I Only Want Your Child - Chapter 71

Looking at my stiff expression, Layla casually let one final remark slip.

“Whether Baldomer’s confidential information was actually exchanged is something only you and that man Lloyd would know. Ah, perhaps he’s already told Lord Kallion everything.”

My shoulders stiffened at Layla’s words.

Kallion had said something similar.

But I couldn’t believe it.

What would Lloyd possibly gain from telling a lie like that? The Lloyd I knew wasn’t a man who would tell such a lie.

While I was lost in confused thoughts, Layla set down the tea she had taken only a single sip from and rose from her seat.

“Madam, I apologize, but the estate is in an uproar right now over the leak of confidential information. Please excuse me for leaving first.”

Layla bowed politely, then leisurely left the room.

I couldn’t stop her.

Nor could I shout at her.

All I could do was clench my fists like a a person who had lost…

* * *

“I knew this would happen from the moment you brought a daughter of Heister into the estate!”

The council chamber was filled with the heads of the vassal houses.

Felix, the head of House Highland, the most influential among the vassal houses, shouted.

Kallion, seated in the place of honor at the far end of the long table, merely watched him in silence.

As though they had been waiting for that, the other heads of the houses began adding their own remarks.

“Rumors are rampant that Madam Baldomer was the one who leaked Baldomer’s confidential information to Silverstel!”

“We never should have trusted an enemy house and joined hands with them! To think they would stab us in the back so quickly!”

“The head of House Heister must be held responsible for this!”

“That’s right. I believe Heister should compensate us for these enormous losses!”

The suspicion that Juliana had been secretly corresponding with Silverstel’s second son had already spread throughout the vassal houses.

It had spread so quickly that it was almost as though someone had deliberately circulated it.

Kallion sighed and pressed a hand to his forehead with a stiff expression.

Most of the heads had risen in protest, but several remained silent, still watching Kallion’s reaction.

No matter how coldly Kallion treated the daughter of an enemy house, she was still the lady of Baldomer, and they didn’t know how he would react.

Among those who remained silent was the head of House Schultz, who had held the banquet not long ago.

Kallion silently watched the heads of the houses raise their voices like merchants in a marketplace.

Then he slammed his hand down on the table.

Bang-!

Only then did the heads of the houses close their mouths and quietly return to their seats one by one.

Kallion glared at them and spoke in a low voice.

“You’re all speaking as though my wife has already been proven guilty.”

At the uncharacteristic words that seemed to defend his wife, several older heads of the houses spoke sternly.

“Rumors have already spread everywhere that the Madam has been secretly exchanging letters with Silverstel’s second son.”

“Where did you hear that rumor?”

“What?”

“I asked who told you that rumor.”

“That…”

The heads of the vassal houses fell silent and glanced at one another.

The only people who knew about the letter were Kallion, Layla, who had found it, and perhaps the head butler.

The head butler had served Baldomer for more than forty years.

There was no chance a man like that had a loose tongue. If he did, he never would have remained head butler for so long.

Kallion’s gaze slowly turned toward Layla, who stood at the back.

He had known Layla for more than ten years.

She had been his secretary for eight.

Thinking of how perceptive and meticulous Layla had always been, he would normally have concluded without hesitation that she couldn’t have done such a thing.

But suddenly, he remembered her mistake at the orphanage.

She had neglected her duty to assist the lady of Baldomer.

Kallion already knew that Layla, who was fiercely loyal to Baldomer, harbored negative feelings toward Heister.

He also knew she didn’t think kindly of Juliana.

Though Layla was hardly the only one.

Most of the servants felt the same way.

At first, it hadn’t particularly bothered him.

But now, Layla’s behavior, which seemed to be crossing the line, was beginning to grate on him.

Kallion forced himself to look away from Layla and turned back toward the heads of the vassal houses.

‘The vassals are crossing the line too.’

Under his murderous gaze, the heads of the houses flinched and instinctively looked away.

Kallion drove the point home.

“Even if the rumor is true, until the facts are confirmed, Juliana is still the lady of Baldomer.”

With that, he stared steadily at the heads of the houses.

“So you’d better watch what you say.”

“But…!”

The moment Felix, the head of House Highland, tried to object, Kallion slammed the table again.

Bang-!!

“I’ll personally determine whether she is truly the culprit.”

The heads of the houses fell silent and exchanged uneasy glances at his ambiguous words, unsure whether he was defending his wife or saying he intended to interrogate her.

Kallion warned them not to cross the line any further.

“So I don’t want to hear another word about her.”