The Son-In-Law Of A Prestigious Household Wants A Divorce-Chapter 57: The Sword Dance Festival (4)

“So you’re certain that Galenia Helmont is the mole, Isaac?”

“Yes.”

After hearing Isaac’s words, Clarisse pressed her lips together. His statement sounded reasonable in some aspects.

In fact, Clarisse also judged it to be quite likely, but...

“I’m sorry, but I have one question.”

She pointed out one thing.

Knowing Isaac’s current state, she didn’t want to refute his opinion so openly, but...

At the same time, she knew that one shouldn’t involve personal feelings in matters like this.

Especially when the matter itself concerned Helmont.

After all, Helmont was such a powerful deterrent to war for the kingdom that even the royal family considered it dangerous to probe them carelessly.

So she needed to be extremely, extremely certain about things before she could decide on something.

“Before the Sword Dance Festival began, Blackthorn came to Helmont as guests.”

“...”

“The one who came was Blackthorn’s eldest son, but you should know what happened. Arandel personally killed him. Brutally, even.”

So far, Blackthorn had remained silent on the matter. They also refused to attend the festival.

Clarisse crossed her legs, sitting down before continuing.

“You see, even with my brilliant mind, something still seems off. Why did they even come out so openly in the first place? If they were in cahoots, why did they let that guy die? Was it to dispel suspicion? But then, why would they sacrifice their eldest son for that? Blackthorn now only has their second son left.”

Clarisse said in a frustrated tone, but Isaac had a simple answer to that.

“You’re misunderstanding something.”

“Pardon?”

“Galenia Helmont is a Transcendent, yes, but Arandel is not.”

“...”

Clarisse fell silent for a moment.

When it came to Helmont, one would naturally think about Arandel, so the fact that Isaac said that he was unrelated made her mind momentarily frozen.

“No, that makes even less sense! If Arandel became a Transcendent, we could think of it as, ‘He betrayed humanity!’, or ‘He’s trying for a coup! He wants to become the king!’ that makes more sense!”

Words that shouldn’t come from a princess’ mouth flowed freely from hers.

If someone had heard those words, it wouldn’t be strange if strange rumors were to spread.

“What good does it do for just one noblewoman to become a Transcendent?”

“...She probably wants to save someone.”

“Huh? Who?”

Meanwhile, Isaac felt like the pieces were finally starting to fit together.

In his previous life, Arandel had died of illness.

It was clear that this matter was connected to the Transcendent Race in one way or another, and it was likely that Galenia went to the Transcendent Race to save Arandel.

Because that’s the kind of family they are.

“Haa, whatever it is, you believe Arandel hasn’t colluded with them? If that’s the case, then that’s a relief, at least.”

As long as Arandel, the kingdom’s greatest strength, hadn’t changed sides, the matter wouldn’t be a major concern for the royal family.

Of course, men’s hearts could change at any time at their wives’ words, but...

Seeing how Arandel had struck down Blackthorn’s eldest son without any hesitation, Clarisse was starting to get an outline of where his heart lay.

“I need to make my move.”

Clarisse stood up and slowly rose from her seat.

“This is gonna be the most tumultuous Sword Dance Festival ever.”

Though she said that, there was anticipation in her purple eyes. Finally feeling she had a clear grasp on the snake’s tail, Clarisse muttered with a grin.

“We could always try to stab her in the stomach to make sure. Transcendents can regenerate from that much, no?”

“...Princess?”

“I’m not joking.”

This was when people usually said otherwise, but Clarisse was actually serious.

“More importantly, this is a serious matter. If humans can turn into Transcendents, we don’t know who might have changed sides or where.”

“Becoming a Transcendent shouldn’t be an easy process, though.”

As far as Isaac knew, there were no cases of humans truly becoming Transcendents.

He had occasionally encountered things that were close to Transcendents, but.

For example, Alois, who had undergone Vassalization.

And the Grandmaster, who was a half-Transcendent, half-human.

So, he started speculating the specific changes might have occurred in Galenia’s body, suspecting that it was probably the work of sorcery.

“I really hope so. We can’t live suspecting every noble one by one.”

Clarisse passed by Isaac with quick steps.

She had things she had to prepare, she also had to confirm the new information she had just received.

Left alone, Isaac looked around the garden for a moment.

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Helmont’s rose garden was always a spectacular sight. Roses beautifully bloomed across the vast grounds.

They were just like Helmont, even down to the thorns hidden beneath the petals.

“...”

He could see a few nobles strolling through the garden, exclaiming at this scenery that they could only see during the Sword Dance Festival while laughing and chatting.

As he walked, butterflies followed him, fluttering on the fresh scent of roses.

Before he knew it, Isaac had arrived at a familiar place.

Amidst the roses, like a mischievous prank, was a flowerbed where a certain purple lilac had been secretly planted.

And...

Rianna Helmont was there, looking down at said lilac.

Her house arrest had been lifted due to the assassination attempt on Galenia, so it wasn’t strange to see her outside her room.

She had never been a bulky woman, but perhaps due to her recent confinement, she looked as if she might break at any moment.

“...”

Despite the season for it having long passed, the single lilac was still blooming proudly.

Rianna stood there, staring down at it blankly.

“...Today.”

He wasn’t sure how, but somehow, she sensed his presence.

With a calm tone, she asked.

“Do you think you could leave this mansion?”

She didn’t turn around as she said that.

Perhaps due to guilt. Perhaps she found her own appearance laughable.

Whatever the reason, it seemed she didn’t want Isaac to see her current state.

The woman called Rianna felt smaller than ever before.

“Don’t worry about the Sword Dance Festival. I’ll fight in your stead.”

“...”

“I’ll hold off any pursuers, so why don’t you go to the North? I’m sure Silverna—“

“Rianna.”

She had been deliberately avoiding eye contact.

All this time, she had only been staring at the lilac.

Hence why, she didn’t notice.

That Isaac had stood beside her.

“What do you think the biggest problem in our relationship was?”

“...My inaction—”

“Haha, I’m not asking that so you could blame yourself, but so that we could take a look at the harsh truth without any biases.”

Rianna’s words caught in her throat as she was about to cry out, clutching her chest.

A small smile bloomed on Isaac’s lips, resembling a lilac.

“It was because I was incompetent.”

“Isaac, no.”

“From the start, what Helmont wanted was a man who suited them, but instead, they got me, a ferryman.”

“Isaac—!”

“I seduced one naive noblewoman who didn’t know much about love and couldn’t even express her emotions well—“

“Stop it!”

Rianna urgently grabbed Isaac’s arm. Her hand trembled violently.

“We loved each other... Don’t say that it was wrong...”

Isaac’s words implied that their love was essentially a sin. They weren’t something she wanted to hear, or even think about, so she pleaded desperately.

“Right, I got a bit carried away.”

Isaac admitted.

Their conversation had progressed in a somewhat awful direction.

“But Rianna, we need to see the objective truth. If I had been a son-in-law that fit what Helmont wants, if I was that capable, we could have lived well without experiencing any hardship.”

“It’s cruel to expect that from you.”

“You might be right.”

Silence fell for a moment.

The warm breeze that blew calmed them down, and the scent of lilacs amidst the fragrance of roses enveloped them gently.

“Why didn’t you tell me that your mother brought guests from Blackthorn?”

Isaac decided to change the subject.

As he glanced at Rianna and asked that, her expression darkened again for a moment, but...

She answered him without hiding anything.

“Because I want you to stop being involved with Helmont.”

“...”

“So that you could leave quietly and start anew.”

Rianna said, pouring out her pent-up emotions.

“But in the end, I made another mistake. If I had told you earlier...”

“Milly wouldn’t have ended up like that?”

Rianna clenched her mouth shut.

She truly believed that she was to blame for what had happened, but...

“Did you kill her?”

Rianna’s body stiffened.

Isaac’s voice, colder than she had ever heard, pierced her skin like frost.

“Wha...?”

“Did you kill Milly with your own hands?”

“No, but—“

‘If I had spoken earlier, perhaps I could have saved her.’ That was what she believed.

At her silence filled with regret, Isaac became even angrier.

“But what? I was the closest person to her. Did that mean I was to blame for her death because I didn’t notice that she had been acting strange?”

“...”

“This has happened once before. Did that mean me not suspecting her back then is the reason for her death?”

“...”

“No. Milly committed suicide out of guilt. And the root cause of it was your mother.”

“...You’re right.”

Rianna’s voice grew smaller.

She acknowledged that her mother had done something unforgivable.

“Rianna, don’t apologize to me and make it sound like you were the one who caused all this. Unless you’re trying to insult me, that is.”

“...Yes.”

Rianna meekly apologized.

“Helmont is a place that doesn’t suit the word ‘love’ at all. Yet so many things had crumbled because of it.”

As he had said.

Rianna had wavered between love for her family and love for Isaac.

Galenia involved herself with the Transcendent Race because she loved her husband.

Alois had shattered his brother-in-law’s leg because of his forbidden love for his sister.

“Rianna, I won’t ask you to help me oppose your mother.”

Isaac warned calmly.

“I know how cruel it is to ask a daughter to raise her sword against her mother.”

That was how it was between parents and children?

Their love defied logic.

People would generally prioritize their own lives above all else, but when it came to family, they’d throw their lives without a second thought.

“But if you stand in my way, I’ll cut you down too.”

It wasn’t a question of whether he could do it or not.

He was just telling her that he had enough resolve to do that.

Milly’s death had changed many emotions for Isaac.

In Rianna’s ears, as she squeezed her eyes shut, voices from the past lingered like regrets, holding her body.

[Our Rianna is so pretty.]

[Hm? A gift for mommy? Really?]

[You want to sleep with mommy? Keep it a secret from daddy, okay?]

Ghostly touches.

These memories, memories that anyone might have, were some of the few warm recollections Rianna had in the desolate mansion.

[Why is our daughter so pretty? Is it because she takes after mommy?]

[It’s okay, even if he speaks harshly, deep down, he treasures our Rianna.]

[A child like a rose. A beautiful child who resembles a rose more than anyone.]

Amidst her mother’s warm words, carried on the scent of lilacs and gentle breeze.

[Rianna, you take after me.]

Her last words towards her...

[The way you cling to love.]

[Knowing it’ll lead you to ruin, yet you still unable to let go.]

Became the thorns that pierced her heart.

Now that she knew what her mother had done, her words that said she resembled her weighed heavily on her shoulders.

“Rianna.”

As she was sinking deeper in her negative emotions, Isaac’s call dragged her out as she looked up at him.

Her face, which had become even more haggard in that short moment, was filled with an even bigger despair.

“Don’t let your love blind you.”

Her heart felt like it had shattered.

It felt like something was pounding on it heavily.

Because...

The person she loved most had denied her love.

“You’re right, Isaac.”

Rianna steadied her breathing. Colors slowly returned to her eyes.

As the red hue in her eyes settled, standing there was not Rianna Helmont anymore, but...

The kingdom’s strongest swordswoman.

The Blood Rose, the one who led the next generation from the very forefront.

“I won’t stand still anymore.”

“Rianna.”

“Because I was ignorant and incapable, I lost you.”

Her pain could clearly be heard in those words, but...

What didn’t kill you, made you stronger.

Every wrongs that she had done...

She could just let herself drown in her excuses and be done with it..

For example...

Her mother threatened her, so she distanced herself from Isaac.

She didn’t want him to be in greater danger, so she didn’t protect him from her siblings.

If she had told him everything...

Perhaps, he’d know of her burden and decided to let it go.

But she didn’t. She swallowed it all.

Going through each of these incidents one by one and giving out excuses to Isaac would be an insult to him.

If she were to justify her actions with excuses...

What made her so different from her mother?

“I wanted to embrace everything, without knowing that I was being greedy.”

Even if she didn’t want to accept it, she had to.

“And so, in the end...”

She had to bear the responsibility for closing her eyes to all of his suffering.

To bear the future where she’d lose everyone she loved.

Accepting this, she closed her eyes tightly.

“I’ve lost everything.”