Chapter 69: The Trial (2)

‘……Why do I feel so uneasy?’

Evan stood in front of the Duke’s study.

He fidgeted with his hands.

The door, which he thought would open immediately, unexpectedly stayed shut.

‘This isn’t like him at all.’

Suddenly tidying up the room?

That makes no sense.

The Duke is someone who pursues thoroughness to the point one might believe he has obsessive-compulsive disorder.

That thoroughness wasn’t hidden even in front of Evan.

When inviting someone, he is always perfectly prepared.

When invited by someone, he is also perfectly prepared.

The only time that perfection crumbles is in front of his beloved wife.

‘……Just what is he preparing that he made me stand here?’

Scary.

He’s already exhausted to death, and being called separately before dinner was strange to begin with.

It’s not a birthday.

Nor an anniversary.

Then, could it be?

The successor trial?

Evan let out a silent scoff inside.

No way.

No matter how much Duke Cabaro seems to secretly favor Evan, still.

Suddenly conducting the successor trial?

The reason he even thought of it was because, for someone of Duke Cabaro’s stature, that was the only reason to keep Evan waiting.

He had mentioned it several times before.

The second trial is not mandatory.

Only those qualified can take it.

Something like that.

Naturally, Evan had no intention of doing it.

He had no intention of becoming qualified either.

Having a noble title is good.

Having a lot of money is good.

But bearing responsibility is not.

Evan just wants to coast.

He doesn’t want to stand in any position and take responsibility.

This position where he just receives a large allowance is perfect.

What if he gets older?

Well……

The family will take care of him accordingly.

They always make sure he doesn’t starve anywhere.

In fact, Duke Cabaro has several siblings too.

Instead, there is only one condition attached.

Do not sow seeds.

It was a policy to not increase branch families.

Because the most outstanding in the family, the direct line continuing the ‘bloodline of the patriarch’ qualified to lead in the future, would be raised.

Occasionally, someone breaks it.

They don’t know that magic is cast on the blood.

The result?

A bit heartbreakingly, the child dies.

The wife dies.

The person responsible dies too.

They bear the responsibility.

Clearly, the family warned not to, multiple times.

They even said to abort if possible when pregnant.

If someone ignores all those warnings and gives birth,

Then a storm of blood blows.

Or they must give up being part of the Alkart family.

The responsibility of greed for those who didn’t even do that.

‘Well…… I have no plans to marry anyway.’

No plans to have children either.

He is Lee Han-ol who lived in South Korea.

How much money and effort it takes to raise and bear children, how hard marriage life is…… he knows it all too well.

– Marriage? Don’t do it!

There are people like that.

– Marriage? I’m really happy. My wife earns all the money for me.

……There are people like that too.

Ah, the latter is a bit enviable.

That’s just a kept man.

Money comes in even if he stays still, how great.

Only conscience pricks a little.

Anyway.

Solo is the best.

Long live solo!

‘……Ah. Or, is he trying to scold me for being active in the underworld this time?’

That makes sense.

He wasn’t told not to enter the underworld or to get permission.

But people have something called tact.

The successor trial is over.

Allowance comes regularly.

There’s no need to care,

No business there, yet he suddenly went and came back.

‘Ah. Should I not have done that?’

Come to think of it, isn’t the Godfather somewhat close with Cabaro?

He said they occasionally drink together when they have time.

Still, there was nothing to do there……

‘I just replenished some medicine, made him a bit taller……’

Just used him as a passageway.

A passageway to come and go quickly.

‘Or, could the surgery have gone wrong?!’

A protest to Duke Cabaro……?

All sorts of worries swirled in his head.

No, wait.

Evan lightly slapped both cheeks.

Get a grip, Evan.

You are a real man.

Real men don’t worry about things like this!

..?”

“Nothing.”

The head butler smiled gently at Evan.

The only person in this stiff family who possessed warm emotions.

He heard he is brothers with the ‘butler’ of the underworld.

Similar faces, but instead of madness, a smile lingers, which felt a bit awkward.

“Please don’t be too nervous, Young Master. His Grace the Duke will not scold you.”

“That’s not what I was worried about.”

“His Grace the Duke definitely cherishes the Young Master. Please do not forget this fact.”

……?

Cherishes?

Me?

Evan was momentarily dumbfounded.

No.

Cherishes me?

Well, the possessed ‘Lee Han-ol’ doesn’t matter.

Whether cherished or not.

But from Evan’s perspective, hearing that could only be absurd.

Mother died.

He said ‘fight’ or something.

Instead of comforting Evan who was wailing in front of the corpse, he bluntly said ‘act like a noble’ while watching him cry.

After that, he knowingly let him go astray and left him alone.

From Evan’s standpoint, it was a style he didn’t particularly like.

You should take good care of a child, leaving them alone?

That’s a bit much.

The head butler silently smiled.

A smile formed on Evan’s face.

A cold smile perfectly suited to that cynical face.

It was a smile closer to mockery than joy.

‘As expected…… he hasn’t completely forgiven yet.’

The head butler has served Cabaro for a long time.

The servant currently attached to Evan’s side.

Dolph, was it?

Like him, saved by Cabaro when young, serving him until now as an adult.

So he knows well.

That Cabaro is blunt and clumsy with emotions,

But absolutely not a bad person.

That he didn’t leave the child breaking alone,

But couldn’t even properly mend his own wounds.

Desperately holding on not to collapse.

He tried to take care of the child too……

But faced with too strong denial, he could only watch him collapse in the end.

That’s why Cabaro, for the first time, ignored the duty he had to fulfill as a noble.

One of the three great taboos.

He just left Evan alone even though he clearly saw him attempting <resurrection of the dead>.

Not an ordinary noble, but a great noble.

For Cabaro, a noble with deep history and legitimacy comparable to royalty, to ignore it……

That was the greatest atonement he could show.

Probably, even if the Tower of Alchemists came directly to ‘protest’, he would block them.

You may enter now.

Creak.

The door opened very slightly.

Evan glanced at the head butler, bowed slightly, and stepped inside.

Even though it wouldn’t be strange to hate equally, a final greeting.

The smile never left the head butler’s lips.

‘You…… I know well that you possess warmth too.’

To him, Evan was like a grandson.

Though, for Duke Cabaro to call him son, he was far too grown.

The only one who took him, too late for butler work, as a butler and let him live here was Cabaro.

All of it.

May this clumsy father and son understand each other’s wounds and forgive each other.

And may the son forgive the father who blames himself for being lacking.

And Evan, who entered inside.

Evan barely held back his expression from crumbling the moment he entered.

“I will ask first.”

The family seal.

The emblem.

And the patriarch’s ring, proof only the ‘patriarch’ possesses.

Duke Cabaro, who had placed them on the desk, stared at him and asked.

“Do you want my seat?”

……Pardon?

Evan felt his thoughts stop for a very brief moment.

That’s how shocking the words Duke Cabaro uttered were.

Seat.

Do you want to sit there? Haha, my son. Well done.

It wasn’t a statement expecting such an answer.

In the first place, ‘seat’ is metaphorical, not literally asking if he wants to sit in that head position.

‘Do you want the patriarch’s seat?’

..Does that make sense?

For the first time, Evan was grateful that his face stiffens when nervous.

He almost failed to manage his expression for real.

‘……I don’t understand what you mean.”

“As the words say.”

Duke Cabaro stared with the same golden eyes as Evan and said.

“Do you want to sit in my seat?”

“By seat, do you mean the ducal title?”

“Yes.”

No.

Isn’t this a bit much?

What did I do.

Evan felt wronged, but Duke Cabaro’s eyes were resolute.

Might as well eat a resolute pumpkin.

“No. I have no interest.”

“I see.”

Maybe better than a resolute pumpkin?

Evan held a small hope at the unexpectedly accepting attitude.

Though it shattered soon after.

“But qualification is something one is born with.”

“Even if the first is coincidence, the second can be called inevitability. You possess the destiny to challenge that inevitability.”

”

“Prove your qualification. Evan.”

Duke Cabaro handed Evan a single sheet of paper.

He couldn’t see what was written.

It wasn’t deliberately hidden.

It felt like he wasn’t yet permitted to see, as if he lacked qualification.

The Duke continued.

“That you can inherit my seat, that you are my ‘blood’.”

‘……If.’

Evan forced his mouth open.

Actually, opening his mouth in this situation isn’t easy.

If it were his original personality, he would have kept his mouth shut.

But now, how should I put it.

His intuition was telling him he had to ask this.

Damn it.

Just challenge once……!

“If I fail.”

”

Similar to Evan, but different.

If Evan is like ‘fog’ that shows nothing,

Conversely, Cabaro is like a solid ‘wall’ that reveals nothing.

“Will I no longer be blood of this house?”

”

Duke Cabaro fell silent for the first time.

As if trying to gauge what meaning Evan’s words held, what his intentions were.

“……No.”

Duke Cabaro, who opened his mouth again.

His lips slightly dry, parted a bit slowly.

“Blood is thicker than water. It will not disappear.”

“…I see.”

Instead of answering, Evan bowed his head slightly and left the seat.

Duke Cabaro kept his eyes tightly shut without looking until Evan left.

Thud.

The door closed.

Only after it closes did Duke Cabaro’s rigid posture loosen a little.

The back door creaked open, and Natalia entered.

She, with firm yet somehow sad eyes, looked at the door Evan left through, then cautiously stroked Duke Cabaro’s shoulder.

“Are you alright? The second trial……”

“When he becomes qualified, it will show itself. That’s how it became. Even I don’t know the exact content.”

The second trial to become successor.

The Duke chooses the timing, but not the content.

What content it holds, when it can be passed.

He cannot decide, only the family decides.

What qualification he must possess to be eligible for the third trial.

Whether he has the qualification to lead this family or not.

“I wonder if I put unnecessary burden on him.”

“He’ll do well. He’s a strong child.”

“Leo is.”

“Still……”

A certain fear had taken root deep in Leo’s heart.

He couldn’t tell what it was.

Guessing, it seemed related to Evan.

Evan resembles Duke Cabaro in being somewhat cold, but is fundamentally a kind child.

Duke Cabaro believed so.

“I hope he doesn’t find this burdensome.”

It doesn’t matter if he fails the trial.

After all, Evan is Cabaro’s child.

Though Cabaro was far too awkward to let him grow up hurt……

Now it will be different.

Evan, who came out.

Evan lightly clenched his fist.

‘Nice!’

He won’t be kicked out even if he fails?

Then.

He just has to fail on purpose, right?

Evan threw away the burden.

A bit too much.

At that moment.

“Young Master! A message came!”

Dolph bouncing around.

He delivered the news.

“It’s a message from the Tower of Space-Time!”

Ah, right.

There was Ocera?

‘……Did I properly deliver those words?’

Very faintly, cold sweat began to flow.