Why Is My Husband the Villainous Schemer! - Chapter 68

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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 68
* * *
Doris found her courage and cried out.
“Y-your mother is a liar and a hypocrite, and—and she abuses children!”
“So my ex-daughter-in-law promised you something, did she? What gives you the right to stand here and shout at me?”
Urigella’s eyes darted around the Ball Hall as she considered escape.
“This woman wasn’t even invited! Have her removed at once! Surely you don’t all believe her?”
But the rustling of fans only grew louder.
No one was about to miss such delicious gossip.
Then Asha pushed Doris behind her and urged Urigella to decide.
“Mother, now you must choose.”
Asha stepped closer to Urigella and spoke with studied gentleness.
“If you’re willing to accept the child of Viathe, who carries the blood your beloved son left behind, then I will reconsider allowing visitation with Linea, even if I cannot return her guardianship to you.”
“What?”
“According to your words, you only wanted what’s best for Linea, didn’t you? To do what’s right for the child.”
Urigella found herself stuttering as events spiraled beyond her control.
“You couldn’t possibly want to drag Linea back for a trial, could you? Surely you didn’t stir up this commotion just to sway public opinion?”
Urigella’s face flushed as she heard Asha’s words, spoken as if the answer were obvious.
“I went out of my way to find Viathe, who is my ex-husband’s mistress, and bring her before you in person—all for your sake.”
“Y-you cunning thing. It was a trap from the start.”
Urigella glared at Asha, her voice thick with anger.
“If you hadn’t made such a scene, would anyone have cared who I brought, regardless?”
“You… don’t live like this. You devious creature!”
“I never received a single coin from my ex-husband’s inheritance, and yet I brought Linea here because I couldn’t bear to see her suffering from abuse.”
Then Asha withdrew a Recording Artifact from her pocket.
Urigella’s eyes wavered at the sight.
“Do you really think I won’t play this before all these people?”
………
“If you’re so desperate to take Linea away, then consider carefully what you stand to lose as well before you act.”
Asha gave Urigella no time to think, pressing her advantage.
“And the moment Viathe gives birth, we’ll proceed with a Paternity Test and file suit for child support and Inheritance claims. We’ll be providing special assistance in that regard.”
“Why are you doing this to me? If you hated me so much, you could have just said so.”
There was no way out.
Asha drew a firm line, finding it absurd that Urigella trembled while saying such things.
“If things between us could have been resolved with words, would you have planned to disgrace me before all these people in the first place?”
To that, Urigella had no answer.
“So if you truly care about Linea, please leave now.”
Urigella looked around her.
Even the friends who had cheered her on moments before now stood a step removed.
She could almost hear the whispers of the ladies behind their fans.
“Good heavens, what must be wrong for an ex-daughter-in-law to side with a mistress?”
“The fact that she won’t speak suggests there really is evidence, doesn’t it?”
Unable to bear her shame any longer, Urigella lurched to her feet and pushed through the crowd in desperate flight.
Only low laughter trailed after her like a tail.
And Asha, surveying the crowd once more, smiled her bright smile as before.
“Now that the entertainment is over, I think we should resume the Ball.”
At this, Carcel, who had been gazing at his wife as if she were the most precious thing in the world, spoke.
“Indeed. Let us begin the fourth dance at once.”
At his words, Ruvel, who had been nervously watching the conflict between his superiors in rank and as host of the evening, hurried to signal the orchestra.
And as if nothing had happened at all, the music began again, bright and merry.
One person’s existence swallowed whole by the cheerful melody.
* * *
At last the Ball ended and we arrived at the Marquess’s residence!
I held Doris’s hand as we stepped down from the carriage that had brought us both here.
“Doris, stay with us tonight. Tomorrow I’ll have a townhouse arranged for you in a safe part of the Capital.”
“I… I don’t know how to thank you.”
“You needn’t thank me. You showed me courage enough tonight.”
Doris gripped my hand more tightly.
“If there’s anything you need from me in the future, please call on me. I’ll testify about her whenever needed.”
“Should the need arise. Until then, take it easy and let yourself rest well while carrying the child.”
Once the baby was born, we would begin in earnest the legal battle against the Delmore County House.
“Miss Viathe, I’ll show you to the guest quarters.”
And so Doris followed the servant into the manor ahead of us.
I turned to face Carcel, who stood behind me, and smiled.
“Carcel, thank you for today.”
“What do I deserve thanks for? Asha did everything.”
“You believed in me. And you let Doris stay at the manor.”
At that, he made a sound like air deflating.
“Asha, you need not thank me for such trivial things. Even if you brought your entire family here to live at the manor forever, I would think nothing of it.”
“Carcel, you’re too soft.”
At that, he let out a laugh of uncertain meaning.
“And you, Asha—did you really need to arrange safe lodging and living expenses for Miss Viathe?”
That was true enough.
Even if she had no connection to my ex-husband, the fact that she was his mistress remained unchanged. But…
“It pains me to see a pregnant woman struggling in a place like that, and she’s a figure that can only make your mother’s position worse in court. What does money matter?”
“Is that so?”
Carcel nudged my shoulder playfully with his elbow.
I nodded as I met his laughing gaze.
“And I’m grateful you held back and waited instead of solving this your own way today.”
“…You knew?”
“Honestly, things might have been easier if my ex-mother-in-law simply disappeared, but she wouldn’t face proper justice that way, would she?”
I laughed sheepishly.
“It’s just my selfishness—I want this settled cleanly so there’s no lingering bitterness when Linea grows up and asks what happened to her grandmother.”
“Do as you wish, Asha.”
Carcel spoke to me tenderly.
I smiled and asked, “Then shall we go in?”
This time I was the first to offer my hand, and Carcel looked down at it with an unreadable gaze.
“Hmm?”
Tilting my head in confusion, Carcel let out a soft laugh before finally taking my hand.
His cool grip closed around mine and drew me toward the house.
‘By now Linea should be fast asleep, and we’ll rest together in the bedroom as we always do.’
The thought that we were truly becoming a real family made my cheeks burn.
It was then that we crossed the threshold together into the manor.
“Welcome home. I… there is something urgent I must report.”
The butler whispered to us in hushed tones.
“What is it?”
Carcel asked, and the butler replied.
“Miss Linea has fallen ill.”
“What?!”
The news struck like a bolt from nowhere.
* * *
Because Linea was a girl, Carcel couldn’t soak her entire body in ice, but he had gone to fetch ice and everything else we needed in the dead of night.
Already the child’s body burned with fever.
‘Thank goodness the maidservants noticed she was ill and took action—it’s only this bad because of their quick thinking.’
I dipped a cloth into a basin of cold water, wrung it out, and wiped down Linea’s body again and again.
Fortunately, the physician we’d summoned said it was only a simple cold.
The child lay whimpering pitifully, her cheeks flushed red with fever.
“Mm… Mama.”
“Linea, oh my baby, you’re sick. But Mama wasn’t here. I’m sorry.”
I brushed her hair back and soothed her.
I’d never seen Linea suffer like this before.
Even knowing it wasn’t serious, I blamed myself for not noticing she was ill while I was at the Ball, and Linea gave me a weak smile.
She could barely open her eyes, but each time I called her name, she brightened.
“It’s Mama.”
The child seemed to enjoy the sensation of the cool cloth, pressing her soft cheek against my hand.
She snuggled against it.
“That’s nice.”
“Nice? But Linea, you need to take medicine.”
The sooner she took it, the sooner she’d recover.
Ordinarily dignified Linea had grown more childish now that she was sick.
The child let out a small whimper and shook her head firmly.
I was startled.
It was the first time I’d seen Linea refuse anything so openly, and the fact that she felt comfortable enough to do so made me love her all the more.

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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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