YOWV~32

Chapter 32 

First of all, one thing was certain.

I would punish the Marquis Lilis family no matter what.

If I told Duke Uncle about my conversation with Lucas, this would be easily settled.

‘The problem is that Lucas still doesn’t want to talk about it.’

“Hm. What should I do?”

I couldn’t go around telling others the secret he had promised to tell only me.

But if this wasn’t solved, Lucas probably wouldn’t attend the heir test.

‘If I persuade him a little more, maybe Lucas will attend?’

Shake shake—

Thinking about it, I shook my head.

It wasn’t right to push someone who had just confessed their wounds.

Roll—

I turned my body and lay down, and something flashed through my mind.

Hmm?

‘If the heir test is just postponed until Lucas regains his composure, that would be fine, right?’

A good idea came to me.

The next day.

“Uncle.”

“What is it?”

“Please include me as a candidate for the heir as well.”

In the peaceful office.

I let my eyes shimmer as if I were hurt.

“…I am also a direct descendant. Why am I not included as a candidate for the heir?”

“That’s because the heir test requires special ability…”

“Is it because I’m an adopted child?”

“Pff—”

Calypse spat out the coffee he was drinking.

I’m sorry, Father.

This time, I have to be a slightly fire-type filial daughter.

That afternoon.

Because of Aisha’s statement, the Crost Duke family secretly held a small meeting.

‘W-what on earth is going on…?’

‘Exactly what I’m saying.’

One by one, the vassals who arrived in haste avoided Calypse’s gaze the moment they saw his face.

The Duke’s family head looked like he was about to go to war.

Tap, tap. Every time his long, straight fingers tapped the table, the vassals’ hearts also dropped.

After everyone sat down—

“Gentlemen…”

Duke Calypse spoke heavily.

“What would you think if a five-year-old child said she wanted to take the Crost Duke family heir test?”

“…?”

At the family head’s question, the vassals stayed silent for a while, exchanging glances.

“Well… if another ability user appeared besides Young Master Tex, then we would welcome them with open arms…”

“No.”

The Duke said seriously.

“If a non-ability user, that little child, asks to join the candidate position to contribute to the Crost household, what do you all think?”

A vassal, reading the mood, spoke.

“Well, of course, if she is a non-ability user, then it would be… difficult to be placed among the heir candidates…”

“I was thinking too shallowly.”

“Pardon?”

The vassals’ eyes widened at the sudden self-reflection.

Regardless of them, Calypse sighed and pressed his forehead with his hand.

“I thought I was treating her equally, but that child still thinks she is an adopted child.”

Wait a minute. This is—

The vassals’ eyeballs rolled toward each other.

“He is trying to buy time until Lucas opens his heart, even if he talks like that.”

…This wasn’t a meeting. It was just—

“Although the heir is supposed to be only direct or collateral descendants with abilities… this is the first non-ability user in the Crost family, so if we don’t give the child candidate qualifications, she might get hurt.”

His Excellency was simply complaining… right?

“I guess I’m not really a direct descendant. If she starts thinking like that, that would be bad, right?”

At this point, it was just him pushing for a specific answer.

‘Is she talking about the five-year-old… the young Lady Aisha?’

‘I think so.’

The vassals exchanged looks like meerkats.

A non-ability direct descendant becoming an heir candidate? It was an unusual case.

However, it was also the first time that a collateral branch had been allowed as a candidate, and the first time a commoner child had been adopted into the direct lineage of the Crost family.

In this situation, letting Aisha buy time for Lucas, who was emotionally wounded, was—

‘Not bad.’

If Lucas eventually becomes the family head, it would be better to place someone from the same direct line rather than the collateral branch.

But could a commoner-born princess defeat an ability user?

‘You speak.’

Tap.

‘No, you speak.’

Tap.

‘I spoke during the last monster subjugation. You speak.’

What if the young princess loses?

They wanted to ask that, but their mouths closed when they met those fiery eyes.

In the end, while they were silently pushing the responsibility to each other—

“Is this a protest because you dislike being an adopted direct descendant?”

Misinterpreting the scene, Calypse’s eyes slowly widened.

“Ah, n-no! We were actually admiring the princess’s generous and tolerant heart!”

“Yes indeed! We were so amazed that we were flapping like fish!”

“Oh. So you were flapping because you liked it too much.”

Only then did Calypse show a satisfied smile.

After the meeting ended—

When even the servants who finished cleaning disappeared, only Calypse and Knox remained in the meeting room.

Knox asked while organizing the report without much thought.

“But will the princess really be able to do well? The opponent is an ability user.”

Worry only breeds more worry.

Even if Aisha became an heir candidate, the problem wasn’t completely solved.

“…The chances are slim.”

Calypse wiped his dry face with his hand, his gaze becoming dull.

“Victory is guaranteed—!”

Chirp, chirp.

A childish, high-pitched voice like a chick’s came from above their heads.

“…?”

“?”

Feeling uneasy, the two men raised their heads toward the ceiling.

“I am the direct descendant of the Crost Duke family, currently a spy! Such credentials are hard to find anywhere, Father!”

Aisha was hanging from a huge chandelier, making a V sign with her fingers.

Calypse was horrified.

“Kid, what are you doing up there! It’s dangerous!”

“Father, if you are raising a golden seed, you must raise it strong.”

“Forget father or anything, come down right now!”

“So you will put me in the heir candidate list?”

“Just come down first.”

“You will put me in, right?”

“Yes. I will put you in, so come down quickly.”

“Ugh—!”

The light body landed on the floor.

“Eek!”

“Got you, you little rascal.”

A huge hand grabbed Aisha.

“Why are you trying to go out even though you don’t have to? Did Lucas say something to you?”

“Well, nothing… eek!”

Meanwhile, Lucas, who was peeking through the back door at the horrifying scene, quietly closed the door and ran away.

After closing the bedroom door, his pounding heart finally calmed.

“…Aisha. Don’t tell me you’re going to take the test because of me?”

Lucas crawled into the blanket and stared into empty space with thoughtful eyes.

‘She didn’t even tell her story as promised.’

As a direct descendant of Crost, he would repay this kindness someday.

Sniff.

But while Lucas had been frowning darkly and clenching his fist, his expression darkened.

What would happen to the heir test?

In truth, he had planned to naturally take the heir position.

Everything felt unfamiliar and uncomfortable now, but if given a little time, he would have confidently taken the test.

But—

“…I never wanted to make Dandelion suffer in my place.”

A regretful voice echoed quietly.

‘Do you want to sleep with me today?’

He thought she was a carefree fellow who listened well.

But while sleeping on the same bed with me—

While I fell into sleep without nightmares because you were there—

‘Aisha, you were worrying about whether to attend the heir test instead of me, right?’

“…I’m 3 years older than her.”

Lucas glared at the innocent wooden floor and kicked a nearby cushion.

“I totally fail as an older brother.”

If I don’t attend the heir test, what will happen to Dandelion?

Dandelion was strong.

Despite being small, she risked danger to save him.

Also, she had poison needle techniques that could knock out an adult man with her maple-leaf-like hand.

But—

‘The opponent is an ability user.’

Knox’s calm statement wouldn’t leave his ears.

Lucas stared at his palm.

Just by being conscious of it, white frost formed at the fingertips, growing into sharp icicles.

He knew the difference between ability users and ordinary people well.

Just like how he, who couldn’t even reach outside the bars for five years, could escape once the restraint was removed.

“…If anything happens to Dandelion…”

Crackle—

Before he could even imagine something, his body reacted first.

The ice crystals forming in his hand shattered.

After a while.

Lucas, who had been thinking for a long time, took something out from his jacket pocket.

It was a slave trading contract.

Several days later.

A carriage engraved with a mountain goat crest stopped smoothly in front of the Crost Duke residence.

“Tex, just do what you always do.”

“Understood, Father.”

Today.

It was the day the heir test would be held.