53. Teacup

“Oh, I hope all of the chapters are going to be as short as the last one.”

Had to open my mouth lol

Either way, here we go!

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TN: Toasty
ED: Toasty

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He started to feel the cool breeze coming in through the window.
Nicholas has created an umbrella for both sun and rain with his own design, so it looks like he’ll be able to welcome summer in a better mood than last year. This was also thanks to his friend, the boy who was an apprentice gardener at Duke Ernst’s family, who gave him the idea. He is probably the only one who thinks that if there are only parasols for women, then you should just make one that suits your taste.
His friend, who sometimes came up with innovative ideas, was unaware that their points of view are not common. Not only the daughter of Duke Ernst, but Nicholas had also pointed this out to him, but he just tilted his head, wondering if it was that strange. However, since they are now friends because of his values, Nicholas is lenient, thinking that it won’t become a problem publicly.
Determined to bring an umbrella with him the next time he visits the Ernst family, regardless of the weather, Nicholas finishes his after-dinner tea.

「So, what is it?」

In front of him, his father Eugen, who serves as the country’s prime minister, is silent, staring at the teacup in his hand.
Today, Eugen came home unusually early, so the entire Rudolstadt family had dinner together. And even though he called out to him and said he would talk to him after dinner, he remained silent. His face shows the seriousness of his personality and he has a grim expression, which creates a heavy atmosphere.
It was almost time to finish drinking the tea, and Nicholas, feeling numb, asked him about his business. His mother, Elvira, and his older sister, Heroise, are happy that the whole family is together for the first time in a while, but their feelings are unclear.

Eugen glanced at Nicholas, awkwardly averted his gaze, and then spoke gravely.

「Everyone… there is something I need to tell you.」

「Well, what could it be?」

「If that’s the case, please say it now.」

Unlike Nicholas, who drank the tea quickly, Elvira was enjoying her tea leisurely, placing her teacup on the saucer and tilting her head slightly. Whether she knows about the atmosphere her husband gives off or not, her eyes sparkle as if it’s something she enjoys. Nicholas let out a small sigh at her mother’s behavior, and urged him to continue.
Eugen furrowed his eyebrows and looked at the man standing by the wall of the room. Although the man standing there had an upright posture, he had a loose mouth that talked carelessly and gave the impression of being unreliable.

「I had something in mind, so I asked Ingo to look into it.」

Ingo is the man by the wall, and is the name of one of the members of the Audit Department under the Prime Minister. In the Audit Department, Ingo is a member of the Dummer family who is skilled at espionage, and he collects solid evidence and testimony. Nicholas was a little surprised that his father had used him for a private investigation, considering he was talented despite his appearance.
Receiving the gaze, Ingo pretended to be unaware of the heavy air around Eugen and placed the bundle of documents on the table in front of the Rudolstadt family members.
Nicholas was not good with Ingo, who always had a smile on his face that made it hard to read his emotions. His daughter, who works as an escort for Duke Ernst’s daughter, is also always smiling, so he was horrified by the blood of the Dummer family.

「Hagen Ries. He is 18 years old this year. He is currently a student at the Royal Academy of Magic. He lived with his girlfriend’s mother, but his mother died of illness before he enrolled.」

Attached to the top of the document was a picture that appeared to be of the student. In contrast to Eugen’s frowning face, Ingo explained the young man’s name with a careless smile, but no one, including Nicholas, recognized the name of the young man.
So Nicholas asked on their behalf.

「Who is it?」

「…………he’s your brother.」

Nicholas’ thoughts almost stopped for a moment as he realized that he and his sister Heloise were in trouble. He closed his mouth once and mumbled.

「You had that kind of nerve, huh?」

First and foremost, he was struck by how unexpected it was.
It’s an illegitimate child, which means his father has a mistress. He never thought that his straight-laced father would have a mistress.
At the sound of his son’s mutter, Eugen froze, his mouth hanging open. He wasn’t sure if it was from shock or anger.
Ingo, his subordinate, started laughing so hard at his boss that he felt like he was about to lose his temper.

「That’s not true, little boy. He’s a child with someone he dated before he married his wife.」

Eugen regained his senses after Ingo told him what he was about to explain, and explained the purpose of his investigation.

「Nicholas, you started using words like that…」

「Ah. You were worried about your heir, so you looked into it just to be sure.」

So that’s what it was, his son said while nodding, and Eugen felt uneasy.
A few years ago, his son wasn’t like this. Although he was introverted and not assertive for a boy, he was an obedient son who acted like a younger son. However, when he returned home one day, his current condition had suddenly changed. Eugen was stunned by the change.
When he asked his son about the cause of his sudden change, he said there was nothing, and when he asked his wife and daughter, who spend more time with him than he did, they said that it was fun and all, which was off-topic. He didn’t get the point at all. How many times did he wonder what was wrong with his education?
While Eugen is still unable to accept his son’s current situation and is struggling within himself, Elvira and Heloise speak out.

「Well, well, our family is growing, isn’t it?」

「I’m happy to have more brothers.」

「That’s right. From now on, I’ll have to make something for an older brother.」

「Mother, sister, you’re both jumping to a conclusions, aren’t you?」

They’re completely carefree, Nicholas thought while sighing. After Nicholas warned them, they answered yes and felt silent.

「So? What should we do? It seems like his magic is high, but he’s a commoner.」

Nicholas asked, staring at his father. Although he hasn’t looked at the documents, he can tell from Ingo’s explanation that he is a commoner because he doesn’t have a 「von」 in his name, and that he has enough magical power to qualify for admission to the magic academy.
In other words, he probably fell in love with the daughter of a fallen nobleman or a commoner, and broke up with her before getting engaged to his mother. The fact has now come to light because the person she broke up with had not informed her father of the pregnancy, or she only realized she was pregnant after the breakup.
Knowing that his parents were married for political reasons, Nicholas could easily understand the situation. However, Eugen couldn’t help but be surprised that his son didn’t get emotional, scolded his wife and daughter, and calmly asked them back.
However, it was helpful to have him talk, and Eugen informed him of his intentions.

「I’m thinking of adopting him.」

Nicholas frowned slightly at the words that had a tone of conviction.

「……how are you going to tell them?」

「I’m inviting him to the mansion for this upcoming holiday.」

When Eugen answered that they would talk there, Nicholas let out a long sigh and stood up.

「You really are like an aristocrat.」

At his son’s mumbling, Eugen raised an eyebrow as if to show his incomprehension.

「What do you mean?」

「Are you an idiot? Think about that for yourself.」

Nicholas said this to his father and left the room.
Eugen, who had never expected to receive such cold stares and words from his son, froze in shock. Eugen knew firsthand that when his beauty, which resembled his gentle wife’s, turned into anger, it was powerful enough to gouge his heart out.
Meanwhile, Elvira and Heroise were chatting cheerfully, saying they were looking forward to meeting them.

---

The next day, Nicholas visited Duke Ernest’s residence.

「Geh. It’s you today.」

He was greeted by Lydia, the duke’s daughter, and when he saw her escort girl following her, Nicholas let out a bitter voice.

「Is there something wrong with Petra?」

「Nothing in particular. I just didn’t want to see that face every day.」

「I seeee, you met with faaaather.」

When Lydia tilted her head slightly, Nicholas answered, and Petra, who was satisfied with him, smiled. The smile on her face, knowing that she seemed suspicious, echoed that of her father’s, and Nicholas looked into her eyes, unable to hide the bitterness that welled up inside him.

「Come to think of it, the family of Earl Damar was directly under the prime minister.」

「Yeeeeep.」

Lydia smiles, saying that she looks like her father, with Petra saying that’s right. Nicholas didn’t seem to have a good parent-child relationship in his family, where he was taught a mask of a smile from an early age.

「Well, it’s fine. Let’s hurry and go to Zack.」

In front of Lydia, who didn’t know the details of the Damar family, Nicholas didn’t want to mention it any further, so he dismissed it with a sigh and decided to head to his original purpose, to be with his friend.
When Lydia guided him out into the sunlight, he found Zack’s father and his apprentices digging up the soil in the flower bed, still planting lush green seedlings that sometimes had buds.

「You’re just messing around in the soil as usual.」

「Nico! I’m replanting it with summer flowers.」

When he called out to Zack while holding an umbrella to protect him from the sunlight, a smile that resembled the heat of the sunlight turned to face him. To Nicholas , it seemed like he was doing the same work every time he saw it. However, to his friend, it seems like a different task.

「Purple chrysanthemums and torchon flowers. Both come in many colors and varieties, so they’re beautiful when they bloom.」

「Is that so?」

Nicholas was put off by the look on his friend’s face as he spoke happily even though the flowers hadn’t even bloomed yet. Nicholas wasn’t interested in the type of flowers, so his reply was curt, but his mouth naturally curved into a smile.

「I’ll finish up in a little while, so please wait.」

「Oh, I’ll wait. By teasing Miss Dia.」

「What, am I just here to relieve boredom!?」

At Nicholas’ words, Lydia unconsciously flared up. Just as Lydia was about to get angry, her friend’s voice intervened.

「I’ll finish it right away.」

Bronze-red eyes looked straight up at him and Nicholas closed her mouth, Lydia’s anger at his unusual behavior subsiding.

「There’s no need to be in such a hurry……」

「Well, Nico, it’s because you’re annoyed.」

He said he’d hurry up and went back to work. Nicholas and Lydia just stare at his back. Nicholas felt uneasy, and when he glanced next to him, Lydia was sulking. She looks like she wants to complain, but there’s a side of her face that seems to be silent because he’s worried about her, probably because he heard his words.
The corners of his mouth were about to turn up as he felt more amused than apologetic, but Nicholas cleared his throat to cover it up.
He was sure he’d realize it soon.
Why does he suppress his complaints?
He wishes he didn’t notice. He doesn’t care, he can just complain. It’s completely too kind.
Nicholas thought that these two were really helpless.
After a while, his friend, who seemed to have finished his work and took a break, asked Lydia and Nicholas to join him in the practice garden, despite his father’s refusal. Petra remained in the forest, where the sun filtered through the trees, waiting for her outside the border fence, as she always did.

「Hoi!」

As soon as they entered, Nicholas hesitated as he began to attack the leather bag he held up. Lydia was sitting on the edge of the fountain where the stone owl statue was enshrined, and she was looking at them, the sounds blocked by the wind membrane he had put over her ears.
In his early days, Zack was able to narrow the wind membrane that was spread across her head to only around her ears to really plug her ears. Although he has a small amount of magical power, he is good at ingenuity and improves the precision of his magic year by year. Even so, why are the places where it is used so modestly?
Inwardly, Nicholas was stunned by this fact as he looked at Zack waiting for him. As usual, he looked like he was ready to accept his own frustrations.
Laughing out loud, Nicholas tightens his fists. His mauve eyes peeking out from his long eyelashes flickered like flames.

「Uraaaaaaa!!」

A heavy thud echoed once inside the circle of sunlight. The moment that sound reached his ears, Nicholas broke down.
After that, he just keeps pounding his fists. Before the heavy sound reaches his ears, he buries his next fist into the leather bag.
He becomes apathetic, and after a while, he stops because his breathing becomes irregular. After making sure that Nicholas’ arm was hanging loose, his friend also removed the leather bag he was holding. When he saw him, he too was out of breath.
As if to confirm, he smiled brightly, and as if to answer, Nicholas let out a sigh-like smile.
Lydia narrowed her eyes with a little jealousy in front of that wordless exchange that could be understood even without the sound reaching her. She feels unable to fit into what she knows to be a friendship. Perhaps she is envious of him because it is a relationship she would never have.

「Ojou, thanks for waiting!」

The moment it ended, he ran towards Lydia as if he had been propelled, and put his hands over both of her ears to release the wind membrane. Then, he expressed his gratitude to Lydia for waiting for him.
Lydia flinched at his gratitude and smile as soon as he lifted the soundproofing. Her ears felt hot even though his hands hadn’t even touched her.

「So, do you want to talk?」

While Lydia hesitated, he turned around and asked Nicholas.

「Will you listen to me?」

While combing his sweaty hair, Nicholas raised the corner of his mouth in resignation, and the two of them looked at each other and nodded as if it were natural. Nicholas found that somewhat funny.
Nicholas sits on the edge of the fountain, sandwiched between them, and takes a breather. The garden with potted plants that had been dotted around it until the other day had been cleared away, perhaps to give it to Yang, and now there was only a lawn spread out around the fountain.

「My father had an illegitimate child.」

「Ille……!?」

Lydia was shaken by the fact that he had confessed this, and her friend just rolled his eyes a little. It was funny to see Lydia looking timid, not knowing how to respond, and Nicholas cleared her throat.
Nicholas probably should have been as upset as she was, but since he had vented his frustration earlier, he was now able to calmly sort out his own emotions.
He explained to them the summary of what he had heard last night. Lydia’s honest expression became more and more serious as the conversation progressed, which was interesting to Nicholas. His friend was listening carefully, but she had a calm expression on her face, probably because she wasn’t familiar with aristocratic affairs, so he couldn’t tell how much she understood.

「So…… are you going to meet that person?」

「I settle things before my mother and the others meet him.」

「But……」

As Lydia looked down with worry, Nicholas let out a bitter smile.
Adopting a male child despite the presence of Nicholas means that his father does not recognize him as an heir. Also, even though they are half blood related, strangers suddenly become family. Lydia thought that his thoughts were complicated.

「Nico’s a nice guy.」

Contrary to Lydia, the words of his friend who was smiling cheerfully, made not only her but also Nicholas feel depressed. Lydia and Nicholas stared at him with startled eyes, wondering where such impressions came from.

「What? I mean, you were angry because you were worried about your brother, who you haven’t even met.」

「What do you mean??」

「Nico was angry with his father because he unilaterally scheduled a meeting with his father without asking about his circumstances, and decided on his future. As I said earlier, I have no idea what kind of person Nico’s brother is. I wasn’t there.」

「Ah…I’m sure that I only understand the position of Nicholas-sama’s older brother. I’m sure he was also surprised by this sudden incident.」

「It seems like he just summoned them, so it’s questionable how much he explained.」

When Nicholas snorted, Lydia looked up at him.

「……What is it?」

「Nicholas-sama  is really kind.」

「That’s right!」

Lydia smiled warmly at him, and her friend also laughed in approval, so a heat of shame lit up Nicholas’ cheeks. Why do you interpret it as such abusive words?

「I-it’s not like I recognize him as my brother.」

「Well, you’re right. You and your father haven’t met yet.」

「Eh……?」

Nicholas is confused by the sudden topic of his father. Lydia was the one who expressed the unspoken confusion.

「You only talk about things about your father in a way that seems like a stranger. Nico rarely talks about things related to his father, but that’s probably because he doesn’t know anything about him. Well, it seems like his father doesn’t know anything about Nico either. 」

Nicholas had no words to deny his friend’s words. Although he recognizes that he is in a fatherly position, he has no recollection of having any family-like interactions with that man. For the sake of his future, he is regularly taken to aristocratic tea parties.

「I heard from my father that the Prime Minister, Count Rudolstadt, is a busy man.」

「He’s just a workaholic at heart…」

The conversations he has with his father are only about business matters, and he can’t remember when they last had a meal together before last night. His parents know it was a political marriage. He was appointed prime minister as an earl, and in order to silence those around him, he was assigned the mother of a marquis. Therefore, his mother and sister are all he cares about.

「What? Do you want me to get along with that person?」

His home is different from his friend who is a commoner and has a warm home. He doesn’t like it when people say things with the same feeling. Please don’t try to fit this into his scale, Nicholas thought.

「No, I just thought it would be better if you told me directly that you don’t like it.」

Nicholas rolled his eyes. He never expected to be encouraged to tell him the fact that he didn’t have a good impression of him.

「I-it doesn’t necessarily mean that Nicholas-sama hates his father.」

「But no matter how you look at it, it doesn’t seem like you like him.」

「Oh, that’s…」

Lydia, who agrees with his opinion to some extent, stammers, unable to refute. From the way Nicholas spoke, Lydia also felt that there was a distance between him and his father.

「Huh, hahaha, no!」

Suddenly, Nicholas burst out, causing Lydia to jump. However, Nicholas was too amused to pay attention to Lydia. His friend is strange in this way. He was ashamed inwardly that he had mistakenly thought, even for a moment, that he was fitting into the same box as his family. When he laughed for a moment, he was laughing so hard that some tears were streaming down his face.
Scooping up his tears with his fingers, Nicholas checks on her just to be sure.

「What kind of benefit is that for me?」

「Umm, I guess there are some people who get in trouble because Ojou is also a high-ranking aristocrat, right?」

「Eh. Well…」

「Which is better, being secretly talked about behind your back or being told that you aren’t liked when we’re face-to-face?」

Although she was troubled by the topic being brought up by him, Lydia remembered things like the tea party, and she thought about it seriously. Neither one feels good. However, when she thought about which one had less ill feelings, the answer came naturally.

「I don’t really like backbiting, so it would be easier to deal with it if you told me directly.」

She’d definitely feel hurt or angry the moment she hears that. However, once it becomes clear that the other person hates her, Lydia will be able to react accordingly. It’s much better than having your malice blurred out by whispers that may or may not be audible, dragging her along with the hazy emotions.

「In other words, even if you don’t force them to like you, it’ll make them feel better if you clearly say that you don’t like them.”

They just need to clarify their feelings for each other and maintain just the right distance. He never thought someone would suggest a solution that doesn’t require reconciliation.

「…I’m sure you’ll regret not telling them whether you like them or not, just because you’re family. Maybe.」

The expression on his friend’s face as he laughed at that moment looked sad. In the next moment, the person looking at her relaxed and his warm smile returned, so Nicholas suspected that it was an illusion.

「That’s right. It’ll be easier for me if I make it clear.」

The more he gives up because it’s pointless, the more dissatisfied he will become. He was irritated by last night’s incident because the dissatisfaction he had felt had not gone away. It would be fruitless to continue to increase the chances of getting frustrated.
Nicholas felt that it was not like him to continue to have a bare-bones relationship with his father while being dissatisfied.

「I don’t know what the outcome of this next discussion will be, but I will say what I want to say.」

「Yep.」

「Please do your best.」

「Thank you for listening. Both of you.」

Receiving the support of the two, Nicholas smiled enthusiastically.

A cool early summer breeze blew through the sun-drenched garden, and the soft lilac hair swayed gently.

---

A few days later, in the early afternoon, a horse-drawn carriage visited Count Rudolstadt’s residence.
Passing through the gate, a young man gets off the carriage that is parked at the entrance. The servant of the mansion who met him opened the front door, and he entered through the door as prompted.
Inside, Eugen and Nicholas were waiting.

「Thank you for accepting my invitation.」

「No, it’s an honor to meet you. Count Rudolstadt.」

Both exchanged greetings with straight faces, and it was clear that it was just a formality. Nicholas thought as he looked at him, wondering if it was because of his father’s blood that he couldn’t even smile amiably.
After greeting each other, they headed to the reception room and sat on separate sofas. Eugen sat down facing the young man, and Nikolaus settled on the solo sofa between them.
As the young man drinks the tea served by the maid, Nicholas also takes a sip of the tea and watches. The young man wore black-rimmed glasses, and through the lenses, his eyes were quietly lowered. His blue lacquered hair, which was almost black, was trimmed to a length that didn’t get in the way, and together with the Royal Academy of Magic uniform he was wearing, it gave him a clean look.
At first glance, he seemed to be a serious young man, but to Nicholas, he seemed to have a hard and boring expression. Other than his hair and eye color, he looked similar to his father.
Just as the young man finished his sip, Eugen asked for confirmation.

「Are you Hagen Ries?」

「Yes. Earl, why did you call me today?」

Nicholas clicked his tongue inwardly, wondering if he hadn’t said that before. The reason for not writing the circumstances in the invitation letter is probably to prevent information from being leaked if it comes into contact with others. Still, from the perspective of someone who was suddenly summoned without knowing the reason, it was nothing but suspicious. There is a high possibility that the young man named Hagen came because he was a nobleman and could not refuse the call.

「Actually, Clara… your mother used to work in this house.」

「Is that so?」

「At that time, with your mother…」

「It seems that you were born after this father and her broke up.」

「Nicholas!?」

「What? Talk quickly, I’m falling asleep.」

Eugen was taken aback by the way he said this. Moreover, his son doesn’t hide his usual language.

「Or rather, I have something to say first.」

「What……」

「Please apologize, shitty dad.」 [T/N: Ah, Kasumi from Kancolle coming in clutch for this translation as she calls you “kuso teitoku” or “shitty admiral”]

「Shitty!?」

Rather than the sudden demand for an apology, Eugen stiffens at the unbelievable abusive language from his son whose face resembles his wife’s.

「You over there! If you came from school, you probably haven’t even had lunch, right? At that age, I wouldn’t say you get carriage sickness and have no appetite.」

「Huh? Ah, I’m certainly hungry, but…」

When asked, Hagen answered about his condition.
As Nicholas pointed out, there is a long distance from the grounds of the Royal Magic Academy, which has a dormitory system, to the residential area of the aristocracy, so it took from morning until early afternoon due to the road. Since they only had short breaks in between, they didn’t have time to eat.

「Mother has prepared some snacks for you, so just eat them anyway. We can talk while eating, right?」

As he spoke, Nicholas snapped his fingers, and at that sound a servant came pushing a cart containing sandwiches. Sandwiches with meat and other items layered between the bread. In lieu of Elvira not being able to participate in the discussion, she would ask the cook to make it for her, since she was sure it was a boy who would want plenty of food.
Hagen obediently decided to eat the sandwich that was placed in front of him after saying a prayer before eating.

「Well, you’re smarter than me in this kind of thing. Even if you’re dealing with a commoner, just think about the other person’s convenience. Insensitive.」

「Mmm…」

「Because, I guess so. You actually had plans for today, didn’t you?」

Nicholas asked Hagen, and he swallowed the last bite of the first sandwich he had been chewing.

「Oh. I was planning to work at the library organizing the books.」

「The government pays for the tuition and basic living expenses, right? Is it because of a woman?」

「No, it would be better to have as much money as possible to live on after graduation…」

「It seems like this shitty dad gave me some money, but what happened?」

「I probably used up most of it for my mother’s treatment.」

「Hmm, you’re graduating this year, right? So you’re looking for a job?」

「I moved out of my house when I entered school, so I don’t have a home to return to. I’m thinking of becoming a teacher at the school that took care of me.」

When Hagen answered that, Nicholas took a second sip of tea. After confirming this, Hagen resumes eating.
Nicholas confirmed the person’s circumstances and intentions, which were not mentioned in the research materials he had looked over beforehand, then let out an exasperated sigh and returned the teacup to the saucer.

「If it weren’t insensitive for you to unilaterally approach me with the idea of adopting a child without even asking me about this, then what would you say?”

Eugen doesn’t respond and remains silent as Nicholas glares at him. Hagen, who had just been summoned out of the blue, was unable to fully comprehend the situation, so he quietly ate a sandwich and decided to wait and see. For now, all Hagen knows is that he appears to have been searched before being summoned.
Eugen was silent, folding his hands and placing his elbows on his knees, thinking. The current situation was so different from what I had planned that I was a little, no, a lot confused. The biggest factor was probably the harsh words he received from his son Nicholas.
Although it was a shock, what his son had said was true. Eugen calmly accepted the fact that there wasn’t enough information to check in advance.
He tightened his grip on his hands, thinking that it was only natural that he would be scolded and told that he should apologize.
It must have only been a few seconds, but Eugen raised his head and looked at Hagen right in front of him, after going through various conflicts such as how he should apologize and whether he was prepared to expose his appearance to his son.

「…Clara, did you hear from your mother that I was your father?」

「No. However, after she succumbed to illness, I have often spoken of hatred toward you.」

Hagen stopped eating his sandwich and answered.

Her mother never stopped calling his father’s name, but as her mother became sick and grew weaker each day, her heart became fragile. Didn’t he love her? Why didn’t he choose her? She spills out her hatred like a curse, and Hagen wonders if this is how his strong-willed mother lost hope.

「Even though I didn’t know she was pregnant, I’m sorry for leaving you mother and child alone.」

「It would have been the same even if you had known.」

Hagen twisted his expression sarcastically. All I can tell is that Eugen’s son is present with him now. He chose status over his beloved mother. There is no way such a man would do anything more than provide financial support.

「Hey, it seems like this guy wants a proper son. Do you want to be a nobleman?」 [T/N: Nico going full sicko mode here.]

「That is……」

Asked by Nicholas, Hagen is at a loss for an answer. Hagen could understand what he meant by this, based on his past words and actions.
Now, even if they say they will accept him as a family member, it is not something that can be decided immediately.
When he was young, he was envious of the people around me that had both parents. He once asked his mother accusingly why he didn’t have a father. Then he looked at his mother, who smiled sadly and apologized, and he knew that this was something he shouldn’t ask anymore.
Indeed, in his childhood he craved the presence of his father. However, that is now a long time ago. Moreover, it is not because of family sentiments, but because of the circumstances of the aristocratic family that they are expected to join the family.
In desperation, his hands tighten and force the tomato seeds out of the sandwich.

「Your hand.」

Nicholas pointed it out to Hagen, who noticed something on his hand, hurriedly put the half-eaten sandwich back on the plate, and wiped his hand with a napkin.
Although he seems uncomfortable, Eugen continues speaking to explain the upcoming procedures.

「It was my fault that I called you without checking your availability this time. However, you, who are my blood, are also qualified to inherit this family. Concerning prestige, I value your magic and am arranging to adopt you, but I’ll give you the necessary education.”

Catching Eugen’s deep green gaze, Hagen’s eyes became dark and cloudy.

「I…… my father…」

His mother’s grudging words echoed in his brain. Je can still hear the chastising voice in his own head asking him why.
He was often mistaken when she wasn’t fully aware. So he knew he was probably a lot like his father. How terrifying was the look in his eyes when he was mistaken for his mother’s lover? He tried hard to tell her his name over and over again to bring her back to her senses.
Those nursing days lasted more than a year. People around her sympathize with her, but they don’t help her. Everyone has their hands full with their own lives. Her mother’s savings were enough to cover the cost of medicine and doctor’s visits.
He didn’t help back then.
It’s too stupid for him to face him as a father now.
He didn’t want to feel relieved when his mother died. He wanted to grieve properly.
Before he knew it, Hagen’s hand was gripping the napkin with too much force and turned white.

「Don’t be so slow!」

Just when Hagen thought he heard a sound, a star flew into Hagen’s field of vision. Then he noticed that his cheeks were hot.
He pressed his hand against his feverish cheek, and before he knew it, his head turned back to the front, and Nicholas was standing nearby, his arms completely outstretched. I can see a stunned Eugen on the other side.
It seems like he was hit. Hagen realizes this fact, but he is unable to understand the intentions of Nicholas’ actions and is left stunned, unable to feel anger.

「You’re so old, why are you being so careless? The root of all evil is right in front of you, so confront him.」

A younger boy scolds him, saying that his mouth and fists are just decorations. He has a very good-looking face and long eyelashes. Hagen thought he looked like his mother.

「…What a nobleman you are, yet you say such disturbing things with your fists.」

「I hate aristocratic aristocrats like my shitty father.」

「Even though you’re a noble, you hate nobles…?」

Feeling surprised, Hagen puts his glasses back on, which had slipped due to the beating. Then he looked at Nicholas, wondering what he was talking about.

「You can’t choose where you’re born. Isn’t that obvious?」

Not everyone is satisfied with the circumstances into which they were born. A high standard of living does not necessarily mean happiness. Hagen realizes that the fact that he should have understood in his head was clouded by his heart lamenting his own misfortune, which he was not aware of, and was unable to fully understand it.

「So. Aren’t you going to hit him?」

It’s very unusual for him to recommend that his own father be beaten. Nicholas had a cool look on his face that made it clear that this was not his first time meeting him, and that he really didn’t care if his father was beaten.

「You hit me, so I forgot.」

Nicholas shrugs his shoulders at Hagen’s words, who laughs as if he’s lost his mind.

「Ah, even with just this much?」

It can’t be helped if he forgets, said Nicholas, as he began to drink the rest of the tea. Hagen also reaches for the rest of his sandwich.
The words of his mother’s curse that had been echoing in Hagen’s head had already disappeared somewhere. He was sure he had complaints he wanted to make and anger that made him want to punch him. However, he didn’t care because there was a boy who insulted him before him.
Besides, he can’t eat a delicious sandwich in such a mood. For now, he decided to forget about everything and focus on eating.
Eugen, who could only watch the series of exchanges between the two, felt dizzy and held his head at the strangely calm scene.
In the end, Hagen turned down the adoption offer the same day, and Eugen agreed.
When Hagen was returning to the school, Nicholas saw him off with a cheerful expression on his face as he rode in the carriage. Eugen was standing next to him, his face pale as he pressed his fingers to his temples as if to suppress a headache.

The next time he visited Ernst’s house, Nicholas told his friend with a big smile that he felt refreshed.

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Dude, Nico was the MAN this chapter lmao. Even if this chapter was long as hell. 16 pages in my text editor after translation, geez!

Nico’s dad reacting to Nico mouthing off was glorious, though.

Not much to say other than that. See you all next chapter!

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