Chapter 441: What Is William After?

Arthur remained calm, as if he had expected this all along.

Isolde said, “I don’t want anyone disturbing him. He’s at peace now.”

Arthur replied coldly, “Then we have nothing more to discuss. I’ll pay for the coffee. Please, go ahead.”

Isolde waved her hand. “I have something to ask you. I hope you’ll answer truthfully.”

“If it’s the same as before, it’s none of your business. I refuse to answer,” Arthur said, his tone still icy.

Isolde’s voice grew sharper. “You keep saying you pushed my father to his death, but when my father returned to Zrork City for his burial, didn’t you make things difficult? Doesn’t that concern me?”

Arthur’s eyes darkened with pain, and his voice lowered. “I was confused at the time, thinking I had already made a huge mistake, so I followed her wishes. But as for Zrork City, I only knew about it; I didn’t interfere.”

Isolde asked, “This ‘her’—is it Ashley?”

Arthur replied, “Since you already know, why ask?”

“I need to know how many people she’s using,” Isolde said coldly. “If you truly feel guilty toward my father, then you better tell me everything. You may not have known how my father planned to protect me, but Ashley knew from the moment she approached you. She plotted my father’s death. If you truly feel remorse, tell me everything you know about her—about Darwin and Riley.”

Arthur looked at her oddly. “Darwin? How do you know about him?”

“Don’t worry about where I heard it. Just tell me what you know, and also your purpose for getting close to Ashley.”

A bitter smile appeared on Arthur’s face, but his eyes were heavy with sorrow as he said, “You already know everything, why make things difficult for me? Why did I get close to Ashley? It was because I was a failure, looking for any chance to turn things around. Unfortunately, the King has already abandoned me, calling me a troublemaker. The Hanson family has already inquired, and the King said he would never use me again. I’ve become completely useless, all those years spent studying philosophy and wisdom wasted.”

Isolde was taken aback. “The King said he would never use you? The Hanson family inquired?”

No wonder Margaret would give up on Arthur. Being left with no dignity was worse than having a daughter stuck with a useless husband. At least with a divorce, Margaret could say that Arthur was rejected because of his favoritism toward his sister, which was to the King’s disgust. There was even the excuse of his toxic mother cursing him. Agnes would be the victim, and no one could blame her. A useless man—how could Margaret keep him?

If he had been born to a marquis family, it would have been different. With a hereditary title, even without an official position, he would have had something to fall back on. But he was just a nouveau riche with no big family backing him, and now it seemed like even his livelihood might be at risk. No wonder Margaret wanted to cut ties quickly.

“Finalized or not, it’s just a matter of filing for a divorce. When the time comes, we’ll report it to the authorities. She’s so skilled at handling things, what can’t she manage?” Arthur’s voice was as cold as his gaze.

“I’m really curious. Does Agnes truly want this divorce?” Isolde asked.

She had always thought that Agnes still had some feelings for Arthur. Her previous demands for an apology from his parents seemed like she was trying to claim some position in her husband’s family. After all, during their arguments, Agnes had insisted that Arthur’s parents apologize before she would return, showing that she didn’t have her heart set on the divorce.

Arthur’s eyes grew even colder. “How could she want to stay with a useless man like me? She’s a noble lady, and marrying me was a step down for her. The sad thing is, I actually thought she had some genuine feelings for me. But I don’t blame her; I never treated her well.”

His self-awareness was oddly reassuring. It showed that he wasn’t a complete villain.

Arthur took a cup of coffee and drank it in one go, looking more troubled than ever.

“You truly can’t blame anyone else. For your sister, you went too far,” Isolde said, unable to sympathize with him. She had no patience for such excessive self-pity.

He looked at her, suddenly laughing, but the laugh felt hollow, almost as if it was broken. “Yes, I did everything for my sister. But what did it get me?”

Isolde’s mind raced back to what Noelle had said. She said, “Cristina mentioned you weren’t your parents’ biological son.”

Arthur’s face instantly contorted, his muscles twitching as he glared at her. “What did you say? Cristina said that? Where did she say that?”

Isolde wasn’t surprised by his reaction. She paused for a moment before replying, “Cristina and Agnes were arguing, and she said it in the house.”

“What else did she say?”

Arthur’s voice was off-pitch now, filled with agitation.

“I only heard that part, nothing else.”

Arthur sat there like a statue, neither crying nor laughing. Isolde had never seen such a complex expression on anyone’s face before.

“That explains everything,” he suddenly burst out laughing, his laughter wild and uncontrolled. Tears even welled up in his eyes. “So, that’s why she forced me to divorce. She must have known about my origins. She knew I was born to a prostitute and feared I would tarnish the Valen family’s reputation. How wonderful, my dear sister, my dear wife.”

He staggered to his feet, grabbed a cup, and threw it violently to the ground. “You asked me who else was involved with Ashley? It’s William and his future wife. Darwin might be under her influence too, but I don’t know the reason. Go investigate, stir things up. Expose them, make it all public.”

With that, he stormed out.

Isolde stood there, stunned by his words.

What did he want from this?

Isolde knew William well. He and his mother, Margaret, were alike—proud, only willing to acknowledge those who were worthy of their respect. William had always looked down on Ashley, so how could he possibly work with her?

Even Margaret didn’t care for Ashley. Why would William do such a thing? What was his endgame?

As Isolde mulled over this question, another thought came to her. Arthur had said he was born to a prostitute. How could August and Madilyn, known for their noble status, have taken in a child born from a prostitute? Even if they had no children of their own, they could have adopted a legitimate child from a noble family or at least someone with a clean background. Why would they choose a child born of such low status?