* * *
“Ha, you avoid saying he’s doing well. And I’ve told you, you can speak more comfortably with me.”
Hearing this, Duke Pantheon clenched his right knee tightly for a moment before releasing it.
“Do you intend to continue this? It’s disappointing.”
“Hahaha! Yes, I was teasing.”
To Duke Pantheon, who had never known parental Affinity, the former Marquis and Marchioness of Kreveta were no less than true parents.
They had transformed a child, once unable to express joy or sorrow, into someone more human—someone less rigid and barren.
Now, only the elderly man before him remained, and this fact weighed heavily on the Duke’s heart.
“I cannot stay long, so we should quickly get to the point.”
The former Marquis’ words brought him back to the moment, and he nodded, setting his grief aside.
“We are currently tracking the whereabouts of the Roite royal family. While we haven’t uncovered everything yet, their movements seem to lead toward the Imperial capital. It’s likely that someone within the Empire is aiding them.”
Though known to no one else, the former Marquis had uncovered the truth behind the carriage accident that had claimed the lives of the Kreveta couple.
An artificially created landslide using magic, the traces of magical attacks on the deceased couple’s bodies—it had been the remnants of the Roite Kingdom.
The former Marquis had revealed this by pushing his mana to its limits, nearly coughing up blood.
However, he had chosen not to share this with the public.
Instead, he entrusted the truth to Duke Pantheon, who pursued the culprits in secrecy.
The Duke had since discovered that the perpetrators were subordinates of the Roite royal family.
“They’re not likely allies; the group behind this must be exploiting them.”
“That is my assessment as well.”
“And that group’s goal is likely the throne.”
“Or possibly…the royal family itself.”
The former Marquis clenched his fist tightly as he murmured the words.
He cared little for the ambitions of those drunk on power.
If he had any desire left, it was to leave the Empire behind and join Duke Pantheon’s duchy if it ever achieved independence.
Yet, those ambitions had cost him his son and daughter-in-law.
And the enemy wasn’t just external.
The peace brought by continental unification had dulled vigilance at the borders and bred corruption within the noble houses.
The mastermind had used the remnants of the Roite Kingdom to orchestrate the incident.
The carriage’s route had been leaked—information that only an insider could have known.
There was undoubtedly a traitor within the house, and the former Marquis was determined to root them out.
Replaying the events of the conference in his mind, his eyes twitched involuntarily.
“It will be our little one’s birthday soon.”
At his words, the aide retrieved a gift box from beneath the desk and handed it to the Duke of Pantheon, his eyes red-rimmed.
“Please deliver this as one of the gifts you’ve prepared.”
His surviving grandchild had lost all memories.
Thankfully, the child had been found in one of the locations predesignated in the coded message sent by his son and daughter-in-law to a trusted friend.
But the grandfather hadn’t been there. He couldn’t be there.
Even knowing it was inevitable, the thought ate away at him.
‘I don’t know whether to be relieved that the child has lost his memories or not.’
The boy had been remarkably gifted in magic from a young age, so much so that it seemed instinctual.
And though born a boy, he was so beautiful that people often mistook him for a girl.
He had caused his parents and grandfather much worry with his silence and lack of emotional expression, but even that had been endearing.
As the former Marquis was lost in thoughts of Sean, the Duke of Pantheon quietly stared at the gift box.
There was something he had resolved to say if he came here today.
Something he had been keeping secret.
And he would also have to confess the curse on his son.
“……You’re troubled.”
The voice broke his thoughts as if reading his hesitation.
Duke Pantheon let out a bitter laugh.
“You always push me like this.”
It left him no choice but to speak.
The boy, now called Shane, was indeed Sean.
But despite not meeting him yet, the differences were undeniable.
This wasn’t just a matter of memory loss.
Once stoic and expressionless, the boy now wore his emotions plainly—so much so that people described him as fragile.
And while the child who once wielded magic effortlessly now seemed entirely unaware of it, he had somehow developed what appeared to be divine power.
After a moment of hesitation, the Duke of Pantheon finally spoke.
“There’s something I need to tell you about Sean.”
∗ ∗ ∗
After that day, Arthur Sothes became somewhat softer toward me, while Raizen remained the same.
On the surface, peaceful days passed as if nothing had happened—except for the fact that there was no word from Noah.
But then…
“My birthday?”
“That’s right! Next week is our Sei’s birthday!”
A little caught off guard, I decided to just act pleased for now.
‘Sean’s birthday? I never even thought about it.’
The grand event that was Raizen’s birthday had passed, yet at some point, the duchy became unusually lively again.
The servants had always been kind to me, but lately, they had started smiling at me as if they were up to something.
I held back my curiosity until dinner, when I finally asked, and that’s when they told me—it was my birthday.
‘No, it’s not my birthday. It’s Sean’s.’
It wasn’t even mentioned in the novel, so I had no idea.
Not that it was surprising—extras rarely had their lives detailed.
But now that it was happening to me, it felt a little strange.
“To be honest, we were planning to tell you tomorrow, but our Sei was a step ahead! Since the topic has come up…”
The Duchess beamed, her joy unmistakable.
“Our Sei, is there anything you’d like as a gift?”
“Yes, you can ask for anything,” the Duke added immediately, as if they shared a single mind.
‘Weren’t we in the middle of dinner?’
Was this really so important that it needed to be discussed now?
Besides, I didn’t have anything I particularly wanted.
‘Everything I have here is already so much better than my real life ever was.’
That applied to birthdays too.
When I was younger, I had wanted to celebrate my birthday in a special way, but as I grew older, I realized what a luxury that desire truly was.
‘A birthday? What’s the big deal? If anyone should be receiving a gift, it should be you, not me.’
After hearing those words, I had started giving my mother something instead, though she never seemed to care much for it.
‘…Even so, I thought at least my mother cared about me, even a little.’
Looking back, these were the only memories that came to mind.
But the reason I now saw them differently was…
‘Because of these people in front of me.’
Suddenly, the entire situation felt like some ridiculous farce.
I wasn’t even the real Sean, yet I was receiving the attention meant for him.
And as I basked in Affinity that was never meant to be mine, I found myself reflecting on my real life.
‘…It’s a little annoying.’
I had only planned to enjoy the wealth and luxury.
I never expected love or Affinity in the first place.
From the beginning until now, my goal has remained the same—to inherit Sean’s fortune and escape.
That’s why I’ve been racking my brain, trying to win over Raizen, so I wouldn’t end up dying miserably before then.
And honestly, that alone was already enough to make my head feel like it was going to explode.
But… even in the midst of all that, the Duke and Duchess kept getting to me.
They wouldn’t let me ignore them.
“Sei? Are you feeling unwell?”
Just a few seconds of silence, and they were already worried.
Shaking off unnecessary thoughts, I put on a bright smile.
“No! I was just so surprised!”
“I see. That’s a relief.”
“Um… Can I think about the gift a little longer before deciding?”
“Of course.”
As soon as the Duke replied, the Duchess nodded in agreement.
As expected, they were perfectly in sync.
‘Raizen, as usual, isn’t interested in conversations like this.’
I glanced at Raizen, only to find him already looking at me.
Our eyes met, and he silently smirked.
“You don’t have to tell me, Sei.”
‘Yeah, figures.’
He probably just planned to throw something expensive my way.
He thought he was playing some kind of push-and-pull game, trying to make me desperate for his attention, but his intentions were obvious.
‘If it were really my brother… he would’ve asked me.’
And then, along with whatever I asked for, he would have given me something he thought I might need—or just something he simply wanted me to have. Just like he used to.
‘That day, when I received two birthday presents… that was the best day of my life.’
Maybe that’s why I still clung to my brother’s existence. Pathetically so.
“Mm! Okay, Hyung!”
I didn’t want to talk about birthday presents anymore, so I stuffed a piece of steak into my mouth.
The Duke and Duchess resumed eating as well.
And then—
“I’ve thought long and hard about it… I’ll make sure to get you a gift you’ll love.”
Raizen, sitting right beside me, whispered softly.
* * *
