chapter 61
In truth, the Veldert Count family had long lost the prestige of an old noble house since the previous count had taken over.
The firstborn, who everyone acknowledged as a prodigy, had died in a sudden accident, and it was this second son who unexpectedly became the current Count Veldert.
“Of course, people tend to compare themselves to the firstborn and then measure the second against themselves, don’t they?”
“If Master Damian of the Mage Tower had received proper support from the start, he would have achieved even greater things. Tsk tsk, if I had been his father, it wouldn’t have turned out like this.”
Count Veldert was well aware of the whispers and comments circulating about him.
“To bring a mistress and an illegitimate child into the Count’s mansion… there’s nothing left for you to disappoint me with.”
“Do not consider me your son.”
And yet, there was the daughter—stubborn and unyielding like her older brother—and the firstborn who resembled her so much.
“No matter what anyone says, you’re the coolest to me!”
“Father, are you really going to grant my request? I’m so excited!”
The mistress, who treated him like the sky itself, and the lovable second child… the illegitimate child was also, in essence, his son.
His only intention had been to take responsibility, and he had protected Polius because he felt sorry for a child who, like Damian, had grown up outside the Count’s mansion and had not been properly educated.
From the beginning, their temperaments were different. Anyone in his position would have made the same choices.
Those around him worried that he might be concerned about his son running away from home, but Count Veldert remained entirely unbothered.
With the wife who always irritated him gone and Damian out of the picture, he even considered it a benefit that he could now accompany Lady Mila and Polius publicly.
And just as everyone was starting to forget Damian… the boy who had lost his mother appeared as the Master of the Mage Tower.
“D-Damian Veldert has become the Master of the Mage Tower?”
“Please don’t attach my surname to my name. It’s been discarded for a long time.”
To become the head of the Mage Tower, valuing only skill over status…
It reminded him that his deceased wife had indeed been a mage.
Now that Damian had become the Master, he might be useful in various ways, but Count Veldert couldn’t be bothered to lower his pride to coax him.
Why should he call back a boy who ran away from home just because he looked good doing so?
“Ever since my mother died, he’s blamed me for nothing.”
Come to think of it, perhaps it was better that Damian was at the distant Mage Tower than making a fuss in society.
Unlike Damian, who always looked at him with accusing eyes, Polius clung to him, providing an opportunity to pass down the family legacy.
Yet Polius had even let Princess Clotilde slip from his grasp, and after recklessly selling the family property, he had entangled himself deeply with the Ingda Marquis family, which had insulted the royal court.
“I told Polius to help each other as brothers in business, but he didn’t even respond once.”
Despite his initial resolve, he had extended a hand slightly, and yet Polius hadn’t even thanked him or bowed his head in gratitude.
Like his mother, Damian had inherited none of the charm.
Still, outsiders who didn’t know these circumstances often praised him.
“Among the Masters of the Mage Tower, he may have achieved the greatest success yet!”
“Haha, and whose son would that be?”
So what if he’s my son? He hadn’t contacted me, and his face was barely recognizable.
“Seeing your son succeed, I thought you must have been on bad terms, and that’s why he ran away. Haha.”
“I simply told him to stop sulking, go to the Mage Tower, and work hard. That’s how I raised him. He must have some inherited talent—he’s doing quite well, haha.”
He pretended as if he had raised his son strictly, twisting the truth slyly to make it seem like Damian’s departure was not a rebellion but rigorous training.
“I have a request for Master Damian of the Mage Tower. Could you, as his father, deliver the message? It seems you two have a good relationship.”
“Th-That would be difficult. I don’t want to pressure him as a father. Haha.”
But avoidance only worked so much. People whispered that perhaps he really had cut ties by leaving home.
“My son has cut ties, but the Count doesn’t seem to know.”
“They say Count Veldert didn’t know, but it’s true—he ran away, right? He always draws a line, telling you not to call him Veldert.”
The more the Dark Moon prospered, the more people praised Damian, casting sarcastic glances at him.
“Your son has really done well…”
You’re the one who drove him out.
“I heard the late Countess was a mage.”
It seems Damian’s success isn’t due to his resemblance to me.
Increasingly, Count Veldert began to distrust the words of those around him—they always seemed to mock him.
“Damn, I’ve become the foolish father who drove out his brilliant son!”
The more successful the Dark Moon became, the more stories about Count Veldert emerged.
Others envied someone’s success yet couldn’t confront them directly, so they vented at him instead.
“The son in my arms has an affair, is rejected by his overqualified fiancée… and now the Mage Tower’s success…”
And that resentment only grew as Polius failed in business while Damian thrived.
He felt like a fool, showing off fake gems while the real ones were in Damian’s hands.
“Regardless of Polius’ or Damian’s actions, my son succeeded, so why am I the one looking ridiculous?!”
He needed to show at least once in public that he had a good relationship with Damian.
In the presence of many people, especially Princess Clotilde, Damian couldn’t easily be cold toward him.
With that calculation, he even attended a gathering for unmarried nobles… only to find that Damian had secretly arranged a major engagement without consulting him!
“Arrogant beyond measure. It’s no longer just a tantrum.”
He had already been irritated with Damian, but after hearing Polius’ words, he realized just how strong his hand was.
“Tell Damian to come to the Count house. If not… tell him that Polius will take the engagement offer from the Clotilde Dukes.”
“Understood, Father!”
Polius seemed excited, but Count Veldert sneered at the thought of using this to assert Damian as part of the Veldert family.
“This way, Damian will be firmly recognized as belonging to the Veldert house. Then Polius’ failure can be masked by Damian’s success.”
Either way, it had to be clear to everyone that his son was his doing, his pride.
“Father’s suddenly being too agreeable… that’s strange.”
Yet seeing Count Veldert’s strange expression made Polius uneasy.
Damian had left home long ago and had been careful to gauge his father’s approval to be recognized as the official heir.
He had pretended to be oblivious, cheerfully turning away in front of Count Veldert, but…
“Is Father trying to use this opportunity to bring Damian back home?”
He remembered his father attending a noble gathering just to see Damian.
It wasn’t impossible.
“If that’s the case, I can’t just sit around.”
Trusting his father blindly and waiting foolishly would be stupid.
Polius decided to take the initiative.
If he suddenly announced that the engagement was changing from Damian to him, Melanie would surely hear about it.
In that case, he could make it look like the change was his father’s unilateral decision, while he appeared considerate by giving Melanie a choice.
“Then choose me, Melanie.”
“…….”
“My father will complain to the Clotilde Dukes about changing the engagement. He may even extract wealth under the pretense of forming an alliance.”
Polius sighed gently in front of Melanie, wearing a calm expression he rarely used.
“Sorry. He’s my father… Even if you scold him, it’s fair. But if we announce the engagement first, I can try to wrap it in love. I’ll protect you from him.”
He intentionally lowered his voice, speaking softly.
His deliberately deep tone was surprisingly popular with women.
‘Now, it’s time to see Melanie’s reaction.’
Yet when Polius looked up, he was startled.
“……?”
Even after hearing everything, Melanie crossed her arms, her expression still cold and indifferent.
