeffrey and said curtly,
"Young William and young Jeffrey, it would be best if you took your parents and left now. You won't enjoy the party anyway."
.
In the end, the Canian family fled the party without salvaging anything. With that, the issue of Edel's status was completely resolved.
House Canian's morality had hit rock bottom, and people would no longer sympathize with them.
Edel felt a bit hollow having prepared so elaborately, even staging the scene, to achieve this expected outcome.
The voice of Laslo, who approached wrapping her shoulders warmly, snapped her out of it.
"You okay?"
"What choice do I have?"
"Truthfully, I'm not okay. You should've given me a chance to speak. I could've shown them what real threats are."
Laslo raised an eyebrow slightly and pouted his lips.
Only then did she remember his plea before coming: 'You just stand back and watch.'
"Ah...! I-I got a little excited..."
"I'm kidding. What good is it if I silence the one with the most to say?"
His smiling lips dimpled deeply beside his mouth.
"It was a bit noisy, but this should put an end to the rumors."
"I hope so. If they provoke again, I'll file charges without holding back."
"I like that solution. Though for me, of course... mobilizing might be even more effective."
Edel gave Laslo a small smile, then stepped away from him and approached the Marquis of Celestine, bowing deeply in apology.
"I'm sorry for troubling you with my personal affairs. I don't know how to atone..."
"Is this a problem caused by Countess Criserus? It was Count Canian who barged in uninvited."
He laughed magnanimously and waved it off.
Then he called out to the surroundings.
"Now that the uninvited guests are gone, shall we pop some champagne to liven things up?"
Champagne is always welcome.
Besides, with plenty of time left in the party, no one wanted to spend it awkwardly, so everyone laughed heartily and gladly accepted the marquis's suggestion.
The real party was just beginning.
The party ended successfully as planned.
Edel and Laslo left a strong impression as the Criserus couple, and everyone caught on to House Celestine's political alignment from the marquis's amicable demeanor toward Laslo. Moreover, this opportunity proved that Barbara Celestine was still very much a force to be reckoned with.
"Thank you so much for all your help today."
As they exited the banquet hall, Edel expressed her gratitude to Barbara and the Celestine family.
It had been prearranged, but they had still risked their honor and reputation, which was truly worthy of thanks.
"We were happy to help. So don't feel burdened."
"House Criserus will henceforth cherish our friendship with House Celestine even more dearly."
Laslo greeted on Edel's behalf and shook hands with the Marquis of Celestine.
The Celestine gates swung wide open to let the departing carriage procession through, and guests were bidding each other farewell, savoring the afterglow, and boarding their carriages amid the somewhat chaotic scene.
In the disorganized moment, no one noticed two shadows darting from the bushes outside the gate into the marquis's grounds.
"Then we'll be off. See you again soon."
It was then, as Edel exchanged light cheek kisses with the Marquis of Celestine's wife, hugged Barbara tightly, and stepped toward the carriage.
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