The next morning, Ethan paced restlessly in front of the mansion gates.
Before long, a servant announced, “They seem to have arrived,” and Ethan immediately swung the doors open and stepped outside.
“Chester.”
“Brother.”
Chester and Ruite were just stepping down from the carriage.
“Hello to you too, Ruite.”
“Hello, Ethan.”
Ethan greeted them with his usual refreshing smile.
However, it didn’t take long for a shadow to flicker across his face.
“Chester, why the sudden visit to the Duke’s residence? And with Ruite, no less.”
“We’re on vacation. And I have things to discuss with Father.”
“…Chester, you know as well as I do that you won’t hear anything pleasant from him right now. Leave Father to me—”
“Brother.”
Chester cut Ethan off firmly.
“This is between me and Father. I have no intention of dumping my burdens on you just to feel at ease. It’s okay. I already know what he’s going to say to me. In fact, that’s exactly why I think I need to talk to him. With Ruite by my side.”
Chester tightly interlaced his fingers with Ruite’s.
Ruite grumbled softly about doing such a thing in front of his brother, but he didn’t let go.
Ethan stared at the sight of the two, noticing how much they had changed.
“Ah.”
Ethan let out a low hum.
Only now did he realize he had been blind to the shift in Chester and Ruite’s relationship.
Moreover, Chester’s face looked more at peace than ever before.
Whenever Chester faced their father in the past, his expression was a mess of negative emotions.
Now, that instability was gone.
His eyes, fixed on Ruite, were simply clear and bright.
“Right. It seems I was blocking your way for no reason. Let’s go inside.”
With his gentle smile restored, Ethan led the pair into the mansion.
“By the way, Chester, I saw your article.”
“Article? Ah.”
“I cut it out and put it in a frame. Want to see it later?”
“Why would you frame that? How creepy.”
“You’re so cruel!”
Ethan pouted, claiming he had put his heart and soul into making it.
Ruite let out a small laugh, watching the brothers’ affectionate bickering.
“If you’ve arrived, come inside immediately. Why are you standing around chattering?”
The three turned their heads simultaneously.
Benger stood in front of the drawing room, his hands clasped behind his back.
Ruite swallowed hard and bowed his head.
“It has been a long time, Your Grace.”
“…Indeed. Come in with Chester.”
Chester and Ruite exchanged a glance before following Benger into the drawing room.
Behind them, Ethan whispered that they should call for him if anything happened.
As soon as they sat across from Benger, servants brought out tea.
The subtle scent of herbal tea drifted through the air, slightly easing the tension.
“So, Ruite. How have you been?”
“Well, thanks to you.”
“I was surprised when the Count told me you had joined the Knights. How is it? Is life in the order manageable?”
“I’m still in the learning stages. I’m lacking in many ways, but I’m working hard.”
A brief silence followed the exchange.
Benger swirled his teacup once, eyeing the two sitting side-by-side.
“And? What is the reason the two of you have sought me out, even going so far as to send a formal letter in advance?”
“It has been six months since Ruite joined the Knights. We intend to begin wedding preparations,” Chester stated.
“Ah, that is welcome news. So, six months have already passed.”
Benger nodded slowly.
“Then I must prepare the formal proposal to be sent to the Everhart Countship. This means you two should start preparing to leave the Knights.”
Ruite stiffened.
As expected, Benger hadn’t abandoned that thought.
He was still trying to dictate his son’s future according to his own tastes.
“That should have been enough time for you both to enjoy playing soldier. By now—”
“No. We will not be leaving the Knights even after we are married.”
Ruite cut off Benger mid-sentence.
An unpleasant shadow crossed Benger’s face as he set down his teacup.
“The reason I wanted to see you today, Your Grace, was partly to discuss the marriage, but more importantly, because there is something else that must be said.”
Benger leaned deep into his chair.
He didn’t respond, but his posture practically dared them to continue.
“I want you to leave Chester alone. Please allow Chester to choose his own life entirely.”
“Sigh… Chester hasn’t come to his senses yet, but I didn’t expect even you to be like this, Ruite.”
“Father.”
Chester’s eyes sharpened as he looked at Benger.
It was a silent warning not to speak rudely to Ruite.
Benger glanced at his son, stroked his chin, and spoke again.
“Indeed, it is good to see that your bond has deepened. But Ruite, you may not know our family well, but Chester’s path has already been decided. It has been that way since the moment he was born.”
“Are you referring to him supporting his brother, who will become the Duke?” Ruite asked.
“…”
“Chester is not an object meant to serve his brother. He has his own thoughts and the right to choose his own path. Just because you gave birth to him, Your Grace, does not mean you can infringe upon that right.”
“This is unpleasant to hear. As an outsider, you have no right to meddle in the internal affairs of the Callaway family.”
Benger’s voice dropped, turning cold.
He was no longer treating Ruite as a guest, but with the same harshness he used on his own sons.
“No. I do have the right. I am going to be Chester’s family, and to me, Chester is the most precious person in the world.”
Chester’s gaze fell on Ruite’s profile.
Seeing him stand up to his father with such determined eyes caused a surge of emotion to swell within him.
Before coming here, Ruite had told him: ‘When I’m talking to the Duke, try not to intervene unless absolutely necessary.’
Chester, knowing Benger wasn’t one for kind words, had resisted, but Ruite had been firm in his request.
“Ruite, it seems you and Count Everhart are misunderstanding something. I am not suggesting a path that is harmful to Chester. If he follows my lead, supports Ethan, and expands his influence as a member of the Callaway house, it will be for his own good.”
“If it’s for his own good, then why was Chester never happy? Why is he the one being hurt and suffering because of you, Your Grace?”
Benger paused.
“…It is only because you are both young that you do not understand. You may suffer a little now, but in time, you will see. You will realize the pain was worth enduring, and that I was right.”
“The one who knows nothing is you, Your Grace. And later, you will be the one to regret it. You will realize that you needlessly gnawed away at your child’s happiness.”
“You…!”
Benger slammed the table.
The teacups rattled, and a few drops of liquid splashed onto the wood.
However, Benger did nothing more.
He stopped because the expression on Ruite’s face looked strangely sad.
It overlapped with the image of Count Everhart he had seen recently.
The Count’s words flashed through his mind: ‘The only person who can lift the burden from a child’s shoulders is the parent.’
“Did you see the Imperial newspaper published recently? Chester’s achievements were covered extensively.”
“…”
“Have you been to the plaza? People are praising him constantly, saying they escaped danger thanks to Chester and the Knights. Everyone acknowledges him—except for you, his father.”
Ruite focused on keeping his voice from trembling.
He had said almost everything he wanted to say, but his heart was still racing.
After all, the man before him was Chester’s father and the head of the powerful Callaway family.
Just as he was about to speak again to hide his shaking hands, he felt warmth on the back of his hand.
Ruite turned his head.
Chester had firmly grasped his hand.
“Father, you told me once before. That with a half-hearted attitude, I wouldn’t last long in the Knights.”
Benger’s gaze shifted to Chester.
The son who usually struggled to contain his explosive emotions during their private meetings now exuded a calm, stable aura he had never seen before.
“It’s true that I joined the Knights initially to defy you. I wanted to stand before Ruite as a more perfect version of myself. But I no longer care about your recognition. As a knight, I want to protect the peaceful lives of people and the person most precious to me. That is all.”
Chester stood up, pulling Ruite with him.
“No matter what you do from now on, I will never live my life according to your will.”
Chester looked at Ruite, signaling it was time to go. Ruite followed him without a word.
“…You will regret this.”
As Chester reached for the drawing room door handle, a low voice cut through the air.
“You will regret not living according to my will, Chester.”
“Then watch. Watch and see if I truly regret it or not.”
Ruite and Chester left the room.
The interior fell into a heavy silence.
How much time had passed?
Benger, who had been staring blankly at his teacup, pulled a folded piece of paper from his coat and spread it out.
“…”
It was the newspaper.
For a long time, Benger stared at the article detailing Chester’s heroics with an expressionless face.
