I Inherited a Beautiful Wife and a Territory - Chapter 111
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Inheriting a Beautiful Wife and Estate Episode 111
111. Southern Yusta Peninsula
Berkheim Baron.
He was a typical bully-the-weak-bow-to-the-strong type. A noble with insufficient ability but great ambition, yet also very cowardly.
For such a noble, having the Elimis Family, who had allied with him early on, become the ruling house was extremely welcome news.
“Ahem. When I first met His Grace the Grand Duke, His Grace said…”
He had become a more fervent follower of the Grand Duke than any other noble.
Though he had once viewed Cliff unfavorably in the past, now he clearly wagged his tail, positioning himself as that loyal hound.
A founding contributor!
It was because he had somehow earned that title.
Even now, he would embellish the day he met Cliff and tell the story to other nobles. The gist was always the same. How much respect he received from Cliff.
“Though His Grace the Grand Duke is young, I recognized it from the very first day I met him. Ah, this person will surely become a hero. A true ruler who will bring prosperity to our Yusta Peninsula.”
Nothing but praise.
Baron Berkheim’s attitude of boasting about his own insight in recognizing and joining hands with Cliff.
The nobles listening knew this attitude well. But no noble criticized Baron Berkheim’s disgusting bragging.
“How admirable.”
“Hehehe. The Berkheim Family will have nothing but a path of flowers ahead.”
“You speak truly. Just a few years ago, the two great families that divided this Yusta Peninsula have now become His Grace the Grand Duke’s most reliable hands and feet, haven’t they?”
The deaths of Count Platice and Baron Serpal.
The collapse of the two-power system that had existed afterward, and conversely, the rise of the Elimis Family from that time.
Beside that Elimis Family were Baron Renheim and Baron Berkheim. Even before Cliff was mentioned as Platice’s successor, these two families had become part of the Elimis Family’s faction.
Baron Berkheim stroked his beard with a satisfied expression.
‘I wish every day could be like today.’
The current situation where all the surrounding nobles, even nobles from afar, were bowing and scraping to Baron Berkheim.
This made him happy.
At least until he heard the additional news.
“M-My Lord! This is terrible!”
All tragedy came from where he least expected it.
“…?”
“They say the Rotman Family has incurred the Grand Duke’s wrath!”
“Rotman? Where is that all of a sudden… W-wait! Did you say Rotman?!”
Baron Berkheim’s complexion turned pale.
He had finally realized where the Rotman Family was. And the moment he realized this, Baron Berkheim was horrified.
Because they were related to him by marriage.
‘What the hell did these crazy bastards do…!’
Baron Berkheim’s expression grew pale.
“Word came from Count Jade. It seems… the Grand Duke has decided to exterminate the Rotman Family.”
“Kuh, kuhuk. Ex-ex-exterminate?”
If extermination was being discussed, it wasn’t a small anger.
Moreover, if it was that serious, the Berkheim Family would inevitably be affected somehow.
‘These crazy bastards dare to drag us down?’
At first, he wondered if Cliff was abandoning him, a contributor.
But listening to the story, that wasn’t the case. Someone from the Rotman Family had provided the cause.
And to draw a sword on the princess, no less.
“What kind of bastard have I seen!”
Though it was his nephew, he couldn’t let it slide. After all, they didn’t share a drop of blood.
‘I cannot forgive this.’
This was something he had to abandon first before the Elimis Family stepped in.
In the worst case, he even considered abandoning his wife. Fortunately, his wife had similar thoughts.
“Once married out, she’s already an outsider. It’s a disturbance caused by a child born to someone who married into a different family, so that child should take responsibility herself.”
His wife’s will was firm.
The Berkheim Family drew that line.
Because of this, it was the Rotman Family that became distressed. The one relative close to the Elimis Family who should have helped turned their back.
Other families were out of the question.
‘How can this be.’
Baron Rotman’s face hardened.
He had no idea how to resolve this matter.
There was only one thing he could do.
“It’s my fault for not educating my child properly. But brother-in-law, please help us just a little.”
No matter how much Baron Berkheim tried to turn away, he had to go to him and beg.
Only if Baron Berkheim mediated would there be any hope of survival.
“Brother-in-law. I’m begging you. Just this once, please help us. I’ll do anything I can.”
“Ugh. Even if Baron Rotman begs, you know I can hardly help with this matter, don’t you?”
“Please don’t say that. If not you, brother-in-law, don’t you know what will happen to our family?”
From Baron Rotman and his wife’s perspective, they really had to beg desperately.
This was the only chance they had to survive.
“Please help us just this once. I will never forget that kindness.”
From Baron Berkheim’s perspective, he was reluctant. But what could he do.
He was greedy and simple-minded.
His heart melted at the substantial bribes offered, not just simple words.
‘Ugh.’
If he was going to accept this, he had to work for it. And one more thing.
“Think about it. If the main house really incurs the Grand Duke’s wrath and faces extermination this time, it will also damage the Berkheim Family’s reputation. But if you, brother-in-law, can appease the Grand Duke’s anger and prevent the main house’s extermination, what would the duchy’s nobles think?”
That Baron Berkheim enjoys that much trust from the Grand Duke.
Baron Berkheim was originally a noble with easily swayed ears.
‘That’s true.’
He nodded slowly.
Baron Berkheim had somehow been won over by Baron Rotman’s words. And he regretted it.
“Gasp!”
Cliff had never pressured Baron Berkheim before.
But was this an intended result?
When he entered with Baron Rotman and his wife, he too felt the effect of Cliff’s Intimidation skill.
‘If this continues…’
Cliff’s overwhelming presence that made him feel he had to bow his head.
That charisma made it hard to even open his mouth. Let alone take on defending the Rotman Family, whom Cliff was angry with.
“…What business brings Baron Berkheim all the way here?”
Why had he really come here?
Baron Berkheim wanted to cancel his earlier promise even now.
“That is…”
When Cliff asked, the intimidating presence lessened somewhat.
Otherwise, it would have been hard to even open his mouth. He was originally a cowardly person.
Cliff slightly turned his gaze away from Baron Berkheim toward the side.
‘Are these Baron Rotman and his wife?’
The parents of the man who had caused this incident.
They had come here for the crime of raising their child poorly.
And they bowed their heads to Cliff, trembling. They couldn’t bring themselves to send their desperate gazes to him, instead directing them toward Baron Berkheim.
Eyes pleading for help.
But Baron Berkheim avoided their gaze.
“So…”
To be precise, Baron Berkheim couldn’t organize his words either.
A broken reaction, not knowing what to say.
‘Come to think of it, this person was always like this.’
Baron Berkheim.
If anything, he was lucky. Even for Cliff, he chose to join hands with him rather than oppose him.
Because that was beneficial at the time.
Even now, if anything, Baron Berkheim hadn’t caused any harm to Elimis.
‘It seems he takes a few bribes by virtue of having allied with me early on.’
In reality, he had never given Baron Berkheim any real power.
He had no assigned role.
The reason was simple. He simply lacked ability.
‘He’s someone who’s no longer necessary, but.’
Anyway, he’d be perfect to use for this matter.
“I can roughly guess why Lord Berkheim has come.”
“Eh?”
“If the Rotman Family is punished for this incident, Lord Berkheim’s position would become quite difficult.”
Cliff opened the conversation himself.
At those words, Baron Berkheim’s expression changed somewhat.
“Th-that’s right.”
A situation where blocked words began to flow out little by little.
“Of-of course, even so, this incident is clearly the Rotman Family’s fault, so I’m not necessarily asking you to do something about it, but…”
Even then, Baron Berkheim was reading the room.
This appearance was so like him.
‘As expected, he’s not someone to entrust with important matters.’
Everything came out exactly as he had guided it.
Unfortunately, this was Baron Berkheim’s capacity.
“Lord Berkheim and I have a long relationship, and we’re allies who even went on campaign to Alpeo together, so I can’t ignore that dignity.”
Baron Berkheim’s expression brightened.
Cliff had acknowledged him first. This made his shoulders rise with pride.
He failed to read the meaning contained in Cliff’s following words.
“I was just thinking about what to give as a reward, remembering the merits of participating together back then…”
A reward!
These words from Cliff were a statement acknowledging that Baron Berkheim was a meritorious subject of this duchy.
But the following statement.
“If Lord Berkheim wishes, I’ll substitute that reward for this matter.”
In other words, this meant he wouldn’t give any other reward.
That is, he was excluding him from the name of meritorious subjects. But Baron Berkheim wasn’t someone who could understand such words.
“If you would do that much, I couldn’t ask for more.”
Baron Berkheim had already been thoroughly intimidated by the earlier pressure. His judgment became even more clouded.
He only made the optimistic judgment that Cliff was considering his dignity out of remembrance of their past relationship.
Cliff looked at Baron Rotman.
“The crime of ignoring my orders in the duchy’s capital, and the crime of drawing your sword without permission before the duchy’s princess should be seen as hostile acts toward the main house, warranting the death of the entire clan.”
Now that he mentioned it, their crimes were indeed heavy.
Baron Rotman, who had been relieved during the ongoing conversation, turned pale.
“I-I have committed a crime deserving death.”
His attitude of bowing his head deeply.
“Still, for Lord Berkheim’s sake, I’ll spare the lives of you and all your family members.”
“Y-your grace is boundless.”
“However.”
One must listen to words until the end.
“Even if there was Lord Berkheim’s request, if I simply cover up this incident, no noble in the duchy will fear the main house.”
Gulp.
His life was spared.
But still, it wouldn’t be easy to let it pass just like that.
“Wh-whatever punishment you impose, I will accept it.”
Baron Rotman thought this was the only way to survive.
Cliff delivered his judgment.
“Surrender your title and estate.”
“…!”
Baron Rotman’s pupils dilated.
The title actually didn’t have much meaning. But the estate was different.
The nobles of the Yusta Peninsula were all those who had pioneered their respective estates and ruled them for generations over long years.
‘Give up the main house’s estate?’
Even for a monarch, this wasn’t easy. But now the justification was on Cliff’s side.
Baron Rotman bowed his head.
“…I will surrender it.”
With this, Cliff obtained the Rotman Family’s estate.
Having obtained it, he could give it to whoever he desired.
“…Teobaldt.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“From now on, you are the lord of that place.”
“Your grace is boundless.”
Teobaldt, who had been his first knight.
He wanted to secure at least one estate for him.
The Yusta Peninsula.
Originally, it was a place that seemed like a region where various small nations were scattered. Now its northern part had been unified as one.
“I heard the northern part became one under the name of the Elimis Duchy.”
“Heh heh. I heard that even the great spirit mage who was under that pirate became his subordinate.”
“If we continue to just stand by and watch, we might eventually be subjugated by the Elimis Duchy.”
The southern part of the Yusta Peninsula.
The coastal forces there showed movements of trying to unite.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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