Chapter 56
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
Chapter 56
During the carriage accident from before.
The Aide revealed his hostility toward demon-human hybrids, despite it being none of his family's concern.
That reaction, in other words.
'Meant his loyalty to his master and house ran that deep.'
If I praised the house the Aide served, his perception of me would gradually improve as well.
'Of course, there's no need to appease someone who opposes me based solely on prejudice....'
But if the Aide's perception changed, the Marquis's evaluation of me would become more favorable too.
Based on that calculation, I hastily researched the history and notable figures of the Lowswide Marquess Residence yesterday.
My calculation proved precisely correct.
"Ah, this is a portrait of the Marquis and his family members."
The Aide was now explaining the family portrait hanging on one side of the Reception Room.
It appeared to be painted during the Marquis's childhood, and the portrait contained a young version of him.
And beside him....
"This one is the Marquis, and this one is Dane Lowsweed. Looking at it this way, they resemble each other, but strangely their auras are completely different. And in reality, their personalities seem similar yet different too."
I stopped my gaze before the portrait of the two siblings who resembled yet differed from each other.
More precisely, upon Dane Lowsweed's face.
Silver hair as lustrous as the Marquis's, and golden eyes that gleamed like crystallized honey.
This face, somehow....
'Looks a bit like me?'
But it would be rude to say such a thing, wouldn't it?
Just as such an absurd thought flickered through my mind, the Reception Room door opened and the Marquis entered.
"Sorry for making you wait after calling you here."
"Oh, no. I only just arrived myself. Thanks to the Aide sharing so many stories, the time didn't feel tedious at all."
As I subtly praised the Aide, I noticed his shoulders rise slightly.
The Marquis, approaching toward me, discovered the portrait over my shoulder and raised one eyebrow.
"You were looking at the portrait."
"Looking at it this way, the Marquis and your younger brother seem to resemble each other quite a lot. Blood relations truly are fascinating, aren't they?"
"...Me? With this brat?"
Seeing the Marquis's expression sour instantly, it was clearly a true sibling's reaction.
But they really do resemble each other.
"Yes. Your eyes and mouth are shaped identically, aren't they? Of course, the Marquis wears glasses and has an expressionless face, so you look somewhat sharper, while your brother is smiling, so he appears gentler."
"Their personalities are like that too. Both of you cannot tolerate injustice, but Dane Lowsweed charges in first and asks questions later, while you approach things rationally and dismantle them step by step."
When the Aide suddenly interjected, the Marquis shook his head in correction.
"...That's not similar—that's different, Roper."
"Ah, but there's that subtly similar nuance. Only you don't realize it yourself."
"That's enough with the guest entertainment. You're dismissed."
At the Marquis's dismissal, the Aide departed with a regretful expression, clearly having much more to say.
While I silently bowed to the departing Aide, the Marquis continued gazing at his younger brother in the portrait.
"Unable to abandon that reckless nature, he heard rumors of demons plundering the people and threw himself into war. That fool is hopeless."
On the surface, it sounded as though he despised his younger brother, yet his eyes betrayed an unmistakable longing he could not conceal.
Witnessing the emotion pooled in his gaze, I found myself regarding the Marquis with newfound admiration.
"Thank you."
At my sudden words, the Marquis looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"For looking at me without prejudice, and for extending such an invitation."
"That's only natural. I don't think it's something worthy of gratitude."
"You're right, it is natural. It's those who harbor prejudice who are at fault."
I agreed with the Marquis's words.
But.
"Still, that's only possible when it concerns a third party. When it involves one's own family, it's difficult to remain rational, isn't it?"
For the Marquis, who had lost a cherished younger brother in the war against the Demon Realm, the circumstances were entirely different.
If Curtis Rohan had been murdered by some organization...
Then every time I encountered someone belonging to that group, my heart would feel as though it were being torn to shreds.
"Yet despite all that, you treated me as an equal to everyone else."
What I intended as a sincere expression of gratitude made the Marquis burst into hearty laughter.
"That's something you can only say because you don't know my past. I wasn't able to think rationally about this from the beginning either."
"Really? Then did you hate the Demon Realm at first, Marquis?"
"I did."
An irrational Marquis—such a thing was beyond my comprehension.
Knowing only the Marquis as he was now, I could not envision such a picture.
"But even the deepest and most grievous wounds will eventually heal, given time and life."
As the Marquis spoke, his eyes grew distant, as though tracing through the shadows of his past.
"After a considerable span of years had passed, and my wound had healed, I came to understand something."
"What was that?"
"That the weak bear no fault whatsoever."
"...."
"War, in the end, serves the interests of the few, while the vast majority of the weak are sacrificed without gaining anything, whether victors or vanquished."
The Marquis's words faintly echoed something Curtis Rohan had once told me.
[But it's wrong to judge whether someone is good or bad based solely on their race. Just as there are thieves and wicked people among humans, there are also good demons among the Demon Realm.]
Most are not wicked because they are demons, nor virtuous because they are human.
They are simply individuals—sometimes good, sometimes wicked.
Those who do not desire war.
"...So my anger was directed wrongly."
"...."
"I don't hate the Demon Realm, but I don't favor them either. I simply resolved to direct my anger more precisely."
"How so?"
"To prevent war and protect the weak so they might live without further loss."
Though the Marquis did not mention it, I sensed that among the weak he wished to protect was his younger brother.
"Fortunately, with the Demon Realm sealed, the war has come to an end for now.... But if perceptions of the Demon Realm don't fundamentally change, this will be nothing more than a temporary peace."
"...."
"But changing people's perceptions isn't something I can do alone, nor is it something that happens overnight."
As the Marquis spoke, a flicker of weariness crossed his face.
Yet there was something strange about that expression....
'He keeps reminding me of Father.'
Was it because I was worried, because I missed him, because the Marquis's words aligned with Father's thoughts?
"That's why I was so pleased when I met you."
"Me?"
"If people like you exist, then people's perceptions of demons and half-breeds will gradually change."
The moment I heard those words, my heart swelled with pride.
The thought that my good deeds, done so naturally, had contributed even a small step toward changing the world.
"I called you here with such grand intentions to teach you, yet I've only ended up having a heart-to-heart conversation."
The Marquis wrapped up his thoughts and returned to the main topic.
"By the way, you said you wanted to learn about being an Aide, didn't you?"
At those words, I hesitated.
Learning about being an Aide was the Duke's suggestion, not my own idea.
After a moment of uncertainty, I decided to be honest.
"The Duke has graciously given me the opportunity to learn various things, but truthfully, I wasn't specifically eager to learn about being an Aide."
After all, there were surely many people who desperately wanted to be an Aide, and approaching it with mere curiosity felt like a heavy burden.
"Is it really all right for me to take up your time with nothing but curiosity?"
So even with this wonderful opportunity before me, I kept hesitating.
Wondering if I even deserved to seize this chance.
But.
"Then you should definitely learn."
The Marquis picked up his teacup and responded matter-of-factly.
"You won't know whether it's mere curiosity or something suited to your talents until you actually try it yourself, will you?"
My heart, still filled with nothing but curiosity, was validated as natural.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org