Chapter 183

I’ll Give You Everything (8)

“What are you doing? What if I get caught?”

“A contract is originally written with the consent of both parties. The signatures of the contract are not the names, but the Duke of Jaxen and the Duchess of Jaxen, so you don’t have to change the content.”

“But I’ve already told everyone her name. What are you going to do about that?”

“Born on April 9th, Ezet. When did you have your coming of age ceremony?”

“Adult ceremony? Last year…”

“Then I’ll take it.”

About what?

Ezet doesn’t even know the exact details of the contract, but Edmund’s face looks refreshed as if he’s already done all the calculations in his head.

“Edmond, what are you trying to decorate?”

“Tomorrow’s the last banquet, so it’s a great finale. Why don’t you wear a purple dress tomorrow? White is more symbolic for weddings.”

“Hey, Edmond? Wait a minute! Tell me what you’re trying to do!”

“Do you want me to tell you now? Wouldn’t it be better to leave questions for a day or so?”

“What a curious sound…”

“Because you can’t lie.”

That’s what it was.

She doesn’t know what Edmond was thinking, but Ezet didn’t have the guts to make a brazen false speech in front of the leading nobles, the Emperors, and the Empress gathered in the banquet hall. Her arms and legs will shake, and her tongue will stiffen.

When she counterattacked Countess Devon in front of the Emperor, her reason was almost gone. Even that moment came to mind, it was an ad-lib at that time, and she is not confident that she would have recited it if it was a lie that she had thought of in advance.

But what is he thinking about that makes it so easy to say?

Edmond has always been far beyond her expectations. She admits that her husband’s quick wit is outstanding, but she was a little upset that it was a surprise role with others when it was obviously about her.

“Yes, then Edmond can take care of everything on his own. You’re the Duke of Jaxen.”

Unlike Edmond, who officially took over the title, Ezet is only a stand-in and is not a real Duchess of Jaxen yet.

Edmond already said she was his only wife, but that’s Edmond’s argument, and by law, Edmond Jaxen’s wife was still Erit Jaxen.

“Ezet, don’t be angry.”

“I’m not mad at Edmond.”

She’s nervous that she doesn’t know what she’s trying to make a secret of herself, but she understands that it’s hard to confide in Ezet, who’s not good at lying. Most of all, Edmond is a pervert who likes to see Ezet surprised and embarrassed.

“It’s just that I don’t feel qualified…”

“Ezet, don’t think about it.”

“I’m not trying to deny Edmond’s heart but to be a Duchess at will… I feel like I’m doing something I shouldn’t have done.”

Erit hated Edmond terribly. When she sympathized with him, Erit handed Ezet a pendant and a hat, saying, ‘Be the Duchess of Jaxen instead.’ If she hadn’t refused, she would have given her a necklace.

So even if Ezet becomes the real Duchess of Jaxen, Erit won’t have to dispute her.

“She signed a legitimate contract and became a Duchess, and I happened to find someone else’s vacancy and just sat in without permission.”

“It’s your seat.”

She thought Edmond would say so. But does anyone else think so?

It’s a good thing that she took her sister’s place. It’s a personal family affair.

However, it is not normal for a sister to hand over the hostess seat of a great noble family to her younger brother without permission from a family member. It is not normal for a younger sister to sit down after being handed over.

Instead, Erit would have run away, and she could not afford to pay the penalty, so if Ezet had gone in as his wife instead, he would have stood at least for a reason.

“Edmond, you never thought of that?”

“What are you thinking?”

“Because you’re a hero, you’ve become the heir. I didn’t get it from my parents. It’s not mine from the beginning. That’s why other nobles are jealous.”

“There’s no such thing as the original. If it’s in my hands, it’s mine.”

Edmond summarized the problems Ezet had been agonizing over all this time.

“It doesn’t mean anything to me that it was a property that could belong to the country. I’m the owner right now. If a hidden child of the Duke of Jaxen appears and asks for his return, I have no intention of returning it.”

“What? That’s a little… if you have a hidden child, he’s the rightful successor.”

“No, I’m the rightful successor. Who would dare deny it when the former Duke and the Emperor and this country have acknowledged it?”

Edmond’s brazen reply made Ezet nod after tilting her head.

It sounded right to her.

The family owner determines family succession. If the owner chooses, children of both sex and illegitimate children can pass on titles and territories to anyone.

However, if a family member dies suddenly without choosing a successor, they will succeed to the eldest son in principle. As illegitimate children are not treated as the eldest children, the property is attributed to the country and redistributed if there is no deficit and only illegitimate children.

The former Duke of Jaxen adopted the hero of the old country and handed down the title. Therefore, even if there was a hidden deficit, as well as illegitimate children, it is Edmond’s side that has a legitimate right to succeed.

She doesn’t know if Edmund will concede, and if he cuts the other off because he doesn’t want to give it to them, even if the former Duke comes back from the grave, the title cannot be taken away from him.

So it’s right for Edmond to have the last name Jaxen. Legally, that’s natural.

If it were Ezet who had the right to succeed, she would likely return the position if a hidden child appeared and asked for it back. She thought that’s what makes sense. It seemed a little shameless for her to continue to hold on to the ground that there was no legal basis.

Perhaps that is the difference between Edmond and himself.

“Edmond, you didn’t have a conscience from the beginning, did you?”

“Well, maybe.”

“What? That’s not what you said during the day.”

“In the world of mercenaries, the man who takes it is the owner. If you don’t want to lose it, you have to keep it.”