novelraw Chapter 181 : Probing
Chapter 181 : Probing
Chapter 181: Probing
【Remember this site’s domain Taiwan Novel Network→𝕥𝕨𝕜𝕒𝕟.𝕔𝕠𝕞】
「Monica！」
After being brought into the study, the moment Annie saw Monica, she immediately stepped forward and embraced her. A faint sobbing sound quietly rose. 「Are you alright? Nothing happened, right?」
「Sister Annie.」 Monica’s eyes instantly reddened, as if Annie’s arrival finally allowed her to let go of the façade of strength she had maintained these past days. She cried without restraint, 「I’m so tired.」
「Cry, it’s good to let it out properly.」 Annie sighed softly, patting Monica’s back gently. 「But once you finish crying, you must pull yourself together. You are now a Marquis, the lord of Red Eagle Territory. Marquis Visen certainly wouldn’t want to see you fall into despair or self-abandonment, so you must be strong afterwards.」
「Mm.」 Monica responded with a nasal tone.
「But you don’t need to worry, this time is different from before.」 Annie spoke softly. 「I am now the lord of Gem Territory. I can mobilize many forces, so I will definitely be able to help you. Whatever you need, just tell me, I will give my all.」
「Sister Annie！」 Monica was deeply moved, gripping Annie’s hands tightly. 「Thank you.」
「Saying thank you to me is too distant. We are sisters, aren’t we?」 Annie patted Monica’s hand in return, her expression clearly saying, 「No need to be polite with me.」
「Sister Annie, about John—」
「That’s not your fault.」 Annie shook her head, letting out a light sigh before speaking. 「I also grew up in Eaglehead Territory, so I understand some of your family’s practices. But not even giving me more time to be with him, that really made me sad.」
「I’m sorry.」 Monica’s eyes turned red again. 「Actually, this was Uncle Arsenes’s idea. I tried to stop it, but…」
Hearing Monica’s words, Yam and Akar, who had already received a brief introduction from Annie downstairs, immediately realized that this matter was likely a result of internal factional struggles within the Kasein Family. Just as Monica was saying these words, it was not without the possibility that she was also trying to sow discord between Annie and the Bloodline Faction of the Kasein Family.
After all, Joshua’s father was Marquis Visen’s fourth son, Arsenes Kasein. He carried the 【Berserk Ape Bloodline】 and was one of the supporters of the Bloodline Faction within the Kasein Family. Originally, though his potential was not high, his future was still relatively bright. But after his mistake caused Burton’s death, he was abandoned by the furious Marquis Visen. From then on, much of the dirty and tiring work in the Kasein Family fell on him.
Thus, for John, his only son, of course he placed immense importance on him.
But he could never have imagined that the child he now treated as a precious treasure in the Kasein Family wasn’t even his grandson.
That child had no blood relation, not even to Annie.
「I know your difficulties, I won’t blame you.」 Annie softly comforted Monica, telling her not to feel too guilty.
「Thank you.」 Monica once again expressed her gratitude.
Then her gaze fell upon Yam, Akar, and Lily.
She first spoke to Lily: 「Hello, I’m Monica, Monica Kasein. This should be the first time we’ve formally met in public, right? Baroness Lily.」
「Lily Bole, Lord of White Mountain Territory.」 Lily said solemnly. 「Please accept my condolences.」
「Thank you.」 Monica softly thanked her.
「We meet again, Yam, Akar.」 Monica turned to greet them as well.
Yam merely maintained a solemn expression, which, at a glance, did look somewhat like sadness. But Akar’s expression of clenching his teeth in pain was truly like one grieving to the core, to the extent Monica wondered: did her grandfather really command such deep reverence from Akar? He looked as if he had lost his closest kin.
「Marquis Monica.」 Yam and Akar saluted respectfully.
「Just call me Monica like before.」 Monica gave a bitter smile. 「If I could, I wouldn’t want to be a Marquis at all. Now I finally understand how much hardship my grandfather endured back then.」
No one dared to answer such words.
Annie quickly shifted the topic: 「Looking at your belly, you should be close to giving birth, right? Did the physician say when your due date is?」
「March.」 Monica gently stroked her now prominent belly and spoke softly.
However, her expression did not carry the same maternal tenderness that Lily and Annie once had.
Instead, there was detachment and indifference. Annie understood why Monica showed this—if the child she bore had truly been Joshua’s flesh and blood, Annie believed she too would wear that same expression. Thus, it was clear that Monica likely had little affection for this child. At least from what Annie knew of her, unless the child was a girl, Monica surely wouldn’t put much effort into caring for it.
And the reason was very simple.
If it was a girl, then she would become a bargaining chip: the key to a marriage alliance between the Kasein Family and the Soderbell Family. Just like Angelina and Aches, this was a necessary strategy that Marquis Visen had laid down for the Kasein Family’s future.
「Now that you are with child, you must not be too sad or angry, understand?」 Annie quickly reminded her,
speaking as someone who had already gone through the same. 「Especially in these final months, you must ensure enough rest and balanced nutrition. Otherwise, your child may not survive.」
Monica’s eyes reddened again at Annie’s concern, and she promised to be careful.
She even completely set aside her Marquis identity, asking a series of questions as a mother-to-be.
Among those present, both Annie and Lily had borne children, so they could provide ample answers.
Only Yam and Akar felt extremely uncomfortable listening to such topics.
Fortunately, the subject did not last long, and Monica soon shifted again: 「Where are Aches and Angelina? Didn’t they come?」
「No.」 Yam replied. 「Angelina is ill, and Aches is taking care of her. I think this is a good opportunity to nurture their feelings for each other, so I didn’t let Aches come with us.」
「Sigh.」 Monica let out a long sigh. 「Angelina… her childhood was not easy either. How is she now? Is everything alright?」
Faced with Monica’s questions, Yam answered fluently.
In truth, with Annie’s prior help, Yam had already prepared responses. While not every question was exactly as Annie had guessed, the core was still similar enough. A slight adjustment in words was enough to avoid any flaws.
The simple meeting soon drew to a close—Monica had already extended her talk with Annie and Lily multiple times. But as the lord of Red Eagle Territory and the nominal head of the Kasein Family, with other family members arriving one after another, Monica had to spare time for them. Naturally, she could not devote all of her attention to Annie and Lily.
After a little while, Annie and Lily took their leave.
Once they departed, Monica took a deep breath, rubbed her eyes a few times, and the sorrowful atmosphere around her completely dissipated. Her eyes still looked slightly red, but no longer bloodshot, and no tears remained. Rather than sadness, she looked more like someone tired from staying awake all night.
She sat at the long table, her right index finger tapping continuously against the surface, producing a 「da—da—da—」 sound.
「Before Joshua’s death, Annie and White Mountain Territory’s cooperation was relatively hidden. But now, they don’t even bother to pretend anymore.」
「The shift seems to have begun after John was taken from Gem Territory by Uncle Arsenes.」
「I just tested her—she clearly has strong objections to the Bloodline Faction. This may be something I can use.」
「Annie is trustworthy, but if I can also draw Lily to my side, plus Forest Territory, my father’s Eaglehead, Red River Territory under my control, and Second Uncle’s Red Soil Territory, then the Bloodline Faction’s voice in the family will be greatly weakened.」
「Looks like I’ll have to find a way to act through John.」
At this thought, Monica suddenly touched her belly. 「I hope I give birth to a girl. That will make things much easier.」
Outside the study, Annie’s sorrowful look also quickly vanished.
So too did Lily’s expression shift back in an instant.
Had Yam and Akar not seen it with their own eyes—even with Akar still aching—they would never have believed that just moments ago, these two women had been sympathizing with Monica, almost forming an alliance in a few words. Each looked as though they were baring their hearts and caring wholeheartedly for each other.
「Did you find anything from testing her?」
「Monica desperately needs allies.」 Annie nodded. 「She made her stance clear—she is opposed to the Bloodline Faction of the Kasein Family, and she was probing our opinion on them. I’ve already hinted that I will fully support her.」
「When she mentioned Aches and Angelina, that was her way of reminding us that our interests align with hers.」 Lily also spoke. 「And I told her the same—I will support her as Annie does. She must already know about the cooperation between White Mountain and Gem Territories. So from now on, she’ll have to consider our two territories’ stance in everything.」
「From what I know of her, she will definitely try to act through John.」
「John？」 Lily wasn’t very familiar with the affairs of Gem Territory. She had only heard Yam mention a little, but she didn’t know the full details. She was unaware that Annie had once tampered with things and sent a child to Eaglehead.
「My child with Joshua.」 Annie made a hand gesture.
After all, in the Kasein Family’s stronghold, she couldn’t say certain things aloud.
But with the gesture, Lily understood that this child wasn’t Annie’s own.
「Her due date is in March, only two months away.」 Annie continued. 「So during these two months, we must closely monitor and learn immediately whether Monica gives birth to a boy or a girl.」
「Father will handle that.」 Akar said. 「What I’m worried about is the situation in Fertile Territory.」
It was now January 11th, and the Newborn Celebration had ended.
Marquis Visen’s burial had been set for the end of the month, meaning they would remain here in Red River Territory for more than half a month. Though they had already arranged their own territories’ affairs—with Ion in White Mountain to oversee things, the Bloodline Knights of Gem Territory still loyal to him, and Annie’s prior orders sent back home—Ion could still mobilize Gem Territory’s resources.
But half a month was plenty of time for Fertile Territory to march south.
If they hadn’t returned by then, White Mountain would face great hardship in the opening stages of the war.
So what Akar feared most now was whether Monica had made some secret deal with Fertile Territory.
After all, the Kasein Family had such a precedent, so they could not take it lightly.