THHAAWMF

Chapter 118

The Count was so feverish that he nearly collapsed on the spot from hypertension.

Not only had he squandered the family fortune and thrown him out of the house, but he had also destroyed the family's reputation.

He thought it would be a relief to be rid of him, but it was like pouring lava into a wound.

After glaring at Duval for a long time, Count Essit crumpled the letter from the Argentime authorities in his hands, and then, after glaring at Duval as if he were about to eat him again, he shouted.

"Butler! Butler!"

"Yes!"

A tipping point, and a shaky paycheck. A frantic butler rushed in, trying to calm the hired hands who were about to abandon their seats and flee.

Even with the butler summoned, the Count could not control his rising tantrum, and he gritted his teeth for a long time until his face was red with rage and he pointed at Duval.

"Lock him in his room at once, and don't let him come out until I say so!"

He couldn't beat him to death for being his son, but he couldn't release him and let him run amok either, so home confinement was the way to go.

Duval's mouth dropped open at that.

He was actually glad to be home. He was going to be good to his father, and he was going to keep Gerald, the uninformed heir, in check.

But then he was locked in his room, and his eyes glazed over.

"Father, I have done wrong. Father!"

He clung to the Count's pant leg, dignity and all, but the Count was unrelenting: just as he'd thrown him out, he locked his son in the room without batting an eye. He locked the door with chains, leaving only an opening for food.

"Father! Father!!!"

With a desperate cry, the Count turned around.

Leila's situation was similar to Duval's, only the duration was fixed. He locked her in her room so she couldn't do anything stupid.

With his useless son and daughter in their respective rooms, the Count headed straight for the palace.

He still had Gerald in his arsenal. If he could get over this hump, Essit could be rebuilt through Gerald, but first, he had to defuse the Emperor's anger at Count Essit.

He bribed his way into the Emperor's presence with what little money he had left and was granted an audience with the Emperor, and upon arrival, he fell flat on his face before the Emperor, who looked upon him with disfavor.

"Your Majesty, please have mercy on Essit. There is in fact the real culprit in this engagement!"

"There's a real culprit?"

"Yes."

Count Essit, his hair even tighter, spoke in a voice that made his teeth grind just thinking about it.

"It's the work of an evil guild called the Ciel Love Manipulators."

"..."

The Emperor's eyes immediately lit up at the words 'Ciel Love Manipulatiors.' However, the Count, who had his head down and didn't see it, continued to speak.

"From what I've been able to ascertain, the master of the Ciel Love Manipulation Group has a grudge against my son because of their crush on Little Marquis Lavirins, and dared to do such a thing to discredit Essit."

"..."

"I am sorry that we were unable to prevent it, but I hope you will consider these matters with a broad mind."