Chapter 54: How Can I Trust Soone Who Betrayed Her Own Father?
She let out a small sigh, a mixture of contentnt and disappointnt. But exhaustion was stronger. In a few minutes, her breathing beca slow and regular, her body beca heavy against mine. A satisfied, almost childish smile remained frozen on her lips.
" Sweet dreams... Maybe in those you’ll see
marrying you."
I lay there, eyes wide open, staring at the familiar shadows of the ceiling in the darkness.
***
Kaiser’s Point of View
I rose at the first light of dawn. A gray and pale light filtered through the windows, faintly illuminating the bedroom. After carefully adjusting my jacket, I stepped into the hallway where two servants, visibly inford of my awakening, were waiting to escort
to the viscount’s office.
Karlton was waiting for
there, seated behind his large desk. His features were drawn, his eyes ringed with dark circles betraying a sleepless night, but he strove to maintain a dignified posture, hands flat on the wood.
I sat down facing him without preamble.
"Let us get straight to the reason for my visit, Viscount."
He gave a nervous nod.
"I am listening, Lord Paragon."
I then took from my spatial ring a bundle of docunts that I slid across the desk. They included copies of letters, seal impressions, secret account ledgers, and several recognizable signatures.
"What is...? I do not understand? Please enlighten , young Lord."
"These proofs attest to several offenses committed on your lands: thefts, smuggling, and above all, illegal transactions with organizations you are not supposed to associate with."
Karlton’s eyes widened. He seized the papers with a trembling hand, scanning them frantically. His face turned scarlet red, then beca a waxy pallor.
"This... This is a forgery! A plot to harm !"
"The seals are yours, the n involved are in your pay, and the warehouses ntioned are indeed on your territory," I retorted calmly.
He tried to catch his breath, in vain. I observed him, knowing he was fully asuring the extent of the catastrophe threatening him. His reputation and lands hung by a thread.
He was undoubtedly wondering how I had obtained these docunts.
"I suppose that if you had not wanted sothing from , you would have simply sent a letter to Duke Donoghan."
"Indeed, you are intelligent, Viscount."
"What... what do you want in exchange for your silence?" he finally asked, voice broken.
I clasped my hands on the desk.
"The proposal is simple. I make these proofs disappear. No authority will co to trouble you."
His gaze beca intense, suspicious.
"And in return?"
"The forest bordering your territory to the north. I know it is unexploited. I want full ownership, without restriction. And also have Jessica brought here."
A heavy silence settled in the room. He hesitated, but did not really know why I needed this forest. As he tried to buy ti, I caught sight of a motionless shadow in the doorway crack. lissa was listening. I chose to ignore her, for now.
Suddenly, Karlton pulled himself together and called a servant in a shrill voice.
"Bring Jessica. Imdiately!"
A few minutes later, Jessica entered the room. She was pale, and her hands twisted nervously. Her gaze t mine, seeking comfort, then fell on the docunts spread out. She took an instinctive step back.
"Kaiser... What does all this an?" she asked, voice filled with growing worry.
I let her father speak.
"Jessica!" he thundered. "Are you involved in this affair? Did you know sothing?"
She shook her head with panicked vehence.
"No! I swear, I do not understand! I did nothing!"
It was the crucial mont.
"In reality, it was you who provided
with the bulk of this information," I declared coldly. "It was you who told
where to look and what to look for. You deliberately sought to harm your father."
’Yeah, I’m the bastard I think I am... Hahaha.’
Jessica’s face crumpled, livid.
"What? No, Kaiser... It’s false! You asked
to help you for... You promised ! You told
that..."
Karlton’s anger exploded. He stood so abruptly that his chair scraped the floor.
"TRAITRESS! After everything I did for you! I raised you, protected you, and this is how you thank ?!"
In the doorway crack, lissa’s smile widened, visibly savoring every mont.
Jessica rushed toward , eyes pleading.
"Kaiser, please," tell him the truth! "Rember what you promised !"
I looked at her then, my face deliberately devoid of any expression. My silence was more eloquent than any words. I saw understanding, then horror, take hold of her gaze. She suddenly realized the full extent of the betrayal.
"How can I trust soone who betrayed her own father?"
"You are no longer my daughter!" shouted Karlton, slamming his fist on the table. "I banish you from this estate! You are disinherited forever! Get out of my sight! IMDIATELY!"
Jessica staggered, as if her legs suddenly refused to support her.
"But... I have nowhere to go..." she murmured, lost.
She turned to
one last ti, a final hope in her voice.
"You promised..."
I did not deign to respond, now considering her a stranger. The light in her eyes went out. She lowered her head, broken, and left the room with hesitant steps, no one accompanying her.
As soon as the door closed, Karlton, defeated, turned to .
"I will sign. Make this affair disappear."
I pushed a pre-prepared parchnt toward him.
"The transfer of the forest, with all related rights."
He signed with a still trembling but resolute hand. Once the signature was affixed, I stored the docunt and stood.
"Our affairs are settled."
I left his office without a backward glance. In the hallway, lissa crossed my path, displaying a triumphant smile. I passed her without greeting.
Outside, the fresh morning air felt good. The forest was now mine. Every step had unfolded with perfect precision.
I climbed into the waiting steam car. Seated in the silence, I could not contain a deep satisfaction.
"To the County!"
"Understood, Lord Paragon."
*End of POV*
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