Chapter 255: The Two Sons Who Cast Out Their Father

Paul's actions were truly a headache for Wood. From a moral standpoint, he wanted to side with Zenith, supporting her to leave behind a scumbag like Paul. But doing so would undoubtedly tear the family apart.

To resolve this situation, someone needed to take the blame and calm Zenith's anger. It could be either Lilia or Paul. If Lilia took responsibility, she would undoubtedly be thrown out of the house. But with her being pregnant, surviving alone in this world would be nearly impossible. Wood's half-sibling—whether a brother or sister—might not make it if that happened.

If Lilia couldn't take the fall, then Paul would have to. After all, it was his fault in the first place. Wood felt no pity for him. Here Paul was, caught red-handed, and yet he sat there speechless, unable to take responsibility like a man.

"Mother, if you insist on separating from Paul, I'll support you. This is all his fault. However, I also believe that while Lilia is at fault, she's also a victim. We shouldn't place all the blame on her."

When Zenith heard the first part of Wood's response, she looked pleased, thinking her son was siding with her. But as soon as he mentioned Lilia, her expression darkened.

Paul had cheated, and while Zenith knew he was at fault, she despised Lilia as the other woman in the affair.

"Mother, let me ask you something. You know Paul's personality, right? Who do you think was the one in control when he and Lilia… were together? And if Paul truly wanted something from Lilia, do you think she had the power to resist?

There's something else you should know. Lilia was once Paul's training partner when they practiced swordsmanship together. And long before you even met him, Paul had already… made advances on her."

This was something Lilia had confessed to Wood in her letters. Lilia didn't know why she confided in a child, but for some reason, writing to Wood about her feelings came naturally. Even the recent incident had been shared with him in full.

Hearing Wood's words, Zenith froze for a moment, then glared angrily at Paul, who was still kneeling on the floor. With Wood's analysis and Paul's past behavior as a notorious womanizer, Zenith couldn't help but suspect that Paul had forced himself on Lilia.

Though Lilia was strong, she was no match for Paul, an advanced-level swordsman.

Paul, still kneeling and seeing Zenith's furious expression, tried to open his mouth to explain, but before he could get a word out, Rudeus, acting on a signal from Wood, delivered a swift kick, knocking Paul down.

Rudeus knew exactly why Wood had given him the signal. Despite having little experience with relationships, Rudeus was mentally mature enough to understand that Wood's plan was to have Paul take the brunt of the blame. Only by doing this could they keep the family from falling apart.

Paul's reputation had always been that of a "player." The fact that he had messed up again wasn't too surprising. What they needed now was to keep Zenith from leaving. If she walked out while pregnant, tracking her down later would be nearly impossible.

Lilia was in a similar situation. Although she had made a mistake, the child in her womb was innocent, and neither Wood nor Rudeus wanted their unborn sibling to suffer because of this.

The two brothers shared the same thought: the easiest solution was to kick Paul out for now, allowing Zenith to vent her frustration. Paul had always been a smooth talker, and with Zenith's deep feelings for him, it was only a matter of time before he wormed his way back into the family.

To help their mother release her anger, Wood and Rudeus teamed up and beat Paul with all their strength. At first, Paul seemed stunned, but as an experienced womanizer, he quickly understood what his sons were doing and began to take responsibility for his mistakes.

"Zenith, why don't you and the kids come with me to Roa in Fittoa? I'll buy you all a new house there. You'll be able to rest and take care of the babies properly, while I stay behind to take care of Paul. He can stay here and reflect on his mistakes."

Wood had saved up a decent amount of money by selling monster materials. Buying a small house in Roa was within his means.

With the focus now shifted to Paul, Wood had successfully deflected some of the tension. Whether Paul could win back Zenith's forgiveness was up to him.

Zenith glanced at Paul, then placed a hand on her belly. Eventually, she agreed to Wood's suggestion and decided to move to Roa.

As they sat in the carriage on their way to Roa, Lilia, who had been silent for most of the trip, finally broke down. Unable to bear her guilt any longer, she confessed her wrongdoing.

But to Lilia's surprise, Zenith didn't seem shocked at all.

"Paul's nature is no secret to me," Zenith said. "I always knew this day would come, just not this soon. If he had chosen to abandon you and the child, I would've lost all respect for him. Given who Paul is, I knew he'd eventually do something like this. And if it had to be anyone, I'd rather it be you than some stranger. Don't you agree, Lilia?"

Lilia remained silent, but her heart filled with gratitude. In her darkest moment, it was the Greyrat family who had shown her kindness. She owed them a debt she could never repay.

From that moment on, Lilia resolved to dedicate her life to serving the Greyrat family. No matter how their future unfolded, her loyalty, and the loyalty of the child she carried, would always belong to them.

Though grateful, Lilia also knew her place. She never saw herself as a second wife. She would always remain a servant to the Greyrat family.

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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 380+ at p@treon.com/Betek and change @ to a