About Becoming My Ex-Husband's Mistress - Chapter 142

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 142. To My Dear Count Bilsty
“Preparations? This is not a journey—it is a return home. We need only go directly to Wintem.”
Faced with Luderne’s unwavering insistence, Ail found himself without words.
“We leave at once. Immediately. Your rest will be far better there than here.”
Though reluctant, I could only nod in acquiescence. No matter how I considered it, I possessed no means to defy Luderne’s command.
The moment Ail vanished before my eyes after activating a spatial displacement scroll, Luderne’s intoxicated gaze narrowed to slits.
“How presumptuous.”
“A man such as I could never dare aspire to her.”
That was what Ail had said. Yet his trembling fists betrayed what his words concealed.
Luderne could read Ail’s heart entirely from that gesture alone.
The affection he harbored seemed only to have deepened with time.
Of course, Luderne possessed a peculiar certainty—much like what Ail himself had spoken—that he would never cross that line.
Ail would never compete with him for Priscilla’s love.
Yet when he went to greet her, he would undoubtedly be exceedingly tender toward Priscilla. All the more so when compared to his current, disheveled self.
For the first time, this troubled him.
The thought that Priscilla might open her heart to Ail’s gentleness.
This was only the second time she had cast me aside.
I wanted to believe that every word Priscilla had uttered was not sincere, yet each time I recalled them, it felt as though a blade were carving through my heart.
The pain was unbearable. Even as tears fell shamefully, I could only cling to her.
But Priscilla kicked me away all the more harshly and departed. So thoroughly that I could not even muster the courage to grasp at her.
Yet strangely, my pride remained unbroken. Only my heart felt as though it were dying.
So I clutched at my aching chest and resolved to follow Priscilla. I would ask only that she allow me to guard her path home, for the night was dark.
Even if she refused, I resolved to brazenly shield her, my pride cast aside.
If it meant she would despise me all the more, so be it. Her safety was paramount.
Fortunately, Ail had taken that burden upon himself instead.
Watching the scene unfold from the window, Luderne had sought solace in strong drink to ease his torment, and only now, with Ail’s report upon his return, did his breathing begin to steady.
Even I found it absurd. My spirits had lifted simply because Priscilla too had wept on her journey home.
I despise seeing her cry, yet there was a strange comfort in knowing I was not the only one weeping.
Perhaps what Priscilla had said was not the truth after all.
Perhaps her declaration that she did not love me was itself a lie.
A bitter smile escaped me.
There was even a possibility that I had distorted Ail’s report in my interpretation, simply because I could not bear to accept reality.
‘I must give her time.’
Luderne gazed at the remaining wine in his glass, then set it down untouched. He would allow Priscilla the space to gather her heart.
In the meantime, he would dedicate himself to expanding this fiefdom, so that she might find happiness within it.
* * *
Several days had passed since I returned, having spoken harsh words to Luderne and wept bitterly.
The servants and Madame Laber bore expressions of concern for me, yet they dared not inquire as to the reason.
They merely attended to my mood with greater care and consideration.
Unless one were a fool, they would have surmised why I had returned in tears. Luderne had not sought me out since, nor had I gone to him.
If they had been quick with their calculations, they might have realized that day’s events could hinder the estate’s development, yet they showed no sign of it—only tending to me with such care. I was truly grateful for such considerate people.
In the meantime, the Bilsty Estate grew remarkably busy.
Buildings began rising in various places, and the Harbor, which had suffered pirate damage, was swiftly repaired.
Normalizing the Harbor was essential for smooth supply transport, so it was a fortunate turn of events.
When I heard Luderne had spearheaded the effort, I penned him a formal letter of gratitude.
From Count Bilsty,
To the esteemed Prince Wintem.
The reply that arrived the next day was equally formal.
To the esteemed Count Bilsty,
From Luderne Wintem.
The message was brief—merely stating that it was a measure taken for us both and not to trouble myself—yet it was written in his own hand.
I gazed long upon his elegantly signed handwriting, losing all sense of time.
The frequency of wild dog sightings had diminished considerably.
In fact, they had nearly vanished.
It was thanks to the Outpost established under Luderne’s orders on the day of the incident.
With the promise of three silver coins per beast, wild dog corpses soon piled high as mountains.
A Professional Hunting Team was also formed within the estate.
They devised countless stratagems to capture the wild dogs, again and again.
Before long, it would become difficult to spot a wild dog anywhere in the Bilsty Estate.
The neighboring Territory would face a relative increase in such troubles, but that was their concern. Wild beasts naturally roamed across borders.
I sent word urging vigilance, as wild dogs we relentlessly drove out might escape and cross into their lands.
If we worked together, at least we could maintain enough control to keep people safe.
But the reply that came back was a cold refusal—do not meddle in another’s Territory over a few wild dogs.
I heard their lord was too busy indulging in drink and revelry, wrapped up in some woman’s skirts.
In any case, we had handled matters on our end, so it sufficed.
And at last, I was permitted to descend into the Underground Storage.
Until now, Walter had prevented me from seeing Matilda and Wood.
“They have not yet completed their education. Please wait a little longer.”
But today, when he came to my Study, he laid before me a rather thick stack of confessions and stood at attention.
“You have waited long. The criminal has confessed to everything, and this is the final account. Since the Old Woman lives, we were able to sufficiently cross-reference the relevant truths. Please verify whether there are any discrepancies with the facts.”
“Thank you, Walter.”
At my gratitude, Walter’s lips curved upward with evident pleasure.
I immediately opened the confessions.
While I intended to verify the facts, I also planned to use this document to strip Matilda and Melissa of their status.
For that, certain portions of these confessions would need to reach the Court.
With content compelling enough to persuade.
First, Melissa’s statement that she was not Count Bilsty’s daughter was such a crucial point that it was placed at the very front.
Yet publicly revealing that Melissa was not her father’s daughter weighed heavily on me.
I did not know how Zerox would react.
In Matilda’s confession, she stated that Melissa believed Count Bilsty to be her father. If Melissa learned the truth, she would surely be devastated.
How Zerox interprets and accepts Melissa’s situation will determine how this matter unfolds.
The fact that Father passed away for that very reason would be bound up with it as well.
A sigh escaped me.
This is not content I can use readily without first gauging Zerox’s reaction.
Then I needed to examine the part where he obstructed the succession of the title and cursed me.
But the content of the curse itself is burdensome.
If it were Matilda, she would certainly emphasize the curse’s details. It was perfect material to paint me as an utterly vulgar and lascivious woman.
‘I don’t want the detailed contents of my curse exposed to the world.’
A confession regarding Menglow also caught my eye.
It was a criminal confession that Matilda and Melissa attacked Menglow, who was seeking help, and abandoned him in the Forest.
Following that, I saw mention of my curse.
My hands trembled with tension.
Yet as I examined the contents carefully, I became bewildered.
The confession contained no such details at all.
It merely stated that my body frequently ran with fever, making movement difficult, and that I would die after several years—nothing more than that curse.
I didn’t know why they had written it that way, but relief washed over me. This document could be submitted directly to the Court as it stood.
Of course, I couldn’t decide so easily.
There was no guarantee that Matilda and Melissa wouldn’t tell a different story.
“Should I focus mainly on charges like tax evasion, embezzlement, and breach of trust? But those seem relatively weak….”
As I muttered to myself, Walter spoke.
“Ah, there was a rather strange confession.”
“Yes?”
“They remarried Priscilla upon hearing a Fortune Teller’s words, and there’s even mention that they joined hands with Count Veloda Genoma to seize Priscilla’s assets. It was premeditated.”
That seemed like something I could definitely take issue with.
“But if my intuition isn’t mistaken… as I listened, something smells subtly off.”
“Something smells off?”
“Yes. They don’t seem to realize it themselves, but the circumstances of how things unfolded strike me as rather suspicious. I think this warrants separate investigation.”
“Which part?”
Walter rolled his eyes.
“Priscilla returned, and shortly thereafter a Fortune Teller appeared, and according to their testimony, that led to the remarriage…. The Fortune Teller’s condition and how quickly Count Veloda Genoma became connected—the circumstances are too seamless.”
….
I fell silent for a moment.
“W…. Ahem!”
Walter cleared his throat as he began to speak, then shrugged his shoulders.
“During interrogation… it became clear that their intellect and calculations aren’t particularly sharp. Yet the plan they devised is meticulous. Even before meeting Count Veloda Genoma.”
Had I not heard the truth from Luderne, I could never have imagined this, but now I felt cautious.
“Do you mean it would be difficult for this to happen without someone deliberately intervening?”
“It’s still delicate, but that’s the scent I’m picking up. Investigation seems necessary. You should be able to hear the related details directly. From today onward, I think it would be fine for you to face them.”
Now it was time to confront Matilda directly.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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