For the Lady's Wise Regression - Chapter 22

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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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Episode 22
“……?”
She’d expected Gideon to protest the exorbitant sum of the Congratulatory Gift Money, not suddenly wax poetic about love.
“Isn’t that the natural reason? You marry the person you love.”
At Vanessa’s offhanded remark—delivered as though she were prepared to hear any absurdity—Gideon’s expression grew peculiar.
“……Only you think that way, my lady.”
Ah.
Only then did Vanessa sigh softly.
How careless of her.
Since she already knew how their marriage would unfold afterward, she’d been certain they could never have chosen it without love—but now she realized her mistake.
‘I forgot about the Title Succession.’
Vanessa composed her expression and looked at Gideon.
“Did my gift displease you?”
“……If my manner offended you, I apologize. I only hoped Lavienne wouldn’t be hurt.”
“There’s no need to apologize. As for her, perhaps—but you? That was precisely my intent.”
At Vanessa’s words, Gideon’s face hardened visibly.
Not long after Baron Piede’s wife was discovered as a corpse in the Marghula Mine, Lavienne Ernathila breathed her last as well.
The reason her death made the front page of the newspapers was that Gideon had clutched her hand tightly as he died beside her.
And before Gideon died, a Will he’d sent to a newspaper house set the entire Empire ablaze with speculation.
Following the eldest son’s scandal, the second son’s death left the Gideon Earl House without an heir; it crumbled to ruin. The Leonard Marquis House recovered its pride. The Cheliago Duke House fell silent.
The newspaper accounts detailed what transactions had taken place over the Marghula Mine.
But as days passed, the articles grew sparse, until only the love story of the two who’d departed together filled the pages.
So much so that later, the tale of the two became a book called “Berdan and Lavienne.”
Little girls used to say they wanted to grow up and become Lady Lavienne.
Vanessa watched the still-rigid Berdan and let a faint smile curl her lips.
“It’s money needed for the child that will be born, isn’t it?”
“……!”
“And with this, you’ll be able to draw the future you envisioned.”
She didn’t know all the inner workings of the Ernathila Viscount House, but one thing she knew.
The Ernathila Viscount would die of illness.
On the very day of his daughter’s wedding, no less.
Because women could not inherit titles, the viscountcy would pass into the hands of a five-year-old distant cousin, and everything would unravel from there.
The only way for them to reclaim the title was to hold the wedding and restart the Title Succession proceedings—but that would take far too long.
From the outset, the Ernathila Viscount had severed ties with relatives, so he’d naturally assumed the title would pass to his son-in-law Berdan and hadn’t even left a Will regarding succession.
Having been dealt such a blow from behind, it really did make one wonder why the Cheliago Duke House and the Gideon Earl House had been so desperate to seize even one viscount’s seat.
In any case, what could speed through all those complicated succession procedures?
What else.
An absurd amount of money.
“……How much do you know?”
At Berdan’s question, Vanessa shrugged.
“That if the Ernathila Viscount were to pass away in this present situation, you two would face considerable trouble with the Title Succession?”
“……As expected. Blood runs true, doesn’t it? Or rather… should I say you’ve kept it hidden?”
Berdan exhaled a quiet sigh and stared at the envelope in his hand as though it were a headache.
“It’s never wrong to be prepared for anything.”
“I’d only dared to guess, but have you perhaps seen or heard something somewhere?”
It was all written in the Will, after all.
Well, she could guess why he hadn’t dared mention it even as he suspected.
‘Lavienne isn’t alone anymore, so it would’ve been harder to say.’
Instead of answering, Vanessa sipped her tea.
“……I understand. I’ve no wish to trouble you, my lady, so thank you for confirming my thoughts were correct.”
Berdan offered a shallow bow.
“If there’s anything you desire from me, please say so. Lavienne’s share as well.”
“Are we conducting a transaction now? How strange. I came to genuinely congratulate your marriage.”
At Vanessa’s words, Berdan’s eyes widened slightly, then broke into an unguarded laugh.
“……It’s the second time. To be congratulated in earnest.”
His voice carried such bitterness that Vanessa quietly set down her teacup.
It was pitiable, truly.
All the misfortune that had befallen them could have been easily resolved had they simply possessed enough money.
If Berdan and Lavienne had only been flush with funds when they lost the viscountcy to a nephew whose face and name they didn’t know, they could have kept the Marghula Mine.
If Baroness Piede had only signed the document transferring ownership of the Marghula Mine to the “next Ernathila Viscount” a moment later, they wouldn’t have been blindsided and left bleeding—humiliated before they even had a chance to resist.
But still…… what grudge did the Ernathila Viscount House hold that the Cheliago Duke House and the Gideon Earl House would go this far?
The large sum offered as Congratulatory Gift Money, for one.
If my assumption is correct that it was for the mine’s maintenance and repairs, they wouldn’t have gone so far as to close the Marghula Mine entirely…….
‘Surely it wasn’t maintenance but a transfer?’
If it were an amount tacitly agreed upon for handing over ownership of the mine, it wouldn’t be unreasonable…….
‘But what reason could there be?’
Unless they meant to tear down everything the Ernathila Viscount had built……!
Vanessa, having thought that far, suddenly let out a sigh.
“Berdan. There’s something I’d like to ask you, and I need you to tell me the truth.”
“I’ll answer whatever I can.”
“Then let’s consider this our final favor. There’s no bad blood between your House and the Young Lady’s House, is there?”
“……Bad blood, you say? Well…… when I told them I intended to marry Lavienne, they didn’t say anything particular against it.”
“Then…… what about between the Cheliago Duke House and the Young Lady’s House?”
As for relations with the Duke House…… Berdan muttered to himself, then sighed softly.
“Ah. Now that I think of it, the Cheliago Duke said something to me as he handed me the Congratulatory Gift Money. It was more of a murmur, but…….”
At his continuing words, Vanessa swallowed hard.
She could feel it coming.
Whatever Berdan was about to say—it was surely the reason they treated the Ernathila Viscount House so brutally.
“‘Mediana was so lovely. If only she hadn’t chosen that love…….'”
Vanessa wanted to scream.
Insane.
Seriously insane?!
Mediana—that name……!
“Come to think of it, I feel like I’ve heard the name Mediana somewhere before, but I can’t quite remember where……”
“I’m sorry, Vanessa. There were so many desserts that looked delicious, I spent ages deciding. But Berdan, why are you suddenly bringing up our late stepmother’s name?”
At Lavienne’s words, which came at just that moment, both Berdan’s and Vanessa’s mouths fell open simultaneously.
……Really?
The reason they had tried to destroy the Ernathila Viscount House was genuinely a crime of passion?
‘……Insane.’
Before she realized it, Vanessa had picked up a cookie from the table and crunched it down.
“Today was truly enjoyable, Lavienne. And you too, Berdan.”
“We were the ones who had a happy time thanks to your wonderful gifts. Wasn’t it, Berdan?”
“……Yes.”
He still hadn’t recovered from the shock.
She couldn’t blame him for it.
Just recalling the contents of the will he had written in his past life, his animosity had been far more vicious than toward a blood enemy. And to think that had all been born from a failed love.
‘Wait? Then the reason he seized the Marghula Mine after all…..?’
Because it had been the property of the Ernathila Viscount’s wife during her lifetime……?
Vanessa let out a hollow laugh.
Surely not.
Even if the Cheliago Duke had harbored an unrequited love for the Viscount’s wife, he wouldn’t have gone that far.
……Would he?
Dopamine had its limits; beyond a certain point, it just became terrifying.
Soon enough, it was time for each of them to part ways.
As Vanessa left the café, her eyes lingered on the box in Lavienne’s hands.
It was the dessert she had just declined.
She’d said she didn’t care for sweets, so it was fine……..
But seeing the two of them, someone suddenly came to mind—someone, as it happened, who loved sweets.
“……Lavienne. If you don’t mind, could I take that gift you tried to give me earlier? I just remembered someone who has a taste for sweets.”

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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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