Blood Holy Scripture: True Ancestor Charlotte de Castel
Chapter 242: -33- The Death of the Old Duke_2

Chapter 242: -33- The Death of the Old Duke_2

The lion, in his youth, might have intimidated all around him.

But, eventually, he too aged.

And when his curtain fell, the vast Bold Duchy... astonishingly lacked even a single loyal noble.

He had even been outwitted by a mere green girl!

The old duke knew this was also linked to the tight grip he had maintained over power these past years.

But what could he have done?

He simply did not want to leave Bold Duchy unstable for future generations.

Just like when His Majesty took over the New Moon Throne.

Maybe... he had been wrong from the start.

Perhaps, he should not have spent the majority of his life on the battlefield.

Perhaps, he should have paid more attention to his own territory.

Perhaps, he should have been more concerned about his family.

Perhaps, from the very beginning, he should have treated the Castel family differently, treated the promising earl and his wife differently, treated that seemingly naive but unfathomably deep little girl...

Within a year, the Bold Duke had unearthed some things, and he had also come to some realizations.

But it was already too late.

At this thought, the old duke couldn’t help but shakily lift his head, looking towards his only daughter.

"El... Eleanor."

He struggled to reach out his hand to his daughter, and Eleanor quickly took it:

"Father..."

Feeling his daughter’s warmth, the old duke felt considerably more at ease.

At that moment, he suddenly felt as if nothing else mattered anymore.

Let it be.

It did not matter anymore.

Be it the Bold Duchy or the Castel family.

He was tired, he needed to rest.

As for his daughter...

Even if she did not become a powerful duchess, with the Royal Family to rely on, at least... she could live a happy life.

He had owed his daughter for a lifetime.

Now, perhaps it was time to repay that debt.

At this thought, the old duke took a deep breath and struggled to sit up.

"Duke..."

The maid hurried over to help him, but he refused.

The old duke, gasping for air, sat on the bed—the once supreme Blazing Sun Strong now found even rising to be a challenge.

He looked straight into the eyes of the Third Prince Philip, his cloudy eyes seemingly regaining their sharpness at that moment.

"Prince Philip..."

The old duke grasped the hands of the Third Prince, using all his strength:

"I... know your ambition, and I am aware... of your desire to control Bold!"

"All I own... I can give to you, everything of Bold... I can give to you!"

Third Prince Philip looked somewhat surprised at the old man before him who was about to pass away, not expecting that the lion of Bold, known for placing his family above all and being stubborn and fiercely cunning, would say such a thing.

"However, I have one condition..."

The old duke changed his tone.

He stared intently into the eyes of the prince, as if trying to see through his heart:

"I... I want you to treat Eleanor well, I want you... to ensure her... happiness!"

Hearing the old duke’s words, Eleanor trembled slightly, her gray-blue eyes seeming to flicker.

Third Prince Philip’s eyelids drooped slightly, and when he raised his head again to meet the old duke’s gaze, he wore a radiant smile:

"Of course, respected Lord Andre."

"Eleanor is my dearest wife, and I will make her happy."

Hearing the prince’s promise, the old duke finally felt a bit relieved.

"Cough cough... Remember your words."

He coughed violently and said.

With his mind at ease, the old duke felt as if his strength suddenly drained away.

His body uncontrollably began to slide down, his gaze filled with a mix of guilt and affection lingering on his daughter.

However, as his gaze moved over the cuff of his daughter’s sleeve, he suddenly noticed the dense scars hidden in the shadows.

The old duke’s breath almost stalled instantaneously.

Suddenly regaining some strength, he almost struggled as he reached out to Eleanor, then yanked down her sleeve.

Beneath the sleeve, her arm, which should have been fair and smooth, was covered in bruises and hideous scars.

The Duke’s expression changed almost instantly.

Decaying yet astonishing power burst forth from him, and that transcendent power, which had been impossible to muster, was now suddenly boiling again.

The Duke angrily grasped the Third Prince’s collar and shouted,

"Philip! What is the meaning of this?!"

The Third Prince, Philip, remained calm.

He slowly and strongly pried the Duke’s withered fingers off his clothes, then gently stood up, looking down at him with sympathy and sighed,

"Duke, how I wish you had spoken those words a bit earlier."

The Duke raised his head, glaring at him in anger, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen and couldn’t help but spray out a mouthful of blackish-red blood.

Instantly, he felt his energy rapidly draining from his body as a burning pain spread rapidly from his stomach throughout his body.

The Duke raised his head again, looking painfully toward the maid standing nearby, but saw her slowly move to the Third Prince’s side, standing respectfully and looking at him with cold indifference.

The Duke’s eyes widened,

"You...!"

The Third Prince stepped in front of him, slightly bent over, and with a smile said,

"Duke, I have never liked charity, nor being forced into transactions, and I hate being used as a pawn in others’ deals."

"The things I desire, I must obtain myself no matter the methods or means."

"Bold Duchy, Count Castle Domain, I will take them myself."

"And..."

He lowered his head, speaking softly in the Duke’s ear,

"You should not have harbored killing intentions in my presence."

Watching as the Third Prince’s smile resembled that of a devil, the Duke looked furious.

His gaze fixed fiercely into the other’s eyes, as if his deadly glare could tear the Third Prince to pieces...

However, he soon started laughing,

"Cough, cough...heh...haha..."

"Bold... and... Castel... Castel..."

"Heh... hahaha..."

The Duke laughed loudly, his laughter growing more unrestrained, frenzied, and pitying.

Faced with the Duke’s meaningful laughter, the Third Prince knitted his brows slightly,

"Duke, what’s so funny?"

However, the Duke did not respond.

He continued to laugh unrestrainedly.

But his eyes lost their final focus.

A murky tear trickled down his aged cheek, and his hands slowly slid downward.

Until the moment he took his last breath, his blue-gray eyes remained wide open.

"Dead, huh..."

Observing the lifeless Duke, the Third Prince frowned slightly, unamused.

Yet, the Duke’s eerie smile somehow irritated him.

Intermittent sobs came from beside him; the Third Prince looked toward his wife.

His expression turned cold as he said,

"Did I make you cry?"

Eleanor trembled slightly, lowering her head, her voice trembling,

"Uh... sorry..."

"Mm, good."

The Third Prince contentedly rubbed her head.

Then, he ordered the maid standing nearby,

"Clean this place up, the Duke has passed away due to illness; henceforth, Eleanor and I will be the masters of Bold."

The maid trembled slightly, respectfully bowing her head.

The Third Prince then held Eleanor’s hand and left the bedroom.

Returning to the main hall of the Duke Mansion, he naturally took his seat in the main chair.

Soon, a breathless personal soldier rushed in from the outside, kneeling on one knee before him, presenting a piece of parchment with both hands,

"Lord, urgent news from the north! The young Earl of Castel has already returned to his domain!"

Philip’s brow furrowed; he quickly took it, opened it, and looked it over.

As he read, his expression suddenly darkened.

He threw the parchment to the ground, cursing,

"Fools, a bunch of fools! They can’t even stop a little girl!"

"With such competence, they still dream of returning to Falling Star Kingdom?"