HLnovel Chapter 106 Proof of Bloodline
Chapter 106 Proof of Bloodline
Chapter 106 Proof of Bloodline
If Kathy counted correctly, Robin Capello was his great-grandfather.
Early on, when Pegasus and Reggie were starting their plan, Casey had heard from them that Robin was unwell.
In recent years, Casey felt he had experienced a lot, and he realized that human life is too fragile and death too easy.
But Kathy also felt that the people around her seemed to die more easily.
Pegasus, Robert, Robin had just become Kathy's hope, but he immediately heard the news of Robin's death.
Am I really a jinx? Cathy thought to herself, feeling sorry for herself, wondering if she brought misfortune to those around her.
Cassie lowered her head, mourning Robin's death and her own misfortune.
At that moment, he heard the swindler's voice:
"Who is the current Duke?"
Cassie looked up at the conman, and every time she saw his face, a surge of intense anger welled up inside her.
So far, this conman's sole purpose has been money.
However, if he wants money, Cathy can give it to him.
But why did he have to kill Robert?
Kathy hates this liar.
No matter how others hit him, scold him, or humiliate him, Cathy can forgive them.
The only thing that Cassie could never forgive was the person she hurt.
Cathy wished the conman a terrible death, though she felt that she, too, deserved to go to hell for having such malicious thoughts.
The city guard answered the liar's question:
"Robin's son, Duke Trent Capello."
The conman turned to Cathy and asked, "Are you a descendant of the Duke of Trent?"
Cathy's maternal grandmother was probably Trent's sister, so Cathy shook her head.
"No, but I am his relative."
The city's garrison soldiers exchanged glances, then stared at Kathy for a long time.
"Hey kid, if it weren't for your orange-yellow hair, I wouldn't even bother with you. That proves you do indeed have Capello family blood in you."
After discussing it for a while, the gatekeepers sent one of them into the city to inform their master.
At that moment, Kathy noticed that the conman was staring intently at her head.
What a cunning fox, Casey thought, greedily absorbing every clue around it.
By now, he must have realized the unusual nature of Cathy's hair color.
However, Kathy remained silent to avoid alerting the other party to any further information.
After a while, the soldier returned and said to them:
"Follow me, His Highness the Duke has agreed to see you."
Cathy and the conman entered Red Castle together.
Passing through the sturdy city gate atop the dark, towering stone walls, one can catch a glimpse of the city's interior.
For Keshi, who grew up on the plateau, the architecture here was truly eye-opening.
All the houses are made of wood, and the air is filled with the fragrance of trees.
However, due to the limited availability of materials, the houses were basically only one story high, which resulted in the castle occupying a large area.
The path underfoot was paved with pebbles, and various flowerbeds were planted along it.
Cathy loved it here. The thought of her grandmother growing up in this castle made her think that her grandmother must have had a very happy childhood.
Soon, he arrived at the foot of a magnificent wooden palace.
The palace still only has one floor, but the walls are built very high. Kathy felt that the decorative effect was far greater than the practical effect.
Stepping inside, the hall is spacious and high-ceilinged, with many decorations placed around it.
Kathy immediately spotted a man nearing fifty sitting in a gilded wooden chair at the far end of the room.
This person has a high hairline, but their orange-yellow hair is very long, reaching down to their neck.
Kathy concluded that this was Trent Capello.
Trent leaned lazily to one side, yawned, and said listlessly:
"I heard that some of you are my relatives?"
Upon hearing this, the swindler immediately stepped forward, performed a standard curtsy, and then said:
"Your Excellency, the little boy beside me is your relative, as you can tell from his hair."
Trent glanced at Cathy warily, then said nonchalantly:
"So, kid, what kind of relative are you to me?"
The conman nudged Cathy with his elbow, signaling him to answer quickly.
After a moment, Kathys said, "I am a descendant of Robin Capello."
"Hahaha,"
After hearing this, Trent burst into laughter. "My father had three children, but all of them except me have been missing for over ten years. I'm certain they're dead. My sister's two children died, and the third has been missing since childhood. My brother never even got married. By that logic, you're saying you're my descendant?"
Kathy shook her head: "Missing doesn't necessarily mean dead."
“You’re right,” Trent sat up straight. “And I have indeed heard recently about some people stirring up trouble in the name of my sister’s descendants. Hey kid, this can’t be related to you, can it?”
Upon hearing this, Kathy knew that Trent was referring to time on the plateau.
But—he glanced at the conman beside him.
If the Duke of Trent were to reveal the truth and be willing to pay to ransom him, that would be the best outcome for Cathy.
But what if his uncle is unwilling to save him, and he just lets this swindler get the information for nothing?
Kathy could imagine what the conman would do once he had enough information.
He will inevitably be sent back to the plateau, and once he falls into the hands of the Zorc family, Kathy will only face death.
Therefore, Casey must first figure out Trent's attitude towards him.
Kathy asked, "Duke Trent, what would you do if I told you the truth?"
Trent stared at Cathy for a few seconds, chuckled, and replied:
"It depends on your answer. If you are truly a descendant of my family and your bloodline is spotless, I would most likely be willing to spend some gold on 'spotted bloodline'?"
"Don't you understand, kid? It means you must be the offspring of a family member recognized by the Capello family, and your other half must be a legitimate and proper blood relative."
"If you are the son of a prostitute, or a child born from rape, that will inevitably be a stain. Even if you are the result of a lawful marriage, I will not accept any commoner blood in you. After all, a marriage contract without family recognition is invalid."
"So, I have to provide my parents' full identities?"
"That's right, otherwise you'd just be a bastard. Bastards are everywhere among nobles; if you had to spend money on each one, even the wealthiest family would go bankrupt very quickly."
Trent nodded and leaned to one side.
"Besides, my father has just passed away, and his body is still left in the wild to give back to the forest. At a time when he needs to prove the purity of his soul, I am taking in a bastard son full of filth into the city. I'm afraid all the subjects of the forest will despise my behavior."
Cassie's mother is Natalie Lines, who has the blood of the highlands and forests flowing through her veins, and she is definitely a member of the family acknowledged by the Forest of Capello.
However, Kathy only had a tiny clue about her father: "the ocean."
Kathy could imagine the mocking expression on Duke Trent's face when he gave this answer.
In Trent's eyes, Casey must be an illegitimate child.
Kathy now understood that she would not receive any help.
Therefore, he cannot reveal information about his own identity.
"Duke Trent, I'm sorry, but my status probably doesn't meet your standards," Cathy said.
The one with the strongest reaction was the conman; he grabbed Cathy by the collar.
"Hey! Kid! I went through all this trouble to bring you here, and you're just trying to ruin everything without saying a word? At least give me an answer so His Excellency the Duke can judge for himself!"
Kathy was dizzy from being shaken, but he absolutely refused to speak.
At this point, the Duke of Trent said:
"Release him, commoner. Since he's unwilling to speak, it means he considers himself to have impure blood. But even if he's just an illegitimate child, he's still an illegitimate child of the Capello family, and his status is higher than yours."
Upon hearing this, the swindler had no choice but to release Kathy and glare at her fiercely.
Kay looked ahead and noticed Trent staring at him.
Reggie said, "Don't avoid eye contact, or the other person will think you're a coward."
So Cathy mustered her courage and stared into Trent's eyes as well.
Seeing this, Trent narrowed his eyes and smiled:
"Interesting, kid. Someone has trained you well, but that's no reason for me to help you."
Afterwards, Trent ordered that Cathy and the conman be sent out of Redburg.
As the two walked away from the city, suddenly, the swindler grabbed Cathy, pinned him against a redwood tree, and choked him.
"You're lying to me, kid!"
Kathy felt a sense of suffocation and instinctively flailed her limbs wildly.
He could only manage to squeeze out a few words: "I—didn't lie—".
The conman seemed to calm down a bit, loosened his grip, and threw Cathy to the ground.
Cathy took a breath before saying:
"I'm not lying to you, I do indeed have Capello blood."
"I already know that," the conman pointed to Cathy's hair, "but you're a bastard child!"
Cathy did not explain that, according to the Duke of Trent's definition, he was indeed an illegitimate child.
"Wait a minute—" the conman suddenly muttered, "If he were just an illegitimate child, they wouldn't have fought such a fierce battle in the monastery for you—"
He suddenly turned his head and stared intently at Casey.
He then rushed forward and grabbed Cathy's neck again:
"There are secrets in your bloodline. Tell me, what are you hiding!"
Kathy, of course, couldn't tell; to do so would undoubtedly mean certain death.
The swindler tightened his grip on his finger and roared:
"Boy, I've lost my patience. I've killed before, and I don't mind killing one more. I know you wish I were dead, so keeping you alive would only be a disaster for me. If you're of no value to me, you're just a cycle in my fate, and I'll kill you now! But if you tell me, at least you can live with me for another journey."
Cathy's eyes were filled with fear. He could tell that the conman's words were not just a threat; the conman was actually capable of doing it.
However, if he were taken back to the plateau, he would still have no chance of survival.
plateau.
Kathy remembered Pegasus's last words to him.
The blood of the plateau and the ocean flows in his veins.
The plateau was a dead end, and the forest was full of thorns, so he only had one path to take.
"The ocean—" Kathy murmured.
"What?"
"This is the secret of my bloodline, you liar! Send me to the ocean, and you'll surely find gold."
Even if Casey himself wasn't sure, that was certainly what he hoped for.
"Within my body, the ocean surges!"