Barcus, looking at Zola, seed as if he had just cast off a heavy burden. He could never have dread that a day would co when he would finally be free. He had known from the very beginning that Zola's children were not his, but he couldn't prove it, no matter how much he wanted to. Even if he tried, it wouldn't have worked because the law was almost always on the side of won. Only very convincing evidence could make a difference. However, he was lucky: not only had he caught his wife admitting to this fact, but he also had a witness. And not just any witness — it was a royal overseer. These individuals were incredibly difficult to bribe, as they were already wealthy thanks to the royal family's sponsorship. On top of that, they were selected with great care. In short, if the overseer confird Zola's words, Barcus would be free.
On the other hand, Zola, furious and ready to explode with both anger and fear, didn't notice the witness in the room. A plan quickly ford in her mind.
"Hmph! So what if you caught , Barcus? Who's going to believe you? Even if you and your vile brat have had so luck recently, you need evidence. Words are not evidence," she said, smirking.
Hearing this, the viscount, who had initially been afraid, also regained his confidence. He had been worried at first because if he had been caught, the consequences would have been dire. While he wouldn't have lost his title of viscount, his reputation among the nobility would have been ruined. That would have caused problems with his family, and he would have had to pay enormous compensation to the Bartfort family for his actions. But Zola's words bolstered his courage.
"As Zola said, Barcus, you'll lose in court and will be forced to pay for slander and deception," he said with contempt.
At that mont, both of them heard Leon laughing.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha!"
Hearing this, a vein bulged on Zola's forehead.
"What's so funny, you little bastard?!" she scread, glaring at Leon.
The viscount, on the other hand, looked at him disdainfully.
"Barcus's brat, who's been the talk of everyone lately," he muttered, though sweat started to drip down his neck.
"Ah, nothing much. Just enjoying the mont, you dumb b*tch. Ah, it feels so good to say that straight to your face," Leon said with a grin, only to imdiately receive a slap on the back of the head from his father.
"Watch your words, Leon, or your mother will punish you later," Barcus warned sternly.
Leon fell silent for a mont but continued speaking nonetheless.
"Well, Zola, let's start with the fact that I'm a witness to your confession. And if you've forgotten, I'm a viscount," he said with a smirk.
"So what?" Zola sneered at him. "You'd need to be at least an earl for that to matter."
"Plus, you're his son," the viscount added. "The court might think you're doing this for your father's benefit."
"Well, I'm just getting started. Wait — it'll get better," Leon said, still grinning.
Barcus, however, looked incredibly calm, which raised the viscount's suspicions.
"And secondly, there's this," Leon said, throwing a bundle of envelopes onto the table.
Zola and the viscount both asked simultaneously, "What is this?"
"Photos of your naked mother... Ah, too bad I can't say that," Second thought to himself.
"All in good ti, my friend," first added ntally.
At that mont, Zola and the viscount realized the envelopes contained letters from their correspondence, which confird Zola's infidelity. She tried to grab the letters, but Leon swiftly pulled them away and stepped back.
Zola was on the verge of exploding with rage, but the viscount stepped in:
"Do you have any proof these letters belong to Zola?" he asked with a smirk. "Even if you tell the court the handwriting matches, we'll claim it was forged and deny everything."
"Ah, he's clever," First thought.
"Yep," second agreed with himself.
"This way, he'll buy ti to co up with a way out," First mused internally.
But aloud, he said, "By the way, who said I'm the only witness?"
At that mont, Arthur entered the room.
Zola glanced at him indifferently, not recognizing him, but the viscount imdiately noticed the emblem on his chest.
"A-a royal overseer..." he stamred in terror.
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