Heath, who had been standing blankly in the corner without moving an inch, started walking.
One step at a time.
Every time the distance narrowed, the Count hurriedly moved his butt back, but soon he hit a wall and was unable to move.
Heath twisted his mouth at the sight of him curled up in the corner, trembling like a mouse before a cat.
“So I just give back the same feeling. That feeling of having to watch your child die.”
“What, what did you say...”
“Once Genos dies, then you will understand, Uncle. My mother’s feelings of losing her mind, blaming herself for her own incompetence. I am waiting for that day to come, Uncle.”
“Hee, hiss!”
The Count's eyes were wide with utter terror.
“I, I was wrong. I was blinded by greed and did things I shouldn’t have done. It’s all my fault. But, but Genos...!”
He grabbed Heath's trouser leg and started hanging on.
“Heath, this uncle is like this. I will admit all my sins and pay the price, but please do not touch my son. Only our Genos, please...”
But even with that earnest plea, Heath's cold, frozen expression did not soften.
“It’s too late, Uncle. Genos’ life is already at its limit.”
“What does that mean? Are you saying that our Genos will die soon?”
“Yes. So just wait quietly. It won’t take long.”
Heath, who had given a cold rebuke, quickly disappeared from sight.
“Heath, Heath!”
The Count looked around anxiously, but could not find his nephew anywhere in the room.
“Oh, where did you go... Wait, no way...”
The Count, who had been muttering with an expression on his face that seemed about to collapse, paused for a moment, then hurriedly ran off somewhere.
The destination was Genos' room.
As the door opened wide, someone jumped up in surprise.
"Honey?"
It was the Countess who was kicked out of the bedroom for disturbing the Count's mood.
She approached him with a puzzled expression as she sat at the bedside nursing her son.
“What are you doing here? When did you kick me out so arbitrarily? Are you finally coming to your senses?”
But the Count had no time to worry about her.
Because, as expected, Heath was in this room.
He tightly squeezed the neck of his son, who he would not mind putting in his eye.
“Ugh, ugh.”
The Count, seeing his son's face distorted with pain, let out a ragged breath as if his throat was being strangled.
Then, with a sharp expression on his face, he roughly pushed the woman standing in front of him away and grabbed Heath's trouser leg again in a panic and begged him.
“Hey, don’t do this, Heath. I’m the one who sinned, so why are you doing this to this little kid? Just take me and let my son go, okay? Don’t do this to me, Heath. Please...”
The Countess's eyes widened at the sight.
“What’s wrong, you! Heath, why are you suddenly looking for a child who died a long time ago? Did you have a dream?”
The Count continued to hold on to Heath, seemingly unaware of his wife's urging.
“Heath, please. Please don’t do this. Please save my son.”
It was at that time that the Countess could not hide her bewilderment at that incomprehensible appearance.
“What's going on?”
Shayne came in through the open door, along with the Crown Prince and other members of his entourage.
“Oh, Your Highness. It’s nice to meet you. My name is Helen Ganeth... honey?”
The Countess's eyes widened once again as she hurriedly bowed her head in greeting.
The husband, who had been mumbling incomprehensible words like a madman, crawled on his knees and prostrated himself at the Saintess's feet.
“Sa, Saintess. I am completely wrong. I confess all my sins. I will gladly accept any punishment you give me, so please spare my son. Please take away the vengeful spirit of my nephew who is sucking the life out of my son.”
“Honey, what are you talking about? Why are you acting like this today...”
The Countess's expression crumpled as if she had no idea what was going on, but no one seemed willing to answer her questions.
“Are you serious about that? Are you really willing to confess all your sins and atone for them before the goddess?”
The Count nodded hastily at Shayne's words.
“Yes, yes. I will confess everything. I was blinded by my title and killed my brother and nephew. I will not receive any punishment, so please save my son. Please, Saintess...”
The Count's desperate wish to save his son's life at all costs was clearly evident in his trembling face as he buried his head in the bed.
The cold-blooded man who mercilessly killed his blood-related brother and young nephew seemed helpless in the face of his own child's death.
After the Count's confession, everything went smoothly from then on.
The Crown Prince ordered his knights to escort the criminal to the capital.
We will have to go to trial to find out, but since he killed his own blood relatives and usurped the title, he will not be able to avoid severe punishment.
'Even if he is released later, he will not be able to live a life as a noble, and the family line will be passed down to a collateral branch.'
I clicked my tongue, looked into the mirror, and whispered softly while gently stroking Delton, who was diligently wiping the wine off his lips.
“Well done, Delton. Your acting was good, wasn’t it?”
“It’s all thanks to you that I learned it all. I’ve tried all sorts of things in my life.”
I giggled as I watched Delton sigh deeply, then stared at the Countess lying on the sofa like a corpse.
The Countess, who had been startled every time the Count's confession came out of his mouth, eventually fainted without even seeing the Count being dragged out.
It seemed like she really didn't know anything about what her husband had done.
'It must be ridiculous.'
She was sighing in regret at the thought of having to live the rest of her life as a sinner because of her husband's sin, even though she had no part in it.
The Countess's body, which had been motionless the whole time, was seen moving slightly.
“Are you of sound mind, ma’am?”
“Ah, Your Ladyship...”
As I hurried over to ask, the Countess raised her upper body.
“I must have shown myself in a way that I should not have shown myself in front of the Saintess.”
“It’s okay. You still don’t look well, so just lie down.”
“No. How dare I do this in front of the Saintess...”
She stubbornly stood up, ignoring my advice, and asked in a cautious voice.
“But, Saintess, did my husband really commit such a terrible act? Did my husband really commit such a terrible act against my brother-in-law and Heath...”
“It may be shocking, but it’s true. Count Ganeth murdered his own blood relatives to take away the title.”
“That’s ridiculous. How could that person do something like that...”
She buried her face in her hands, looking miserable.
“Excessive love sometimes turns into greed and blinds people. The Count’s greed to raise his son in a better environment blinded him.”
“Foolish man. What a terrible thing to do with such a lowly title... I don’t know how I can repay this sin.”
The Countess finally burst into tears.
I said, squeezing her shoulder tightly.
“What crime did you commit? I know it must be hard for you, but you need to come to your senses. You have a son to protect.”
At the mention of her son, her head shot up in shock.
“B-By the way, what about my son? I heard that the reason my son is sick is because he is possessed by Heath’s vengeful spirit. Could it be that he is still...”
“It’s okay. Although Heath has become a vengeful spirit because of the deep resentment in his heart, he is a kind and gentle child. Now that the Count has paid the price, your son will be fine.”
"Ah..."
The Countess sighed in relief, clutching her chest.
“But the blood of a sinner cannot continue the family line. It would be best for you, Madam, to abandon the name of Ganeth and return to your parent’s home with your son.”
She nodded weakly at my words.
His face was filled with worry about what would happen next, but there was nothing I could do, so I just left without saying a word.
One step at a time.
Every time the distance narrowed, the Count hurriedly moved his butt back, but soon he hit a wall and was unable to move.
Heath twisted his mouth at the sight of him curled up in the corner, trembling like a mouse before a cat.
“So I just give back the same feeling. That feeling of having to watch your child die.”
“What, what did you say...”
“Once Genos dies, then you will understand, Uncle. My mother’s feelings of losing her mind, blaming herself for her own incompetence. I am waiting for that day to come, Uncle.”
“Hee, hiss!”
The Count's eyes were wide with utter terror.
“I, I was wrong. I was blinded by greed and did things I shouldn’t have done. It’s all my fault. But, but Genos...!”
He grabbed Heath's trouser leg and started hanging on.
“Heath, this uncle is like this. I will admit all my sins and pay the price, but please do not touch my son. Only our Genos, please...”
But even with that earnest plea, Heath's cold, frozen expression did not soften.
“It’s too late, Uncle. Genos’ life is already at its limit.”
“What does that mean? Are you saying that our Genos will die soon?”
“Yes. So just wait quietly. It won’t take long.”
Heath, who had given a cold rebuke, quickly disappeared from sight.
“Heath, Heath!”
The Count looked around anxiously, but could not find his nephew anywhere in the room.
“Oh, where did you go... Wait, no way...”
The Count, who had been muttering with an expression on his face that seemed about to collapse, paused for a moment, then hurriedly ran off somewhere.
The destination was Genos' room.
As the door opened wide, someone jumped up in surprise.
"Honey?"
It was the Countess who was kicked out of the bedroom for disturbing the Count's mood.
She approached him with a puzzled expression as she sat at the bedside nursing her son.
“What are you doing here? When did you kick me out so arbitrarily? Are you finally coming to your senses?”
But the Count had no time to worry about her.
Because, as expected, Heath was in this room.
He tightly squeezed the neck of his son, who he would not mind putting in his eye.
“Ugh, ugh.”
The Count, seeing his son's face distorted with pain, let out a ragged breath as if his throat was being strangled.
Then, with a sharp expression on his face, he roughly pushed the woman standing in front of him away and grabbed Heath's trouser leg again in a panic and begged him.
“Hey, don’t do this, Heath. I’m the one who sinned, so why are you doing this to this little kid? Just take me and let my son go, okay? Don’t do this to me, Heath. Please...”
The Countess's eyes widened at the sight.
“What’s wrong, you! Heath, why are you suddenly looking for a child who died a long time ago? Did you have a dream?”
The Count continued to hold on to Heath, seemingly unaware of his wife's urging.
“Heath, please. Please don’t do this. Please save my son.”
It was at that time that the Countess could not hide her bewilderment at that incomprehensible appearance.
“What's going on?”
Shayne came in through the open door, along with the Crown Prince and other members of his entourage.
“Oh, Your Highness. It’s nice to meet you. My name is Helen Ganeth... honey?”
The Countess's eyes widened once again as she hurriedly bowed her head in greeting.
The husband, who had been mumbling incomprehensible words like a madman, crawled on his knees and prostrated himself at the Saintess's feet.
“Sa, Saintess. I am completely wrong. I confess all my sins. I will gladly accept any punishment you give me, so please spare my son. Please take away the vengeful spirit of my nephew who is sucking the life out of my son.”
“Honey, what are you talking about? Why are you acting like this today...”
The Countess's expression crumpled as if she had no idea what was going on, but no one seemed willing to answer her questions.
“Are you serious about that? Are you really willing to confess all your sins and atone for them before the goddess?”
The Count nodded hastily at Shayne's words.
“Yes, yes. I will confess everything. I was blinded by my title and killed my brother and nephew. I will not receive any punishment, so please save my son. Please, Saintess...”
The Count's desperate wish to save his son's life at all costs was clearly evident in his trembling face as he buried his head in the bed.
The cold-blooded man who mercilessly killed his blood-related brother and young nephew seemed helpless in the face of his own child's death.
***
After the Count's confession, everything went smoothly from then on.
The Crown Prince ordered his knights to escort the criminal to the capital.
We will have to go to trial to find out, but since he killed his own blood relatives and usurped the title, he will not be able to avoid severe punishment.
'Even if he is released later, he will not be able to live a life as a noble, and the family line will be passed down to a collateral branch.'
I clicked my tongue, looked into the mirror, and whispered softly while gently stroking Delton, who was diligently wiping the wine off his lips.
“Well done, Delton. Your acting was good, wasn’t it?”
“It’s all thanks to you that I learned it all. I’ve tried all sorts of things in my life.”
I giggled as I watched Delton sigh deeply, then stared at the Countess lying on the sofa like a corpse.
The Countess, who had been startled every time the Count's confession came out of his mouth, eventually fainted without even seeing the Count being dragged out.
It seemed like she really didn't know anything about what her husband had done.
'It must be ridiculous.'
She was sighing in regret at the thought of having to live the rest of her life as a sinner because of her husband's sin, even though she had no part in it.
The Countess's body, which had been motionless the whole time, was seen moving slightly.
“Are you of sound mind, ma’am?”
“Ah, Your Ladyship...”
As I hurried over to ask, the Countess raised her upper body.
“I must have shown myself in a way that I should not have shown myself in front of the Saintess.”
“It’s okay. You still don’t look well, so just lie down.”
“No. How dare I do this in front of the Saintess...”
She stubbornly stood up, ignoring my advice, and asked in a cautious voice.
“But, Saintess, did my husband really commit such a terrible act? Did my husband really commit such a terrible act against my brother-in-law and Heath...”
“It may be shocking, but it’s true. Count Ganeth murdered his own blood relatives to take away the title.”
“That’s ridiculous. How could that person do something like that...”
She buried her face in her hands, looking miserable.
“Excessive love sometimes turns into greed and blinds people. The Count’s greed to raise his son in a better environment blinded him.”
“Foolish man. What a terrible thing to do with such a lowly title... I don’t know how I can repay this sin.”
The Countess finally burst into tears.
I said, squeezing her shoulder tightly.
“What crime did you commit? I know it must be hard for you, but you need to come to your senses. You have a son to protect.”
At the mention of her son, her head shot up in shock.
“B-By the way, what about my son? I heard that the reason my son is sick is because he is possessed by Heath’s vengeful spirit. Could it be that he is still...”
“It’s okay. Although Heath has become a vengeful spirit because of the deep resentment in his heart, he is a kind and gentle child. Now that the Count has paid the price, your son will be fine.”
"Ah..."
The Countess sighed in relief, clutching her chest.
“But the blood of a sinner cannot continue the family line. It would be best for you, Madam, to abandon the name of Ganeth and return to your parent’s home with your son.”
She nodded weakly at my words.
His face was filled with worry about what would happen next, but there was nothing I could do, so I just left without saying a word.
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