In A World Full of Silence, My Heart Will Find Its Way To You - Chapter 95

The Countess looked at Edward with a scornful gaze.

“You’re going to bring Aria here as the lady of the house? Have you finally lost your mind? Is it also your idea to hand over the business to Duke Stuart?”

“How did you…?”

“It’s a rumor that’s already widespread in the social world. You must know that your maternal family has close ties with some of the most influential trading nobles, right?”

“I guess my uncle spoke about it.”

“Could this be because of Aria? How could I have put you in that position!”

The Countess, who had been scolding her son, now looked around with a cold gaze.

“What on earth made you do such a thing? I entrusted you to quietly handle things!”

“Do you know how dangerous this is? People are pointing fingers at you, calling you an incompetent head of the family who sold out the family business!”

“I don’t care. Please stop worrying, Mother. I have a plan.”

“A plan, you say? Is your scheme to get yourself out of the Emperor’s sight?”

The Countess narrowed her eyes in displeasure at her son’s flippant reply.

In contrast to her mother’s troubled expression, Edward’s face remained calm. He spoke with a determined look in his eyes.

“It may seem sudden, but this was the best choice to set everything back in its proper place. Even if it means taking risks.”

“Set things back in place?”

“They follow Eric completely. I need to change that.”

“So, all of this was to remove Eric from the business? How am I supposed to take this?”

“By the end of this, all the blame for everything will fall on Eric, not me. Their relationship is that strong.”

Edward quietly observed his mother, who clicked her tongue in annoyance.

“Breaking that relationship is the first step. Only then will I be able to rule the family smoothly.”

“Breaking the relationship?”

“There may be more people following him now, but after he loses his power, who will follow him then?”

“Well, that sounds plausible.”

The Countess reluctantly nodded, but her displeasure was still evident in her eyes.

Her gaze, which had been fixed on her son, slowly shifted to the annex.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the annex, a puzzled expression crossing her face.

“It’s still not that late, so why is the annex so dark…? Has he gone out?”

“Actually, Eric is heading to the Imperial Palace right now.”

“To the Imperial Palace?”

“It’s something I instructed him to do.”

“W-What does that mean? Is Eric going to meet the Emperor on your behalf?!”

Startled by her sudden raised voice, Edward looked at his mother with wide eyes. Her face was now even more pale than before.

“No, he cannot go to the Imperial Palace!”

“Don’t worry, Mother. Even if he meets the Emperor, there’s nothing he can do. The only thing he can do is beg in front of him for the business.”

“It’s not about the business!”

A thin vein stood out along the white neck of the Countess as she spoke, her voice filled with urgency.

Her sapphire necklace began to shimmer as her trembling body moved.

The sharp gleam in her eyes seemed to pierce through Edward, almost as if she was about to lose control. For a brief moment, Edward’s eyebrows twitched.

“It’s not about the business?”

“Mother…?”

“Is there something you can’t tell me?”

Edward’s sharp gaze fell upon his mother.

But her mind, preoccupied with thoughts of Eric, didn’t even seem to notice his scrutiny.

In her mind, the pieces began to fall into place.

Eric, who had suspected his father’s death, had eventually gotten his hands on the maid who poisoned him. The maid had information that could harm him.

If Eric met the Emperor, revealed the truth about his father’s death, and handed over the confession to the Emperor…

“I need to stop him immediately. No, I must kill him, Edward!”

“Mother, calm down. Why are you so upset?”

“Edward…”

The Countess’s pupils were wildly shaking. In contrast to Edward’s confused expression, her face turned pale with anxiety.

It felt as if a sharp, cold blade was slowly digging into her neck.

“Edward, I…”

Perhaps due to her panic, she was stumbling over her words.

She had to make a choice: either die by Eric’s hands or tell her son the truth.

There was only one thing she could do.

As if reading her thoughts, Edward spoke.

“Mother, surely… this isn’t about Father, is it?”

“You handled Father’s funeral so easily. Mother, please tell me.”

“Mother!”

His urgent voice rang through the room, filling the space with pressure.

Unable to resist the mounting weight, the Countess finally opened her tightly sealed lips.

“Yes. I poisoned my husband myself. I committed an unforgivable, unforgivable crime.”

“M-Mother…!”

“If this crime is revealed, I will never survive.”

“How could you…?”

“I had no choice. Your father was the one who made me like this. If he hadn’t tried to pass the family to that baseborn bastard, none of this would have happened.”

“Even so, this is nothing but an excuse. This is a serious crime!”

Edward shook his head in disbelief.

His eyes, once sharp and controlled, now lacked any trace of reason, consumed by disbelief.

The Countess let out a long sigh, her tense shoulders dropping.

“I thought no one knew. I believed I had handled it secretly… but Eric somehow noticed and started to tighten the noose around my neck.”

“How did Eric figure it out?”

“I don’t know either. I don’t know how he found out… but I’m sure there is someone helping him from the inside. It’s not something he could have figured out alone. Someone must be secretly helping him.”

“There’s an accomplice…?”

Edward’s frown deepened as he listened to his mother’s words.

Just a moment ago, he had been looking down at Eric, laughing at him for falling into his trap.

But now, the situation had changed. His father’s death was now directly tied to the survival of the family.

Even worse, Eric had the family seal.

The request Eric made for the seal was now clear. He was trying to destroy the family. Edward had fallen for it and handed over the family seal.

Edward’s face turned pale as the realization struck him, and the Countess’s expression grew darker as well.

At that moment, one of the guards, who had been given orders by Edward, rushed in with an urgent letter. The letter contained details about Eric’s location and the situation.

Edward quickly scanned the letter.

His frown deepened, and his eyes darkened.

He crumpled the letter and muttered bitterly.

“So, you too have betrayed my expectations. Fine. If you want to go that far, I’ll let you. But you won’t return alive…”

Edward clenched his teeth. The butler, who had entered with the guard, cautiously watched Edward’s expression.

In that moment, Edward’s intense gaze fell on the butler.

“You’re the one who told Eric about my every move and secretly helped him send Aria to him, aren’t you? Not everyone has the ability to do that. What do you think?”

“I-I don’t know what you mean…”

The butler’s eyes widened in shock, trying to avoid Edward’s piercing gaze.

But no matter how much he tried to explain himself, Edward remained unfazed. He clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“To think you would betray me and risk your life for a bastard like him. You’re more foolish than I thought.”

“W-What?!”

The butler’s eyes grew wide in shock.

Edward’s gaze was so chilling that it made his skin crawl. It was as if Edward had already seen through all his secrets.

Edward shouted to the guards.

“Take him to the dungeon immediately.”

“Please, Count, I didn’t do anything! Please, believe me!”

“Foolish man, no matter how much you struggle, Eric will never escape from me. You’ve wasted your efforts.”

“His whereabouts are already in my hands. Did you think I wouldn’t plant a spy?”

Edward grinned as he held up the letter.

The butler’s eyes grew wide, and he couldn’t hide his shock.

He lowered his gaze, and a short sigh of resignation filled the room.

Edward’s sharp gaze shifted to the guard.

He crooked a smile as he gave the order.

“Take him away, and gather the knights. Find the sharpest ones to deal with him.”

The butler’s face turned pale as the reality of his situation sank in. Edward’s words left no room for doubt: Eric was going to die.

As the butler was dragged away, the cold atmosphere filled the room.

Edward turned to face his mother.

“I won’t expose your crime, but you won’t be forgiven for it. Not now, not ever.”

“E-Edward…”

“Even if you’ve made such great sacrifices, in my eyes, you’re just a murderer who killed my father.”

The Countess remained frozen in place, unable to say a word. Filled with anger and contempt, Edward stormed out of the room.

Support In A World Full of Silence, My Heart Will Find Its Way To You