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Chapter 23
Herden frowned.
His pride was wounded, but he couldn’t deny the truth.
Herden had no talent for swordsmanship. He hadn’t inherited even a shred of Taibern’s skill.
Exilon sparked with electricity whenever Herden tried to touch it, reacting violently. Sornya and Karte didn’t even like being near it.
“Then who do you plan to pass it on to? Surely you don’t mean to hand that sword over to someone who doesn’t carry the blood of Katieron? If that’s your intention, it would be better to just enshrine the sword instead!”
“I never said that. I intend to give the sword to Hider.”
“…Did you say Hider?”
Herden blinked. Hider. The son left behind by Amy.
The boy who had Amy’s eyes, her lips, even her smile.
Since Amy’s death, Herden had never once faced Hider properly.
Seeing Hider only made the loss of Amy more real—it suffocated him.
So it had been easier not to see him at all.
He hadn’t cared in the slightest how Kiera was raising Hider.
Did Hider even have such talent?
“Tsk. You really don’t know a thing about your own son, do you?”
“But… Hider is an illegitimate child. You hated Amy so much because she was of common birth! You even forced Hider to be registered under Kiera’s name!”
Taibern scowled.
“Who told you that?”
“Are you pretending not to know now? Mother told me that herself! And Kiera said the same thing!”
Taibern had no response now that his late wife was being brought up.
She hadn’t been a particularly good person. She was greedy and always had to have everything she wanted.
It was clear that, since Herden feared Taibern, she had blamed everything on him.
Still, he didn’t want to speak ill of the dead.
“What matters is talent. Hider clearly has it. I intend to train him and make him the rightful wielder of Exilon.”
“Are you trying to stir up chaos in the family? I won’t allow it. Karte will be the next duke!”
“Try it if you want. I’ll do things my way.”
Taibern spoke coldly.
Herden glared at him for a long while before storming out.
“…Will you really let him continue to misunderstand like that?”
The aide asked.
“If that hatred toward me is what keeps him alive, then so be it.”
Taibern muttered with a sunken expression.
“Now then, back to the matter at hand. Can you summon Lord Holden from the North?”
“You intend to protect Master Hider, don’t you? I can, but the duke won’t like it.”
“Does that matter? Hider is more important.”
Taibern spoke without hesitation. The aide let out a deep sigh.
There was no swaying Taibern once he made up his mind.
The aide glanced at the property transfer contract on the table.
‘Just who is he planning to give all that wealth to?’
He found himself curious about the guest expected at 3 p.m.
Hider? Kiera?
Karte? Sornya?
He had no idea at all.
As the long-awaited 3 p.m. finally arrived, Lani made her way to Taibern’s room in secret.
I’ve been looking forward to this moment all day. Hehe. I’m finally getting my own house. So exciting!
She hummed a little tune as she entered the room.
Taibern and his aide were already there.
“Sit down.”
The man who seemed to be the aide stared at her in surprise, glancing between her and Taibern.
Maybe he hadn’t been fully informed? But that didn’t matter.
“You’ve prepared everything, right?”
“Of course. I found an estate just as you wanted, a bit away from the capital. All you have to do is sign, and it’s yours.”
Lani glanced at Taibern and picked up the pen. She didn’t really understand the address anyway, so she skimmed for the important parts.
It was a transfer contract.
It did say she’d become the owner.
And it wasn’t in the capital.
Before he could change his mind, she quickly signed it.
“A pleasure doing business with you, Lord Taibern.”
“Don’t mention it. But tell me—did you read the whole contract properly?”
“Huh? Don’t tell me you played a trick on me? Is it okay for an adult to treat a kid like this?”
Taibern chuckled, snatched the contract from her hands, and flipped it to a specific page.
It was a part she’d skimmed over earlier because she didn’t recognize the address.
He pointed to the section.
“This is the house you wanted.”
“Yes. And?”
Taibern moved his finger downward.
“This is a ruby mine.”
“…Eh?”
“And this is a gold mine.”
“Ehh??”
“And this is a field and rice paddies under your name.”
“EHHHH??”
Lani snatched the contract and read it thoroughly. Then she looked back and forth between it and Taibern.
What… what is all this…?
Taibern spoke elegantly.
“That’s what I consider the value of my life to be.”
“……”
Wow, your self-worth really reaches the heavens, huh…
She gulped, her hands trembling.
She had suddenly become absurdly rich.
What now?
Should she quit her job?
She basically just won the lottery, didn’t she?
But Taibern wasn’t someone to be taken lightly.
He snatched the contract back from her, placed it on the table, and pointed to the final line.
“You should check this part too.”
She blinked.
The text was 2 points smaller than the rest—it had completely slipped past her.
What is this…?
[Except for the house, the rest of the assets will be officially transferred on Lani’s 20th birthday, at which point a final contract shall be signed.]
Wait… the lottery ticket just disappeared…?
“How could an adult… trick a kid like this…”
“I just taught you how the world works, Lani. You should’ve read it properly.”
Her hands trembled.
No, Lani. Don’t think of it that way. Think of it as a savings plan for the future. Let’s focus on the bright side.
“What about the revenue from the mines and fields? Does that also come when I’m twenty…?”
“Oh, you missed that part too?”
Taibern pointed again. In small print below, another clause was written.
[For five years, 10% of the revenue will be deposited into Lani’s account, and the remaining amount will be paid out in full upon reaching age 20.]
Taibern helpfully read it aloud.
Ten percent… ha.
She suddenly felt like she’d gone from a millionaire to a regular middle-class worker.
It was still a huge amount, but wow, how fickle human emotions could be.
She pouted and gathered up the papers.
So much for quitting her job. Not that she really planned to anyway.
She’d thought about running away from time to time, of course.
Anyone would, right?
Sneaking off to the market to buy and sell things… she’d tried.
After all, this place was her future grave.
Even now, if she wanted to, she could probably escape.
Maybe Hider just wasn’t ready to leave yet?
Maybe things would change after three years.
Maybe she could just return to sign the papers then.
“Don’t take it too hard, Lani.”
She puffed up her cheeks and glared at him.
“Who knows what you’ll accomplish in the next five years. If you do something truly valuable, I’m willing to give you even more.
Like… continuing to take good care of Hider, for example.”
“More than this…?”
“Of course.”
She gulped again.
So the lottery prize can become two… or three…
She anxiously looked over the contract once more.
Her lips involuntarily curled into a smile.
What should I do once I turn 20?
She imagined herself tossing money everywhere, laughing elegantly.
‘I’ll buy everything from here to there!’
She made up her mind.
“I will become an excellent maid, Lord Taibern.”
“I’ll count on you.”
She had officially signed up to become Taibern’s loyal minion.
