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Chapter 1
Conditions for Duke Succession (1)
Finally, the thick, heavy silence was broken.
“There is a condition.”
Ethan, as he always did, faced the other person with a calm demeanor.
He looked completely confident that no matter what condition was attached, it would pose no obstacle to him whatsoever.
However, this time, Ethan’s confidence was mistaken.
“Adopt a child.”
“What did you just say?”
“You heard me correctly.”
The Emperor set down his teacup.
“Adopt a child. That is the condition for approving your succession to the title.”
Without the imperial family’s approval, no title could be recognized for succession.
In effect, the Emperor was pulling out his strongest card to blackmail Ethan.
Ethan’s mouth twitched as if he had plenty to say.
Yet, he couldn’t spit out a single word.
‘To think the great Ethan Eybek could make a face like that.’
The Emperor feigned composure while secretly holding back a laugh.
“Your Majesty.”
A moment later, having barely managed to calm himself, Ethan finally spoke.
“What is it?”
“Have you lost your mind?”
“No. I am entirely sane, Ethan.”
“It seems you’ve eaten something wrong.”
“You do realize how disrespectful that sounds, don’t you?”
When the Emperor pointed it out while slowly raising an eyebrow, the space between Ethan’s brows narrowed sharply.
“My wife is perfectly fine, waiting for me at home, and you’re telling me to adopt some random stranger’s child to raise?”
“Indeed.”
“Do you happen to remember that my wife is your one and only younger sister?”
“I haven’t forgotten that fact either, so rest assured.”
“It really seems like you’ve gone mad, so I shall go call the imperial physician.”
Ethan burst up from his seat.
Looking at his annoyed expression, the Emperor smiled brightly.
“It is an imperial decree.”
At his firm stance, sparks flew within Ethan’s eyes.
“Is this her request?”
“…….”
“Ha! I should have burned out the tongues of those senile old fools long ago.”
Ethan spat out a harsh curse, raking his hand through his hair.
As if that wasn’t enough to clear the stifling anger, he roughly loosened the cravat choking his neck.
“I said I was fine, so why on earth?!”
“Ethan.”
At the low call, Ethan barely swallowed his rage.
“She wanted it herself and asked me for it.”
“I don’t need a child or anything of the sort.”
“Setia needs one.”
The Emperor smiled bitterly.
Setia Caelus Eybek.
The Emperor’s younger sister and Ethan Eybek’s wife had been sickly since childhood, making it impossible for her to even get pregnant.
Ethan had taken Setia as his wife knowing full well of her condition.
Naturally, backlash from the Senate and the Council followed.
Day in and day out, they nagged that the succession of the most powerful house supporting the imperial family must not be cut off.
Perhaps under that influence, Setia had recently begun bringing up the topic of children quite frequently.
‘To think she would use a move like this in the end.’
Grinding his teeth fiercely, Ethan left the room as he pleased.
‘I’ve told her until my lips were worn out that she is enough for me right now.’
He truly wished for nothing more as long as he had Setia.
If only Setia could stay by his side for a long time, that alone was enough for him.
‘Just what is troubling you so much?’
Ethan returned straight home without delay.
“Are you back?”
Setia greeted Ethan, sitting propped up against the bed.
Seeing her pale, dry white lips, Ethan’s hostility vanished completely.
Suppressing a sigh, he sat down on the edge of his wife’s bed.
“I just came back from hearing the condition for succession from His Majesty. It was quite extraordinary.”
He brushed back his wife’s hair, and she accepted her husband’s touch with familiar comfort.
“Is that so?”
Even so, she feigned innocence completely.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know, Setia.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re the one who asked him, aren’t you?”
“…….”
“What on earth are you thinking? I told you that having only you is enough for me.”
“Ethan.”
Setia softly covered Ethan’s mouth with her hand.
“Not for me.”
“…….”
“I…… want someone to be by your side for when the time comes.”
“Setia.”
Ethan squeezed his eyes shut like a man who had just heard something horrific.
“Please.”
“…….”
“Yes?”
Setia put on a pitiful expression like a rain-soaked cat.
Ethan was weak against this side of her.
“Damn it.”
Muttering a low, rough curse, he rubbed his face vigorously with his hand.
“Fine. I get it. But only one.”
In the end, Ethan Eybek decided to grant his beloved wife’s request.
The day came for the agreed visit to the orphanage.
“I’ll adopt one that’s already grown.”
He had absolutely zero intention of wasting time raising a child.
Ethan looked up at the dingy-looking brick building.
‘It’s run-down.’
From inside the barely functional fence, the boisterous voices of children were leaking out.
“Hello!”
A clear, cheerful voice caught Ethan’s attention.
“Are you Duke Eybek?”
A clever-looking girl holding the hand of a tiny little pea-sized kid approached and acted as if she knew him.
Ethan’s gaze involuntarily fixed onto the tiny pea.
“My name is Lily. The headmistress told us a guest would be coming, so we were waiting.”
The pea, attached to the girl’s side like a little lump, stuck a hand no bigger than a single bite right next to her face.
“He’wo.”
‘And she calls that a greeting.’
Their eyes collided in midair.
The little pea, seemingly in the middle of a growth spurt, was hugging a piece of bread as big as her own face under her arm.
It was quite amusing how she was busily chewing away with a mouth attached to that tiny little face.
Her curly blond hair was gathered tightly into pigtails on both sides, which bobbed up and down like antennas, looking practically irresistible to poke.
“Ah, this child is…….”
“Where is the headmistress?”
Lily noticed his gaze fixed on the child and tried to introduce her, but Ethan cut her off firmly.
“She is upstairs preparing refreshments. I will guide you.”
Ethan acted as if he had no interest in the tiny pea whatsoever.
He didn’t have the slightest intention of adopting that child.
‘How long would it even take to raise a tiny thing like that?’
Berta. Nickname Bel.
Turning two soon, she was the youngest child in the orphanage.
Holding tightly onto her favorite older sister’s hand, the child’s eyes couldn’t seem to pull away from Ethan.
‘Face.’
Bel looked once at the face of the unfamiliar guest who had visited the orphanage.
Once at Sister Lily.
Once more at the guest’s face.
This time, she looked back and forth at the person attached behind him like a shadow.
‘I can see it.’
It was a first.
Except for her own reflection in the mirror, seeing someone else’s face so clearly.
Was this person special too?
Bel checked the reaction of the pink cloud fluttering around the guest’s face.
[What a truly fascinating human.]
The spirit was also fascinated by the guest.
[To think his ether isn’t contaminated at all.]
The pale pink cloud returned to Bel’s side.
[The vessel to hold ether is large, and its purity is high. Furthermore…….]
The cloud stroked past Bel’s cheek as if brushing against it.
[This human is controlling it perfectly.]
She didn’t know what control meant, but she understood that this guest was as special as she was.
Bel carefully examined Ethan’s face, comparing the differences between him and herself.
Bel had purple eyes. The guest had blue-green eyes.
Bel’s hair was curly gold, while the guest had straight silver hair.
Bel’s skin was cream-colored. The guest had brown skin like whole wheat bread.
Bel was small, and the guest was hugely tall.
And also…….
“Your Highness.”
“What.”
“Do something about that face of yours.”
“What’s wrong with my face.”
“You have a villainous expression as if you’re about to throw a violent tantrum.”
“Shut your mouth, Aspe.”
“Will do.”
His expression was really not great.
Bel stared at the person whispering into Ethan’s ear.
Around his face, a thick black fog was densely gathered.
Naturally, neither his face nor his expression was visible, making him unrecognizable.
To Bel, this was a normal scene.
A dark world devoid of color, covered in squirming gray storm clouds and ominous black fog…….
A world of complete monochrome.
The only things with color were her own reflection in the mirror and the spirit.
It had definitely been that way.
Bel and Ethan’s eyes met in midair.
“……What are you looking at.”
[It seems he has a personality problem, baby star.]
“Nn.”
I shouldn’t look anymore.
Bel quickly straightened her head and took a bite out of the bread she was clutching under her arm.
‘Last time.’
Just one last look.
Glancing sideways at the guest whose every detail—down to the wrinkles between his brows—was visible, Bel quickly turned her head back.
‘Face, like this.’
And she secretly imitated Ethan’s expression.
‘This is a bad face.’
She had never seen an expression like that in her life.
Before they knew it, they had arrived in front of the headmistress’s office.
When Lily knocked, the door opened as if waiting for them.
“Welcome.”
A chubby body, a gentle voice, and a faint gray fog over the face.
This person was the headmistress.
Bel let go of Lily’s hand and threw herself into the headmistress’s arms.
“I am Theresa, the headmistress of this orphanage.”
“I assume you’ve already been informed. I’ll get straight to the point.”
Ethan raised his chin high with an overbearing attitude.
‘What kind of expression is this?’
Following his lead, Bel raised her chin and looked down with her eyes.
To Bel, who was seeing another person’s face for the very first time, Ethan was the most interesting person in the world.
