The day after his son died, the young man who killed him came to visit his father.
“You’ve done well.”
The Marquis gestured for Leo to take a seat and opened a cabinet to retrieve some alcohol.
Just then, a chilling sensation brushed past him from behind.
[ Achievement Unlocked: Noble Slaying - All nobles feel a slight fear towards you. ]
‘What was that feeling?’
This young man was certainly intriguing. No, he should call him a worthy son now.
Even as he retrieved the alcohol and glasses, he remained acutely aware of Leo behind him. Turning around, he asked,
“Would you care for a drink?”
“It would be an honor.”
The Marquis personally filled Leo's glass and offered it to him. The young man accepted it with impeccable courtesy. That’s when a lingering question resurfaced in his mind.
‘But why does his sister have no manners? They’re definitely siblings, judging by their appearances…’
The Marquis chuckled to himself, intrigued. He had drawn a rare hand indeed.
The two men lightly clinked their glasses and each took a sip, but the silence stretched on. They continued to savor the strong liquor without speaking.
Finally, the Marquis noticed. Such situations were rare, hence his delayed reaction.
‘Hmmm, I see. So now it's my turn to negotiate.’
Leo had played his hand well, and now it was the Marquis's turn.
Such bold ambition.
The Marquis found it rather refreshing. He tapped his glass thoughtfully, then decided to break the silence.
“You mentioned having some skill in swordsmanship. Are you still training?”
“I make time for it personally. The nights have grown pleasant with the warm weather, and the night sky is quite beautiful.”
Working during the day and practicing at night without a master. It meant his life was not easy. Such was the life of a lowly thug.
“Spring is already coming to an end… You’ll be needing some shade to escape the heat soon enough.”
“Indeed. A cool well would be the perfect addition.”
The Marquis's thin eyebrows twitched. A well symbolized family, or rather, a community. This wasn’t just about a swordsmanship teacher; this was a request to be formally adopted as his son.
The Marquis let out a low chuckle.
“Hahaha, a well… That takes me back. It feels like ages since I last drew water from a well bucket.”
He had already decided to adopt him, but there were still some lingering questions.
‘You should at least tell me about your family background.’
Besides knowing his name was Leo, his skill with a sword, and his audacious entry into the Rauno Family by using some prostitute, the Marquis knew nothing else about him.
He had confirmed Leo's swordsmanship skills when he effortlessly broke through the carriage door.
The knight who had inspected the door had reported,
He possesses considerable skill. However, it’s quite peculiar. The door wasn’t forced open with brute strength. It was purely swordsmanship. But his physique is so frail… It doesn’t make sense. His body seems untrained in swordsmanship… He must possess a natural talent for it.
‘Could he be Earl Forte’s illegitimate son? Another part of his scheme?’
But the Marquis quickly dismissed the thought.
The Earl was a man who would gladly appoint even an illegitimate son, or even a complete stranger, as his heir if they possessed exceptional swordsmanship.
He wouldn't waste such a talent like this.
The Marquis tapped his chin thoughtfully, mentally scrolling through a list.
‘Now, which knightly families have fallen from grace recently?’
A body capable of wielding mana was an inherited trait, unlike a mage’s mana sensitivity.
Although swordsmanship and physical prowess were separate talents, they weren't entirely unrelated to one's lineage. The Marquis believed that early exposure to anything was essential for talent to blossom.
However, no particular family came to mind.
Knightly families were generally lacking in etiquette, but this young man's manners were so impeccable that it was difficult to explain unless he came from a distinguished family.
‘Is he truly an illegitimate child? No, that’s impossible. What kind of fool would neglect a child this capable, even if he were illegitimate? I see. He was cast out. I don't know why, but he was definitely cast out.’
The Marquis was certain.
‘This boy is from another country.’
Among the prominent families of the Bellita Kingdom, he had never encountered siblings like this.
“Hahaha, you personally drew water from a well bucket, Marquis? It must have been a fond memory.”
The young man remained evasive, not giving a straightforward answer. The Marquis played along, remaining silent for a moment as if reminiscing about the past.
However, his mind was filled with frustration and curiosity. ‘This boy refuses to reveal his past.’
The Marquis stroked his chin, thinking.
‘He’s a strange one indeed. What past could he possibly be hiding from me? From Benard Tatian? Why would he conceal his background when he’s trying to become the adopted son of a powerful noble who governs the western part of the Bellita Kingdom? More importantly, which country is he from?’
His curiosity and ambition burned within him.
The Marquis was determined to adopt both siblings. The hand they had dealt was too tempting to ignore.
He was interested in this young man named Leo, but… Lena, that girl, possessed incredible value as well.
The Marquis had never seen a woman so beautiful. Even dressed in shabby clothes and cheap ornaments, her beauty was radiant.
'They dressed her so poorly… Such a beautiful young lady looks even better in simpler clothes.'
He projected his own preferences onto Lena.
Someone with her beauty doesn’t need flashy clothes.
It's better to emphasize her appearance with clothes that act as a blank canvas and draw attention to her with small, almost invisible jewelry.
Well, it wouldn’t matter what she wore with her looks…
The Marquis’s gaze traveled up Lena’s figure in his mind, finally reaching her face.
His eyes met hers, sparkling with a refreshing smile, and he couldn’t help but feel a surge of admiration.
‘Those golden eyes of hers…’
They held immense value. Golden eyes were a symbol of the Akaia Empire’s Imperial Family.
Over time, the Imperial bloodline had spread, and the golden hue had faded, making it a rare sight these days. However, nobles and royalty with a trace of Imperial blood would occasionally be born with such eyes.
In extremely rare cases, commoners would exhibit this trait, indicating an ancestor from the Akaia Empire’s Imperial Family somewhere down their lineage.
If a female commoner possessed such eyes, she could only lament her ancestry…
The Marquis glanced at the young man before him.
His golden eyes shone brightly, but they held little value. They were pleasing to the eye, but that was all. A male noble's worth was determined by his abilities, title, and the influence of his family.
On the other hand, Lena's eyes were a different story. A noblewoman's worth was influenced by factors beyond her family’s power. Factors such as appearance, lineage, and character.
The Marquis assessed Lena's value like a horse trader in a market, searching for a suitable buyer.
'If I were to adopt that girl and marry her off to the prince…'
If the prince were to take a liking to Lena, the Royalist Faction would gain significant power. Even if the prince remained indifferent, the Tatian family would at least maintain their standing as a powerful foreign ally.
Even Earl Hermann Forte, with all his influence over the prince, wouldn’t be able to control the reactions of a young man smitten by such a beauty.
“I don't have any particularly fond memories. My only wish is for my sister’s well-being, and she…”
Just then, the young man smoothly refilled his glass, snapping him out of his thoughts.
The Marquis grinned. It didn’t matter if the boy was evasive about his past.
'I suppose I can overlook that much.'
He would find out eventually.
Marquis Benard Tatian was confident that he wouldn’t suffer any losses. There was a reason why the scales of the Tatian family were always tipped in his favor.
He clinked his glass against the one offered by the young man. Leo smiled brightly, sensing his victory.
He definitely should have let Lena know beforehand. Now she's going to be uncooperative about this whole thing.
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