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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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Chapter 51
Duchess Ibroyel's magic had been destroyed.
Though the tracking spell had failed, it sent her into such a frenzy of excitement that she insisted she would help unconditionally.
When she heard that Chesa was with Belzeon, she nearly lost her mind.
"The child must have tremendous magical potential! ‌‌‌It's common for those destined ‌‌‌to become great mages to accomplish something extraordinary before receiving formal magical training. This must be one of those cases."
She was thrilled at the thought that the child had unconsciously wielded power to destroy her magic.
"How is it ‌‌that every adopted child you bring home turns out to be a gem! Our grandson is such a disappointment! I want to adopt one myself!"
She oscillated wildly between delight and ‌‌jealousy, creating absolute chaos.
Though the ‌‌‌tracking spell had failed, Duchess Ibroyel was ‌‌‌someone who could assist him through many other means.
Thus, Kieran patiently calmed her down.
After that, he returned first to the Luxury Hotel.
It served as their temporary residence in place of the Townhouse that ‌‌‌had burned down.
He owned another mansion in the Capital that he had purchased, but it ‌‌‌would take time to furnish ‌‌‌it properly and prepare it for habitation.
In the meantime, needing a place to stay, he rented out the most luxurious hotel ‌‌‌in the Capital entirely.
He paid the existing guests several times their ‌‌‌room rates and ‌‌arranged ‌‌alternative accommodations for them—a somewhat tedious affair, but necessary for security.
Money was no concern; he had more ‌‌‌than enough to spare.
Of course, those unaware that House of Basilian was a hidden plutocracy were shocked at the news of renting an entire hotel.
Even the hotel manager was skeptical until Kieran brought physical gems and valuables instead of checks to prove his sincerity before the lodging contract could be ‌‌finalized.
According to the manager, since the hotel's opening, only foreign royalty renowned for ‌‌their wealth had rented the entire establishment before this—making this the second instance.
The manager made a great fuss and seemed ‌eager to ‌‌chat further, but Kieran cut him off sharply.
Kieran had no time to waste.
"Father."
Upon returning to his hotel room, the Twins were waiting for him.
He had instructed Jahan to find and bring them immediately, yet it had taken a full day.
They must have traveled quite far.
"Read this."
Kieran tossed Belzeon's letter to the Twins.
Karha caught the letter as it flew through the air.
The Twins quickly huddled close together.
Standing at an intimacy closer than ever before, the two boys read the paper side by side.
After finishing the letter, the two young men fell silent for a moment.
Karha summarized his impression of the letter in a single ‌‌phrase.
"...Wow, we're ruined."
Belzeon's ‌‌letter was written in neat cursive using a ‌‌‌quill pen.
The content conveyed by such pristine handwriting—clean enough to serve as a textbook—was brief.
[I will not allow our family to commit an irreversible sin.
Nor ‌‌will I allow a ‌‌‌child not of House Basilian to be caught up in our transgression.
This is an action I ‌‌‌undertake as the heir to succeed Count Basilian.
I will bear whatever punishment is demanded of me.]
It was a letter inscribed with unwavering resolve.
Ishuel gnawed at his lower lip.
"Not a Basilian child... Does ‌‌‌that mean my brother forcibly took the younger one away?"
"Likely."
"I've been troubled by what my brother said to the younger one last time."
Ishuel looked up at Kieran with clouded eyes.
"He told the younger one that they weren't a Basilian. Of course, my brother didn't mean it maliciously, but the younger one is still so small—they wouldn't understand such things."
So when Belzeon ‌said to leave, the child would have gone obediently, Ishuel continued to bite his lips until they nearly bled.
Unlike the emotionally-driven Ishuel, ‌‌‌Karha surprisingly thought with cold clarity in ‌‌such moments.
"But what Belzeon said was correct, wasn't it?"
Karha placed his hand on Belzeon's letter that lay on the table.
"What will you do about Father? Once the Pure Child Prayer Ceremony ends, is the younger one finished?"
"No. I'll ‌continue to raise them as a Basilian."
"Why? ‌‌You could just use them and discard them."
Crimson eyes met each other's gaze.
Karha spoke words that no one else dared to voice.
"Because they resemble Mother, and you want to keep ‌‌‌raising them?"
The air turned frigid in an instant.
Ishuel forgot he had been gnawing his lip in shock, alternating his gaze between Karha and Kieran.
Karha murmured softly.
"I was just curious and spoke my mind. Why you're acting this way. It's not like you normally. You're ‌being excessively kind to the child."
Karha's words were correct.
I had ‌brought ‌‌‌the child because there was a use for them.
To win their heart, I had been gentle and affectionate ‌‌so they would become attached to me.
There was certainly a part of me that treated them well because they resembled my wife.
Yet at some point, I began treating the child with ‌‌‌‌more kindness than necessary.
It wasn't merely that.
I focused on everything about the child and took interest in them.
Their babbling words on that small tongue.
Their unexpectedly surprising actions that startled me.
Their pouting expression or bright laughter...
Without thinking, I continued to follow the child with my eyes.
It wasn't something I did consciously.
For no particular reason, I simply became interested in the child and began observing them.
When they weren't in sight, I wondered what they were doing, and when they appeared before me, I wanted to go over and gently poke them.
It was an emotion and behavior I couldn't explain even to myself.
But one thing was certain.
Because that child existed, my recent days had become vibrant and colorful.
Every genuine laugh I had shed—not habitual smiles—was because of the child.
Rather, the parts I hadn't noticed when they were by my side became clear once I stepped back.
I wanted ‌‌that child to remain by my ‌‌side.
"I ‌‌don't believe Father can resurrect Mother. No matter how skilled he ‌‌‌is in magic, he's not a god—how could he possibly bring back the dead?"
Kieran found himself laughing at such brutally honest words. ‌‌
Among his three sons, ‌‌‌Karha was the one whose thoughts were ‌‌‌most inscrutable.
I never imagined he harbored such sentiments. ‌‌‌
Ishuel quickly grabbed at Karha's sleeve.
But Karha merely seized Ishuel's wrist and pressed it down.
"Of course ‌‌‌‌Father will attempt it regardless, but ‌‌‌as long as it goes undetected, that's what matters. I trust Father is more than capable ‌‌‌‌‌of managing that much. After all, if it doesn't come to light, it's not a crime, so the child won't be implicated either."
"...."
"If Father decides to raise her as a member of House ‌‌Basilian, I won't object."
Ishuel, who had been carefully observing, quickly added his voice.
"Me too. I'd like to have a younger sibling."
A ‌‌brief silence descended. ‌‌
But ‌‌‌soon Karha spoke again.
"Father. Our house needs that child. For another reason."
Karha, who had been speaking without hesitation, faltered for the first time.
The boy paused briefly before continuing ‌‌‌‌with care.
"When there's a baby, we think less of Mother...."
Karha's voice slowly descended.
"Everyone smiles instead of crying." ‌‌‌
Karha's words were untrue.
The men of House Basilian had never wept.
Yet all of them remained....
Trapped in ‌‌‌‌‌‌that rainy funeral day still.
They lived each day drenched in the heavy downpour.
It was Chesa who had briefly sheltered them ‌‌from the relentless rain.
Kieran lowered his gaze.
The sound of rain seemed to echo in his ears, and he was steadying his breath to regain composure when—
Jahan emerged from the shadows.
"Master."
Jahan spoke with unusual haste and urgency.
"I've found Miss Chesa and Young Master Belzeon."
The eyes of the Twins and Kieran sharpened in unison.
Those who had seemed ready to rush out immediately froze at Jahan's next words.
"The Holy Knight has taken Miss Chesa and Young Master Belzeon."
"...The Holy Knight?"
Kieran asked in bewilderment, and Jahan answered carefully.
"A Holy Knight by the name of Hailon."

‌
---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read ‌‌‌‌directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------