“Thanks. But even though I got first place, I feel like I lost to you.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Well, you got a perfect score.”

“That’s because it’s a subject I like. I tried my best to do well on it.”

“That’s why I feel like I lost.”

Fazel glanced at me slightly.

“I feel like I only won because you didn’t study all subjects that way.”

“Ah, that’s not it. I can’t study all subjects like that.”

Fazel pondered for a moment.

“That’s true.”

He agreed with my words.

How much time did I invest in the subject where I got a perfect score!

The carriage rattled. I leaned on his shoulder and dozed off for a moment. Having eaten a lot at the coffee shop, drowsiness seemed to wash over me.

When I fell asleep, Fazel firmly supported my face.

* * *

Louelle had fallen asleep. Fazel looked at the sleeping Louelle, then raised his hand and brushed her hair. The soft blonde hair wrapped around his hand.

While making sure Louelle didn’t wake from her sleep, Fazel touched her hair. Normally, since they only stayed as friends, he couldn’t touch her, but now was different.

Touching Louelle’s hair, he murmured softly.

“Even though I said we’re rivals, she’s not tense at all.”

Louelle didn’t particularly want to beat him. She just hoped for good grades in the subjects she liked; she had no interest in the rest.

While knowing and being considerate of his affairs so well, she was surprisingly indifferent in many ways.

He gently touched Louelle’s hair, which he’d always wanted to reach.

When the carriage arrived, he felt regretful but still shook her awake.

They still had to be friends.

He didn’t want to burden Louelle, and he wasn’t ready to confess his feelings yet.

He wanted to wait a little longer and properly confess when Louelle had romantic interest in him.

Louelle rubbed her eyes and got up. After confirming the carriage had arrived home, Fazel opened the door and got out first.

Then when Louelle got out, he extended his hand to hold hers. She silently took Fazel’s hand.

The held hand gave him a precarious tension.

“Thanks.”

But Louelle didn’t feel any tension at all. Fazel felt both a little disappointed and relieved.

Because she still didn’t know his feelings, so things weren’t awkward like this.

Louelle waved her hand and entered the house. Fazel himself also entered his house.

But inside, he felt a strange trace of magical power.

“Who’s there!”

There was no way he wouldn’t recognize this magical power’s identity. Fazel recalled Aegis’s presence he’d faintly felt at the Duke’s estate.

Then Aegis, who’d been standing behind the door, appeared.

“So you notice the presence.”

“Duke?”

Aegis was really here.

“Your magical power is quite strong.”

Aegis immediately noticed Fazel’s magical power. Nertian also had strong magical power, but Fazel exceeded imagination. Even though the seal on his magical power hadn’t been completely released yet, he had the qualifications to become a Grand Mage.

Aegis looked at him and smacked his lips.

“I’d like to sit down.”

At Aegis’s words, Fazel quickly came to his senses.

“Please sit on the sofa. I’ll go make tea.”

At Fazel’s words, Aegis sat on the sofa.

‘Why did he suddenly come?’

Fazel didn’t feel good. He’d come suddenly without an appointment, and the other party was Aegis. He wasn’t a welcome guest.

Fazel skillfully made tea, placed a teacup in front of Aegis, and poured the tea.

“I’m inexperienced, so I don’t know if it will suit your taste.”

“Tea is just something you drink.”

Fazel quickly drank the tea he’d made. It wasn’t delicious tea, but it wasn’t bad enough to be criticized either.

“Are you curious why I came?”

Aegis brought up the main point first. Fazel nodded.

“I’m curious.”

“I came to ask you one question.”

If it was a question, he could have asked through correspondence. But he’d come all the way here. There weren’t even any attendants serving the Duke.

In other words, it meant this was something that absolutely must not leak out.

“What is it?”

Fazel asked in a trembling voice.

“Do you have any thoughts of becoming the heir to the Duke’s family?”

What Aegis said was shocking. Fazel opened his mouth in surprise. He barely held back the urge to jump up and shout asking what he meant.

He nearly died from an assassin’s attack because of his engagement to Louelle.

And now heir!

“Is the young Duke causing you trouble?”

“That’s right.”

Aegis didn’t deny it.

Fazel also knew the stories about Nertian. The rumor was that his personality had become more violent after Fazel alone passed the Academy entrance exam while he failed.

So occasionally, vassals of the Duke’s family sent letters to Fazel. Of course, Fazel didn’t reply to those letters.

Each time, Louelle warned Fazel.

She couldn’t tell him the truth, but she said that if he became the head of Duke Zieten’s family, he’d have to make very big sacrifices.

Though she didn’t know the details.

Louelle didn’t want him to be unhappy. She wanted him to be happy.

That’s why Fazel didn’t want to do something Louelle openly opposed.

“I don’t want to take the heir position.”

Fazel gave a simple answer.

Besides, he now had a father. Trean Arnold was his true father.

But if he became the heir to the Duke’s family, he’d have to distance himself from Suran and Trean.

He’d also have difficulty seeing his soon-to-be-born sibling.

Fazel hated such things.

“Please look for someone else as heir.”

“Is that truly your will?”

Aegis asked again with eyes tinged with interest. Fazel nodded. He didn’t want to get caught up in a succession fight and face assassins again.

“Did Lady Asnel give you some advice?”

At Aegis’s question, Fazel shook his head.

“Nothing like that. But I have some sense.”

Aegis seemed to ponder for a moment.

“Right. The Duke’s family must always keep a courtesan to produce an heir. There’s no way Lady Asnel could endure that. She would hope you don’t become the heir.”

He’d expected that much. Every single head of the Duke’s family without exception kept a courtesan. Sometimes the child born from the courtesan became the official heir.

However, in that case, the illegitimate child became the adopted child of the legitimate wife, so the legitimate wife’s status was recognized to some degree.

Because of this, even knowing their husbands would have many illegitimate children, there were many noble families who sent their daughters to marry into the Duke’s family for power.

However, it was rare for women who married in to live happy lives.

The husband’s cold neglect chilled the legitimate wife’s heart.

Fazel clicked his tongue while hearing what Aegis said.

“I won’t keep a courtesan. I’ll keep only one wife and live happily.”

That’s why the Duke’s heir position was unnecessary for Fazel.

“I understand.”

Aegis confirmed Fazel’s will and quietly withdrew.

In the place he left, a strange scent remained. Smelling that scent, Fazel got goosebumps all over his body.

‘Why did he just withdraw?’

He’d expected threats or other proposals. Of course, he’d planned to refuse those too.

But he was too worried that he’d withdrawn so readily.

‘Surely not.’

Still, he couldn’t touch Louelle. Nertian also couldn’t harm her.

“That bastard Nertian should do better.”

Fazel blamed Nertian. If he’d passed the Academy and faithfully performed his role, Aegis wouldn’t have taken interest in him.

Fazel spent an uneasy night. Then even after summer vacation began, nothing happened.

Around that time, Fazel felt relieved.

He also thought Aegis might have been testing him. If he’d wanted the heir position, he might have been killed for wanting a position that didn’t suit his station.

When he felt things were going well, Louelle tapped Fazel’s shoulder.

“What are you thinking about so intently?”

Today, final exams finally ended and vacation began. Summer vacation was two months long, with school reopening in fall.

Fazel looked at Louelle walking slowly and smiled brightly.

“It’s nothing.”

He found himself ridiculous for being wary of Aegis for months.

Nothing had happened, so he seemed to have worried too much.

He asked Louelle with relief.

“Are you really going to take Liliet and Caslan on a trip?”

“Of course.”

They’d decided to visit a villa owned by Liliet’s family during vacation. That villa was renowned as beautiful in the region. Louelle was excited to be able to visit the villa she’d wanted to see.

“Aren’t you looking forward to it, Fazel?”

Fazel shrugged.

“I don’t have good memories of villas.”

Because he’d encountered an assassin there.

“It’s a different villa.”

Louelle held Fazel’s hand.

“I’m going to wear a dress and walk along the beach.”

She said there was a beach owned by Liliet’s family in front of the villa. Since only Liliet’s family could go there, she was even more excited.

Louelle smiled brightly and stood next to Fazel. Fazel looked at Louelle’s heavy bag and carried it himself.

“It’s heavy.”

“Fazel is like a sweet husband.”

“I’m a sweet fiancée and a sweet future husband.”

Fazel played along with Louelle’s words. In the past, he would have been stern at such words, but not anymore.

At Fazel’s attitude, Louelle’s cheeks flushed.

“Fazel, you’ve changed.”

“It’s the truth.”

“But it’s embarrassing when you say it so openly.”

When Louelle grumbled, Fazel said confidently.

“So you don’t like it?”

Louelle narrowed her eyes and smiled slightly.

“No. I like it. At times like this, Fazel is such a fox.”

A fox—he wanted to become a wolf who was sweet only to Louelle.

He smiled while firmly holding Louelle’s hand.

“To win a beautiful lady, I have to be a fox.”

He headed home carrying the bag.

Since it was a two-month vacation, they planned to return to the territory first.

After resting there briefly, they’d depart for Liliet’s family villa.

Louelle stared at Fazel intently.

“Ah, Louelle. I got first place again this time.”

Fazel said calmly. Then Louelle widened her eyes and nodded, seemingly impressed as expected.

Finding her attitude cute, Fazel ruffled her hair.

* * *

Aegis was in darkness. He went to the Duke’s family underground chamber and brightened the surroundings with magic.

Inside, bloodstains that hadn’t been erased yet remained.

“Still, I succeeded in my generation. Two successful products came out.”

However, the difference in ability and family background was too great.

In such cases, most prioritized individual ability. He’d dealt with the remaining one according to the method passed down in Duke Zieten’s family.

“Hehe.”

Aegis withdrew the light. Then immediately, Nertian, who’d been standing behind, revealed himself.

“Why did you call me to this place?”

Nertian was trembling with fear.

This was where Aegis had summoned the illegitimate children whose minds had broken from Nertian’s torment for the last time. All those boys had disappeared from this place.

“Go in.”

Nertian tried to resist. However, Aegis forcibly pushed Nertian in.

“Father! P-please spare me!”

Nertian begged, trembling with fear.

“I won’t kill you.”

But Aegis’s hand had no hesitation. He quickly grabbed Nertian’s head and inserted his magical power.

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

Nertian’s scream rang out.

When he removed his hand, Nertian collapsed on the floor.

“As expected, the vessel for holding magical power is large, so he endures.”

Aegis murmured while looking at Nertian, who wasn’t dead yet and was sobbing in the aftermath of pain.

Nertian originally could have lived fine even after coming of age. That’s why he had the qualifications to become the heir to the Duke’s family.

However, the same was true for Fazel.

While comparing Nertian and Fazel’s abilities, Aegis made a ruthless decision.

He decided to eliminate Nertian.

“Die slowly in pain.”

“Father, why are you doing this?”

Nertian asked, clutching his chest one last time.

“I’m the young Duke and your real son. Not a half-baked illegitimate child.”

“But you have no ability.”

Nertian laughed emptily.

“Fazel will succeed me.”

When Fazel refused, he’d withdrawn for the time being.

However, that was only to wait for the right moment.

The work of making Fazel the heir to the Duke’s family had already begun.