The Baddest Villainess Is Back - Chapter 36
To achieve that, he believed he needed a safe fence, a garden, and hence, he needed to grow his power.
‘The problem is none of them grew up properly.’
Nevertheless, Devon Bellion, in his own way, cherished his children.
He never truly loved the wife arranged for him through a political marriage, but he loved the children born from her womb.
It was a mutually acknowledged marriage.
Even so, Devon respected her as his family and the mother of his children and did his best, so their relationship wasn’t bad.
Therefore, Devon Bellion could be said to have been quite generous to his family.
He had a magnanimous nature that could laugh off most things, whether it was murder or drug dealing.
Of course, having grown up rough, he was coarse in speech and harsh in action.
He once believed raising children was a matter of fists and scolding.
Because of this, his eldest son often blamed ‘all the kids turning out this way’ on him.
Anyway, among them, the youngest born, ‘Zerti Bellion,’ was a particularly sore spot for him.
Born with an awakened Abyss, he poisoned his mother at birth and eventually killed her.
As time passed, Zerti seemed to have started opening his heart up a woman, but he suddenly came back one day, a bloodied newborn in his arms. He secluded himself in the basement for months after that.
Everyone except the family and the butler Dean feared Zerti.
Perhaps because he had done such things since birth and was bullied by his second brother, he isolated himself.
His face was too precious for such a life.
His mental state was so fragile, he became an adult and a parent with thorns on all sides.
And when he finally found a woman who could cut those thorns, another incident occurred.
For years, he couldn’t approach his child, fearing he might kill her or that she might resent him.
So Roxelyn, too, became a quiet child.
For years, Devon had tried to care for his only granddaughter, but any attempt to speak to her was met with tightly sealed lips and disregard.
‘But that changed.’
It was only recently that he heard the news of his granddaughter attempting suicide. Subsequently, he had to stop his youngest son from a rampage that led could have led to several deaths.
From that day on, Roxelyn changed.
She became indifferent and honest, as if she had shed all the affection she once had.
And she was determined to break away from their hold.
Again, Devon Bellion was a soft man with everything when it came to his family.
He would unleash brutal retribution on anyone who harmed his family and was indifferent to the lives and deaths of others, but he cherished the family within the garden he had created, personally selecting each servant and confidant who tended it.
However, if there was one thing he couldn’t tolerate…
It was being unaware of matters concerning his own bloodline.
And, someone leaving his garden without permission.
He was aware that he had an obsessive and controlling nature.
Therefore, the recent Makruxa incident with Ian Bellion and Roxelyn Bellion’s declaration of leaving were quite a shock in many ways.
“Child?”
Devon Bellion called again when no response came to his waiting in deep thought.
“Yes, Your Grace the Duke, Grandfather.”
“Would you call me just Grandfather?”
“Wouldn’t that displease you?”
Roxelyn asked in response to Devon Bellion’s request.
“What do you mean?”
“Technically, I’m not a Bellion, am I? I’m a bastard.”
“…Hmm.”
Devon Bellion hesitated and frowned.
Truthfully, Devon Bellion was an impatient man.
That’s why he found it a little hard to understand his youngest son.
He had only recently realized his granddaughter’s misunderstanding, but he had been waiting for Zerti to explain it himself.
‘To think he hasn’t told her yet.’
It was Devon Bellion who felt like he was going to burst with frustration at that exceeding caution.
‘Not some shy young girl anymore.’
He clicked his tongue inwardly and spoke.
“So what if you’re a bastard?”
“…Pardon?”
“What matters is that the blood of Bellion flows in you.”
He snorted.
Bastard?
Such things weren’t important.
He too was once a bastard.
For Devon Bellion, what mattered was whether one had Bellion blood, even if it was only half.
“And you’re not a bastard. I’ve been quiet because that punk said he’d tell you himself, but knowing his character, it’d take years for him to speak frankly…”
Clicking his tongue, Devon flicked the ash from his cigar and suddenly looked at Roxelyn’s face, then closed his mouth.
