Chapter 15
“His Majesty told me himself—you achieved great things at the Imperial Academy.”
The Duke of Hespelt recalled the Emperor saying not only had Rashid excelled academically, but his knight training had also been exceptional. The Emperor had even added, “You must be proud to have such an outstanding son.”
“The future of House Hespelt looks bright.”
Helios II, Emperor of the Latran Empire, had laughed heartily as he said it.
Considering that House Hespelt had long been a subject of imperial scrutiny, the Emperor’s praise was unexpected.
But when the Duke noticed Crown Prince Ludwig smiling nearby, he understood more or less what was happening. His son and the Crown Prince were apparently closer than he had realized.
“How did you come to know His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“We trained together at the Academy.”
Rashid’s answer came like a formal report. It was a familiar tone. Father and son locked eyes. The golden hue of Rashid’s gaze was even deeper than the Duke’s, and unlike when he was young, his stare was now steady—unyielding.
Time has passed after all…
Suppressing a breath that resembled a scoff, the Duke spoke casually.
“I’ll assign you to the First Knight Order. Begin your duties starting tomorrow.”
The First Knight Order of Hespelt—among the three knight orders, it was the one directly overseen by the Duke himself. Entrusting it to Rashid meant only one thing:
The Duke had officially acknowledged Rashid as his heir.
The Duke’s unexpected declaration caused a stir among the aides present in the office.
“Thank you, Father.”
Rashid placed a hand over his chest and bowed with respectful composure.
“I’ll host a banquet next month to make the announcement public.”
The Duke passed a document to his aide as he spoke.
“Bolder than I expected,” Adler Reissfeld commented.
Rashid quietly agreed. He hadn’t imagined his father would hand him the First Knight Order so quickly—it was sooner than he’d anticipated.
“It was a right that would’ve been mine eventually anyway.”
“You’ve become much more brazen than before.”
“That’s all thanks to my instructor.”
“Then I must commend your instructor,” Adler chuckled. “A rare talent like yourself should be treasured.”
Though his words were teasing, his voice was genuinely pleased. Rashid placed the document in his hand on the desk. It was already stacked with paperwork.
“I expected as much, but it’s still overwhelming. Things are going to get busy.”
His voice held a hint of irritation. Adler looked at him curiously—then, realization struck.
“Which means you’ll have less time to spend with the Lady.”
“……”
Rashid’s expression immediately tightened, as if Adler had hit the mark. The aide sighed. Even if he didn’t say it out loud, Rashid’s face now mirrored that of a sulking child.
Rashid Hespelt hated being called childish.
He’s already late in years… He can’t afford to fall behind any further.
Adler remembered Rashid saying something along those lines once, almost like a confession. It proved his feelings weren’t fleeting whims.
Whether they were related by blood or not, the world knew them as siblings. That fact would not change.
What is he planning to do…?
Nothing had been made clear yet. Rashid didn’t exactly hide his emotions—but he didn’t openly reveal them either. Like a predator lying in wait, he simply watched… and waited.
“Until the succession is officially announced, you’re not required to participate in formal drills,” Heinz said, quietly joining the conversation. “But I suggest attending dawn training or informal sessions to get familiar with the knights.”
Heinz had been watching Rashid carefully—especially after the debutante ball.
When he learned that Lady Tericia had personally asked Heinz to be her cavalier, Rashid’s response had been… cold fury.
“I was going to meet with the young master before the banquet—should I go then?”
Fortunately, Adler had managed to defuse the situation, but ever since that day, Rashid’s gaze toward Heinz had grown noticeably sharper.
“I’ll make time.”
“Understood.”
Heinz exhaled in quiet relief at Rashid’s uncharacteristically cooperative response.
Just then, a soft knock sounded at the door, and it opened slightly.
“Rashid.”
As Tericia’s face appeared through the slightly open door, Rashid stood up immediately from his seat.
“Sister.”
“Are you busy?”
“Not at all. Please, come in.”
Then, while she wasn’t looking, he shot a glance at the two men still in the room.
Get out.
Adler nudged Heinz and stood up.
“We’ll see you tomorrow.”
As soon as they stepped out and the door closed behind them, Heinz muttered indignantly,
“Did you see that? Did you?! How can someone switch up that fast?”
His scowling face had lit up the moment he saw Tericia—then instantly flipped back to that cold glare the moment he turned to them and silently ordered them out.
“No one should be able to change expressions like that.”
Heinz was simply riled up—but that wasn’t all.
Lady Tericia may not realize it, but Rashid…
Adler fell silent, his expression turning pensive. A bitter taste lingered in his mouth.
＊＊＊
“Shall I bring tea?”
“No, it’s alright. I won’t stay long—I don’t want to bother you.”
“…I see.”
Rashid’s reply sounded… disappointed? Tericia tilted her head slightly.
Disappointed?
There was no way he had been waiting for her… right?
Assuming it was just her imagination, she looked around his office.
On the second floor, there were two smaller offices opposite the Duke’s main study. The one on the right was for the heir—technically now Rashid’s—and the left for the Duke’s aides.
Tericia’s study was located farther inside. It was more of a library than a proper office.
“It’s nice. Calm, and elegant.”
“Would you like to use it?”
“What?”
Tericia blinked at Rashid’s unexpected question.
“Don’t joke. I can’t use the heir’s office.”
“The heir hasn’t been officially announced yet. And I don’t mind.”
“Rashid.”
Her tone turned firm.
“Even a single comment like that gives people the wrong idea. This is your place. I would never, ever try to take what belongs to you. Don’t say things like that again, alright?”
“…Yes, Sister.”
“Good.”
As he obediently answered, she smiled warmly at him—as if praising a good child.
He felt a sigh rising. How long would she keep treating him like a boy?
“Have you gotten a handle on everything?”
“Yes. I’m ready to begin tomorrow.”
“I see. You’re going to be busy, then.”
Strangely, she felt a little sad.
She enjoyed talking to Rashid. In her previous life, they had barely spoken, and what little interaction they had was filled with misunderstanding and resentment.
But now—just this small shift between them felt like proof that she was doing something right. It made her happy.
“So, what did you want to talk to me about?”
“Hm?”
“Didn’t you come here because you had something to tell me?”
“Oh, right.”
As if sharing a secret, Tericia leaned in closer to him. Rashid flinched slightly at her sudden nearness, her scent brushing past his senses.
Without thinking, he clenched his fist to keep his hand from reaching out to her.
“Do you remember what I said at the debutante ball—that I was planning to buy Mother’s estate?”
“Yes, I remember.”
Tericia traced a slow circle on the tabletop with her fingertip, as if sketching a map in front of him.
“Over the past few years, Mother’s bought a significant amount of land.”
It was something she had learned through Adler’s report. The sheer volume of it made it clear there was some hidden motive. Rashid remained silent, listening closely.
“Not just near the central mountain range, but even smaller fiefs. It seems like she’s looking for a mine.”
She listed a few of the territories by name, and Rashid nodded in recognition.
“You’re right. All of the land borders mountains.”
“Mhm. Mother’s probably after gold or diamonds.”
But she won’t find them.
What would later be revealed was that most of the mines on the lands Lady Boren had acquired were completely barren.
Tericia didn’t bother telling Rashid that part. It wasn’t necessary.
“I’m planning to buy the land she doesn’t care about.”
“The land she doesn’t need…?”
“If I aim for the mountain range, she’ll definitely catch on.”
Her eyes sparkled. There was a playful glint in them—one that always showed when she was plotting something. Rashid couldn’t look away.
She looks radiant, he thought. As though she had cast off some weight and felt lighter now.
“I’m aiming for this place.”
Her circling finger came to a stop, pointing to a name. Rashid’s eyes widened as he heard it.
“Sister, that’s… Isn’t that just a barren wasteland with no one living there?”
“That’s right.”
The place she mentioned had once been deemed useless by the Imperial family and auctioned off. It was, in fact, the very first land Sheffer Boren had purchased at Lady Boren’s request four years ago.
“It’s completely worthless. Supposedly there’s something that grows there, but there’s no water source. It’s not suitable for farming.”
“True. But there’s a hidden river underground.”
“A hidden river? How do you…?”
“I’ll tell you about that later.”
“Are you planning to grow crops?”
Farmland formed the backbone of most fiefs. It was always in high demand, no matter the noble house.
But bringing in water would require constructing irrigation systems—large-scale civil engineering. It would draw attention, and Lady Boren’s suspicion.
“No. I won’t be farming.”
She smiled like she was letting him in on a secret, wagging her finger playfully.
“I…”
She paused for dramatic effect, then smiled sweetly.
“…plan to grow flowers.”
Like a flower herself, Rashid thought as he watched her smile.
