The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living - Chapter 215

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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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Part 2, Episode 20
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A short time later.
I truly couldn’t believe it.
‘I’m making the exact same mistake Maximus did.’
Just half-hearted treatment and leave?
That was the same resolve as when Maximus said he’d merely “listen to what he has to say.” With that kind of mindset, I’d never overcome Gillab’s whining.
“Welcome, Brisa!”
Gillab was already waiting in front of the mansion.
“Please, just like before, help me sort this out. You were the one who discovered there were Mana Stones on that land, right? I have no idea how prolifically those flowers are breeding.”
Behind him stood Maximus, his dark circles pronounced, looking like a corpse.
“Good to see you. And I’m sorry for selling you both out.”
He confessed his guilt outright.
“I simply couldn’t endure it alone…….”
Gillab naturally guided us toward the reception room.
Defensive Scrolls were affixed at regular intervals along every corridor. It seemed he had far more defensive scrolls than the Magic Tower.
I clicked my tongue and spoke.
“Any poorly-informed vampire who wandered in here by mistake would drop dead on the spot.”
Gillab latched onto “wandered in by mistake” and asked gravely.
“Surely. Are there vampires who don’t know much about Defensive Scrolls?”
“What kind of incompetent vampire would there be? What I meant by ‘poorly-informed’ was about your dramatics.”
I answered with a shrug.
“You’re not some great celebrity, so there are plenty of vampires who might not know about all this fuss.”
And I continued slowly.
“Actually, I did see the flowers on the way here. Nothing particularly unusual about them, I’d say. It’s just an open lot bordering a forest anyway, so there’s not much damage to speak of.”
“You got out of the carriage and looked carefully, right?”
“Why would I get out? I don’t really want to see them.”
“Ah, the flowers?”
“No—your hopeful face.”
Ever since my Academy days, I’d had some talent for shutting Gillab up.
Making such trivial conversation, we arrived at the reception room.
“Ahem, hmm.”
A maid entered the reception room with teacups and tea foods. Ginger tea and tarts piled high with garlic cream cheese. One could tell how much garlic they consumed in this place.
Just as the maid set down a fork for each of us.
Gillab, who’d been fidgeting, glanced sideways at Alpheus. Then he opened his mouth hesitantly.
“Um…… F-f-fork, that is, using a f-fork…… would that be alright…….”
In that instant, Alpheus and I both froze.
“I mean, if that device…… perhaps it’s inconvenient for you…….”
Was Gillab now showing consideration for Alpheus’s mechanical arm?
I hadn’t known Gillab could show consideration for anything but his own feelings.
I couldn’t hide my astonishment and blinked repeatedly.
In the silence, Gillab took a deep breath and added.
“I mean…… I could have them prepare finger foods instead, Lord Marquis Sears.”
Alpheus and I both ended up gaping.
Had Gillab just addressed Alpheus as a Marquis?
When we came to Behila before, Gillab openly disregarded Alpheus. Not merely disregarded—he hadn’t bothered to hide his contempt.
“This is an emergency situation.”
I spoke to Maximus, who sat beside Gillab.
“Your Highness, I think it would be best to take Gillab Divostan to the Magic Tower immediately.”
It was a gravely serious matter.
“Members of the direct lineage of the Divostan Duke House normally cannot be controlled by Dark Magic due to their Nullity—but it appears the Dark Mages have discovered a way to breach the ability. Gillab is being controlled right now.”
“What are you talking about!”
Gillab shrieked.
“I’m completely fine! I am a direct descendant of Divostan!”
“Is that so? Then what did the doctor say? How much longer do you have?”
For the first time, I looked at him with genuine concern.
“The fact that you’ve become a completely different person suggests your time is nearly up.”
Gillab lacked the wisdom to force himself to bow his head to Alpheus just to ask him to look after his territory. The only advantage Gillab possessed was that his front and back sides were the same.
But to be safe, I asked once more.
“Stake today’s luck on it—is what you just said to Alpheus truly sincere?”
“Today’s luck” was enough to compel truth from Gillab.
“How could you bet something so important!”
Gillab reacted in genuine alarm.
“That’s too harsh! Even if there’s reason to doubt, there are things you can bet and things you can’t…….”
“Never mind. Just answer—can you bet on it?”
When I glared at him, Gillab caught his breath and finally nodded.
At the same moment, Alpheus gripped my arm and interjected.
“Stop, Brisa. People can naturally change. I did, didn’t I? I believed that a young person is perfectly capable of growing in the right direction.”
The very person who’d been insulted years ago was Alpheus, yet his face remained utterly calm.
“Through his growth, Gillab has come to hold the right values—the kind that don’t discriminate. It’s thanks to me having faith and waiting back then.”
“That’s not it!”
Gillab reacted immediately.
When I widened my eyes, he quietly lowered his gaze and added.
“……”
“No, Alpheus. Gillab’s thoughtlessness isn’t something that can be fixed by believing in him.”
I spoke without lowering my guard.
“Besides, showing consideration for something strange? Impossible. He should have laughed once and mocked your body as fitting its level, as shamefully rootless as the tainted blood flowing through your veins, and spewed cruelty.”
Maximus rolled his eyes once and muttered.
“The worst person here is you, Brisa.”
I immediately countered in disbelief.
“But if this weren’t a matter threatening his life, there’s no way a person could change like that. And he even staked today’s luck. It’s real.”
Finally, Gillab heaved a deep sigh. Then, in a faltering voice, he spoke.
“That…… my life…… the threat is real. Of course, it’s not like a sickness or anything like that.”
At that, Maximus looked at Gillab with utmost seriousness.
“You mean you’re feeling a genuine threat to your life because of those flowers?”
He proposed with a voice graver than ever.
“Perhaps you should consult with a Priest about this…… Those flowers haven’t killed so much as a single ant, yet you—living in a place like this—speaking of life and death suggests your psychological distress is severe…….”
“That’s not it!”
Gillab clenched both fists and shook his head firmly.
“It’s not because of the flowers…… A-actually, six years ago, at that reception…….”
That reception?
We all opened our eyes wide.
At that reception, we hadn’t spoken a single word to Gillab.
Honestly, Gillab wasn’t important enough for us to think of him. Of course, as a direct descendant of Divostan, he would have been there, but…….
“M-my brother…… that is…….”
“Ah.”
Maximus, who could see the most clearly of anyone present at that scene, was the quickest to remember.
“Are you talking about when Young Duke Ethan Dibostan pretended to collapse?”
He furrowed his brow, searching his memory.
“His acting was terribly poor at that…… The Empress Dowager, busy flying through the sky, probably also realized it was an act.”
Only then did the moment come back to me as well.
“Everyone must avoid it! The stronger the being, the more they must not go near! One careless move and you’ll become Contaminated and controlled!”
When Harrison shouted that, the first person to lose consciousness was Young Duke Ethan Dibostan.
“Ah…….”
The one who possessed the Nullity ability.
The blessed bloodline that could never be controlled by Dark Mages.
Since we hadn’t expected anything of him from the start, I’d thought nothing of it, but by logic, Ethan should have been the one to step forward and attack the Empress Dowager at that moment.
Yet there was another person at that gathering who possessed the Nullity ability.
It was Gillab.

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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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