Chapter 28

At that same time. The Lilith marquis’s family.

“Duke Calypse really has no eye for people. If he was going to adopt someone, why pick some hopeless orphan brat?!”

Furious, Marquis Lilith slammed his glass down with a bang.

“There are so many outstanding talents in the branch families! Isn’t that right?”

“You are absolutely correct.”

At that moment, someone listening to him cut in.

“But it really is strange. If he wanted to adopt a child, he should’ve brought in Young Master Tex long ago...”

“Ahem. Hrm!”

At those words, someone else cleared his throat as if telling him to watch what he was saying.

Count Ringston blinked stupidly before belatedly realizing his mistake.

“Ah, well. I suppose officially presenting an orphan would naturally be embarrassing.”

“Exactly. Young Master Tex will surely achieve excellent results during this heir selection trial, so that must be what he’s counting on. Hahaha!”

Only after hearing the eager flattery of the family heads did Marquis Lilith finally withdraw his venomous glare.

Recently, he had become even more sensitive than before.

Just as planned, only Tex remained as a candidate for heir of the Kreutz family, and he had confirmed that Duke Calypse’s last desperate attempt—the adopted child—was a powerless one.

Then why am I this uneasy?

Something about it bothered him. As he tapped his fingers lightly against the armrest, a certain image surfaced in his mind.

A tiny frame.

Cheeks like freshly baked bread.

Unnaturally large blue eyes.

And twin pigtails sticking upward as if arrowheads had been attached to both sides.

Aisha, was it?

That was right.

Ever since meeting that little brat at the ducal estate during the casual visit he had made out of curiosity, the marquis had felt unsettled.

At first, he assumed it was because Duke Calypse had ignored Tex and adopted another child instead.

But the relief he had felt after confirming she was powerless had only lasted a moment.

“The power of ice earned acknowledgment by protecting people.”

“But you threatened people instead. That means you’re not qualified to be heir.”

That child was different somehow.

A five-year-old orphan should know to fear a noble like him and should be at least a little stupid.

She should never have spoken so intelligently that he almost mistook her for a noble through and through—no, for a direct descendant of the Kreutz family itself.

Did he bring her in because she isn’t ordinary?

On top of that, he still could not forget the humiliation from before.

“While Duke Calypse is away on monster subjugation, Marquis, you’re drinking tea in his castle instead. Duke Calypse would probably be very pleased to hear that.”

Those blue eyes peeking out from beside Knox’s leg.

He had been so startled that he glared directly at the child, but she had not avoided his gaze even once and had spoken clearly and firmly.

The image was still vivid in his mind.

I can’t even touch her carelessly... Insolent little brat.

Remembering the incident again, the marquis ground his teeth.

The timing of the Kreutz family’s monster subjugation?

Of course he knew about it.

He had specifically visited the ducal estate because he knew that terrifying duke would be absent.

But that brat named Aisha had bluntly pointed out the very thing everyone knew yet none dared say aloud.

That little brat who only climbed in status through sheer luck!

Did he adopt her because she runs her mouth well?

That probably was not the reason, yet Aisha kept bothering him.

Enough that he finally brought her up himself.

“Aisha, was it? If Tex enters the ducal family as heir, that child will obviously start throwing her weight around.”

“What kind of intimidation could a five-year-old brat possibly manage? She’s just some insignificant orphan.”

“She ought to be bowing and scraping instead.”

Flattering remarks flew around from every direction, but he barely heard them.

“The problem is that she didn’t. Do you know what that brat said to me?”

“......”

“That damn brat said, right in front of me—”

The people present had already heard exactly what Aisha did to the marquis at least ten times by now, so they quietly closed their eyes.

At that moment, Count Ringston, who had been waiting for a chance to make up for his earlier mistake, leaned forward.

“Marquis. No matter what that brat said, isn’t Young Master Tex still the one with the power of ice?”

Then he clenched his fist dramatically.

“The first power holder born from the branch line. The hope of the branch line. The pride of the branch line. The strength of the branch line!”

“That’s right, Your Excellency. The hope of the branch line.”

“Exactly. Honestly, I used to think Duke Calypse was making far too much fuss over merely guarding the ice barrier and killing a few monsters. But the branch families are still noble houses with territories in the north.”

The others followed Count Ringston and added their own remarks.

Their words sounded thick with flattery, but in that moment, the family heads were sincere.

A power holder had emerged from the branch line. That meant the enormous wall dividing the direct line and the branch lines had finally begun to crumble.

A towering wall with the difference between heaven and earth.

“Since things have come to this, why not let Young Master Tex show off his power?”

Rubbing his hands together like a fly, Count Ringston fawned shamelessly, and the marquis smiled as if reluctantly giving in before ordering a servant.

“Bring Tex here.”

These days, the marquis’s only pride and pleasure was showing off Tex’s power in front of other people.

A short while later—

“Yaaawn. Why did you call me, F-Father?”

Tex swaggered in with messy hair sticking up wildly before suddenly flinching.

“Greetings, Young Master Tex.”

“Ah... yes. Hello.”

Tex had not expected to find so many family heads gathered inside his father’s office, and he hurriedly tried to hide his panic.

He had assumed it would just be another lecture.

“Tex. Show them your power.”

“Huh?”

The smiling marquis tilted his head toward his son.

“Go on. Our guests are looking forward to it.”

Only then did the boy realize his father’s intention, and he frowned uncomfortably.

His face practically had I don’t want to written across it.

But experience had taught him that showing it once and ending things cleanly was better than resisting.

“Hyaaat!”

With a loud shout, Tex stomped his foot and imagined a gigantic icicle rising before him.

But—

“......?”

“Hyaaat!”

Surprisingly, nothing appeared.

Tex’s face turned red after making a fool of himself by doing nothing except shouting and blinking.

“No, wait...”

He stomped again, but the result was the same.

Flailing around as if trapped inside a dream, he finally thought that at the very least he could create ice cubes small enough for drink glasses.

Just as he was about to slam his hand against the desk—

“Wait a moment. Son. Are you playing around again? Hahahahahaha!”

Marquis Lilith abruptly jumped to his feet and hurriedly grabbed both of his son’s shoulders.

Did you forget again?

Still smiling, he muttered quietly enough that only Tex could hear.

“...Ah, right.”

At the idiotically obvious realization in his son’s mutter, the marquis clicked his tongue.

Then he immediately brightened his expression again and turned toward the others.

“It seems my son’s rebellious phase has gotten rather severe lately. I honestly don’t know what to do at times like this. I’m worried he might act like this during the heir selection trial as well. Well, regardless, I apologize, but everyone should head home for today.”

The family heads exchanged glances as they watched the marquis dramatically shake his head.

Then they began speaking one by one.

“Ah, haha. That’s a difficult age, after all.”

“Understood. Then we’ll see you at the heir selection trial.”

Fortunately, they did not seem particularly concerned.

In truth, the marquis had boasted about Tex’s power so often whenever they met that several of them had already seen it many times.

And so the family heads departed.

“I’m sorry. I forgot because I was sleeping... F-Father!”

Thud. Thud.

With a severe expression, Marquis Lilith seized Tex by the wrist and strode down the corridor almost at a run before entering his son’s bedroom.

Then he slammed the door shut so nobody else could hear.

“The medicine!”

“I forgot, okay?! People can forget things! I’ll take it now!”

“You can forget?! How can you forget when your power doesn’t work without the medicine, you insolent brat?! You and that medicine are one body now!”

Enraged, the marquis smacked his son across the backside.

“Aagh!”

Tex staggered a few steps away as if trying to flee before muttering resentfully,

“I said I’d take it...”

“Take it right now! Hurry!”

“...Yes.”

“Here, I’ll get it out for you...”

But the marquis fell silent as he opened the bedside drawer, his eyes reddening.

“.......”

The color drained from his face in an instant.

There was barely any medicine left.

Only enough for a week. He’ll need to drink even more than usual to get through the heir selection trial.

Ah.

Only then did the marquis finally realize the source of the unease he had been feeling this whole time.

He needed to go obtain more potions.

This time I’ll have to buy a larger amount, even if it’s excessive. We only met recently, and yet I already have to go see those bastards again.