As the King, who would later become Rihannan’s partner and husband, embarked on a relentless investigation, originally initiated to seize the Queen’s power, it was Count Alessin who found himself ensnared. At the time, the youthful King, newly immersed in matters of state, exuded boundless energy and determination to free himself from his mother’s looming shadow during the sweeping purge.
The relationship between the young King and Queen, despite their shared blood, was far from harmonious. The Queen, who was meant to ascend the throne by birthright, clung fiercely to her power during the purge, which posed a significant obstacle for the fledgling King as he embarked on his reign.
This animosity towards Rihannan persisted throughout, save for their initial encounter. The sole reason? Rihannan’s familial ties to the Queen and her status as the goddaughter of the royal family, aligning her with the Crichton forces the King sought to eliminate.
However, the truth of the matter lay in his apparent warmth and friendliness during their initial meeting. It appeared to be the blossoming of a new connection, but as soon as the King discovered Rihannan’s true identity, everything changed. Since then, he regarded her with a perpetual scowl, an outsider.
“Whose side are you on? Mine, as your husband, or the Queen’s?” he had coldly questioned, his voice piercing like shards of ice.
Recalling his cutting words, Rihannan pressed her lips tightly together. It would have been ideal to choose a side, but it proved impossible. The Queen had become a mother figure to her, filling the void left by her own mother’s passing, while the young King had claimed her love and heart from the moment they met.
And Rihannan understood.
She comprehended the Queen’s longing to assume the throne herself, yet relinquishing it for the sake of her son. She also empathized with the son’s anguished struggle under the weight of his mother’s overpowering influence.
Rihannan attempted to mend their faltering relationship, acting as a mediator between the two. However, their conflicts only intensified the more she tried.
Yet, looking back, there was one aspect she could never comprehend. At one point, the King had been prepared to punish Count Alessin during an ambitious tax investigation, meticulously orchestrated to ensnare numerous nobles, including the Count.
So why did he halt his pursuit midway?
“Welcome, Count Alessin!”
The door swung open suddenly, revealing Count Alessin himself. Rihannan shifted her weight against the staircase railing, taking a hesitant step forward. Yet, her movement was hesitant. Unlike in her previous life, she did not rejoice at her father’s return, nor did she hasten down the stairs.
She stood above the Count, silently observing as he entered with the hand of a young girl at his side, her age resembling that of Rihannan’s.
“Greetings, Count Alessin. And this child…”
The Count beamed, relinquishing his coat to the aged butler. “She is my daughter. Circumstances forced me to leave her outside previously.”
“Pardon? What…”
The aged butler’s eyes widened in astonishment, then quickly turned towards Rihannan, who stood alone on the stairs.
He beheld her, standing there in solitude.
Rihannan regarded him with sorrowful eyes.
The old butler had faithfully served the mansion for as long as she could remember, always fair and impartial. He had presided over the judgment of Count Alessin’s misdeeds. Yet, a few years later, the Count had callously dismissed him from the estate without a letter of recommendation, effectively ruining the old man’s life.
As the old butler swiftly grasped the situation, his face paled. He cast a sympathetic glance at the young and innocent Rihannan, who watched the scene unfold from the stairs, attempting to make sense of it all.
“Count, you have just arrived. Let us retire and…”
“Rihannan, come down here. Allow me to introduce your sister!” Count Alessin beckoned to Rihannan, who stood upon the stairs at that moment. His effusive emotions were no longer concealed.
Rihannan, dressed in white with long, silvery hair, had a pallid countenance. She appeared worn and diminished, as if she had scarcely eaten since the passing of her late mother.
“I told you to leave. Get out,” Rihannan uttered, her voice chillingly cold as she locked eyes with the Count.
“What?”
The Count stared back at Rihannan, taken aback.
“Leave my residence, father… and take your daughter with you.”
A sudden hush fell upon the room as Rihannan’s unexpected words pierced through the air, leaving the Count, her father, and young Leticia utterly astonished. Their mouths agape, they struggled to find words.
The aged butler was the first to regain his composure. “My Lady, what… what do you mean?” he stammered, his voice laced with confusion.
“Just moments ago, I concluded my discussions with my lawyer and completed the necessary procedures. Henceforth, the ownership of this estate belongs to Rihannan Alessin, the rightful heir. I now hold all the rights to the property bestowed upon me by my late mother. Firstly, to the uninvited guest who has never been welcomed within these walls, leave. And as for you, Father…”
“Rihannan!” the Count thundered, his rage erupting. “What in God’s name are you doing? Descend those stairs this instant!”
The Count’s fury grew unrestrained as he implored Rihannan to abandon her elevated position on the staircase. When Rihannan disregarded his demands, meeting him with an impassive gaze, he erupted in anger once more.
“This is preposterous! This house is not yours to claim! Have you lost your mind? Did your mother’s death drive you insane, leading you to covet your father’s fortune? Where is the law in all of this?”
“Mary,” Rihannan beckoned, extending her hand.
Mary, startled by the unfolding scene, hastily handed over the entrusted documents to Rihannan. With a steadfast look, Rihannan perused the papers.
“Everything is meticulously outlined here. Examine them for yourself. Jeffrey, verify the contents of these documents and present them to the Count.”
The aged butler sprang into action, ascending the stairs and receiving the documents from Rihannan. Donning his thin spectacles, he perused the pages, inwardly groaning at their contents. With a polite bow to Rihannan, he descended to deliver the papers to the Count.
Seizing the documents, the Count’s trembling hands traced the terms inscribed upon them.
The document detailed the provisions of their marriage contract, the laws of inheritance, and the lawyer’s interpretation.
The contents read as follows…
Should the union between Reagan Alessin and Anastasia Priebius come to an untimely end, all wealth shall revert back to its original owner, Anastasia Priebius. Reagan Alessin’s status as Count shall be restored to its previous title.
The inheritance of properties and wealth is limited to those borne through Anastasia Priebius. If Anastasia Priebius were to pass away, all property and wealth shall immediately pass to the descendants of Reagan Alessin and Anastasia Priebius. Reagan Alessin is granted full rights only in the absence of descendants borne through Anastasia Priebius.
The document bore the signature of Lawyer Ned, affirming that Rihannan Alessin was fully entitled to exercise her rights over the properties and wealth without delay.
The Count tore the paper to shreds, his frenzy unchecked, and flung the remnants to the floor.
“Even if you have rights to your mother’s property, I am your guardian! As you have not yet reached the proper age, you cannot wield those rights within this country. Rihannan, you should obey your father’s commands! It is my duty as a parent!”
“You failed to read until the end, Father. The final clause and provision grant the heir the authority to select their own guardian, accounting for the peculiarities of a cross-national marriage. As stated, my guardian is my uncle in Crichton. You, Father, are not my guardian.”
“Like hell I would surrender my property to those in Crichton!”
“But it was never yours to begin with. Haven’t you enjoyed the title of Count and all the privileges that accompanied it in exchange for marrying Mother? Yet… you betrayed her and fathered a child with another woman. And now you wish to leave her here… you are merely reaping what you have sown.”
“Betrayal? I never intended to marry your mother from the start, and I never gave her my heart.”
Rihannan thought, no, she believed there was nothing left that could wound her further, but his words cut into her like a jagged knife. Her late mother had suffered from a deep, unrequited love in her youth, encountering a charming young man whose allure differed greatly from the men in Crichton. Blinded by love, she sought to marry him, despite his lack of affection. She believed she could win his love given time. And so, her family drafted a marriage contract to bind him in a union from which he could never escape if he accepted, or else he would forfeit everything he had gained.
As the King, who would later become Rihannan’s partner and husband, embarked on a relentless investigation, originally initiated to seize the Queen’s power, it was Count Alessin who found himself ensnared. At the time, the youthful King, newly immersed in matters of state, exuded boundless energy and determination to free himself from his mother’s looming shadow during the sweeping purge.
The relationship between the young King and Queen, despite their shared blood, was far from harmonious. The Queen, who was meant to ascend the throne by birthright, clung fiercely to her power during the purge, which posed a significant obstacle for the fledgling King as he embarked on his reign.
This animosity towards Rihannan persisted throughout, save for their initial encounter. The sole reason? Rihannan’s familial ties to the Queen and her status as the goddaughter of the royal family, aligning her with the Crichton forces the King sought to eliminate.
However, the truth of the matter lay in his apparent warmth and friendliness during their initial meeting. It appeared to be the blossoming of a new connection, but as soon as the King discovered Rihannan’s true identity, everything changed. Since then, he regarded her with a perpetual scowl, an outsider.
“Whose side are you on? Mine, as your husband, or the Queen’s?” he had coldly questioned, his voice piercing like shards of ice.
Recalling his cutting words, Rihannan pressed her lips tightly together. It would have been ideal to choose a side, but it proved impossible. The Queen had become a mother figure to her, filling the void left by her own mother’s passing, while the young King had claimed her love and heart from the moment they met.
And Rihannan understood.
She comprehended the Queen’s longing to assume the throne herself, yet relinquishing it for the sake of her son. She also empathized with the son’s anguished struggle under the weight of his mother’s overpowering influence.
Rihannan attempted to mend their faltering relationship, acting as a mediator between the two. However, their conflicts only intensified the more she tried.
Yet, looking back, there was one aspect she could never comprehend. At one point, the King had been prepared to punish Count Alessin during an ambitious tax investigation, meticulously orchestrated to ensnare numerous nobles, including the Count.
So why did he halt his pursuit midway?
“Welcome, Count Alessin!”
The door swung open suddenly, revealing Count Alessin himself. Rihannan shifted her weight against the staircase railing, taking a hesitant step forward. Yet, her movement was hesitant. Unlike in her previous life, she did not rejoice at her father’s return, nor did she hasten down the stairs.
She stood above the Count, silently observing as he entered with the hand of a young girl at his side, her age resembling that of Rihannan’s.
“Greetings, Count Alessin. And this child…”
The Count beamed, relinquishing his coat to the aged butler. “She is my daughter. Circumstances forced me to leave her outside previously.”
“Pardon? What…”
The aged butler’s eyes widened in astonishment, then quickly turned towards Rihannan, who stood alone on the stairs.
He beheld her, standing there in solitude.
Rihannan regarded him with sorrowful eyes.
The old butler had faithfully served the mansion for as long as she could remember, always fair and impartial. He had presided over the judgment of Count Alessin’s misdeeds. Yet, a few years later, the Count had callously dismissed him from the estate without a letter of recommendation, effectively ruining the old man’s life.
As the old butler swiftly grasped the situation, his face paled. He cast a sympathetic glance at the young and innocent Rihannan, who watched the scene unfold from the stairs, attempting to make sense of it all.
“Count, you have just arrived. Let us retire and…”
“Rihannan, come down here. Allow me to introduce your sister!” Count Alessin beckoned to Rihannan, who stood upon the stairs at that moment. His effusive emotions were no longer concealed.
Rihannan, dressed in white with long, silvery hair, had a pallid countenance. She appeared worn and diminished, as if she had scarcely eaten since the passing of her late mother.
“I told you to leave. Get out,” Rihannan uttered, her voice chillingly cold as she locked eyes with the Count.
“What?”
The Count stared back at Rihannan, taken aback.
“Leave my residence, father… and take your daughter with you.”
A sudden hush fell upon the room as Rihannan’s unexpected words pierced through the air, leaving the Count, her father, and young Leticia utterly astonished. Their mouths agape, they struggled to find words.
The aged butler was the first to regain his composure. “My Lady, what… what do you mean?” he stammered, his voice laced with confusion.
“Just moments ago, I concluded my discussions with my lawyer and completed the necessary procedures. Henceforth, the ownership of this estate belongs to Rihannan Alessin, the rightful heir. I now hold all the rights to the property bestowed upon me by my late mother. Firstly, to the uninvited guest who has never been welcomed within these walls, leave. And as for you, Father…”
“Rihannan!” the Count thundered, his rage erupting. “What in God’s name are you doing? Descend those stairs this instant!”
The Count’s fury grew unrestrained as he implored Rihannan to abandon her elevated position on the staircase. When Rihannan disregarded his demands, meeting him with an impassive gaze, he erupted in anger once more.
“This is preposterous! This house is not yours to claim! Have you lost your mind? Did your mother’s death drive you insane, leading you to covet your father’s fortune? Where is the law in all of this?”
“Mary,” Rihannan beckoned, extending her hand.
Mary, startled by the unfolding scene, hastily handed over the entrusted documents to Rihannan. With a steadfast look, Rihannan perused the papers.
“Everything is meticulously outlined here. Examine them for yourself. Jeffrey, verify the contents of these documents and present them to the Count.”
The aged butler sprang into action, ascending the stairs and receiving the documents from Rihannan. Donning his thin spectacles, he perused the pages, inwardly groaning at their contents. With a polite bow to Rihannan, he descended to deliver the papers to the Count.
Seizing the documents, the Count’s trembling hands traced the terms inscribed upon them.
The document detailed the provisions of their marriage contract, the laws of inheritance, and the lawyer’s interpretation.
The contents read as follows…
Should the union between Reagan Alessin and Anastasia Priebius come to an untimely end, all wealth shall revert back to its original owner, Anastasia Priebius. Reagan Alessin’s status as Count shall be restored to its previous title.
The inheritance of properties and wealth is limited to those borne through Anastasia Priebius. If Anastasia Priebius were to pass away, all property and wealth shall immediately pass to the descendants of Reagan Alessin and Anastasia Priebius. Reagan Alessin is granted full rights only in the absence of descendants borne through Anastasia Priebius.
The document bore the signature of Lawyer Ned, affirming that Rihannan Alessin was fully entitled to exercise her rights over the properties and wealth without delay.
The Count tore the paper to shreds, his frenzy unchecked, and flung the remnants to the floor.
“Even if you have rights to your mother’s property, I am your guardian! As you have not yet reached the proper age, you cannot wield those rights within this country. Rihannan, you should obey your father’s commands! It is my duty as a parent!”
“You failed to read until the end, Father. The final clause and provision grant the heir the authority to select their own guardian, accounting for the peculiarities of a cross-national marriage. As stated, my guardian is my uncle in Crichton. You, Father, are not my guardian.”
“Like hell I would surrender my property to those in Crichton!”
“But it was never yours to begin with. Haven’t you enjoyed the title of Count and all the privileges that accompanied it in exchange for marrying Mother? Yet… you betrayed her and fathered a child with another woman. And now you wish to leave her here… you are merely reaping what you have sown.”
“Betrayal? I never intended to marry your mother from the start, and I never gave her my heart.”
Rihannan thought, no, she believed there was nothing left that could wound her further, but his words cut into her like a jagged knife. Her late mother had suffered from a deep, unrequited love in her youth, encountering a charming young man whose allure differed greatly from the men in Crichton. Blinded by love, she sought to marry him, despite his lack of affection. She believed she could win his love given time. And so, her family drafted a marriage contract to bind him in a union from which he could never escape if he accepted, or else he would forfeit everything he had gained.
