“Kyle sent a letter? cough!”
The Marquis covered his mouth with a handkerchief as he spoke.
“That’s correct, Your Grace.”
He took the letter from the Bojwagan with a displeased expression.
“Tch, why are you sweating like that?”
The news that the escort carrying the advance payment had been ambushed was heard.
For the Marquis, who was in the process of solidifying plans for the golden statue, this was extremely unpleasant news.
On top of that, the report from Sir Elrian was even more aggravating.
The Marquis frowned deeply, recalling their recent conversation.
***
“The security in the Riberton Domain is indeed very poor. Therefore, they say no more escorts can be sent until things stabilize.”
An utterly infuriating statement.
Isn’t receiving the advance payment a matter of course? And surely it’s the sender’s responsibility to provide an escort?
“What did you say? Isn’t this your escort’s failure? You must take responsibility for this!”
“… While we do share some responsibility, as I mentioned, the security issue in Riberton Domain falls under the Marquis’ jurisdiction.”
Elrian’s stance was unwavering. She even jerked her head as if to say there was no room for negotiation whatsoever.
“What’s the meaning of this? Are you suddenly changing your stance?”
From the Marquis’ perspective, there was no choice but to be furious. By siding with Elrian, it was as if they had declared war between Lepent and Arian.
It was a point of no return.
In other words, if the Empire suddenly changed its attitude now, their own position would become untenable.
It was like watching a dog chasing a chicken, only to have the chicken fly up and evade the chase.
“I’m not changing my stance. I cannot take the Emperor’s words lightly. But given the circumstances, the capital must be sensitive to the depletion of the knight forces.”
A civil war with the Second Prince.
And naturally, the outcome of the war depended on the soldiers — especially the knights. Both Ariane and Lepent were on edge, feeling the tension keenly.
In such a situation, wasting valuable knight forces on escort duties was inevitably troublesome.
“You want me to root out the bandit knights?”
“If it’s to that extent, we could say the security has improved somewhat.”
Isn’t that something you, the lord of the domain, should have done long ago? Elrian had nearly blurted that out but swallowed the words.
Though necessity forced them to join hands, she herself was not fond of the Marquis of Riberton.
“Damn it, nothing ever goes smoothly.”
The Marquis couldn’t help but consider rooting out the bandit knights. That would mean hiring additional mercenaries, and he dreaded thinking about how much more money it would cost.
***
Then, just as it seemed hopeless, he heard that Kyle had defeated the bandit knights.
An unexpected confirmation.
For the younger son who had been out of favor to do such a thing — he nearly thought Kyle was admirable, but that thought vanished the moment he read the letter.
“They have been routed, but not a single coin stolen from the escort was recovered. Of course, the gold coins sent from the escort are also lost.”
“Is that bastard mocking me right now?!”
There was no way they hadn’t found the money. The bandit knights had been terrorizing the region for over a year.
And if the Empire’s escort was attacked, it could only have been by these bandit knights. The nearby robber gangs had all been absorbed or crushed.
In other words, Kyle was outright lying.
What was the motive? Could it be that Lepent or Ariane was planning to escape with the money?
A completely reckless act, but if you analyzed it, Lepent was the most likely suspect. After all, with this negotiation, the toll on Lepent’s territory was already confirmed.
What a headache.
The Marquis moved his gaze to the rest of the letter, which he was about to crumple without realizing it.
“I propose negotiations. How about a dinner?”
Dinner, of all things? He wanted to twist that younger son’s neck right now.
“I will forgo my position as heir. I will also leave the family. But if Father dies, please distribute a suitable amount of the estate. I have many people I must be responsible for, so this is a reasonable request. I will prepare the contract myself. If you only affix the seal of the Riberton family head and formalize the promise in writing, that will suffice.”
Was this guy trying to blackmail him?
The Marquis frowned again, unable to believe it.
“Fine, if you do that, I will try once more to recover the goods stolen by those bandits. This time, I think we’ll find something.”
“You scoundrel…”
It was blackmail. If he didn’t accept the demand, the bandits wouldn’t return the stolen property.
How dare this subject of Riberton make such a cunning move against his lord?
Who did this brat think he was challenging?
… But still, he couldn’t give up on the gold coins.
“Alright.”
Thinking calmly.
Kyle’s request was simply a division of property, not for the heirship. And since he was leaving the family voluntarily, no further problems would arise.
Though displeased, the Marquis reminded himself that Kyle was still his bloodline. If he ended up penniless, it would tarnish the Marquis’ reputation.
Yes, upon calm reflection, this was definitely advantageous.
“Send a letter to that Kyle. Tell him to meet for dinner at the manor — cough, cough!”
He coughed again, spraying saliva.
Since recovering his wits recently, he had been plagued by constant coughing fits. The cause was unknown, but he suspected it was the White Chrysanthemum scent. For him, who had an allergic reaction, this was serious.
“Ar-are you alright, Your Grace?”
“Shut up! Just close that damn window!”
There was no chrysanthemum anywhere in the manor, yet the Marquis occasionally caught faint whiffs of the scent.
At first, he thought the lazy servants were just slacking off. He’d even fired a few to set an example, but the situation didn’t improve.
Not only the chrysanthemum, but every white flower in the manor’s greenhouse and garden was removed, yet the torment persisted.
Each breath felt like his throat was on fire.
“cough! Damn it.”
At the edge of his vision appeared a faint, unpleasant image, which disappeared the instant he noticed it.
But the figure was firmly etched in his memory — a woman with snowy white hair and a familiar face. The Baroness.
The second wife, who reminded him of the white chrysanthemum he detested.
“Eleanor, that insolent woman… How dare she— cough!”
He coughed violently, blood mixed with phlegm spilling from his mouth.
The handkerchief in the Marquis’ hand had already started turning crimson.
***
Eleanor had only one child.
That was Kyle.
“Hehe, Kyle. My precious child. You are just the spitting image of your mother.”
Like most mothers, she loved her child.
In truth, Eleanor had few supporters in the Riberton family. Even her husband, the Marquis, was not on her side.
But Kyle was different. This beloved son was nearly her only ally.
When Kyle was still young.
She would take him to the manor’s garden to enjoy tea time. Despite her busy schedule, she made sure to spend at least one day a week with her son.
“Wow! Mom, look at that!”
Young Kyle stood up abruptly upon seeing a bird flying by. Unfortunately, he knocked the table leg, spilling the hot tea from the first cup onto his head.
Clatter!
“Kyle!”
“My lord!”
It all happened in an instant.
Eleanor nearly collapsed, wrapping her arms around Kyle protectively.
“M-mom…”
“Kyle! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Y-yes… but Mom…”
“Thank goodness.”
Kyle’s watery gaze could see the steam rising from the cup spilled on her back.
“Lady Eleanor!”
“Ah, it burns!”
The servants hurriedly brought wet cloths, and only then did she voice her discomfort. But Eleanor never blamed Kyle. She simply admonished him sharply to be more careful.
This memory remained deep in Kyle’s heart, a testament to how much his mother loved him.
And there was one final memory with her.
On the day when thick white snow was falling.
“Kyle… my precious son, the most fragrant child in the world. You are my greatest treasure.”
“… Mother.”
Holding her pale hand as if it might shatter, Kyle struggled not to cry. He wanted to show only a smile before the day she was to leave.
So he bit his lip until it bled, suppressing his tears.
“Leaving you… so young… breaks my heart.”
“… Don’t worry. I am your son. I will do well, surely.”
“I see… My son, let me hold you just once more.”
Eleanor’s frail back was so small and thin after her long illness. Kyle realized this and quietly wiped away tears.
“Mother…? Mom…?”
“… Kyle.”
That was the last.
Eleanor passed away in Kyle’s arms.
For the young boy, it was as if the world had collapsed.
“sob… Mom…”
He wailed.
For a very long time, Kyle wept in the embrace of his departed mother.
The pure white chrysanthemum wilted.
***
Kyle’s reverie was broken by a harsh voice.
“Why are you sitting there dazed?”
“… Nothing.”
Quietly, his eyes met the face of the Marquis — his father, no, his stepfather.
On the day his mother left, the Marquis never came to see her. He hadn’t even shown his face at the funeral.
Kyle swallowed the resentment he was about to spit out and forced himself not to show it.
“… Do you remember my mother?”
The moment he said “mother,” the Marquis frowned.
“That again? How long do you plan to keep looking for that damned woman who’s dead?”
“That’s not an answer. I asked if you remember.”
“Remember? Why the hell should I?”
“No, I don’t want to remember her, nor do I need to.”
Kyle felt the blood drain from his face. His chest throbbed with every breath, his fingertips trembling.
… How could such a man be my father?
Rage and disgust churned within, but he clenched his teeth to keep his composure.
“… How can you say that? No matter what, she was your wife—”
“Shut up! What kind of nonsense is this coming from a grown man? Why are you talking about your dead mother now?”
“Can’t family even talk about this?”
“Family? Ha! Since when did you treat me as your father? I don’t consider you my son, so take your useless talk and go bark elsewhere.”
The old man was a disgrace.
Desperately clutching at straws, Kyle asked once more.
“Then why do you have a grudge against my mother and her family, the Belandre?”
“That again. That pathetic Belandre family was crushed by the Emperor, not me.”
“You could have helped. Or at least not provoked the Emperor.”
“Why the hell would I? Give up Riberton’s interests just because of some woman?”
Because of those so-called “interests,” his mother’s family was destroyed and she passed away.
Yet how could he utter such hateful words?
Kyle bit his lip hard.
“One last question. Did Eleanor, my mother, ever love you?”
At this question, the Marquis grew even more annoyed.
Loved her? What childish nonsense.
Kyle had thought his father was at least somewhat smarter than this.
“Stop with your childish talk. Love? That’s ridiculous. She needed my status, and I needed her abilities. When dealing with someone in a business arrangement, love is the last thing you talk about.”
Oh, poor Eleanor. My mother.
Why did you marry such a man…
Kyle closed his eyes tightly, overcome with sorrow.
“… Thank you for your answer.”
“Until when do you plan to keep bothering me? I thought you wanted the servants to run you off, but now you’re going on about your dead mother.”
For the first time, Kyle felt grateful to the Marquis.
Because now it was clear.
This man was not his father.
That was why he no longer needed to feel hesitation or guilt.
Kyle opened his eyes again.
And looked squarely at the person before him.
The last one to carry out the Blanc Chrysanthe operation.
The wretched scoundrel of Riberton.
And…
The hateful enemy of his mother.
“Let’s begin the negotiations, Marquis.”
Eyes the same color as Eleanor’s shone coldly.