* * *
As lunch was drawing to a close, Father summoned me to his study.
When I entered, I saw him sitting at his desk.
His expression was dark as he rubbed his forehead, looking deeply troubled.
He told me to report everything I had seen in detail, and I shared everything except for the parts about my manifestation and the kiss.
Father remained silent throughout the entire report, his expression clouded, and it was a long while before he finally spoke.
He looked conflicted.
“There must not be a single shred of shame attached to the name Hestian. This means everything you have said must be the absolute truth.”
“I swear by the Emperor and under the sun. There is not a single lie in the words I have conveyed, Father.”
“You may leave.”
As I stepped out of the room, the breath I had been holding finally escaped.
Even though I was living Cedric’s life for the second time, the presence of a father was still difficult to handle.
In my life two cycles ago, my father had been a man who resorted to violence and verbal abuse whenever he drank, right up until he dumped his debts on me and fled.
Because of that, even now, I find myself losing my nerve and struggling to meet the eyes of middle-aged men around that age.
Perhaps the trauma of a “father figure” is engraved deep within my soul.
Though the world has changed and I have changed, it seems the wounds left by that man haven’t healed in the slightest.
Returning to my room, I sat leaning against the bed.
Since he didn’t ask about Locke, it seems the scandal between us hasn’t reached his ears yet.
I waited anxiously for news about Cassian, worrying about how I would handle it if Father found out later.
Around evening, Anna came in with my medicine. I asked her about the situation outside.
“Both of them are still in the study. I think it’s the first time I’ve ever heard the Count raise his voice like that.”
I asked a few more times after that, but the situation remained the same.
Time passed in suspense, and it wasn’t until morning, when Anna brought my medicine again, that I heard news of Cassian.
“He didn’t come out until dawn. I heard through the grapevine that as soon as he entered his room, he started screaming and the sound of things breaking didn’t stop for a long time.”
“Thank you, Anna.”
From that moment on, I didn’t leave my room.
Cassian is a man capable of harming people.
I couldn’t let my guard down just because he was family.
He must have realized through this meeting that I handed over decisive evidence against him to Father in order to defend Locke.
There was no guarantee he wouldn’t hold a grudge and tamper with my food or health.
I didn’t touch a single thing anyone brought me.
When the hunger became unbearable, I would sneak down to the kitchen in the dead of night to fill up on bread and fruit.
About a week after the commotion, Cassian’s sentence was finally handed down.
He was to stay in Laurel, where some relatives lived, for the time being.
It was a country located in the north, quite a distance from the territory of the Castan Empire.
That was the way of noble society.
If the victim wasn’t of the same status, even if someone was harmed, it usually ended with a family-level reprimand or a formal punishment.
In many cases, depending on power and connections, one could even receive a full exemption.
Furthermore, no body remained in this case.
Thus, while it was difficult to officially charge him with murder, a punishment was at least issued because the evidence I provided was so undeniable.
It was clear that internal friction would arise if no action were taken.
In particular, my father, Count Hestian, was renowned for being a man of integrity and justice.
To keep that reputation unsullied, he had to carry out even this “show” of a punishment. It was a bitter reality.
‘The only one truly wronged is the one who died…’
If only a body had been found, he might have faced imprisonment instead of exile.
It was tragic that a murder case was being buried like this.
It was a cool morning following the rain.
Early on, the sound of horses neighing could be heard.
Opening the window, I saw a carriage engraved with the Hestian family crest standing right in front of the lobby.
It seemed Cassian was about to leave the estate.
I went down to the lobby to see him off.
We weren’t close, but showing common courtesy as a brother would prevent any suspicion among the household that I had driven this incident out of personal hatred.
Of course, the man himself certainly suspected me.
While waiting in the foyer, Anna came out dragging a large bag.
As I moved to hold the door, Cassian followed, walking slowly with an expression as if he’d chewed on a bug.
When he spotted me, his eyes flashed with murderous intent.
I greeted him politely, wishing in my heart for him to exit this story even a second faster.
“Please have a safe journey on your long trip, Brother.”
“Cut the pathetic act. Why don’t you just be honest and say you hope the carriage flips over and I die on the way?”
“Heavens… how could you say such a ghastly thing?”
I squeezed out every ounce of emotion I could to feign a worried expression.
“I’ll be back within a year. And I’m going to tear that bastard to shreds right in front of your eyes.”
Cassian stepped up close to me.
Had I ever looked at his face this closely before?
I could practically feel the heat radiating from his eyes, which blazed with fury.
When I subtly pulled back, he grabbed my shoulder firmly and smirked.
“When that time comes, what should I do with you? I’ll have to think about it slowly while I’m in Laurel.”
He pushed my shoulder away and boarded the carriage.
Then, he yanked the curtain shut with a sharp snap.
I must become the head of the family before he returns.
Not just to save Locke, but to protect my own life.
Furthermore, for the peaceful lives of my parents, my sister, and the family servants, I must seize the family’s power.
I need to ensure that even when he returns, there is no one left in this house for him to manipulate or control.
When that time comes, I will investigate this matter again.
Through that, I will properly comfort the soul of the deceased.
Perhaps it’s only now that I’ve truly become the youngest son of the Hestian family.
While I steeled my resolve, the sound of horse hooves gradually faded into the distance.
Cassian had left the estate.
I let out a sigh so heavy my shoulders heaved.
The urgent matter was settled for now.
Now, all that remained was for Locke to return to me.
Since he had been cleared of the false charges, his reinstatement was all but guaranteed.
I returned to my room, heart fluttering at the thought of building memories with him.
However, the story unfolded differently than I expected.
It was time for my evening medicine.
I sat on my bed, waiting for Locke to bring the medicine and water.
But the person who opened the door and entered was Anna.
Placing the medicine tray on the table, she bowed deeply to me once again.
“I have been assigned to be Young Master Cedric’s attendant starting today. I officially offer my greetings. My name is Anna Peltra.”
I couldn’t hide my bewilderment and stared at Anna with wide eyes.
It seems this novel doesn’t want the villain to stop doing his job and start building a friendship with the protagonist.
I felt hollowed out.
“Then, what about Locke?”
“He has been assigned to handle miscellaneous chores for Lady Ciel.”
“Is that… Father’s order?”
My heart sank.
“No. It was Madam’s instruction.”
Every fiber of my being wanted to go and get Locke back immediately.
But for now, backing down was the right move.
It seemed Mother was trying to quell the rumors by separating me and Locke without Father’s knowledge.
For now, I had to consider it a stLocke of luck that the rumors hadn’t reached Father’s ears and submissively accept Mother’s arrangement.
If I were to be stubborn here, she might truly believe something was going on between Locke and me.
“Thank you for letting me know, Anna.”
“Not at all. Please feel free to ask if you’re curious about anything. And, um… Madam has ordered me to place flowers in your room every day. Should I bring the same color as the roses that were here before?”
“No, I’m fine without flowers.”
I wanted to leave that spot for Locke.
When I spoke with a smile, Anna gave a light bow and withdrew.
Sitting alone in a daze, I crushed the medicine on the plate and threw it out the window.
This damn novel wouldn’t give me a single thing I actually wanted.
The Hestian household servants were busy sorting through goods ordered from the market early in the morning.
As the servants moved items from wooden crates to their proper locations, they couldn’t help but let out heavy sighs upon seeing a massive box packed tightly with books.
It was far too heavy to carry all at once, and dividing it into multiple trips would be too time-consuming during such a busy hour.
Just then, Locke happened to pass by.
The Head Servant, seeing his chance, called out to him.
“Locke!”
“Yes.”
“I heard you’ve been assigned to handle miscellaneous tasks for Lady Ciel starting today? All the books in this crate were ordered by her. Move every single one of them to Lady Ciel’s study.”
“I apologize, but I agreed to help with the field work today. They say the summer fruits will rot if not picked on time…”
“If you move the books quickly, won’t you be able to help with the fields sooner?”
“…….”
Locke didn’t argue further and fell silent.
Prolonging the bickering would only increase the time he spent at the estate.
Deciding to get it over with, he hoisted the crate containing about 200 books and swung it onto his shoulder.
Inside were many thick, hard-cased collections of folk tales.
Despite it being a weight that would normally require three or four people—or one person making several trips—he turned away without showing any sign of struggle, carrying it all alone.
“Heh, damn. He’s a total monster.”
Watching Locke head toward Ciel’s room, the Head Servant shook his head in disbelief.
* * *
