At that moment, at House Rillis.
“Duke Calypse has no eye for people. Even if he adopts, to choose a brat orphan with no potential?!”
Marquis Rillis slammed down his glass with a thud, venting his frustration.
“When there are so many excellent talents among the branch families! Isn’t that right?”
“You speak truly, my lord.”
Then someone listening chimed in.
“But it’s really strange. If he wanted to adopt a child, he should have brought Lord Tex long ago…”
“Ahem, well. Ahem!”
At those words, someone else coughed pointedly, telling them to read the room.
Viscount Ringston blinked stupidly, then belatedly realized his mistake.
“Ah, perhaps he’s embarrassed to publicly present an orphan.”
“That’s right. He must be looking forward to Young Lord Tex’s good performance in this heir examination. Hahaha!”
At the family heads’ flattering, Marquis Rillis finally withdrew his venomous gaze.
He’d been especially sensitive lately.
According to plan, Tex was the only heir candidate left for House Krost, and he’d confirmed that the adopted child was also a non-ability user.
‘So why do I feel so uneasy?’
His finger tapped repeatedly as something felt off, then something surfaced in his mind.
A small frame.
Cheeks like freshly baked bread.
Mysteriously large blue eyes.
And twin tails that stuck up on both sides like they had arrowheads attached.
‘Aisha, was it?’
That’s right.
The Marquis had felt uncomfortable ever since meeting that brat at the ducal castle on a curious visit.
At first, he thought it was because Duke Calypse had ignored Tex and adopted another child.
But his relief after confirming she was a non-ability user was short-lived.
‘She protected people with ice abilities and earned recognition.’
‘But you threatened people instead. So you’re unqualified to be an heir.’
That child was different somehow.
A five-year-old orphan should know to be scared in front of a noble like him and be a bit stupid too.
She shouldn’t have said such intelligent things that he almost mistook her for being noble to the bone—no, truly a direct member of House Krost.
‘Did he bring her because she’s extraordinary?’
He couldn’t even forget the embarrassment he’d suffered last time.
‘While the Duke goes to suppress creatures, the Marquis is having tea at the Duke’s castle. The Duke would be so pleased to hear that.’
Blue eyes popping out beside Knox’s leg.
He’d glared at the child in shock, but without even flinching, she’d spoken clearly.
‘I can’t even touch her carelessly… That sly little thing.’
The Marquis ground his teeth as that scene came back to mind.
The Duke’s creature suppression schedule?
Of course he knew.
He knew, which is why he’d visited the ducal castle to avoid that terrifying Duke.
But that brat Aisha had directly pointed out what everyone knew but dared not say.
A mere brat who got lucky with a status upgrade!
‘Did he adopt her because she’s good at running her mouth?’
That wouldn’t be the reason, but Aisha kept bothering him.
Enough that he even mentioned her out loud.
“Aisha, was it? If Tex enters the ducal house as heir, that child will surely throw her weight around.”
“What weight could a five-year-old brat throw? She’s just an insignificant orphan.”
“She should be bowing and scraping as it is.”
Flattering words came from all around, but he didn’t hear them.
“The problem is she didn’t. Do you know what that brat said to me?”
“…”
“That damn brat! Right in front of me…”
The people who’d heard about what Aisha did to the Marquis at least ten times already closed their eyes tightly.
Then Viscount Ringston, looking for a chance to make up for his earlier mistake, leaned forward.
“Marquis. Whatever that brat said, isn’t Lord Tex the ice ability user?”
And he clenched his fist.
“The first from the branch families, the hope of the branches. The pride of the branches. The strength of the branches!”
“That’s right, my lord. The hope of the branches.”
“Indeed. Honestly, Duke Calypse made such a fuss about killing a few creatures while doing ice wall gatekeeper duty. The branch families also hold territories in the North, after all.”
Others added their comments following Viscount Ringston.
Though their remarks seemed laden with flattery, in that moment at least, the family heads were sincere.
An ability user emerged from the branch families. That meant the huge wall dividing direct and branch lines had crumbled.
A wall as tall as the difference between heaven and earth, at that.
“Since it’s come to this, why not show off Lord Tex’s abilities?”
As Viscount Ringston rubbed his hands like a fly and fawned, the Marquis smiled as if unable to refuse and ordered a servant.
“Bring Tex.”
Lately, the Marquis’s only pride and pleasure was showing off Tex’s abilities to others.
Shortly after.
“Yawn. Why did you call me, F-Father?”
Tex walked in swaggering with a bird’s nest on his head, then flinched.
“Good day, Lord Tex.”
“Ah… Yes. Good day.”
Not expecting so many family heads in his father’s office, Tex hurriedly composed his surprise.
He’d thought at most he’d get a lecture.
“Tex. Show them your ability.”
“What?”
Then the smiling Marquis gestured to his son.
“Go ahead. The guests are looking forward to it.”
Only then understanding his father’s intention, the boy frowned uncomfortably.
His face clearly read ‘I don’t want to.’ But—
He knew from experience it was better to show it once and be done cleanly than to resist.
“Hiyah!”
Tex stomped his foot with a battle cry, imagining a giant icicle rising before him.
However.
“…?”
“Hiyah!”
Surprisingly, nothing appeared.
Tex’s face turned red, having only shouted and blinked uselessly.
“No, this…”
He tried stomping again, but the result was the same.
He flailed about alone as if dreaming, then thought he’d at least try making ice cubes for the drink glasses.
Just as he was about to strike the desk—
“Wait. Son. Are you playing around again? Hahahaha!”
Marquis Rillis jumped up and quickly grabbed his son’s shoulders.
‘Did you forget?’
He muttered at a volume only Tex could hear while still wearing a smile.
“…Oh right.”
A stupid mutter that clearly showed he’d just now realized, making the Marquis click his tongue.
Then he brightened his expression again and addressed the people.
“My son seems to be going through quite a puberty phase lately, and I don’t know how to handle it. I’m worried he’ll do this during the heir examination too. Well anyway, I’m sorry but everyone should head home today.”
The family heads glanced at each other as they watched the Marquis shake his head somewhat dramatically.
Then they began speaking one by one.
“Ah, haha. He’s at that age.”
“Understood. Then we’ll see you at the heir examination.”
Fortunately, they didn’t seem to care much.
In fact, since he’d bragged about Tex’s abilities at every meeting, some had already seen it several times.
And so the family heads left.
“Sorry. I forgot because I was sleeping… Ah, Dad!”
Thud. Thud.
Marquis Rillis, who grabbed Tex’s wrist with a stern expression and walked-ran down the corridor, entered his son’s bedroom.
Then he slammed the door shut so others couldn’t hear.
“The medicine!”
“I forgot! I can forget sometimes. I’ll just take it now!”
“How can you forget? Without the medicine, your ability doesn’t work—how could you forget, you damn brat! You and that medicine are one body now!”
The angry Marquis struck his son’s bottom.
“Ow!”
Tex, who took a few steps away as if fleeing in surprise, muttered resentfully.
“Ah, so I said I’ll take it…”
“Take it right now, hurry!”
“…Yes.”
“Here, I’ll get the medicine for you…”
But the Marquis, opening the bedside drawer, couldn’t say anything with reddened eyes.
“…”
His complexion instantly paled.
Because there was barely any medicine left.
‘Only a week’s worth remaining. To take the heir examination, he’ll need to drink more than usual.’
Ah.
The Marquis finally realized the source of the unease he’d been feeling.
He needed to get more potion.
‘I’ll have to buy more than usual this time, even if it’s difficult. How long has it been since we met, and I have to see those bastards again.’
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