Episode 11
“Sir, I’m reporting. Leon Niord. He’s 16 years old, the eldest son of the Niord Barony, and currently attending the Academy,” the assistant, Denno, reported as he stood by the desk.
Hiden, resting his chin on his hands, listened intently to the report.
“The Niord family is wealthier than most baronial families. He’s set to graduate early as the second-best in his class, but his personality is, well, terrible. Oh, and his private life is a mess,” Denno added.
Hiden, still listening, raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“16. Isn’t that a bit too young for him to be a man?”
“We checked thoroughly, including all noble names, to make sure. Shall we move on?”
“Alright. Continue,” Hiden responded, waving him off.
“Leon Niord was recently caught in a romantic scandal with a female classmate, which almost resulted in suspension, but his father paid his way out of it. This is the same ‘buying his way in’ we’ve heard about.”
Hiden cut him off, coldly, “I don’t need to hear about a useless man like him.”
Denno hurriedly nodded in fear and cleared his throat, ready to move on.
“Ahem! Moving on. The second Leon is 10 years old and, as you can see, a commoner. He works at an Angel Cake shop, doing all the odd jobs.”
“Six years younger than the first.”
“If it were Reginia, she’d probably be interested, right?”
Hiden’s face immediately froze, a serious expression forming as he looked over the information.
“Is he handsome?” he asked bluntly.
Denno, unsure of how to respond, hesitantly handed over a portrait.
“Hmm… He’s got a unique look.”
After briefly inspecting the portrait, Hiden set it down silently.
“…Unique, huh.”
“He’s got a decent reputation. Despite his age, he’s hardworking and diligent. The strict owner of the Angel Cake shop really likes him,” Denno continued.
Hiden sighed. “Could this be the one?”
“I don’t think so. He’s on the list, but the timing doesn’t match up. The time they met was during work hours, and the shop owner confirmed that he was never absent during those times. Also, the most important thing is his appearance.”
Hiden gave a slight nod. Denno’s final point made sense.
“Let’s keep him in mind as a possible candidate. Next.”
“Alright. The third Leon…”
After going through the list of six candidates, Denno hesitated at the seventh one.
Hiden noticed his pause and raised an eyebrow.
“What’s wrong?”
Denno nervously shifted. “Well, there’s one candidate I’m not sure about, but I thought it’d be best to present him. Shall I show you?”
Hiden nodded, and Denno handed over the papers.
Hiden glanced at the name, and his expression grew cold.
“This family… It’s been a long time.”
The Lookhars Duke Family
The Lookhars Duke family was far more secretive than other noble houses, despite its close ties to the royal family. The Duke hadn’t appeared in official meetings or even royal banquets for years.
‘It’s been eight years since I last saw them.’
This family had its problems, particularly due to the Duke’s reckless behavior despite having a legitimate wife.
Hiden quickly scanned the rest of the documents, focusing on the name of the eldest son, Leon Lookhars.
He frowned deeply. The boy was only seven years old.
“Denno, didn’t the Duke’s wife pass away six years ago?” he asked.
“Yes, that’s correct. It seems plausible, but there’s something off. Officially, the Duke’s wife gave birth to a son before she died from illness. However, when you look deeper, something doesn’t quite add up.”
“And most importantly,” Denno added, “the keyword the children found…”
Hiden looked down at the papers, seeing the word infertility highlighted.
The child, Leon Lookhars, was thought to be the Duke’s legitimate son, but it seemed he was actually the son of another woman.
‘How unpleasant.’
Denno, seeing Hiden staring at the portrait, asked cautiously, “Sir, why are you staring at the Lookhars Duke’s portrait like that…?”
Hiden didn’t respond immediately; his glare still intense as he studied the portrait.
At the Reception Room
I sat on the sofa with a pout, not happy about not being able to eat cake recently.
“Rise, your face,” Mom remarked, noticing my gloomy expression.
I quickly fixed my face and tried to cheer up.
‘Ugh, my snacks…!’
Even Matthew, whom I trusted, had abandoned me. After the stomach trouble I had last time, he decided not to give me snacks unless it was during a set time.
I let out a long sigh and looked around.
Seria, Hiden, Dennis, and Hilet were all gathered in one place.
They were discussing the upcoming spring festival.
In a few days, the festival would begin. Both commoners and nobles would celebrate together, though the nobles would enjoy it at the royal palace, while the commoners would celebrate in the bustling city square.
As a high noble family, the Nehiris family had, of course, received an invitation from the royal family. The invitation had been delivered by Emperor Seriton himself.
But… was the Emperor really so free?
Also, Hilet had arrived with his luggage, using the excuse of the banquet…
Tension was rising between Hilet and Dad, which was making things uncomfortable. I wished I could break the tension, but their rivalry was something beyond my control.
That’s when Dad spoke up, emphasizing each word as he sarcastically mocked Hilet.
“Father-in-law, is the room comfortable?”
Hilet shot back without missing a beat.
“Quite, except for one person. Tch, you’re still here, huh? How will you ever accomplish anything?”
Dad raised an eyebrow, clearly unamused.
“Is it the trend now to let an uninvited guest chase out the host?”
“Probably more of a trend than chasing out a son-in-law!” Hilet retorted.
“I heard you’re obsessed with trying to eat your son-in-law alive.”
“Really? That’s what you think?”
Mom, with her dry expression, glanced at both of them and then turned to me.
“Rise, you’ll finally meet the Prince.”
Hilet joined in.
“Well, no need to act awkward. Rize, when you meet the Prince, just treat him casually!”
“Dad…”
“Enough. Everyone knows we’re family. Don’t be so formal with him, or he might run away every time he sees you.”
“The more casual you are, the harder it’ll be for Seriton.”
“If he can’t handle it, he should quit being Emperor!”
As usual, Hilet’s contradictory response made Mom sigh.
“I hope that person secretly helps him…”
Ignoring Hilet’s grumbling, Mom turned back to me.
“Rise, remember, don’t act like you usually do in official events. Got it?”
“Yes, don’t worry! If I get nervous, I’ll just bribe him with macarons…”
“No.”
“Ugh.”
Mom immediately cut me off, but I wasn’t really upset. I just wanted to throw in a joke.
Still, I couldn’t hide my slight disappointment and tried to look at her with pleading eyes.
Mom was unfazed as always.
Watching her, Hilet asked, “By the way, will your mother be attending the spring festival?”
Hilet answered immediately, “She said she’ll be coming back soon.”
“Sounds tight,” Mom commented, realizing that Grandma Shailos would likely arrive just before the festival.
‘I miss her…’
Feeling a bit sad, I let out a sigh. Dennis, who had been quietly listening, suddenly picked up a strand of my hair that had fallen on the ground and lifted it for me.
“Thank you, big brother.”
“You’re welcome.”
Dennis understood me without trouble, and I felt proud.
But Hilet, as always, asked, “Hey, what’s ‘thank you’?”
I grinned and replied, “‘Thank you’ means thank you. It’s a super nice word! Thank you? Thank you! Thank you…”
Mom immediately raised me.
“Where on earth did you learn this?”
“Mom, daughters like me are naturally smart, especially with your brilliant brain. And let’s not forget the beauty!”
“Stop it…”
Mom couldn’t hide the pleased smile on her face, and Dad chuckled beside her. Hilet seemed unaffected.
“Tsk, tsk. This split personality is too much.”
Mom rolled her eyes at Hilet and brought the conversation back on track.
“Anyway, what should we get the Prince for his gift?”
Mom rubbed her chin thoughtfully, as if deep in thought.
The spring festival was not just about showing the empire’s strength. It was also a celebration for the birth of Emperor Seriton.
And it was the one day that, despite how much Mom tried to hide it, she couldn’t help but show how much she loved her only nephew.
Mom was always worried about the gift, and Dad was always there to calm her down.
“Seri. How about the ‘Immortal Dagger’ this time?” Dad suggested.
Mom immediately looked shocked.
“That’s a Nehiris family heirloom! You can’t just take it out!”
Dad raised his chin proudly.
“Seri. What’s more important than a wife’s happiness? The joy of solving a wife’s worry…”
I pretended to gag at his cheesy words. But as I looked at Mom, her eyes sparkled, clearly touched.
It seemed like I would be getting a third sibling soon.
“Ugh, I’m not honoring any grown-ups,” Hilet grumbled.
“Love can’t be hidden, no matter how much you try,” Dad joked.
“Well, we don’t have to get into it now.”
Mom then suddenly remembered something and turned to me.
“By the way, have you asked Leon yet?”
I swallowed the fruit Dennis had given me and replied, “Yeah, I got a letter this morning and replied right away!”
“Oh, good. After the festival, I think it’s fine to invite him.”
But Mom…? With Dad looking at me like that… is it really okay to invite him?
Seeing Dad so enthusiastic about Leon made me worry I’d never even have a relationship.
Yikes, just thinking about it was scary.
