* * *
“I’m… angry?”
At the Duke’s words, Raizen slowly nodded. The boy lowered his gaze.
“I feel like I didn’t do anything right back there.”
That was a lie.
The real reason Raizen was this angry was the undeniable fact that he still lacked power.
He had no means—no justification—to erase the Odil family from the noble registry.
The only thing he could do now was report it to his father.
That was the reality.
He had wanted to handle it quietly himself, even going so far as to silence the servants and knights who had accompanied him that day.
But no matter how many plans he came up with, he lacked the strength to carry them out.
‘The problem was that I was trapped by the curse and unable to do anything for a while.’
Born as the sole heir to the Pantheon Ducal House, Raizen wanted to prove himself.
In exchange for continuing the family’s legacy, he would inherit the power and wealth that came with the name Pantheon—but that alone wasn’t enough for him.
So he started various businesses under an alias, but when his curse worsened, he had no choice but to pause.
Fortunately, the stores he had invested in became wildly successful, bringing him substantial wealth.
But that was all.
Raizen parted his lips and murmured softly.
“…I don’t even know why I’m this angry.”
But if there was one thing that wasn’t a lie, it was this feeling.
Ever since that day, a quiet rage had settled deep within him, refusing to fade.
Whenever the memory surfaced, it flared up like fire, burning him from within.
The Duke Pantheon, watching his son’s confusion, smiled faintly.
“That’s because… you cherish Sei.”
‘Cherish?’
Raizen lifted his gaze at the unexpected answer.
His father’s face, wearing a gentle smile, carried an odd sense of pride.
Suddenly, a wave of heat rushed to Raizen’s face, and he swiftly turned his head away.
‘What… is this?’
The warmth spreading inside him was unfamiliar—no, it was downright unsettling.
Taking a quiet breath, the boy met his father’s gaze once more.
His expression remained composed, but unlike before, he no longer avoided his father’s eyes.
“Then, I’ll be going now.”
“Alright.”
The Duke silently watched Raizen’s retreating figure as he left the office.
His face was filled with a mixture of joy, sorrow, relief, and regret.
“…Ha.”
Exhaling a long breath, he muttered under his breath.
“The Odil family, huh…?”
In truth, their connection to the Pantheon Ducal House was too distant to even be called a branch family.
The only reason they had managed to survive within the duchy’s territory was that their house had fallen to the point where it couldn’t sustain itself without the main family’s protection.
Of course, that support hadn’t been without reason.
The then-head of the Odil family had been exceptionally talented, and the previous Duke of Pantheon had recognized his potential, choosing to support him.
‘I remember hearing that he left a will urging his descendants to remain humble and earn their place through their own efforts.’
Since then, the Odil family had produced a few noteworthy individuals.
While they weren’t as remarkable as their ancestor who had revived the house, some had contributed significantly to the duchy.
But that was decades ago.
Though they were no longer as distinguished, their continued humility had kept them from being a problem—until now.
‘And yet, they dare to harbor such thoughts.’
A great ancestor did not guarantee great descendants.
That was a simple truth, but facing it firsthand always left a bitter taste in his mouth.
But there was no time to dwell on that.
The Duke of Pantheon called for his aide.
“You summoned me, Your Grace?”
“Investigate the recent movements of the Odil family.”
“Yes, understood.”
The Duke clenched and unclenched his fist.
Of course, this incident alone wasn’t enough to bring down the Odil family.
If he acted too harshly, he would only invite backlash—claims of overreach.
The noble families loyal to Sei, as well as those connected to the Pantheon house, would not take it well.
Then, he simply had to find another reason.
∗ ∗ ∗
“You look absolutely stunning, Young Master!”
Mila clapped her hands in admiration, but her enthusiasm only made me feel embarrassed.
‘I don’t think it’s… that impressive.’
I was trying on the clothes Raizen had bought for me.
No matter how many times I did this, it never felt normal.
It wasn’t like I was a model preparing for a fashion show.
Actually, even models wouldn’t get showered with applause every time they put on a new outfit.
‘This is probably something only chaebol heirs experience in my old world.’
It really hit me then—just how much my status in this world had changed.
‘And the clothes arrived faster than I expected, even though they’re all custom-made.’
That was probably because the order had come from Raizen Pantheon.
As a business operating within the Pantheon Duchy, the tailor would naturally prioritize him—whether by choice or by necessity.
“You could wear this to dinner later!”
“Yeah. But first, I want to show it to my brother.”
It was almost time to go hold hands with Raizen anyway.
“Oh, right! That time is coming up soon.”
Mila adjusted my outfit while I stood still, already accustomed to her touch.
Then—knock, knock—a knock came from the door.
“One moment, Young Master.”
Mila walked over and opened it. Standing on the other side was the Duchess’s personal maid.
“The Madam requests your presence for tea.”
‘Tea time?’
It could just be an ordinary tea gathering, or there could be something to discuss.
But if it were the former, she would have informed me at least a day in advance.
‘Is there something that needs discussing at this point?’
Nothing came to mind.
The incident with the Odil family had surely been reported already, so it wasn’t likely to be about that.
And even if it was, it wouldn’t require a formal tea meeting.
‘What could this be about…?’
With lingering doubts, I headed toward the tea room.
And then—
“You want to… introduce me at the New Year’s banquet?”
“If you don’t want to, you’re free to refuse.”
The Duchess’s voice was as gentle as ever.
But her expression wasn’t as bright as usual.
She was trying to appear unaffected, but I could still sense her complicated emotions.
‘Or maybe it only seems that way to me…’
Because I had a feeling I knew exactly why this was happening.
I lowered my gaze slightly, pretending to be deep in thought.
‘So the incident that day did reach the Duke and Duchess.’
That was inevitable.
Aside from Raizen, there had been Mila and the knights present that day.
‘I doubt Raizen told them himself.’
There was no benefit in him doing so.
He wasn’t the one who had been insulted.
Simply standing by my side at that moment had already fulfilled his role.
‘In fact, he did more than enough.’
I discreetly shifted my eyes toward Raizen.
His face was as unreadable as ever.
‘Or maybe it was Mila… or someone else?’
I wanted to check Mila’s expression, but she was standing behind me.
I couldn’t think of a natural way to turn and look at her, so I gave up.
‘In any case, the real question is—do I accept this offer or not?’
I wanted to delay it as much as possible, but in the long run, that wasn’t a good idea.
No matter how I looked at it, I was just an outsider with nothing impressive about me—neither talent nor beauty.
The longer I hid behind the Duke and Duchess, the more trouble I’d bring them.
‘It’s not like I need to care about the reputation of my temporary identity, Shane Pantheon…’
I had already changed my appearance, and even if I lived quietly before disappearing, it wouldn’t be an issue.
But the more they protected me, the more resentment would build against them.
‘The loyalty of the Duke’s vassal families and branch families is solid. However…’
Looking at the Odil family, it was clear that loyalty to the Ducal House and the desire to gain personal benefits as a close associate weren’t necessarily the same.
That so-called loyalty could even turn into a blade pointed at the Duke and Duchess.
‘The one they truly swear allegiance to is likely the strong and just ruler of the West—the Duke of Pantheon.’
Just from Raizen’s attitude when dealing with the Odil family, I could tell how the Ducal House trained their successors.
Don’t abuse power, strictly separate public and private matters.
That must have been the lesson.
Yet now, they had adopted a commoner just because he had the same eye color as their missing friend’s child?
It was obvious that resentment had been simmering ever since they took me in, and it was only a matter of time before it boiled over.
‘…I don’t want that.’
I refused to be the reason they were criticized.
I slowly lifted my head and looked at the Duchess before asking,
“This is… something I must go through as a Pantheon, isn’t it?”
I had no intention of feeling a sense of belonging. I was simply doing what had to be done.
The Duchess furrowed her brows at my question.
What was making her so upset?
Perhaps it was guilt—guilt for failing to protect her dear friend.
Even though there were others responsible for the deaths of the Marquis and Marchioness of Kreveta.
‘But… it’s also true that the Duke and Duchess are being unusually soft with me.’
Even though Raizen and I were only a year apart, they treated me completely differently—like a much younger child.
Of course, there was a reason for that.
They had just rescued me, and I had acted so childishly that they even misunderstood it as regression from trauma.
* * *
