KFBRV Pt 2 Ch 53

Ferdinand gripped Rolf’s neck until the butler’s face turned a deep, bruised purple. Only then did he hurl the man to the gravel.

[Rolf] "Cough, ack! Cough!"

Rolf gasped for air, his lungs burning. Ferdinand knelt low before him, looming like a street thug ready to shake down a victim.

A mocking grin twisted Ferdinand's face. Though he was a high-ranking nobleman and a Transcendent, he carried the undeniable stench of a common criminal.

[Ferdinand] "Now, give me your excuses."

He chuckled, finding the butler’s suffering amusing.

[Ferdinand] "Charlotte’s adoption and the bastard’s entry into the family. You pushed for all of it, didn't you? You must be desperate to shove me aside. Confess your disgusting betrayal right now."

Rolf remained on his knees, trembling and coughing.

[Ferdinand] "Did you promise to make Mrs. Becker the Countess? How much did she pay you? Or are you two sleeping together?"

Ferdinand ground his teeth, the sound sharp and grating.

[Rolf] "Young Master. I...... I had no choice. I did it for the sake of the Albrecht family. Genuinely, for the sake of—"

[Ferdinand] "What a creative load of garbage."

He kicked Rolf’s knee with the tip of his boot.

[Rolf] "I have something to tell you! Odette...... she is the biological daughter of Siegfried!"

Rolf believed this secret would stop him. He hoped that once Ferdinand understood Odette's true heritage, he would forgive the butler's actions.

[Ferdinand] "And? Why does that matter?"

His judgment was dead wrong. Rolf fell silent, his eyes wide with despair.

[Ferdinand] "Odette is a woman. As long as I am alive, she gets nothing. But that bastard baby is different. If he is a son, I have to split the inheritance with him."

He grinned again, showing his teeth.

[Ferdinand] "Besides, unlike Odette, that infant shares my father's blood. If Father decides to make him my replacement, he becomes a threat to my position. A real threat."

[Rolf] "I...... I only wanted to protect the Young Master and the house of Albrecht—"

[Ferdinand] "You claim you did this for me? You started a rebellion against the heir for my sake? You have crossed the line, Rolf."

[Rolf] "......"

[Ferdinand] "Write one more letter like that. I will make sure you meet a horrific end first. Do you understand?"

Terror paralyzed Rolf. He nodded frantically. Ferdinand grabbed the back of the butler's neck and slammed his face toward the ground.

[Ulrich] "You scoundrel! What do you think you are doing?!"

The Count’s roar echoed through the garden as he rushed outside.

Ferdinand had originally come to report Rolf’s schemes, but after seeing his father dining with the mistress and the bastard, the report felt meaningless. He climbed back into his carriage.

[Ferdinand] "Let's go. Quickly."

The carriage sped away, leaving the furious Count behind.

---

That should keep him in his place.

Ferdinand remained convinced that Rolf harbored treasonous thoughts.

The nerve of him, planning to bring that bastard into the family behind my back.

He pulled the crumpled letters from his pocket and read them again.

Rolf’s pleas never changed: to stop Odette, they had to adopt Charlotte and raise the illegitimate child as the second son of Albrecht.

Anger toward his father burned in his chest.

I made a few mistakes, but how could he leave me out of such a vital decision?

The Count treated him with a coldness he had never experienced before. Despite Ferdinand being the sole heir, his father had given him no warning about Charlotte’s adoption.

It is the first time. He treats me as if I do not exist.

His instincts told him the truth: his father was giving up on him. Yet, he refused to blame his own actions—like choking the Count. Instead, he blamed Rolf. He believed the butler wanted to install a new heir so he could control the mansion as a kingmaker.

[Ferdinand] "You were right, Köndel."

He spoke to the man sitting across from him. After seeing the family dinner with his own eyes, a sense of emptiness hollowed his chest.

[Köndel] "Is it not a common story? A butler betraying his master. I hate to say it, but especially in the Albrecht family, a butler's betrayal once led to a full revolt."

Köndel’s voice dripped with false pity. Ferdinand offered a bitter smile.

During his murder trial, his few remaining friends had vanished. Now, only Gustav Köndel remained to play poker with him. He felt a sting of shame for being humiliated in front of his only companion.

[Ferdinand] "I would have looked like a fool without you. It was always strange how the adoption talk suddenly moved forward after two years of silence."

Köndel nodded in agreement.

[Köndel] "It is even stranger for Lady Charlotte. Why would she join the Albrechts now? She has nothing to gain from a family in ruins."

Ferdinand winced at the insult to his house, but he couldn't deny the logic.

[Köndel] "The detective said, it looks like they brought her in specifically to make that bastard the official heir. Charlotte, Rolf, and Mrs. Becker. The three of them joined forces to deceive the Count."

Initially, Ferdinand thought the detective’s theory was a stretch. But following Müller’s advice had led him straight to Rolf’s betrayal.

[Köndel] "Charlotte is just a girl from the mountains; she couldn't have planned this. There must be someone in the Cathedral pulling her strings."

Ferdinand recalled Detective Müller’s reports.

The name of High Priest Raphael appeared constantly, didn't it?

Raphael had personally verified and approved every document for Charlotte’s adoption. He had negotiated the terms. He had issued the final permission from the Cathedral. He had even written the congratulatory speech.

Even the start of this entire mess happened because Rolf "accidentally" overheard Raphael talking to Charlotte.

The coincidence felt too perfect. Meeting Odette, then suddenly overhearing a secret conversation between the High Priest and the new Saintess?

Yes. That country girl couldn't have planned this herself......

The idea of a conspiracy between Raphael, Rolf, and Vanessa made perfect sense to him. He had no hard evidence, but he decided to threaten Raphael. He would crush the priest's spirit just as he had crushed Rolf’s.

[Ferdinand] "To the Cathedral."

After dropping Köndel off, he gave the order. He marched toward the Great Cathedral.

[Ferdinand] "Bring High Priest Raphael to me!"

He barked at the Holy Knights. He demanded answers.

[Paladin] "You can't meet the High Priest without an appointment, Young Lord Albrecht."

The knights stood their ground.

Blocked from the entrance, Ferdinand forced his way inside. When the panicked knights tried to seize him, he lost all reason. He summoned a swarm of insects to create a defensive wall.

[Ferdinand] "Where is Raphael?! I know you are working with Rolf, so come out this instant!"

Rage consumed him during the struggle with the guards. He stormed into the priests' quarters, ignoring the chaos behind him.

Finally, he reached Raphael’s private office. He saw the High Priest sitting at his desk, his head bowed low.

He slammed his hand onto the desk.

Bang!

[Ferdinand] "What kind of scheme are you running with Rolf? Why did you push for Charlotte’s adoption into my house?"

Ferdinand prepared himself to stay until he received a confession. But at the sound of the desk slamming, Raphael’s body slid sideways.

Raphael crashed to the floor.

Thud.

He lay there, as motionless as a corpse.

---

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