Lord of Caldera - Chapter 239

Chapter 239: Chapter 239

Willem’s brow twitched at the open criticism. Even though Walter was his only son and heir, his authority as head of the family was absolute. Yet, his son dared to speak to him in such a manner.

“You’ve changed a lot since your visit to the Herning family.”

“Yes, experiencing certain things firsthand tends to bring about some growth.”

“Growth? To me, it looks like you’ve lost your mind a bit.”

In the past, Walter had been cautious, always concerned about displeasing his father. But after negotiating trade rights with the elves for the Herning family, he had become noticeably more self-assured. Willem was willing to overlook a little arrogance for his son’s achievements. However, there was a limit to everything.

“Consider yourself lucky to be my only son. If I had another, I would have stripped you of your inheritance and erased you from the family records.”

“Then, Father, be grateful to have me as a son. I’m working hard to stop you from driving our family into ruin.”

“How dare you!” Willem’s eyes flashed with anger. His gaze was so intense that anyone with less nerve would have shrunk back. But Walter didn’t even blink.

“You need to listen to me.”

“Shut up! There’s no going back now!”

“Just let go of this stubbornness.”

“At last, the rumors about the Count’s deputy are beginning to spread. If I were to stop now, I wouldn’t have started this in the first place.”

“It was a mistake to start at all!” Walter couldn’t hold back his anger any longer. How could his father be so blind?

“This was a half-baked scheme from the beginning! No matter how much enmity the Count harbors against his current deputy, do you really think he’ll be so easily manipulated?”

“That’s because you don’t understand,” Willem said, looking down on Walter as if lecturing a foolish child.

“Why do you think the Count entrusted that boy, Leon, with the position of deputy? It’s because there’s no one else he can rely on. With no one he can trust, he appointed someone indebted to him.”

Willem was almost certain. Based on his investigations, the family relationships were terrible, and it was well-known that Leon and Lady Rey had a deep-seated rivalry. And yet, the Count had still appointed Leon as deputy? Clearly, he intended to control him through fear and exact revenge at the same time.

There was neither affection nor trust between them. The Count’s resentment towards Leon hadn’t faded in the slightest.

“The Count must be itching to replace him. All we’re doing is giving him a little push. The truth doesn’t matter if we have an excuse.”

“That’s just your thinking, Father. Even if there’s resentment, who would welcome such an obvious attempt at manipulation?”

“That’s absurd. What does the current Count even know? He’s merely the son of a concubine who lived in obscurity for over a decade. Do you think he has any knowledge of politics?”

From what Willem had heard, Leon’s skills were limited to swordsmanship. No matter how sharp he was, he’d barely catch on. Even if Leon grew suspicious and came to investigate, he’d be powerless. Seeing the state of the estate with his own eyes would make it impossible to call Willem’s words lies.

“As long as we get that upstart Leon removed from the position of deputy, everything will fall into place. The other families have already agreed to back us as the next candidate, so stop talking and just watch.”

Walter held his silence—not because he was convinced or out of words but because he knew his father wouldn’t listen. It was useless to argue with this stubborn man.

“Damn it, he’s interpreting everything to suit himself. He hasn’t even met the Count or Sir Sylas in person.”

Walter felt as if he were choking on frustration. He had repeated the same warnings over and over, urging his father to abandon this crude political scheme and earn trust through integrity and loyalty. If they continued down this reckless path, disaster would surely befall the family. And yet, Willem didn’t even pretend to listen.

“This is serious. If His Excellency the Count returns like this…” Walter muttered, deeply troubled.

Just then, a knight burst into the room, looking anxious. Willem Bindelern frowned slightly but gestured for the knight to speak.

“What is it?” he asked.

“S-sir! We have a problem!” the knight stammered, his urgency evident. “A group claiming to be an inspection team has arrived outside! They say they’re from the Herning family!”

“What? An inspection team?” Willem’s face twisted in anger. An inspection team? This was practically interference in his internal affairs.

“And who dares to claim authority to inspect here?”

“I’m not sure, my lord, but they introduced themselves as accompanying knights…”

“Accompanying knights? In this day and age? What nonsense is that?” Willem scoffed, as if dismissing a foolish joke. But Walter’s face grew pale upon hearing the knight’s words.

“No… it can’t be… surely not.” He hoped against all odds that it wasn’t true. Could the Count and Sylas have really come here personally? They were surely too busy for that. Yet, his hopes were crushed by the knight’s next words.

“They said you would recognize the name Sylas Corleone. And if not, they suggested asking Master Walter for clarification…”

Thud. Walter’s legs gave out, and he sank to the ground.

“Welcome, Sir Sylas. It’s a pleasure to have you here,” Willem greeted them, his composure unfazed by Walter’s reaction. He had anticipated something like this might happen.

Sylas was about to bow politely when Willem continued.

“And greetings to His Excellency, the Count. I am Willem Bindelern. Please forgive me for not offering my respects in person before now.”

The interruption was deliberate, and the surrounding temperature seemed to drop several degrees. Walter felt a shiver run down his spine.

“Father, please…” he thought desperately.

But Willem remained oblivious to his son’s silent plea, maintaining his unbothered expression as he led the guests forward.

“This way, please. I’ve prepared a suitable room for us.”