Chapter 176
As the four entered, she looked outside and then closed the door. The house seemed just right for one or at most two people, so with five inside, it felt a bit cramped. Euphen and Sillian, having properly offered the chairs to the women, perched lightly on a crate.
“If it’s alright with you, may we lay Edwin down on the bed?”
In response to Sillian’s question, Agnis let out a long, audible sigh and then nodded.
Sillian carefully laid the child on the bed, gently touched his forehead, and returned to his spot.
“His fever seems to have completely subsided now, so there’s likely no need to worry.”
Although the man whispered this only to Lynette, perhaps because the house was so small and quiet, everyone heard it.
“Is he… hurt somewhere?”
Agnis spoke hesitantly.
To her question, Sillian answered with a calm expression.
“It appears the Count struck Edwin.”
“…”
As if she hadn’t expected such words, she turned her head away slightly.
An awkward silence flowed for a moment.
“Agnis, you are the only one who can be Edwin’s guardian now.”
“That woman exists too.”
Although she only said ‘that woman’, everyone understood who she meant.
It must be Edwin’s mother.
“Her feelings might have changed by now, but judging by how she has acted so far, it seems she would just repeat the same thing.”
No one refuted Eshar’s cold assessment.
“And if an unforeseen situation arises, aren’t you the only one who can inherit the Count’s title?”
Edwin’s mother is still alive, but considering bloodline alone, she was effectively an outsider, so the Count’s title should have passed to Agnis.
In the current situation, the loan shark had become Edwin’s ‘son’, transferring everything to that man.
The woman glanced at the child lying on the bed.
“In any case, Edwin and his mother currently hold no authority, so it’s possible for the guardian to hold all rights.”
Euphen added a comment.
“And no matter how that child was raised until now, can’t we change that from this point on?”
Agnis bit her lip hard and lowered her gaze.
After a long silence, she let out a short, bitter laugh and spoke.
“Aren’t you expecting too much from me?”
She clenched her fist tightly and raised her head.
“That I can change everything, that I’m the only one who can.”
“…”
“I’m past the age where words like that can easily make me dream.”
“But you opened the door because you want to change this situation, don’t you?”
Lynette couldn’t stay quiet any longer and spoke up.
“You want to do something, at least for the people of the territory, don’t you? Or am I wrong?”
“So, what are you going to do about it?”
The woman asked, her voice slightly sharper.
“How are you going to drive that man out? What can you people actually do?”
Then, as if frustrated by the situation, she let out a long sigh.
“You said you guys were being pursued, whatever the reason is.”
Her eyes slowly swept over the four of them.
“Can you fight back? Do you have a hidden army or something?”
“We don’t have an army, but we can fight well enough.”
Euphen answered calmly.
“So, how do you plan to drive him out? That man is nominally Edwin’s son, and Edwin has already signed a document transferring his title to him.”
“The simplest way would be for that man to die.”
Sillian, who had been silent until now, uttered a cruel remark as if it were nothing.
“We intend to use a more moderate method than that.”
When Euphen answered with a frown, Sillian shrugged.
“All Agnis needs to do is take on the role of guardian. Handing the family back to someone who has already passed the Count’s estate into another’s hands once would just lead to them selling it out again.”
Eshar calmly summarized.
“And judging by Edwin’s situation, his mother doesn’t seem like a reliable figure, so it would be even better if you could pay attention to raising him in her stead.”
“…”
“If you don’t intend to kill Edwin, wouldn’t it be better to help that child become a proper ‘Count’ who can do his work?”
“Haah…”
Agnis let out a short sigh and rubbed her forehead hard.
Nothing they said was wrong.
‘And Edwin seems to need someone to rely on.’
Hadn’t he clung to Lynette herself just because she bought him a meal? That also meant he was desperately in need of someone’s kindness.
If Agnis took just a little, just the slightest bit of pity on him… Edwin would quickly become attached.
As the silence dragged on, Euphen urged a little.
“We’d like to give you time to think it over, but unfortunately, we can’t wait long.”
Agnis looked at Edwin once more.
Her complex feelings were laid bare on her face.
The wounds from her brother and his wife, the negative feelings that had spread even to that child as a result, and her own surprise at feeling even a little sorry for him nonetheless.
The woman, who had clenched her fist tightly and squeezed her eyes shut before opening them, slowly nodded.
“Alright. I’ll make sure I become that child’s guardian.”
Her eyes turned resolute, as if she had firmly made up her mind.
“Alright, then. So, what are you going to do?”
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