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Chapter 153
House Sperom.
Here, there was one person for whom Arrelin’s whereabouts were just as important as the Mage Tower.
“So, my sons,”
During a harmonious dinner, Duke Simon Sperom, head of the family, anxiously addressed his sons.
“Did you meet Lady Arrelin?”
Noel and Ciel both nodded simultaneously.
“Yes, yes!”
“Of course, we did!”
“Ohhh.”
Duke Sperom’s eyes sparkled with hope, brimming with anticipation.
Who would’ve thought that even our precious sons would manage to accomplish something useful for once!
“Then, you obviously discussed that car or whatever, right?!”
At the hopeful question from Duke Sperom, Ciel and Noel looked at each other.
“Ah.”
“Forgot about it.”
“…….”
Duke Sperom’s expression hardened in an instant.
“It’s been so long since we saw Arrelin that I forgot.”
“It was just so nice to see her.”
Unable to suppress his surging emotions, Duke Sperom felt frustrated.
Of course… who says kids are ever useful?
“No, you little brats! How can you forget that?! Did you think that would become a business worth millions of gold?! They say it turned the exhibition upside down! If it’s such a business idea, you should have handled it before I even had to tell you, right? Does no money flow in your veins?!”
“If money flowed in our veins, we’d die, Dad.”
“How can human blood become money? Scary.”
Pretending to tremble in fear, the twins pouted.
“Hah. I gave birth to these as my children.”
“Dad, you didn’t give birth to us.”
“Right, it was Mom who gave birth to us.”
“Ah, fine. My precious ones, just grow up healthy.”
The twins nodded and eagerly ate the sous-vide pork tenderloin steaks served for dinner.
Watching the twins eat like little birds, Duke Sperom let out a weary sigh.
When he first heard that the twins had gone to Halbern with the Crown Prince, he thought, “It’s finally happening.”
But who could restrain these little devils, even if they were his sons?
Considering Mehen’s sharp temperament and Valer’s unpredictable nature, having these as sons… any incident at any time would not be surprising.
‘Why haven’t they contacted me at all?’
Strangely, the Halbern Archducal House remained quiet.
‘What is it? Did they just overlook it because they’re children? Or because they’re involved with the Crown Prince? Yet they refused my visit requests one after another?’
“Ah, if only Queion were here, I could have gone with him.”
Unfortunately, Duke Muevisk had gone to the Northern Fortress.
Valer had taken all the troops stationed at the Northern Fortress to the border with the Southern Empire, and Duke Muevisk had volunteered to fill the gap.
‘The Northern Fortress… it’s important. Very important…’
No matter how people spoke of it as humanity’s last frontier, to Duke Sperom, who dealt in monster corpses and byproducts, the Northern Fortress was essentially a goldmine.
‘But there’s a business idea that surpasses that!’
The problem was that the business exhibition had been completely destroyed by a sudden terrorist attack, leaving only testimonies from Sperom merchants present at the site.
Even the Mage Tower was suddenly under lockdown, making it difficult to obtain accurate information.
Duke Sperom grew even more restless.
“Should I just go?”
If he had a lead, he’d go crazy and charge straight there.
“Ah, really… isn’t there anything?”
Meanwhile, the Halbern residence remained peaceful.
“Then I’ll go.”
After the three-party meeting led by Mehen, the Regent had to step away briefly to handle trials and matters concerning the Southern Empire.
“I’ll be sure to return.”
“Yes.”
Regent Ludwig looked at Arrelin with eyes full of lingering attachment.
“……? Not going?”
Arrelin tilted her head as she watched Ludwig hesitate to leave, showing no trace of disappointment.
“Of course I must go.”
He said so, but Ludwig seemed unable to leave, unwilling to part.
As Arrelin lingered longer beside her, Valer suddenly appeared and decisively drove Ludwig out.
“What are you doing? Get out.”
“…….”
Ludwig felt a pang of emotion at the intrusion of this tactless human.
Valer followed him as he left, closing the door and keeping watch.
“What are you looking at?”
Meeting Ludwig’s gaze, Valer openly frowned.
“There’s one thing I want to ask.”
“And if I ask, will you answer?”
“You’ve been itching to torment me, so how did you restrain yourself until now?”
With a face more handsome than any painting, Valer shrugged.
“Even if you recruited Franz, it must’ve taken effort. So why haven’t you lifted a finger until now?”
“Curious?”
“Yes, I started wondering late.”
It was unsettling to realize that, just as he wished for Valer’s misfortune, Valer must have wished for Ludwig’s misery.
The Southern Empire had been unusually peaceful. Valer could have turned it upside down at any time, but he didn’t. Why not?
Sure enough, the reply was astonishing.
“You’ll destroy yourself anyway.”
Even without being pushed to die, Ludwig was already rolling and dying in his own personal hell.
“So there was no need for me to go through the trouble of tormenting you.”
Valer’s lips twisted.
Ludwig recalled his state before knowing Arrelin and nodded.
“I see.”
Valer muttered coldly, showing no hidden hostility.
“I don’t like you.”
“I don’t like you either.”
“Well, that’s convenient. Rare that we agree on something.”
Valer smiled brightly.
“So, how long do you intend to pester my daughter?”
“Until I die.”
“Then can I kill you now?”
“If you can.”
As Valer raised a deadly aura, a shadow instantly enveloped Ludwig. Valer scowled, his handsome features contorting.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking being near my daughter, but if you touch her again, I’ll make sure you understand why every human fears Halbern under Albrecht.”
Ludwig chuckled wryly at the warning—if it was one.
“Don’t think the father’s seat will be yours forever. I’ll take it back someday.”
Having resolved the matters of atonement for Shione, the poorly started relationship with Arrelin, and every previous issue, Ludwig did not hide his ambition: he would become Arrelin’s father.
Valer openly scoffed.
“That’ll be difficult.”
“……?”
“She likes me too much.”
This was the confidence of someone in a position of power.
Later, after Ludwig left the residence.
Mehen sat in his office, unexpectedly lost in thought. The conversation with Ludwig before his departure was troubling him.
“One thing I want to ask.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Is Arrelin very sick?”
Ludwig’s sudden visit inquired about Arrelin’s health.
It was a difficult topic, and Mehen remained silent before finally replying.
“……She probably won’t live long.”
“Why?”
“Well, we tried every method to find out, but no answer could be found. So, we want to ask: is it a problem with the Southern Empire bloodline?”
At Mehen’s sharp question, Ludwig paused before answering.
“Even if there is a problem, it has nothing to do with Arrelin.”
“What do you mean……?”
“Because I’m not Arrelin’s biological father.”
Silence descended immediately.
Mehen, who had firmly believed Ludwig must be the father, was shocked.
“Um, Regent, I think I just heard you say Arrelin’s biological father isn’t you.”
“No, you heard correctly.”
“…….”
What on earth did Sister Shione do?
Blinking quickly, Mehen let out a hollow laugh.
‘Then who exactly is Arrelin’s biological father?’
A new confusion had arisen.
Meanwhile…
“……?”
Valer tilted his head at Mehen, who was unusually deep in thought.
‘Why would Mehen be so contemplative?’
Valer’s attention shifted to a more bothersome visitor: a hundred or so hasty mages from the Sky Tower.
“Finally, Lady Arrelin!”
Excited to meet Arrelin at last, the mages quickly realized something was amiss when the housemaster appeared to block their path.
“Welcome, magicians.”
Even among mages, the Halbern Archduke was notorious. He greeted them with a fierce smile.
“So, why are you looking for my daughter?”
Gulp.
The sound of someone swallowing echoed loudly.
