Surviving as the Wife of the Swordsmanship Clan’s Troublemaker - Chapter 54

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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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Episode 54

 

Even so, the reason he could endure was his family.

 

His mother, Francesca, who steadfastly filled his father’s absence and managed the finances.

 

His younger brother, Helbeorn, who spent all day with the Knight Order, devoted himself to training, and served as a role model for the knights.

 

Thanks to them, Nikolai could comfortably handle the family’s affairs.

 

If there was one thing that bothered him, it was only Docheop.

 

A 1st-class knight with skills worse than an apprentice, a parasite who wandered around the dominion like a wastrel instead of training.

 

He often heard that Docheop would go outside the manor and return drunk, but he didn’t care.

 

‘Once I become the head of the family, I’ll strip him of all titles and kick him out.’

 

Those without ability are discarded.

 

That was the creed the Duke had passed down to him.

 

He had rather hoped Docheop would just live quietly like that, but after Docheop brought a woman, everything started going wrong.

 

The family’s dignity had fallen.

 

Yet Francesca, who valued dignity above all else, had allowed this.

 

Just because the woman was carrying a child.

 

A mere 4th-class knight, only slightly better than an ordinary knight, couldn’t solve that problem.

 

‘Mother may appear cold on the outside, but inside she’s quite soft.’

 

Nikolai had always been dissatisfied with that.

 

Even though Francesca appeared to neglect Docheop to others, he knew she cared for him more than anyone behind the scenes.

 

He had pretended not to know, but in the end, that’s what created this mess.

 

And then there was Helbeorn.

 

He knew his brother was stubborn, but he was sincere about swordsmanship and had great respect for his older brother.

 

But suddenly he had changed.

 

Whatever he had done, he emitted monstrous sword energy and blocked Nikolai’s path.

 

While spouting nonsense about supporting Docheop’s marriage.

 

“The message sent to Father should be safely delivered by now, right?”

 

Nikolai secretly called for a knight.

 

This time he had proceeded with the matter confidentially so Helbeorn wouldn’t notice, so there should be no problem.

 

“There was no interference. However, we received no separate word about whether the letter arrived safely.”

 

His already crumpled face became even more wretchedly crumpled.

 

“What do you mean? Those swift fellows should have been enough for three days.”

 

“We don’t know the details, but we heard that fighting broke out near the barracks where the Duke is staying.”

 

“Fighting? The war should be over.”

 

“I’ve ordered them to investigate this matter in detail, so word should come soon.”

 

What on earth was happening?

 

The end of the war had been declared, and negotiations regarding war reparations and land division were currently underway.

 

The other side no longer had the military strength to wage war.

 

During negotiations that were essentially just stalling for time, the Duke had even jokingly sent a letter asking if he should take the border count’s daughter as a war prize to make her a wife.

 

But suddenly there was fighting?

 

“Investigate thoroughly.”

 

“Understood, Young Duke.”

 

Nikolai’s mood immediately soured.

 

He needed the Duke’s permission to kick out that disgusting Docheop.

 

But now there were problems on the Duke’s side.

 

That’s when it happened.

 

Another incident occurred that went against Nikolai’s wishes.

 

“Young Duke, this is terrible!”

 

“Terrible? What now?”

 

“The person captured today is dead.”

 

“…What?”

 

The Holy Knight that Helbeorn had captured.

 

Actually, he couldn’t be certain they were from that group based only on Helbeorn’s word.

 

Nilson had also said he couldn’t definitively identify him as a Holy Knight. It was natural since he had never faced those buried in history.

 

For now, they had imprisoned him in the underground prison.

 

To prevent possible suicide, they had tied his limbs spread apart and gagged his mouth.

 

Nikolai had planned to interrogate him personally. Along with Nilson, who had fought the mysterious knight at the border. Helbeorn was excluded since he had lost trust after their recent conversation.

 

But he was dead?

 

“Suicide?”

 

“…He was murdered.”

 

“Murdered.”

 

He had even been murdered.

 

“He was stabbed to death while still bound, with a cross mark carved on his chest.”

 

“By whom?”

 

“It was an attack. The knights guarding the underground prison were all killed too, so we can’t find out….”

 

This was no ordinary problem.

 

An attack not just in the dominion, but inside the manor itself.

 

When he hurried to check the underground prison, it was splattered with the blood of the dead. Other than that, it was difficult to find any traces.

 

While investigating the signs of invasion, Nikolai had an intuition.

 

‘There’s a traitor.’

 

The enemy must be inside.

 

But he didn’t voice it aloud.

 

At that moment, the real traitor would hide among his loyal retainers and cover their tracks.

 

As for telling his family, there was no one to rely on.

 

Francesca, who had suddenly shut herself in the kitchen, and Helbeorn, who had gone mad.

 

There was absolutely no one to depend on.

 

However, it would be difficult to find the traitor by himself.

 

He wanted to rely only on a few loyal retainers, but he couldn’t do that either. Even loyal retainers had their own loyal followers. That would make it even harder to identify the traitor.

 

What should he do about this?

 

Nikolai entered the study, avoiding his aide’s eyes, and held his head in his hands.

 

“Father, Grandfather, respected former heads of the family, please grant me wisdom.”

 

Among the traces of bygone eras that drifted around him, he buried his face in his knees. It was while Nikolai was lost in lonely anguish as the young lord among countless books.

 

“Wait, wait, wait.”

 

He heard a voice piercing his ears.

 

And it was the same sound he had been repeating to himself.

 

“There was a traitor!”

 

Someone had spoken those words refreshingly. Nikolai got up from his seat and approached the source of the voice.

 

Surprisingly, Hallara was there.

 

At this point, she was one of the most disgusting people to him.

 

Nikolai’s pounding heart turned cold.

 

“…By whose permission did you enter here?”

 

This wasn’t a place for a mere commoner to dare enter.

 

“Oh… Young Master?”

 

With her doll-like wide eyes showing surprise, Nikolai wanted to immediately grab her by the neck and throw her out of the manor.

 

But at that moment, he saw the book she had hastily closed. A hollow laugh escaped him.

 

“Are you pretending to have prenatal education here? Do you think putting on some dress makes you a noble?”

 

“I never thought that. I just came because I was curious about something.”

 

“Do you even know how to read?”

 

Commoners couldn’t read. They might be able to read a few simple words, but they couldn’t read sentences.

 

Because they didn’t have the means to hire teachers.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Ha, you really can read all of this?”

 

“Well, somehow I can.”

 

Hallara vaguely deflected instead of saying she could read because she was a possessor. It didn’t seem like Nikolai was genuinely curious about her circumstances anyway.

 

As she thought, Nikolai had no interest in such trivial matters.

 

He simply assumed that Hallara, who used to swindle wealthy men, had learned by watching nobles over their shoulders.

 

“Get the hell out. This is a space only for Bloodmere. Keep in mind that if you catch my eye again, you might die. I’m not a soft person like Mother or Helbeorn.”

 

He wanted to throw her out himself, but he didn’t have the luxury.

 

The traitor alone was enough to make his head explode.

 

“Yes… I understand.”

 

But that’s when it happened.

 

Seeing the title of the thick book Hallara was holding, he grabbed her wrist.

 

“Ow.”

 

“Why are you reading that book?”

 

It was a book about the Holy Church.

 

Hallara was reading a book related to the Holy Knights, which was currently Nikolai’s greatest concern.

 

***

 

Before the family’s destruction, there was a traitor in Bloodmere.

 

Later, Docheop would face the family’s traitor. That person who brazenly survived and lived in luxury while everyone else died. There was an episode dealing with the traitor who suffered consequences while trying to kill the surviving Docheop.

 

Though not certain, this incident might be related. Even if it wasn’t related, there would be no harm in catching the traitor.

 

‘The problem is I can’t remember the name.’

 

This is driving me crazy.

 

It was a novel with over a thousand chapters, so there wasn’t just one or two villains. I couldn’t even remember Junel’s name, so how could I remember the name of a passing villain?

 

Remember. I need to recall it.

 

“That traitor bastard… who was it.”

 

I was racking my brains trying to remember the name of that bastard hiding in the family when Nikolai appeared like the grim reaper.

 

“What are you looking at right now?”

 

The one who told me to get lost immediately grabbed my arm.

 

“Oh, this.”

 

A book related to the Holy Church. Nikolai tilted his head with an extremely displeased look.

 

“I heard that Lord Helbeorn brought someone related to the Holy Church today.”

 

“Don’t jump to conclusions about the Holy Church. Nothing has been revealed yet.”

 

“I hope that’s the case too, please.”

 

He let out an annoyed sigh.

 

“But who told you about this? Docheop? Or Helbeorn?”

 

He ground his molars in displeasure.

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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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