(1)">Chapter 51 [part 2] - (1) (1/2)
(1)
After Anna left, Philip sat on the sofa with his head low and hands clasped tightly together. The lights were off in the sitting room causing it to be dimly lit. In this lighting, the silhouette sitting like a doll in the dreary atmosphere was enough to frighten any who saw it.
“Kuhuhuhu…”
Philip’s body began to tremble and he burst out laughing like a madman.
“Kuhahaha!! It’s not the end! It’s not over yet!”
It was not the usual Philip that kept his emotions in check without losing his calm expression. His eyes were bloodshot and the veins on his forehead bulged. Like an evil spirit, his expression was distorted, full of madness and obsession.
He discovered a possibility for the obsession he’d half-way given up on, so he was overwhelmed with excitement.
After the former Duke met a tragic death and the new Duke succeeded him, Philip was one day kidnapped by a suspicious person. When he woke up after fainting, he found himself locked up in a prison. He was imprisoned for the whole day. And the person that showed up in front of him in the prison was Hugh, the one who had become the Taran Duke.
[Old man. I hear you know the way to make a child? Tell me. I combed through that cursed room but it wasn’t there.]
The Hugh Philip saw after he became the Duke had changed. Deep rooted disgust and hatred overflowed in his eyes. Philip came to realize that the cause for this was the room which Hugh referred to as ‘that cursed room’. It was the room that contained secrets of the Taran bloodline.
[You entered the secret room.]
[That’s right. It was really interesting, you know? The girl that the late Duchess had in her womb was supposed to carry my child in the future. It’s truly a shame. My future wife didn’t get to see the light of the day and was turned into a lump of flesh to be thrown away in her mother’s stomach. If I knew, I would have at least checked her face. I mean, since the Duchess’ stomach was practically bulging, there must have been some kind of shape.]
Unlike his words, the Duke’s expression looked nauseous like he couldn’t stand the mere thought.
[Indeed a huge secret and according at those scribbled documents, the Duchess must give birth to a son so she could never be an ordinary woman. But this time, was it because my mother died? Then, if one bore a daughter, one would not be able to able raise it publicly and can only hide it away.]
Philip did not give any response or acknowledgement. The late Duchess had indeed planned that as soon as her daughter was born, she would treat it like it were dead and raise it outside.
The Duke continued with his inference of Philip’s thoughts.
[And since that girl and I differ greatly in age, I don’t believe she would be left alone with me. That old fogey would have probably made me marry a woman that’ll give birth to the girl that would be my son’s bride in the future. But, if it goes this way, the woman that gives birth to my son, the woman with the oh so precious Taran blood, becomes a mistress. And her son becomes an illegitimate child. There’s no way such a flaw would be allowed. So, on a second thought, the wife that gives birth to my daughter will probably end up dead in time. Whether by sickness or by accident. And my step-sister that grew up well outside will come in as my second wife and give birth to my son. What do you think? Did I hit the nail on the head?]
[…]
[But what can one do? Since my step-sister is dead, my son won’t be born. Forever.]
Looking at the extremely delighted Duke, Philip did not reveal that the child of the late young master Hugo was conceived and growing up nicely. If the Duke knew now, he would kill both mother and son immediately.
[But a daughter can still be born as usual. You disgusting bastards will do anything to make me have a daughter without hesitation. Now tell me, Old man. How this monstrous family came to retain such a tenacious bloodline. I don’t plan on leaving anything carrying my filthy blood behind on this land.]