The Maid Dreams Of The Sunset - Chapter 34

From the beginning, Max, the duchess, and the duke, had a strange triangular relationship with each other.

While the duchess wasn’t able to win against Max, she had an upper hand over the duke, and Max was just like a tyrant to his mother, but he is helpless against his father. To Max, the duke was a powerful person while the duchess was a dog with a lowered tail.

As everyone was aware of the power balance, the trio had always maintained a certain boundary despite their bad relationship. To keep his wife in check, the duke had never touched Max as well.

But at that moment.

The moment the duke slapped Max on the cheek, the precariously maintained balance was broken.

The duchess had always regarded Isaac, who walked around the mansion with the vassals’ support, as a thorn in her eye, and vented her accumulated anger onto the duke as if she had been waiting for this moment. She thought that the duke would falter like he did in the past, but the duke didn’t lower his head to her and instead expressed an anger that was greater than hers.

“For goodness’ sake, please stop! Whether it’s you or Max, all that you see are the things in front of you! How are you to be a Little Duke when you’re so shallow!”

“You, How could you be like that to the child that’s your successor…!”

“That child is in such a state, and you’re still saying that he’s my successor? How in the world did you raise him as his mother!”

The duchess, Irmina, wasn’t a person that would obediently let an insult pass. She rushed at the duke with fire in her eyes.

“Have you ever done anything right? What have you done for yourself these days, other than being influenced by that lowly child!”

“Watch your words, Irmina!’

“You moron! Reflect on yourself before persecuting anyone else!’

The decayed rope that was hidden underneath the beautiful names of culture and dignity, was triggered by hatred and brought out their ugly sides.

The couple tossed away the fetters of family and nobility, trampled on each other with the phrases that each avoided the most constantly. Just like that, the duke and duchess of Eufgenschult hurled all kinds of curses with their servants and vassals present, turned around and left like they would never see each other again.

Karla, who had belatedly realised the situation, went back and forth between her parents to handle the aftermath, but she was helpless in the face of the worsening situation.

In the meantime, the duchess was worried about Max, and though she was worried, she declared that she wouldn’t go outside in order to protect her pride, and then left Karla in charge of handling Max’s mess.

It’s always been like this.

…Right.

Always. It has always been like this.

Karla shot a look of unadulterated irritation at Max.

The true culprit that provided the foundation for their parents’ discord, Max, wasn’t begging for mercy from his parents, and instead drinking like he was the most wronged person in the world.

Was that all? He pretended to be the protagonist of a tragedy, and yet the habit of seducing maids every night remained unchanged.

If he pretended to be apologetic or pitiful, even his parents would pretend they weren’t able to win over him and move on, but her lacking rascal of a brother can’t come up with a minimal pretence.

And it was her responsibility to please that lacking brother.

“You’re not even a child, so stop trying to forget about it and get up. Come on, stop drinking. Wash up and get a grip.”

Karla suppressed her burning heart and soothed Max gently. As soon as she turned to call for a maid, Max snatched back the wine glass that Karla was holding.

“Why? Do you also think that I’m ridiculous?”

Max stepped onto the ground with his languid feet and straightened his waist. The way he smiled as he rotated the wine glass in circles made him seem relaxed, but it also gave a somewhat uneasy air.

“Hm? Ridiculous, right? Isn’t it amusing to see the arrogant successor becoming a laughing stock, right?”

“…Max, stop picking a fight for nothing, and get up quickly…”

“Did you think that I didn’t know? Did you think I don’t know how scornful those eyes of yours that are looking at me now are!”

The wine glass that flew to the wall shattered into pieces with a loud noise.

The red wine left red spots everywhere like bloodstains. Before she knew it, Max grabbed Karla’s wrist and rose from his seat.

“Is there anyone in this house who doesn’t think I’m ridiculous? You’re the same! You pretend to take care of me, but you look at me like I’m a rat. You didn’t think that I knew?”

“Max! Let go of my hand…!”

“What gives a girl that can’t do anything the right to look at me like that? Looking at me so condescendingly, and yet you can’t do anything but be sold to that pig!”

“Max!”

Karla shook off her hand with all her might, and hit Max’s chest with her clenched teeth.

Max, who was drunk and barely able to stand, wasn’t able to withstand that hit and staggered backwards. Just as his heavy body was about to fall back onto the sofa, Karla raised her hand into the air.

Pak!

The palm that she used to slap him burned. However, Karla didn’t stop and lifted her other hand to slap the other cheek. Max’s face turned to the other side helplessly.

“Maximilian! You stupid fool!”

Even though she had committed a taboo that she should never do, a mysterious joy, let alone regret, rose in her heart.

The bolt on the door of emotions that she had constantly endured was opened. Karla grabbed Max by the collar and screamed.

“That’s why you’re being treated disdainfully! Who would take your side when you’re making such a fuss without even figuring out who your enemies are! What? There’s nothing I can do?”

Pak, she hit his shoulder with a trembling hand. Contempt and disgust were present within the blue eyes that were looking down at Max.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Who do you think is happy to be born as a daughter? Do you think that I’m happy about being sold to that pig? If I were you, I would’ve come to my senses early on and studied hard! I would have been recognized as the successor long ago!”

“Shut up. Do you even know the weight of this position? How much I had…!”

“You shut up! Weight, weight, you hadn’t done anything other than debauchery and drugs! If only I was born as the successor…!”

“Hah, is that why you would study at night secretly? If only I was the successor – you must have been intoxicated by that and pretended that you knew everything.”

Max spouted out all of his words and grabbed Karla’s hand that was holding him by the collar.

“But what can you do? If only I’m the successor? You’re a girl. All you can do is be sold to that pig.”

“……Watch your mouth.”

“If you want something to blame, you shouldn’t blame me, but your fate for being born as a woman. What’s the point of coveting a position that you can’t even be seated in?”

She could feel a strong grip on the hand that was held. Max grabbed Karla’s hand tightly like he was going to crush her and continued to shout fiercely.

“I’d never thought someone other than that prostitute’s son would be converting this position. I didn’t expect that the girl that kept wagging her tail right next to me was also eyeing my place.”

“Maximilian!”

“You poor thing… at least that illegitimate b*stard is a man, but you’re really a useless good for nothing. Isn’t that right?”

As the corner of her mouth trembled, Karla shot back in a shrill voice.

“You’re also a male, and yet you can’t even compare to that illegitimate b*stard’s toenails, what can you do?”

“……What?”

“This is why Father despises you. He said that he hoped that that child would be the successor, and that it’s a pity he wasn’t born as a legitimate child, and I completely understand him when I look at you. If I were Father, I would be more willing to nominate that child as my successor… Ugh!”

A rough hand held Karla by the neck. Max gripped her neck like he was trying to suffocate her, and stared at her with fierce eyes.

“What did you just say? Father said such words before?

“That brilliant… ugh, head. You must have expected it. Father isn’t, uh, satisfied with you…”

“I know that!”

His bloodshot eyes were clouded with agitation. Max gritted his teeth and let out a harsh breath.

He was well aware that his father disapproved of him. It was also well known that he favoured that illegitimate child. Nevertheless, his father bore with Max because the difference between their positions was too big.

He believed that Isaac’s excessive praise was to foster an aide for the next successor. He had only taken it as a ritual to transform a favoured dog into a loyal dog. As such, he ignored Isaac even when he heard of the rush of praise amongst the vassals.

But… how.

Gehern was born as a pure-blooded aristocrat, and was a person that hated illegitimate children from the outset.

Gehern Eufgenschult was someone that displayed the aristocratic ideal that no matter the person’s ability, as long as the blood flowing within their body was dirty, they would also be thought of as impure.

As if to prove this point, while Gehern cherished Isaac, he would quickly step backwards and become an observer whenever he was criticised for his blood ties. Gehern’s fondness for Isaac wasn’t any different from his fondness for a pup that’s hovering at his feet.

Everyone knew that.

…but that wasn’t the case.

“I wish that that illegitimate b*stard could become the successor.”

The grip on her neck strengthened. Karla, who was trembling, grabbed Max’s arm and gasped. Max’s arm didn’t budge even though she struggled to resist.

Their deep blue eyes reflected each other. The face of his sister breathing in an ugly manner entered his distorted view.

He had once thought of her as a dear older sister, but now she only felt like a vicious swindler.

“Sh*t… D*mn it!”

He threw Karla onto the sofa with a wave of his hand. The portion of the chest that was exposed outside the shirt rose and fell repeatedly.

D*mned Isaac, d*mned Karla.

…Sh*tty Father.

Max, who was glaring at the floor with his widened eyes, ran out towards the hallway.

“Oh my, Little Duke!”

“Little Duke!”

The maids that were passing by looked back at him with stunned faces. Max kicked a manservant that was blocking his path, and crossed the stairs like a madman. He reached the duke’s room just like that, and opened the door like he was about to destroy it.

“What is it?”

Gehern, who was seated in an armchair and staring at the fireplace, frowned at the untimely uproar. At this time, when even the sun had set, there wasn’t anyone in the mansion that would recklessly enter the room where the head was in.

Gehern turned his head puzzledly, wondering what kind of human being the intruder was. When his son’s ugly appearance turned up in his vision, the puzzlement turned into anger that slowly spread across Gehern’s face.

“Did you come here with such an appearance? What a disgrace.”

“Father.”

“I seem to have ordered that you keep a low profile for the time being, but what nonsense are you going to say? If you have nothing to say, get out.”

“Are you really trying to make that b*stard your successor?”

Gehern was about to get up from his seat, and looked at his son with a bent posture.

Max became certain of his doubts at the sight of his bewildered stare and felt that he was being strangled. The sound of his heartbeat that he could hear ringing in his ear was irritating, irritating, and irritating.

“If you did everything right.”

Gehern straightened up and gave him a bitterly disappointed look.

“I wouldn’t need to think about it.”

There weren’t things like an apology or a misunderstanding, like Max had hoped. But those eyes that looked like they’re staring at a microorganism.

…Those eyes.

They were the same eyes as that illegitimate child, eyes that seem to look at something insignificant.

As his palpitation disappeared, the sound of his rough breathing took its place, making it very discomforting. When the rapid breathing reached its limit.

Max raised his fist like he was possessed.

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