Chapter 96 : Finale

Caim walked calmly around the room, his gaze steady.

Though the room was spacious, it held only himself and the Marquis.

Under the pretense of discussing sensitive family matters, he had dismissed all the servants and the guard knights.

He even threatened that if anyone tried to eavesdrop, he would have their head taken off immediately.

Glenn, Tessa, Puruka—

All of them were just waiting for his success.

Failure was not an option.

Caim steeled his resolve once more and pulled the contract from within his clothes.

“This is the content I personally wrote. Please read it through once. There shouldn’t be anything much different from what I mentioned earlier.”

“…Fine. Hand it over.”

The Marquis shifted his gaze after showing a naturally displeased expression, wondering if Caim was trying to stall with more explanations.

The Marquis was usually thorough with contracts. For important matters, he always read the documents himself and signed only if it was beneficial.

This time was no exception.

Thanks to that…

“Take your time.”

Naturally, as Kyle busily poured wine into the glass, the Marquis didn’t notice his hurried hand movements.

“Kyle.”

“Eh?”

At the Marquis’s sudden call, Kyle felt his heart drop as if it had fallen out of his chest.

…Could it be that he was caught?

“Why did you specifically write a two-year period here?”

…Had he really not noticed?

Trying to calm his pounding heart, Kyle answered calmly.

“…‘I will leave the estate within two years.’ That’s what it says. Because of the inheritance division. It takes that long to receive the proper share—”

“No, the inheritance will be paid immediately. So once you get it, you must leave the territory at once.”

“…Understood.”

“The inheritance you’ll receive is only the gold coins—200 gold coins. Don’t even dream of business rights or land. This is already being generous.”

Kyle’s eyes widened at the unexpectedly large amount.

Why was this embodiment of greed so generous?

“You said 200 coins, not 20?”

“Hmph, parting with a piece of the family’s wealth like this is pocket change.”

“…I will accept it gratefully.”

“Hmm… you wrote this yourself? Something seems off…”

With a quiet gulp, Kyle bit his lips inside. It might not be obvious now, but his back was damp with cold sweat.

“W-What do you mean?”

Oops, he stuttered his words.

But still, he maintained a calm expression. That was his best bet.

“…Huh? It’s more reasonable than I thought. I figured you would write something far craftier.”

So that was it.

Kyle sighed without realizing it.

“Phew, I’m not trying to mess around with this. This is also my desperate last chance.”

“Oh ho, so you finally realize your place? But are you seriously tense now?”

Damn it, why did he sigh?

A wave of nausea came over him from repeated mistakes. It felt suffocating, but he gritted his teeth and kept his mind sharp.

Kyle narrowed his eyes and began glaring at the Marquis.

“It’s always been like this. Haven’t you noticed until now?”

“Always? What do you mean?”

“Before you, I have always been like this.”

“You were always nervous when you saw me? Then how did you act so insolently?”

“…I apologize for that.”

“Hmm?”

The Marquis sensed something strange.

Kyle, who usually responded coldly with hateful eyes, was inexplicably docile today.

“Could you be hiding something from me?”

The Marquis stared at Kyle with a cold, penetrating gaze. If he was trying to deceive him, there would be some reaction.

“Do I even have the strength left to do that?”

But Kyle frowned and countered instead.

The Marquis frowned in return.

“Useless brat.”

More excuses, how tiresome.

The power Kyle still had was surely from his maternal side, including Eleanora. And since he had taken it himself, he was now arguing like this.

Though irritating, the Marquis endured it.

He thought this would never end otherwise.

“Have you finished reviewing the contents?”

“…Yes. Once you receive the 200 gold coins, you must leave the family. Don’t ever use the Riberton name again.”

Not using the Riberton name.

This was practically disinheritance. Naturally, he could no longer be heir.

A rather drastic declaration, yet Kyle’s expression remained calm.

“Fine. Since I’ve revealed everything anyway, I have to go independent now.”

“You’re thinking of going to Lepent?”

If not, then it would be defecting to the Kingdom of Arian. But the chances of going to Lepent were high.

200 gold coins weren’t much to tempt the Arians. But historically, the Lepent court would welcome him with open arms. After all, it’s said the place that welcomes you more warmly is where your lifespan lengthens.

“Do I have a choice?”

Kyle sent a slightly desperate look, but the Marquis didn’t flinch.

If anything, he thought it was fortunate. At least he was born to a noble family and would have some gold in his hand. The second son of a worthless noble family wouldn’t even have that.

“Foolish boy. Does Lepent think you’re anything more than an ally with no ties? They’ll use you to their heart’s content.”

“Mind your own business.”

Click.

Such an annoying brat.

After all his advice, that damn fool only annoyed him more.

But it didn’t matter.

That troublesome problem would be finished today.

“Fine. I’ll sign it. Now get lost.”

Pressing down—

The Marquis stamped the contract with his ring-shaped seal. A high-quality magical seal ring.

Seeing this, Kyle trembled faintly.

Of course, the Marquis didn’t notice.

Kyle slowly lifted his chin.

“Understood. Let’s have a final toast. This really will be the last.”

As dry and indifferent as possible.

Like he didn’t care if the Marquis accepted or not.

The Marquis frowned again and shot him a meaningful glance.

Kyle barely restrained a dry swallow and quietly met the Marquis’s gaze.

A brief silence.

But to Kyle, it felt like eternity.

When the other hand, hidden away, became moist with sweat—

“…You’re surprisingly sentimental for someone like you. What’s on your mind?”

“Ha. The contract was successfully concluded, so I just wanted to share a drink. Why? Are you afraid I’ll devour you?”

Celebrating a successful contract with a drink was only natural. Nothing strange about it.

Yet the Marquis had never once imagined sharing a drink with that guy.

…Whatever, it’s the last anyway.

“Hmph, fine. I’ll show you my last mercy.”

“…Much obliged.”

Kyle raised his glass first.

Yet his gaze remained fixed on the Marquis.

The Marquis, who had been glaring at him suspiciously, raised his own glass to his lips upon seeing Kyle drink.

Kyle’s tension peaked. He quietly set down his glass and carefully stood.

“…Hmm? Puh-hew! Th-this is—”

The taste was off.

The Marquis’s eyes went wide as he looked down at the glass he had just lifted. Upon closer inspection, there was something. A pale foreign substance.

Simultaneously, a horrible sensation surged through his body in an instant.

A familiar yet terrifying feeling—an allergic reaction.

Just like when he smelled chrysanthemum.

He tried to shift his gaze quickly to Kyle, but—

“Kyle, what on earth—Cu-gh!”

Kyle suddenly stepped forward and covered the Marquis’s mouth with a dry hand. The Marquis tried to resist, but with the strength of a dying old man, it was no use.

Looking up coldly, the Marquis realized for sure.

This guy had put chrysanthemum powder into his drink.

Suddenly, his eyes darted to the contract on the table.

“…!”

The letters were slowly fading.

Damn it, a fake contract written with magical ink!

Magical ink was incredibly expensive and only used by high-ranking nobles in secret schemes.

Kyle had tricked him into stamping a contract with different contents!

“Guh-huh! Ku-huh!”

“My mother told me before she died.”

Kyle forced the Marquis down and took another item from within his clothes.

A white powdered substance, white chrysanthemum powder.

“You hate chrysanthemums because of your allergy. That’s why you keep your distance from those who remind you of white chrysanthemums. That’s the truth.”

There was no emotion in Kyle’s eyes or voice. He simply acted as if he was doing what was necessary.

“So don’t hate your father too much. He surely loved you, Kyle. Didn’t he? Did you know that?”

“Ku-huh! Ku-huh!”

The Marquis struggled but it was meaningless. Red spots appeared on his face, his vision blurred, and he started suffocating.

The white powder was poked into the Marquis’s mouth.

His mind began to grow hazy.

“Guh… Ku-huh…”

His breathing weakened steadily.

The Marquis was now seeing a vision over Kyle’s face.

The woman who reminded him of white chrysanthemums, the long-deceased wife. Eleanora, smiling coldly.

Her smile was like white chrysanthemums blooming in autumn.

His chest tightened.

Kyle quietly whispered to him.

“In your dreams, mother asked me to send her regards to you.”

“Ghh-pf…”

The Marquis’s last breath drew near.

With a sudden burst of strength, the dying Marquis opened his eyes wide and glared at Kyle. The sudden rage startled Kyle a bit.

Crack!

“Yes, you… how dare you—”

Though he couldn’t scream, the Marquis mustered his last strength to grab Kyle’s collar. His gaze was full of hatred, anger, and resentment, fiercely burning into Kyle.

But Kyle just sneered quietly.

Letting him despair thoroughly, he delivered his final words softly.

“Father, may you fall into hell.”

“…Rasp.”

The hand that gripped his words dropped weakly.

At the same time—

The Marquis’s breathing ceased.

The silence that followed was unbearably sudden.

“…Father?”

Wondering if it was some trick, Kyle checked again.

…No movement. Definitely dead.

Yes, dead.

“Huff… huff…”

Suddenly, Kyle’s heart pounded again.

An indescribable emotion rose from deep within.

Relief at having succeeded in the difficult task.

The thrilling pleasure of revenge.

And finally, memories of his mother surfacing once more.

A complex flood of feelings crashed over him.

But now was not the time. He forced them down and continued the remaining tasks.

He wiped the powder from the Marquis’s nose and face,

And spilled the rest of the drink onto the floor.

…Good. This should be enough.

Bang!

Kyle slammed the table deliberately, causing a loud noise.

“Father! Snap out of it!”

He shouted urgently.

“Is there anyone outside? Bring a doctor! A doctor immediately!”

With the rattling sounds, the guard knights burst through the door.

“Wh-what’s going on, Kyle Doren—Marquis!”

“Father suddenly collapsed! Hurry and bring a doctor, now!”

“Yes, sir!”

Murca had suggested shedding tears here.

But Kyle couldn’t bring himself to do that.

The Marquis’s death was not something he wanted, so how could he cry in sadness?

If anything, he felt like laughing.

But contrary to that, hot tears flowed from his eyes—painful, sincere tears.

“Ku-huh… Father, father!”

Though he called out to his dead father, he was thinking of someone else.

The woman who reminded him of white chrysanthemums,

The mother who loved him the most in this world,

And Eleanora, whom he loved more than anyone.

“Father, father!”

Kyle’s wailing continued for a long while.

Just like the day his mother left.

Outside the mansion, the season was autumn.

A fall when white chrysanthemums bloomed and withered.