Chapter 86
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Chapter 86
I flinched at the unexpected revelation and glanced toward Curtis Rohan, but he wore the expression of someone who had already anticipated this.
"Did you perhaps find a lover and promise them a future together?"
At Curtis Rohan's abrupt question, my Aunt's brow furrowed slightly.
"What.... Why are you suddenly spouting such nonsense?"
"If you didn't develop a desire to step down from the position of family head and devote yourself to family life, why would you bother passing it to me?"
"You are the legitimate heir to the family, recognized by Father. I have merely been serving as a temporary family head."
"If you've been temporary for twenty years, you're legitimate now."
"Dain."
"I dislike it. It's tedious, dull, and uninteresting. That position suits you far better."
Despite the playful tone, Curtis Rohan's response carried an unwavering resolve, and my Aunt exhaled a long sigh.
'Though Curtis Rohan answered in jest, his words aren't entirely wrong.'
As I observed the exchange between them, I cautiously interjected.
"May I offer my thoughts on this matter as well?"
"Of course. You're family now, after all."
Having received my Aunt's consent, I carefully presented my opinion.
"I believe the position of family head should rightfully fall to you, Aunt."
"And what is your reasoning?"
"Curtis Rohan has been absent from the family for many years, hasn't he? Understanding the affairs of the territory and family, and mastering the administrative systems, would require considerably more time."
Curtis Rohan nodded slightly in agreement with my words.
"Moreover, if the family head suddenly changed, it would unsettle those beneath you."
A family head typically serves for life.
It is rare for the position to change before the previous head's death.
For those who had expected the change to occur only after my Aunt's passing, a transition at this moment would surely cause considerable confusion.
'Besides, my Aunt carries a weighty sense of responsibility toward her people as a minister.'
I deliberately mentioned those beneath her because I believed she would extend that same sense of responsibility to the people of her territory and the Marquis Estate.
"And frankly, I don't think such a position suits someone like Curtis Rohan."
"Someone like me?"
"To me, you are endlessly kind and wonderful, but precisely because of that, you are more likely to make choices based on personal sentiment rather than the greater good."
"...You see your father quite clearly."
"But you are different, Aunt. Though you care for me as well, you are someone who would choose the many through rational judgment, never swayed by emotion, no matter the circumstance."
"...."
"Some might consider that coldness, but I believe a family head must be someone like that."
This judgment was based on observations I had made over twenty years watching Curtis Rohan and nearly a month watching my Aunt.
After voicing my opinion, I noticed both Curtis Rohan and my Aunt staring directly at me.
Belatedly, I flinched under their gaze.
'...Haven't I just presumed to evaluate both of them?!'
Curtis Rohan was accustomed to my blunt assessments, but I suddenly worried whether my Aunt might be displeased.
"If I've offended you, I sincerely apologize...."
But.
"It might upset some people to hear it, but honestly? I'm delighted. I've been recognized, after all."
Huh?
Contrary to my worries, my Aunt's face showed no sign of displeasure whatsoever.
Had I been meeting her for the first time, I might have mistaken her cold impression for anger.
But after a month working as her Aide, I had grown adept at reading my Aunt's moods.
Rather...
'She seems intrigued by my assessment.'
And my judgment was accurate.
"My niece has a keen eye for identifying talent suited to their positions. Truly, an ability befitting my successor."
...Wait? Successor?
"Our daughter does have rather discerning taste."
Curtis Rohan accepted it as naturally as breathing, as if I were the only one startled by the unexpected word.
I blinked repeatedly, turning over their conversation once more in my mind before asking, a beat too late.
"Wait, hold on. Successor? Me?"
"Of course. You're the only direct heir of Rowswide, aren't you?"
...Right?!
The reality I'd only just grasped made the world before my eyes go dark...
* * *
The matter of the household headship was settled with Igraine taking the position, and the evening banquet concluded.
"Then I'll be heading out! Have a good night, Aunt. And you too, Father."
As Vivian left the Dining Room after her farewells, the smile that had graced Igraine's face vanished.
"What are you thinking, Dain?"
She turned to Dain, who was calmly sipping his wine, and asked.
"You hid away for twenty years saying you didn't want to disgrace the family, so why change your mind now? And why show up only to refuse the position of household head?"
"Mm... I wanted to be a father I could be proud of?"
At Dain's playful answer, Igraine's brow furrowed slightly.
Dain added with a laugh.
"A young lady of the prestigious Marquis's Residence is better than a rural baker's daughter, wouldn't you say?"
"But now you're merely the daughter of a traitor."
As Igraine struck at the heart of the matter, the smile that had lingered on Dain's face throughout vanished.
She was right—he was a traitor.
Had he died on the battlefield, he would have been remembered as a hero, but he had feigned death, hidden his identity, and even formed a bond with the demons, the enemy.
"What happened during all that time?"
"..."
"You went out to subjugate the demons, so why did you end up forming a bond with them?"
It was something she couldn't have asked while Vivian was present.
At that question, Dain's amber eyes blinked slowly.
A bitter smile flickered faintly across his lips as he reflected on the past.
"It's just a common story."
"..."
"I met someone who was my opposite by chance, came to understand them, and eventually fell in love with them... just a common story like that."
Dain's voice as he spoke was calm and measured, but Igraine decided not to press further.
She already knew from Vivian that he had lost his mother early.
There would be plenty of time to hear the details naturally as days went on.
'When he's ready, Dain will bring it up himself.'
I had no desire to hastily dredge up painful memories from my brother, whom I'd only just reunited with after twenty years.
Igraine turned to the more pressing matter at hand.
"If things continue as they are, not only will you be branded a traitor, but Vivian will be too. Perhaps even Rowswide."
"...."
"Is there a way to shed the identity of a traitor?"
I couldn't imagine that Curtis Rohan, who cherished his daughter so dearly, would have appeared with Vivian without any plan whatsoever.
So if we aligned our stories now, I might be able to help him.
"I intend to meet with the Emperor and return to the Knight Order."
"Will the Emperor accept you when you've suddenly appeared like this?"
"He will."
Dain's eyes gleamed with certainty as he answered without hesitation.
The Emperor had been searching for this card desperately for so many long years.
"And Vivian will live on as the daughter of a hero."
Even after I'm gone.
* * *
Orpen was lost.
No matter how far he walked, he could find no exit from the suffocating darkness.
"Is there no one here!"
As Orpen, exhausted from walking, cried out, footsteps suddenly echoed through the darkness.
In the moment he froze, a torch flared to life, and the source of the sound revealed itself.
"Brother."
It was Leopfried, drenched in blood.
"L-Leopfried...?"
Orpen, seized with fear, stumbled backward, but Leopfried only drew closer.
One step, and then another.
In just two steps, that face had transformed into Lahedis's face.
"Uncle."
"D-Don't come any closer!"
"That imperial throne you seized without strength or ability—return it now."
As the chilling voice resonated, Lahedis reached out and seized Orpen's throat, beginning to squeeze.
"Gasp!"
Orpen tried to pry Lahedis's hand away, but he couldn't break free.
Writhing in agony, Orpen finally resorted to magic.
But having gone so long without using magic, even casting a simple offensive spell proved difficult.
The moment he barely managed to hurl a spell at Lahedis.
Crash!
The sharp sound of shattering glass jolted me awake from my dream.
"Gasp!"
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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