novelraw Chapter 217 : For the Sake of the Children
Chapter 217 : For the Sake of the Children
Chapter 217: For the Sake of the Children
Watching Anne turn and walk away, the smile on Monica's face gradually faded.
Her left hand, hidden beneath the blanket, had already torn a gash in the tightly pulled sheet.
Turning her head, Monica glanced at her daughter who had just been coaxed back to sleep. The burning anger in her heart finally extinguished completely.
Monica had to admit, she had indeed been moved by Anne’s proposal.
She didn’t know whether Anne was aware that the Soderbell Family’s bloodline was, in fact, the same as that of the Bourbon Family. But at the very least, she knew. And that was not merely a Sixth-Tier Bloodline Noble, but a Seventh-Tier—higher even than her own Kasein Family’s 【Berserk Ape Bloodline】.
Whether the next generation of the Kasein Family would give birth to a Sixth-Tier Bloodline User was uncertain. But what Monica could be sure of was: if her daughter were to marry Liam, then the probability of their child reaching the Sixth Tier would be significantly greater. That way, the Kasein Family’s marquisate status could be preserved.
Compared to the long-term interests of the family, what did Anne’s “petty arrogance of a petty success” amount to?
Monica slowly closed her eyes.
【Monica, you must remember—at this point, the Kasein Family must not act on impulse. Anything that benefits our family can be considered, and anything that doesn't—no matter what promises others make—you may completely ignore!】
“Yes… I mustn’t act on impulse,” Monica said slowly and heavily, as if trying to affirm something. “Everything I do is for the Kasein Family.”
And so, she hadn’t asked about the truth behind Joshua’s death.
Because it truly no longer mattered.
Monica opened her eyes again, looked down at her daughter, then leaned down to gently kiss the child in her arms.
“Aurelia,” she said softly, “Aurelia Kasein——my daughter, may your future shine as brightly as gold, and glow as radiantly as dawn.”
A soft knock came at the door.
“Come in,” Monica said in a low voice.
Though weak, she still maintained her usual poise and presence.
Dean pushed the door open and entered with his head lowered.
“Marquis Monica, everyone within the estate has been dealt with. They’ve all been questioned. None of the recent incidents had anything to do with Baroness Anne. In fact, if Baroness Anne hadn’t brought it up herself, no one would have known the identity of the female physician who delivered your child. Also, those pregnant women Baroness Anne had monitored before—”
“That’s enough. No need to continue,” Monica said flatly.
Though Dean found it odd, he did not press further.
According to his investigation, Anne had merely monitored all pregnant women in Red River City who were expected to give birth around March. Beyond that, there had been no other unusual activity. So in Dean’s view, it didn’t really matter whether that was reported or not.
Besides, Anne had spent a long time in this room just now—something actually detrimental to a woman who had just given birth, as it seriously affected rest and recovery.
Yet Monica hadn’t stopped it. To Dean, that was a very clear signal.
“Grandfather was truly remarkable. I may never reach his level in my lifetime,” Monica suddenly said.
Dean was slightly stunned, not expecting her to say something like that.
“Marquis Visen also faced very difficult and even failed moments,” Dean said gently. “Miss Monica, you needn’t blame yourself so much. What happened this time wasn’t your fault—it’s a historical problem left unresolved. However… your methods were indeed too aggressive. Perhaps next time, you could try a more moderate approach—”
Hearing Dean’s words, Monica realized that the Knight Commander had misunderstood her meaning.
But she didn’t intend to clarify.
Monica spoke softly: “There’s something I need Uncle Dean to help with.”
“Please, give the order.”
“Send John Kasein back to Gem Territory.”
Dean’s face showed a flicker of realization. “You mean—”
“I gave my word to Anne.”
Dean, still bowing his head, immediately understood. “I see. So all of Baroness Anne’s earlier actions were merely to earn this moment’s reward—to reunite mother and son. In that case, the Gem Territory will completely align with our side. Once Baroness Anne seals the borders, Eaglehead Territory’s movement will be heavily restricted. Then, the Elders’ Council will likely be the first to fracture internally.”
In Dean’s view, Monica’s current approach was much softer than her usual tactics of wiping out enemies entirely. This time, they wouldn’t even need to expend much effort. The Elders’ Council’s hostility would soon shift focus.
All supplies transported from Red River Territory and Bayor Territory would no longer be able to reach Eaglehead. Similarly, none of Eaglehead’s resources could be sent out—unless they were willing to risk taking a more dangerous route.
In that case, the Elders’ Council would either have to submit—or rebel.
And if they dared rebel, that would simply give Monica an even better excuse.
Based on Dean’s understanding of those in the Kasein Family Elders’ Council, he believed they would definitely choose to submit. And once they did, the target of public anger would shift to Gem Territory—after all, it was the Lord of Gem Territory, Baroness Anne Billy, who had sealed all access to Eaglehead.
Monica watched as Dean’s expression shifted several times, roughly guessing what he must be thinking.
But she had no intention of correcting or explaining anything.
After all, some things—even she, as the Marquis of Red Eagle Territory—could not speak aloud.
She had always remembered her grandfather’s teachings: when managing subordinates, it was enough to let them know what to do. They didn’t need to know why.
Watching Dean quickly take his leave, Monica finally felt a wave of dizziness. Fatigue rushed over her like a tide.
At this moment, she felt a deep and genuine admiration for her grandfather.
Not because he had elevated the Kasein Family to the rank of a marquisate—but because he had insisted on approving Anne as Burton’s fiancée, despite widespread opposition.
Back then, Anne had always seemed dim-witted, with little bloodline potential. Countless people couldn’t understand why someone like her would be chosen as Burton Kasein’s betrothed. After all, he was the rising star of the Kasein Family.
But now, Monica understood.
Burton wasn’t skilled in handling political affairs and lacked talent for intrigue. But those were precisely Anne’s strengths. No matter what Anne’s initial reasons were for monitoring those pregnant women, everything she had said today when confronting Monica made it clear: she had been fully prepared from the very beginning.
“So from the start, what she had been hoping for… was that the child I gave birth to would be a girl.”
Monica looked at the peacefully sleeping Aurelia in her arms, then gently reached out to caress her cheek.
Soft and tender.
“I may not match my grandfather, but at least I can choose a better path for my daughter.”
Ten days later, Akar finally returned to Red River City from White Mountain Territory.
However, this time, when he arrived at the marquis estate, he found Anne standing at the entrance with a beaming smile, which struck him as rather strange.
“Did something happen?”
“Monica wants to see you.” Anne walked side by side with Akar. “I laid all the cards on the table with her. She knows about us now.”
“Marquis Monica gave birth to a daughter?” Akar immediately caught the key point.
“Yes.” Anne nodded. “Now is the best opportunity, so I chose to lay everything bare. Monica has no other choice.”
“How do you know she doesn’t?”
“Because I’ve been living here for two months, observing her constantly.” Anne shook her head slightly. “Every time she handled political affairs, she would go to that so-called ‘Ice Cellar’ that once belonged to Marquis Visen. Many believed she went there to mourn him. That’s what she herself claimed—she said it helped her stay calm and focused.”
“Wasn’t that the case?”
“Heh.” Anne chuckled. “I can’t even stand at the door of that room. Even though Monica is a Third-Tier Bloodline User and stronger than me, and can stay inside longer, how long can she really endure? In a place so cold you’d need Northern winter gear just to maintain body temperature—can you really stay focused?”
Akar didn’t quite grasp Anne’s analogy, since he had never been in the room now dubbed the “Ice Cellar.”
But he did know what it felt like in winter.
Excessive cold or heat made it hard to concentrate properly—even Bloodline Users were no exception. Whether higher-tier users could manage it, Akar wasn’t sure. But as a Third-Tier himself, he certainly couldn’t.
“Then why does she keep going in there?”
“To convince herself.” Anne replied softly. “That everything she’s doing is for the Kasein Family, for the Marquisate of Red Eagle, to prove she hasn’t let down or betrayed Marquis Visen’s expectations.” She paused. “The immense pressure has nearly driven her mad.”
“So she used Marquis Visen’s funeral as a setup and even made Count Shuvaric suffer for it. Didn’t you notice how aggressive her strategy was? Completely unlike her usual approach?”
“ㄴ…” Akar thought for a moment. He hadn’t known Monica well before, so he had no idea what her usual approach was like. “No.”
Anne rolled her eyes.
“Monica used to act with more stability. She always aimed to make all sides compromise—delivering results that might not shine, but wouldn’t provoke mistakes either. The Kasein Family couldn’t afford losses beyond its budget. She had to avoid wars or even fights as much as possible. The longer Marquis Visen lived, the more foundation the family could accumulate.”
“But after Marquis Visen’s death, things changed.”
“Monica couldn’t afford to lose anymore.”
“It’s like a gambler who’s lost everything and only has one last chip. So her methods began to grow aggressive—because she had to seize every opportunity and squeeze every ounce of profit out of it. That was the only way to maintain this illusion of ‘peace’ across the territory.”
“But with such tactics, even a slight misstep would worsen the Kasein Family’s situation. I don’t know what she and Marquis Visen talked about before he died, but only in that ‘Ice Cellar’ could she convince herself that every decision she made truly served the development of the Kasein Family.”
“And in fact, that really is the case.”
Anne sighed and continued, “In that battle against Count Shuvaric, Monica secured over five years of breathing room for the Kasein Family. And if this Aust Empire invasion drags on for two or three years, then the time she’s bought might extend to ten years. ㄴNo lord could survive a national war and still have the strength to plunge into territorial conflict afterward.”
“But what Monica didn’t expect—was that the very family she fought to protect would stab her the deepest.”
“You mean the Kasein Family Elders’ Council?” Akar understood now.
“Yes.” Anne nodded. “And this time, Monica’s aggressive strategy failed.” “If not for the fact that we’re in the midst of a national war, Red Eagle Territory might have already fallen into civil strife. That pressure has become the last straw—enough to drive her completely mad.”
“ㄴSo at that moment, I gave her a new choice.”
“What choice?” Akar couldn’t make sense of Anne’s plan, so he asked directly. He didn’t want to guess.
“To make the Kasein Family a one-voice house.”
Anne smiled.
The brilliance of that moment was as vibrant as a hundred blooming flowers.
“Even Marquis Visen couldn’t unify the voices of the Kasein Family, because not even he could silence the internal noise. After all, the Elders’ Council is a historical relic.” Anne spoke slowly. “Also, no one could say for certain who the next heir of the Kasein Family would be. – But now, I let her know in advance who it will be. So she can finally take off the shackles and act freely.”
Upon hearing that, Akar thought for a moment and immediately grasped the implication.
The Kasein Family Elders’ Council held significant internal power. Though Monica had become the Marquis of Red Eagle Territory, most believed the next head of the Kasein Family would come from Wade or Arsenes—both heirs of the 【Berserk Ape Bloodline】. Thus, many neutrals and fence-sitters refused to fully support Monica, choosing instead to obey on the surface while defying in secret.
That had been Monica’s biggest frustration: she was trying to preserve the Kasein Family’s prosperity, not lead it into decline. But when her aggressive methods failed to intimidate the Elders’ Council, it meant she truly had no way to deal with them. After all, she couldn’t turn against the council—many Household Knights wouldn’t fully support her, which was why the council had even dared to try forcing her to give birth to a stillborn.
But things were different now.
Anne had offered Monica a new option. She guaranteed that the next head of the family would be Monica’s grandchild—ensuring the bloodline would continue, and that the heir would possess the necessary lineage. There was no way Monica could refuse such a temptation.
And Akar understood why Monica accepted Anne’s offer.
Because Monica had always believed her family to be “the Legacy of the Bourbon Family.” Thus, her future child had a high probability of rising to Sixth Tier—Anne believed the same.
But Akar knew the truth: that wasn’t the case.
It just so happened that their family possessed a single drop of Burton’s True Blood, and within it was indeed the 【Berserk Ape Bloodline】.
It was nothing more than an extremely clever coincidence.
“But—ㄴthat child won’t bear the Kasein surname in the future.”
“Whether Liam’s child carries the Kasein name or not no longer matters.” Anne smiled faintly. “Because that child will be the future lord of Red Eagle Territory, the grandchild of Marquis Monica Kasein. As long as that child possesses Sixth-Tier bloodline potential, Monica will clear every obstacle in their path. She’ll convince herself that everything she does is for the benefit of the Kasein Family.”
“Don’t underestimate Monica. Or rather, the Monica who’s now become a mother.”
Akar fell silent.
He had indeed noticed that Anne herself had changed drastically after becoming a mother.
Especially when it came to matters involving Liam—she had become extremely assertive, even aggressive. She had once considered replacing Monica’s child for Liam’s sake. That was something the old Anne would never have dared to do—the risks far outweighed the benefits.
Very soon——
The two arrived at Monica’s political affairs office.
“Not the ‘Ice Cellar’?” Akar blinked in surprise.
“She’s a mother now.” Anne chuckled, then pushed the door open.
Monica, who was busy with affairs of state, looked up when she saw Anne and Akar walk in. Her cold expression instantly melted into a gentle smile. “You’re here.”
“Marquis Monica.” Akar bowed respectfully.
“In private, we don’t need such unnecessary formalities,” Monica replied with a smile. “After all, we’ll soon be family.”
Then, she turned to Anne and said slowly, “At most, in one month, John Kasein will depart from Eaglehead Territory and be sent to Gem Territory. Can you take care of him in Eaglehead? He must die there.”
“I can.” Anne answered without hesitation.
“If you need any support, just say the word.”