IHDOE Ch 82

Scars and moles on a body could be forged, but fingerprints could never be erased or rewritten. Besides, they didn't change with age.

Satina clenched her fists.

From birth, nobles were registered in the family ledger as official heirs. Since the Marchioness' younger sister was Countess Olins, the child was Count Olins' eldest son and sole heir. Whether in the family ledger or the inheritance deed, a fingerprint taken from the infant's hand was bound to exist somewhere.

The Marchioness looked bewildered by Satina's sudden reaction.

[M. Riermont] "Why so sudden? Has something happened?"

[Satina] "There is no need to bring both children. I have a way to reveal which one is your true nephew."

[M. Riermont] "Is that true?"

[Satina] "Yes."

Life returned to her eyes at Satina's words.

[M. Riermont] "Yes, of course! As soon as my nephew was born, we gathered to draft a deed recognizing him as the legitimate heir! I signed as a witness, and since he couldn't write yet, we used his thumbprint! It is definitive!"

She squeezed Satina's hands in excitement.

[M. Riermont] "To think of such a brilliant method! You are clever! I can't fathom why anyone ever made you a laughingstock in social circles!"

[Satina] "That doesn't matter now, My Lady. Dispatch someone to the capital immediately and request that document. Hurry!"

[M. Riermont] "R-Right. I shall send word at once!"

The next day, the Marchioness' butler arrived from the capital with the document in hand.

[Butler] "This is the document drafted during his first visit to the temple."

The Marchioness compared the thumbprint on the document with those taken from Matthew and Gaiden. Realization struck instantly. Matthew was undeniably her nephew.

---

[M. Riermont] "You tried to deceive me!"

She rose from her seat, unable to contain her rage.

Hearing her thunderous voice, Matthew trembled violently. The Marchioness looked at him with profound pity. That boy was indeed the nephew she had lost twelve years ago.

Sorrow over the abuse he had suffered at the hunter's house and fury toward the couple who dared trick her rushed through her all at once.

Even as their lies unraveled, the hunter couple continued to bluster with excuses.

[Bront] "Preposterous! We are being wronged!"

[Catherine] "Exactly! Don't fingerprints' patterns change as a child grows? You can't use merely that as evidence to claim we tried to deceive you!"

[M. Riermont] "Even assuming fingerprints change as a child grows, how do you explain those prints matching this child perfectly? Will you call this a coincidence as well?"

[Catherine] "Why, that is naturally a coincidence...!"

[M. Riermont] "Shut your mouth! How dare you trick nobility? Spouting lies even now! You treat me like a fool!"

Her face flushed crimson.

[M. Riermont] "Had you cared for my nephew, had you not attempted to deceive me, I would have treated you as honored guests of House Riermont! Yet how dare you... how dare you...!"

Finally grasping the gravity of the situation, the hunter couple threw themselves onto the floor and begged.

[Bront] "Forgive us! Forgive us, My Lady! Greed blinded us! Please spare our lives!"

[Catherine] "I was wrong! Please spare us just this once!"

[Bront] "If not for us, your nephew would have lost his life in that river! Consider our mercy. We beg you...!"

The Marchioness looked at the boy hiding behind Satina. He crouched like a frightened animal, trembling with fear.

To reduce him to such a state and beg for mercy now!

A cold smile touched their lips.

[M. Riermont] "Very well. In light of that mercy, I shall not kill you."

Hope flushed across the hunter couple's faces, but she continued.

[M. Riermont] "However, for the crime of lying, I shall extract every single one of your teeth. For the crime of abusing my nephew, I shall shatter every bone in your arms and legs before tossing you into the forest."

The hunter couple went pale. The forest teemed with dangerous beasts; with broken limbs, they could neither fight nor flee, and without teeth, they would starve.

[M. Riermont] "As for your child, I shall brand him with a slave mark and sell him. At least his life will be spared."

[Bront] "My Lady! How is that any different from telling us to die?!"

[Catherine] "Please spare us!"

Nearby guards blocked the couple as they tried to reach the Marchioness, so they lunged toward the local viscount instead.

[Bront] "My Lord, please save us!"

[Catherine] "Are we not your subjects, My Lord?! Can you abandon us like this?!"

[Bront] "Slaves?! Nonsense! That is illegal!"

The Marchioness scoffed at their performance.

[M. Riermont] "What say you, Viscount? Do you wish to ask me to show leniency as well?"

Viscount Idiris shook his head.

[V. Idiris] "I witnessed nothing, Marchioness."

[Bront] "My Lady! My Lord!"

Knights dragged the family away, cutting off their desperate cries. Their grim fate was obvious to everyone present.

Only then did the Marchioness approach her nephew, who was still trembling behind Satina.

[M. Riermont] "Max."

She called his name in a tender voice, but the boy flattened himself against the floor in terror, shuddering as if expecting punishment.

[Max] "S-Sorry! I-I did wrong, I did wrong!"

Tears spilled from her eyes as she lifted him into her arms.

[M. Riermont] "No, no. There is no need to apologize. I am sorry, Max. Your aunt failed to recognize you even when you were standing right in front of me."

Cradled in her arms, Max froze in confusion. Seeing her cry, he rummaged through his pockets and held out a piece of chocolate.

[Max] "D-Don't cry. Th-This is good."

Seeing the chocolate only made her sob harder.

[M. Riermont] "He was like that as a young child, too. Whenever anyone in the family felt sad, he would secretly bring out his snacks to share."

She squeezed his hand tightly.

[M. Riermont] "Back then, your hand was small enough to fit snugly inside mine. Now look at you. You've grown taller than me."

Satina patted the Marchioness' back and handed her a handkerchief.

[Satina] "Are you alright? Someone bring warm tea for the Marchioness."

The Marchioness wiped her face with the handkerchief and slowly began to calm down.

[People marvel at the player's wisdom in uncovering the truth!]

[Fame has increased by 10!]

The system alerts rang out, sparking a sudden realization in Satina.

Wait a second. In the game, the person the female lead brought to the Marchioness was the hunter couple's biological son.

Does that mean the Marchioness lived her entire life believing that imposter was her nephew?

Satina watched the Marchioness embrace her real nephew, lost in thought.

Was it merely a mistake? Was the female lead duped by the hunter couple, too?

Or…

---

On the way back to the capital, Max slept inside the swaying carriage, clutching Satina's skirt tightly. The Marchioness looked at him, her eyes swollen from crying.

[M. Riermont] "He takes to you immensely."

[Satina] "It must be because I gave him chocolate first."

[M. Riermont] "Is that so?"

The Marchioness gently stroked the sleeping boy's cheek.

[M. Riermont] "I owe you a debt beyond words."

She looked at Satina with unwavering trust.

[M. Riermont] "If not for you, I would have spent the rest of my life believing that wretched couple's child was my nephew. Thank you so much. You are my benefactor. If you ever need anything, speak without hesitation."

[Satina] "Well... could you perhaps write a recommendation letter for me to compete for the Empire's Golden Star?"

Qualifying for the preliminary selection of the Empire's Golden Star required fame and recommendation letters from at least three prominent noblewomen.

The Marchioness nodded without hesitation.

[M. Riermont] "That is a simple matter. If not you, who else is qualified? Am I the first to write you a recommendation?"

[Satina] "Yes."

[M. Riermont] "Then you must secure two more. Countess Sorwen would be a suitable choice. She is quite demanding, but you should manage well enough. Still, becoming the Empire's Golden Star will not be easy."

[Satina] "I know it is a difficult path, but I intend to try."

[M. Riermont] "I never expected you to pursue the title of Empire's Golden Star. Truth be told, I assumed you paid little mind to public opinion."

Mm, it might appear that way.

Even if done out of love, throwing away her pride to beg the Crown Prince couldn't have looked flattering to noble society. She realized this was a good opportunity to spread rumors that she had changed.

[Satina] "In truth... I wish to annul my engagement with the Crown Prince."

[M. Riermont] "What? With His Highness? Did you not love him?"

As expected, the Marchioness looked astonished.

[Satina] "I did love him. But not anymore."

She answered calmly.

[Satina] "I never knew a heart could cool so quickly, either. His Highness gave his heart to another woman while engaged to me. Spending my life tied to a man like that repulses me."

[M. Riermont] "His Highness is hardly a man to cherish a woman. I understand how you feel. You have finally opened your eyes. Worry not, I shall help you."

Given how cold the Crown Prince had always been toward Satina, the Marchioness found her decision entirely reasonable.

[M. Riermont] "Countess Sorwen is attending my next party, so I shall introduce you then."

[Satina] "Thank you."

Spotting a nearby village, they decided to stop and rest briefly.

Satina stepped outside and stretched. Sitting in the carriage for so long had left her body stiff. While the coachman watered the exhausted horses, she decided to browse the nearby shops.

Katan fell into step beside her naturally.

---

Requested by readers. If you enjoy it, feel free to leave a rating or review on KakaoPage, Naver Series, Ridi, and Novel Updates.