Chapter 21
The leaves bathed in sunlight fluttered, casting their own shadows. Fresh and crisp air was spreading between the trees reaching towards the sky.
Count Dennis, with his thick and dark eyebrows raised high, was more cold and cautious than ever.
“I plan to entrust this business entirely to you from now on. I will declare it that way. You are the only one who can do it. At least that’s my judgment as the head of the household.
“Your mother’s and brother’s opposition won’t be easy to deal with. Of course, the nobles’ gaze on this won’t be kind either.
“It’s something I’ve already prepared for.”
It was something I had prepared for. In the history of the Orhen Empire, stories of the second son taking on the role of the heir occasionally surfaced, but these were mostly due to the absence of the first son.
Even though the eldest son was alive and well, it was truly shocking that the second son, especially an illegitimate child, would take his place.
It’s not enough to be criticized by the nobles; it’s a reckless act that tarnishes the honor you’ve painstakingly built up.
Moreover, isn’t Count Dennis someone who values his honor above all else?
For example, despite everyone’s opposition, he was a person who dedicated the mining site to the royal family.
Eric found it hard to easily believe the story that the count had brought up. His courage somehow felt unsettling.
The count’s lips curled into a long smile at Eric’s gaze, which seemed to pierce through his very soul.
“It’s not going to be easy. But you have the strong backing of His Majesty the Emperor, don’t you? It’s your first time, so it’s unfamiliar, but gradually, not only the people of the family but also other nobles won’t be able to treat you carelessly.
“Hastily handled matters can actually bring trouble. More importantly, securing trade negotiation rights with other kingdoms should take precedence. Focus on that first.”
At Eric’s words, the count’s smooth forehead crumpled instantly.
“Isn’t it a bit bold for someone who just threatened me out of the blue?”
A short laugh escaped Eric’s lips as he listened to those words.
At this, Count Dennis’s eyes crinkled into small wrinkles.
It was an expression that neither my wife nor my eldest son Edward had seen.
Sure. There’s still plenty of time. How could His Majesty the Emperor have permitted such a thing, to even encroach upon trade negotiation rights? As you said, hasty actions often invite disaster.
“Impatient as it may be, it is also true that we need a trading partner to import this in order to fully commence the ironworks.”
“The nobles who are already pushing forward with business with them will also be quite resistant, won’t they…?”
A short sigh escaped the count’s lips as he fell into deep thought.
Clearing a long-blocked route with my own hands is by no means an easy task.
At that moment, Eric’s eyes gleamed ominously. The footsteps of the farmers walking in the distance were etched on his retina.
“To defeat them, we must first solidify the status of our family…”
Eric, who was looking ahead, slightly raised the corners of his mouth. The count tilted his head slightly and looked at his son.
“If Edward resembled you even half as much, I wouldn’t feel this empty…”
The count’s complex gaze momentarily became desolate.
At dawn, Eric, who had risen early, was lost in thoughts about Count Dennis.
In the gaze that looked at him, Eric felt a strange sense of melancholy. It was a feeling utterly unfitting for someone who had come vowing revenge.
After bringing him to the Bailey household, he was treated like he didn’t exist by his father.
The timid child had to start by practicing enduring loneliness on their own because they didn’t want to be alone.
I lost the ability to smile and learned how to endure. That was the only memory of this place.
The count who drove himself to this point.
Still, he was my father; his dark expression kept holding my gaze.
“Get a grip. What does a pathetic family even matter…
Eric, who had been sitting on the edge of the bed, stood up to shake off his foolish thoughts. He moved his body lightly and stood in front of the mirror.
When I took off my gown and turned around, the scar etched clearly on my back was always visible.
Now, I had to frown and look closely to see the scar marks.
Come to think of it, my wound gradually healed over the course of a few days without me even realizing it.
The pain that felt like being pricked by a needle and the terrible nightmares were disappearing like a lie.
It was a deep night that was only frightening. Now, falling asleep at night felt like a sweet rest.
As the terrible nightmare where he couldn’t move his hands and feet subsided, Eric was able to close and open his eyes at will.
A life where I had to endure pain as it came. The curse that had to be endured without a moment’s rest.
It was a body that had never felt light or at ease for even a single day since the wound was etched.
However, recently, it had been a series of deep and peaceful nights, allowing one to fully enjoy the warm morning sunlight.
For some reason, Eric felt both puzzled and anxious.
Eric sat in the comfortable chair on the terrace and began to blankly breathe in the outside air. To organize the countless thoughts that were spreading out.
No matter how much he thought about it, only one person came to his mind.
That night, the day Aria came by. Unlike the guilt that pierced to my bones, my body longed for her desperately.
The woman of my dreams, always in my fantasies. When I saw Aria, it seemed my body, lost in unconsciousness, had reached out recklessly, contrary to my mind.
Since that day, Aria has never once entered my room.
No, since such an incident had occurred, there was no way she would ever come back here again.
Eric’s eyes, which had opened absentmindedly, were filled with a faint sense of relief.
But…Why do I feel so empty inside?
Feeling frustrated, Eric stood up from his seat and leaned against the railing.
Leaning against the railing and looking down, I saw Aria just entering the annex.
I couldn’t help but be drawn to her as she held a bouquet of freshly picked lilacs in her arms in the garden.
A white and fresh face visible through long, loose brown hair. Looking up at the clear sky, he made up a smile.
That smile, so beautiful it seemed almost sad, kept drawing my attention.
It was then. Aria’s round, clear eyes met Eric’s as he looked down at her.
Her gaze, which lingered for a moment, widened in surprise and then quickly averted.
With her head bowed, Aria quickened her pace and entered the exit. Eric, who was watching this scene in disbelief, could only mutter to himself.
“There’s no way that woman who looks at me like I’m a ghost would come back here again. It was an unnecessary worry.
Eric shook his head and went into the room.
A green field where flowers of various colors are blooming, each showing off in their own way. The rustling leaves hung from the trees, moving strangely, and the chirping of the birds could be heard loudly.
Eric looked around at the familiar scenery. Soon, a familiar voice was heard.
“Eric, come here!
A soft and gentle voice. It was my mother.
Eric walked towards the sound, casting a shadow that reflected the sunlight.
There, the mother and the young version of oneself were sitting. Black hair with a white ribbon draped over it and blue pupils.
It was the familiar sight of his mother that he had seen when he was young.
She was looking at herself cutely as she mumbled in a clumsy manner.
“Mom, the kids keep teasing me because I don’t have a dad. They say I’m a kid with no roots and they don’t even play with me.
“A child without roots! Who would say such a thing…
The mother’s face darkened instantly. Her gaze, which had been biting her lip gently, turned back to her son.
“Listen carefully. You are never someone without roots. Father has gone to the capital for an important matter. He is someone who has the Emperor’s trust.”
Really? That’s a relief. When I meet the kids tomorrow, I’ll definitely tell them. Your father is a really great person, right?
At the child’s innocent question, the mother’s expression froze for a moment.
A face mixed with strange fear. Her lips drooped.
The image of the bright woman who had just been there was erased as if it were a lie.
“Good… they were a good person…”
The young boy instinctively knew at that moment. Maybe it was a family that could never be realized forever.
I was sad because it seemed like that ominous premonition would not stray even an inch from my fate.
Eric’s eyes opened on their own, not even knowing how he had fallen asleep the night before. Mother, whom I haven’t seen in a long time. Unbeknownst to him, tears welled up in his eyes as he watched her.
It was a short and sweet dream. But it was also a futile past.
It was a memory that should have been forgotten by now, but it was still constraining him.
I was thirsty. Instinctively trying to escape, I reached out to the table next to me.
It was that moment. At the unfamiliar presence of someone, Eric’s gaze instantly turned to the end of the bed.
A woman who buried her head in the corner of the bed and fell into a deep sleep for a while. Her fair face, closely settled eyelashes, and long, flowing brown hair. It was none other than Aria.
A single candle on the table pointed to the scattered medicine around it.
What am I doing right now…?
At that moment, as Eric’s brow furrowed more and more, Aria woke up from her sleep due to the bustling movement.
At her movement, Eric stopped his hand that was reaching for the medicine and closed his eyes again.
As soon as Aria woke up, she touched Eric’s forehead and slightly lifted his gown. Has she ever come this close to me before?
At her touch, Eric didn’t know what to do and just tightly shut his eyes.
Aria checked Eric’s wound and then put the gown back on him.
Aria quickly packed the medicine into the box and stood up. After blowing out the candle on the table with all her might, she calmly left the room.
Only after confirming the footsteps fading down the hallway did Eric open his closed eyes.
He hurriedly sat up, relit the extinguished candle, and stood in front of the mirror.
I shrugged off my gown and scanned the mirror from top to bottom. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the medicine had not yet hardened on my back.
“How did this happen…?”
Just something I dismissed as nonsense and moved on.
Eric’s blue pupils, cast in the candlelight, began to tremble sharply.
