Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Every night, Gilbert had the same nightmare.

It wasn't an unrealistic or bizarre dream.

It was just that same night over and over again.

["Don't order me around!"]

Callen yelling was always the starting point.

["I tried my best to push you. But what did you do? You're following Maevia Morgana behind the scenes, and you don't care about my success! I rather have her killed!"]

Then the world flickered for a moment.

Grand Duke Kallakis, who had knocked out Callen without even touching him, tried to turn around.

But then Gilbert came and grabbed him angrily.

["If you're going to do this, you should've let me die in the desert. Why did you bring me?"]

The answer came back.

["Is that the only thing you have to say about that day?"]

The Grand Duke stopped and looked back at him.

He gazed at him quietly, his eyes without any warmth.

["What do you want from me? Affection? To be a parent? If you wanted something like that, it would have been different from the first greeting."]

In the once-real nightmare, Gilbert twisted his lips.

["What I want is the position of successor. Recognize my value and my worth. And I want that woman too."]

Maevia, she was his.

He was destined to own that beautiful and arrogant woman.

Not his father.

["Where in the world does a father take his children's possessions? Wasn't it Father who told me to settle the contract? So I have to have her."]

However, the Grand Duke had a grim look throughout Gilbert's claim on her.

The Grand Duke spoke in a cursory manner, making a face that basically said he didn't know why he had to explain these things to him.

["First, Maevia Morgana is not property. Second, her decision is up to her. Third, she refused you. The contract may have been a bit of a hassle, but it's not something that can't be destroyed if time and money are spent. It can be disposed of."]

["I'll do it my way. It would have been successful if Father had not interfered."]

["You still have a long way to go, son."]

Grand Duke Kallakis was sincerely sorry for his adopted son.

But that made Gilbert feel even more shameful.

Gilbert wanted to make the Grand Duke angry.

He wanted him to feel a bit of the humiliation he was going through.

["Say no more. My father said that I was a success. I am different from other people. I'm special."]

However, even when he spoke of the story of his father, the Grand Duke remained calm.

["As I said eight years ago, you should be ashamed of your blood. Including all the sins you have committed."]

The Grand Duke smiled shallowly.

["And well, I'm not one to listen to words. Didn't you ask for teachings? There is nothing I can't give. If you need it, lift up the sword."]

As soon as the Grand Duke spoke, he picked up the sword worn by one of the soldiers who had passed out.

Swish

A sword was pulled out of the scabbard.

It was neither a good sword nor a magic sword. The blade was dull and rusted, so it was a sword that would not hit the market.

["Is it fashionable to carry a toy like that these days?"]

The Grand Duke tilted his head.

["I don't think something weak like you can cut a piece of paper. But, it would be nice. Come on."]

He lifted his hand. At the same time, the momentum reversed.

It felt like a mountain-high tidal wave, one that covered the sky, poured down all at once.

Gilbert unknowingly stepped back. He couldn't even breathe properly as the pain of being crushed consumed him.

His blood oozed out of his mouth. It became impossible to stand straight, to the point where it was embarrassing.

Why, is there still such a gap....!

Gilbert felt as helpless as when he first met the Grand Duke in the desert eight years ago.

In front of the Grand Duke, he was still just a child.

["Do you think I'm discriminating against Regen? I thought you would know better than anyone else that it's the opposite."]

The sword was stuck in front of Gilbert and he was on his knees and gasping for air.

The blunt blade dug into the hard ground so easily.

Gilbert realized that he could be pierced just as easily too.

.....It was eerie.

["I have saved you so many times. Like eight years ago in the desert, when you abandoned Regen and asked me to only take you."]

Stop.

["When you asked me to wait and then went and strangled Regen's throat."]

This was a story that no one should ever hear.

["I got over it. And even after that, I've backed you up and have been tolerant, but neither you nor Regen are special to me. I brought you here to take advantage of you, and I've paid the price for that decision for 8 years."]

Uncovering Gilbert's most shameful act, his adopted father continued.

["You've never wished for anything like a bond with me, so now I think we can talk openly. I just have to keep you literally alive. Even without you, there's Regen. You are both bait. But just like to your father you were a success, Regen looks better than you to me."]

The pitchless voice fell, his words sounding disastrous to Gilbert's ears.

["In the end, aren't we equally divided into classes? Yes, the blood didn't go anywhere. Tell me, was it really just two of you in the desert at that time? The other brothers weren't there."]

Those bright blue eyes saw through everything.

But Gilbert wanted to say that it was a misunderstanding, that it was true, that it was unfair, that he was resentful, that he also regretted it, that he couldn't even kill Regen.

His throat was blocked and he couldn't say it.

How can I reach that level?

What the hell should I do?

Despite becoming one of the greatest figures in the empire, Gilbert could only look at the feet of the Grand Duke.

He woke up from the nightmare again, screaming.

* * *

The sun rose and it was morning. After being sent off by Regen, huge carriages like small castles went on their way.

The Kallakis family had quite a few carriages.

All of them had designs that seemed to have been in fashion 100 years ago, so they were carriages in urgent need of renovation and repair.

The butler reported that it took a full day just to brush off the dust.

The butler then explained that all the carriages currently owned by the family were owned by the previous Grand Duke and Grand Duchess.

In other words Aedis, the current Grand Duke, had never bought a carriage.

No wonder the carriages of the Kallakis family I saw in the capital looked unusual.

The wagons had roofs, wheels, and were entirely pitch black.

They didn't have time to repair them, so they just painted them all black.

But that was also what the butler liked, and the carriage we were now riding in was also recently painted a shiny black.

However this time, unlike in those days, there had been time to spare so the doors and interiors of the wagons were now elegantly decorated with emeralds and the seats had been replaced.

And I found out one strange, mysterious fact.

The wagons of the Grand Duchy were as old as those used by the previous Grand Duke, but their warming and strengthening magic was still functioning.

The butler was confident that he didn't even need to check.

It was really crazy considering the fact that no matter how much magic you poured out, the validity of installation magic was difficult to make last more than 10 years.

Our first destination, the Rosa Estate, was closer to Cyclamen Castle than the other estates.

I was told that if we pushed forward, we could arrive there tomorrow morning.

Aedis, who isn't interested in the North, did not calculate the distance.

Apart from having good sociability, of course, Procyon, a new member of the Knights, is not.

"The Rosa Manor is actually not that influential in the North. It is only well-liked because it's near the Eire Forest. That's how special the Eire Forest is in Esmeralda. The trees there grow up to 100 meters in size and have a very long lifespan. The oldest tree is said to have lived for about a thousand years."

"Wow."

"There is also a legend about them feeling pain, so the first Grand Duke restricts logging. So now only dead ones are cut and used, but when it is unavoidable to cut down alive, a ritual to comfort trees is always held."

"Wow!"

"Sir Procyon? Please keep your admiration to yourself."

Agena, who was acting as our guide, gave Procyon a warning.

Three knights stayed with me and Aedis in the carriage.

It was a formal procedure, almost like a show.

The carriage was just a little smaller than Regen's bedroom, so it felt spacious even with five people.

In addition, the wheels were meticulously and specially treated because they had to advance through the snow.

Thanks to that, the inside of the carriage was not stuffy and the ride was comfortable, so I was satisfied.

We were going to be escorted by knights like this for an hour after departure and an hour just before arrival.

Procyon was very innocent, though.

He said that even if 100 of the best knights in the Empire attacked at the same time, they would not be able to touch even one of my fingertips.

When I asked why it wasn't Aedis's fingertips but my fingertips, his eyes turned back to me and gave me a look as if asking if that was an actual question.

Even in Procyon's eyes, it seemed that Aedis cared about me a lot.