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Just after Luria was escorted by a maid to Sarah’s room, Amalia turned to the baron and smiled.
“Now, shall we discuss something important?”
“Important… you say? What exactly do you mean?”
“It’s about Sarah.”
“Ah—”
The baron tensed, holding his breath, wondering what was about to be said.
“Sarah will be the successor to the barony if everything proceeds as it should, correct?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Sarah was the only daughter of the baron and his legitimate wife, Marion. She had an older brother, ten years her senior, but he had tragically died in an accident before Sarah was born.
“If things stay as they are, a husband for Sarah will have to be brought in as an adopted heir, correct?”
In the Kingdom of Olivinis, it was customary for men to inherit noble titles. Women inheriting titles was rare and only occurred in exceptional cases. Following the usual practice, just as the baron—Marion’s adopted husband—had inherited the title, Sarah’s husband would likely become the next baron.
“What do you think about this, Baron?”
“What do I… think?”
“Oh, I dislike beating around the bush.”
“Even so, I don’t quite follow your point…”
The baron appeared bewildered, and Amalia frowned at him.
“What do you think of the idea that the heir to the baronial family, which is connected to the illustrious Marquisate of Claibourg, might inherit it in such a way?”
“That is—!”
Finally, the baron seemed to grasp what Amalia was hinting at.
“I, too, find it a problem! Truly, I do!”
“Of course, you do. It seems, Baron, that you’ve been preparing another successor, haven’t you?”
“N-No, such a thing—!”
“Don’t underestimate the Grand Duke family’s ability to gather information.”
The Grand Duke’s household had hurriedly gathered information about the barony after Luria expressed her desire to visit. It was for her safety.
Without a reason, they wouldn’t have delved into the affairs of a friendly noble house—it would’ve been improper and a waste of resources. Thus, neither Count Graff nor Amalia had known until recently that the baron had a pregnant mistress and was abusing Sarah with her help.
“You want your unborn child to inherit the barony, don’t you? And Sarah is in your way, correct?”
“I wouldn’t call her ‘in the way’…”
“No need for pretense.”
“…Yes, it’s true. I cannot allow a lowly beastkin to become the heir of a house tied to the glorious Marquisate of Claibourg!”
“That’s what you think, Baron.”
Amalia smiled gently. The baron, pleased as if his answer had been praised, eagerly continued.
“Yes! Of course! That’s why I—”
“No need to say more. Just understand that it would damage your reputation.”
“More than a beastkin becoming the heir?”
“Absolutely. After all, Marion is the one with the baronial bloodline, not you. If you were to disinherit Sarah and have your mistress’s child inherit, wouldn’t it look like you were taking over the family?”
“That’s…”
The baron faltered. Amalia’s point was undeniable. Beastkin nobles were rare but did exist, and legally there was no issue.
To disinherit a legitimate heir and name an illegitimate child as the successor would severely harm the family’s reputation—especially when the baron himself lacked any blood connection to the baronial lineage.
“In that case, let’s make Sarah the adopted daughter of the Grand Duke’s family.”
“Adopted? You mean a ‘yūshi’?”
The baron’s eyes widened in surprise. A yūshi was akin to an adopted child without inheritance rights.
“Wouldn’t that arrangement be convenient for you, Baron?”
Even as a yūshi, Sarah’s right to inherit the baronial title wouldn’t vanish. However, becoming part of the Grand Duke’s family would shift the focus away from the baron’s household.
Sarah, now a “child of another family,” wouldn’t interfere with the baron’s plans to make his mistress’s child the heir. Furthermore, no one would dare to oppose the Grand Duke’s authority.
“That… might be true. But is His Highness agreeable to this?”
“His Highness? He cherishes Luria. But as you know, Luria… well, she has her challenges.”
“Challenges…?”
“She struggles to make friends. Sarah would be a perfect companion.”
“I see. If that’s the case, by all means.”
The baron misunderstood, believing Luria’s red eyes and hair made her too shameful to present in society. Amalia carefully phrased her words to lead him to that conclusion.
“Let’s act quickly. Please make the arrangements.”
“Understood.”
The baron’s attendants promptly prepared the paperwork to formalize Sarah’s adoption.
“Would you sign here?”
“Certainly.”
The baron signed without hesitation, officially making Sarah a yūshi of the Grand Duke’s family.
“That settles it. I’ll take Sarah with me now.”
Amalia stood up.
“Your Highness.”
“Yes?”
“Please take care of my… ‘child.'”
By “child,” the baron referred to the unborn baby from his mistress. To make the child the heir, approval from Amalia’s family—the main branch—was necessary.
“Of course. Leave it to me.”
“Thank you very much.”
Amalia left the room and walked toward Sarah’s. As she walked, she thought, What an anticlimax.
Amalia had been furious—infidelity while Marion suffered illness was bad enough, but abusing Sarah was unforgivable. That’s why she and Graff decided to adopt Sarah into the Grand Duke’s family and directly secure her inheritance of the barony.
I thought this would be more difficult.
The baron had been chosen as Marion’s husband by Amalia’s late father, the previous marquis. She had expected more from him.
Was Father senile? Or did the baron turn useless after marriage?
“Well, it’s fine.”
Amalia’s plans had succeeded effortlessly. The baron had failed to read between the lines, believing she shared his disdain for a beastkin heir.
As Amalia approached Sarah’s room, she noticed a servant standing by the door and spotted Carro standing with her back to them.
The positioning revealed it all—Luria had Carro stand guard. Clearly, Luria was up to something.
Approaching silently, she heard Carro ’s panicked squeaking.
Inside, Sarah, Luria, and Daru were visible by the window.
“Oh my, Daru’s here?”
Luria had been trying to hide Daru. Relieved it wasn’t an insect-related incident, Amalia smiled, scooped up Carro , and walked toward her daughter.
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