Chapter 6
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During his lifetime, Pavel did not care for his family. He disowned most of his relatives, even some of his vassals, even though it was his duty as a patriarch to care for his blood relatives. This was because they kept encouraging him to send Peril and Olivia away.
This was a much bigger problem than his blindness to the mistress and his wife's unhappiness. He had abandoned his duties as Count of Lutgard, his duties as head of the family.
The Marquis of Ascensio himself, who had been his closest friend in his youth, was also greatly disappointed in Pavel, and although he did not break off their friendship, he was deeply estranged.
‘Still, I'm the only one left.’
He still didn't quite understand why Pavel had done what he had done. Pavel Lutgard was not a man who would abandon his wife. His treatment of Peril had been affectionate, but not blinded by passion.
He felt sorry for Theodore, who had lost his mother at an early age, and he could understand Denis or Daria's disappointment and anger.
But Olivia was just as pitiful. No matter what her parents had done, she was just an innocent child, and now she had no one to turn to.
‘If only Pavel had married her off beforehand.’
Olivia was twenty-two years old, well past the age of marriage.
'I don't think Pavel would have been able to arrange it because he was bedridden, but....’
'Which is why he should have arranged her marriage sooner.’
All the rights of the house would pass to his blood relatives, and none of them would care for Olivia. Perhaps he would leave her some property, but the young lady needed someone who would stand by her.
In the end, the Marquis of Ascensio made up his mind that he would take care of her. Olivia was a gentle and affectionate child. His wife would grow to like her with time.
As he was thinking this, Theodore entered the room as the last one and closed the door to the study.
His face, as stern and observant as if carved in stone, showed none of the ups and downs of youthful emotion. No grief at the death of his father, no joy at the death of a hated man, no anticipation of becoming Count of Lutgard. The Marquis of Ascensio felt sorry for him.
Now that all the close relatives who could be directly mentioned in the will were gone, Marquis of Ascensio was about to break the seal on the box containing the will.
Pavel's secretary stopped him.
"I beg your pardon, sir. One more person needs to come."
"Huh?"
Click.
Just then, the door opened again. All eyes turned toward it. Olivia stood there, fully dressed. Her veil was off.
"Alas."
The Marquis of Ascensio nodded. If it was her, one of the heirs, he wouldn't be surprised.
"Olivia, are you all right?"
The Marquis asked Olivia in a sweet and gentle manner, her face as white as a candle. Even her lips were devoid of any color, as if she were the one who had died.
"I'm fine."
Olivia's gaze flicked once to Theodore, then back to the Marquis of Ascensio. Her voice was surprisingly calm.
"If it's too much trouble, we can delay the opening by a few hours."
"No. I apologize for the delay."
Denis, who had drained his glass of whiskey in the meantime, scrambled to his feet. He pointed a sullen finger at Olivia.
"You shouldn't have come at all if you knew better, what right did you have!"
"Sit down, uncle."
Theodore spoke in a cold voice before the Marquis of Ascensio could open his mouth. Denis flinched, but he didn't think he'd said anything wrong.
In fact, everyone probably thought so. Even his sister, Daria, was looking away, saying nothing.
"But isn't that so, Theodore? She's a foster daughter, after all, a child of the mistress, and she has nothing to do with the Lutgard family."
"Perhaps father was trying to correct that."
There was a hint of sarcasm in Theodore’s cold tone.
"Sit down, uncle. Your fussing won't increase the share that's already been decided."
"Theodore!"
Denis, insulted, sulked up to his ears. Theodore commanded.
"Sit down."
"Hmmmph."
Denis let out a sound of indignation, but he didn't dare disobey.
Olivia glanced at Theodore again, and when their eyes met, she bowed her head slightly in gratitude. Theodore's face was cold, as if he hadn't seen it. He didn't even offer her a seat.
Olivia simply stood against the wall, not far from the doorway.
"Well, then, I shall open the will."
The Marquis of Ascensio said.
The box was opened. Inside were several letters.
The Marquis of Ascensio opened the topmost envelope, which was well sealed with beeswax, and read the form of the will and the signatures of the witnesses at the end to Theodore, Denis, Daria, and the lawyer, who checked each one.
The long will listed the smallest items first.
To the castle's employees, he distributed enough money to be considered a gift, and to his butler, who had served him for many years, he left enough to buy a small farm and retire. To his friends, he gave gifts such as fine liquors he hadn't been able to drink and a chess set made of ivory.
Only after the long list was finished that it was his close relatives’ turns.
Pavel left a small amount of cash to distant relatives, trust deposits to the family's wards, and a small amount of land and accompanying money to his siblings and cousins.
Denis's face turned earthy. His younger brother, just below him, had received a sizable sum of cash, a large villa near the capital, and a pine forest to go with it, but not enough to fulfill his expectations.
And until then, Olivia had not been named.
The relatives stared at her with glazed eyes. Her name didn't appear in the will until after the mention of another’s inheritance.
That meant either she would not inherit at all, or she would inherit as a child.
It couldn't be the former. Even the laundry maid had an inheritance, so why exclude a foster daughter?
But before Olivia's name came up, Theodor's name came up first.
"I bequeath to my only son, Theodore, the titles and estates of Count of Lutgard, Orta, Astbel, Count of Münster, Baron of Bedenburg, Ironhazel, Brück, and Carlin, with all the rights and duties appertaining thereto."
"......."
It was what it should have been, and there were no surprises. What was surprising was that it wasn't the last sentence.
The Marquis of Ascensio coughed lightly and continued.
"And the rest of the rights and property I bequeath to Theodore, subject to the following conditions. That he will marry Olivia Perrill within six months of the publication of this will."
The sentence was barely finished when a murmur filled the parlor. The Marquis of Ascensio could hardly speak.
"Silent!"
The Marquis of Ascensio shouted.
The heirs clamped their mouths shut and glanced at Theodore. This was ridiculous.
Theodore's complexion was as impassive as ice. Daria moved to his side.
"Theodore."
"I am not angry. Go on, Marquis of Ascensio."
Theodore made a light dismissive gesture. The Marquis of Ascensio coughed again and finished reading the will, summarizing it for him. He didn't want to read every sentence one by one, because he was sure Denis or someone else would have a tantrum halfway through and make a mess.
"If the two of you do not marry, Miss Olivia may choose one of the country houses belonging to the Lutgard family for her residence, and half of the residue of the estate shall be hers, with the other half to be given to an orphanage and to the widows of fallen soldiers."
"Is that the end of it?"
"It is the end. I'll keep the original until after the execution, but I'll make a copy for you so you can review it again."
"Okay, thank you."
"This is ridiculous!"
Denis shouted, and the others chimed in, but Theodore's stern face remained silent. He had a stoic look on his face, as if the conditions of the will was not his own.
"Are you okay, Theodore?"
"What's not to be okay about, Marquis? I will honor my father’s wishes. Lutgard’s reputation will be enhanced, and my father will be satisfied."
Theodore said calmly.
That meant he would refuse to marry Olivia. Even half of his remaining fortune would be worth millions of gold, and donating it would enhance the Count's reputation.
He turned on his heel and walked out of the parlor.
"Theodore! Theodore, how can this be!"
Denis scrambled to his feet and followed him out.
Daria staggered, her husband, Viscount Miloa, hurried to her aid. One by one, the other relatives filed out of the parlor, chattering.
All the while, Olivia stood still, her face pale.
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