Chapter 23. You’re Honest When You’re Drunk, Aren’t You?

“By whom?”

“Who do you think?”

Aster asked with a lazy smile. Meanwhile, Brix left the scene as someone called him.

Aster and I moved to a table to continue our conversation. I pondered who might have had the guts to do such a thing.

“Helen didn’t seem to know your true capabilities, so it’s not her. Paris is just an idiot…”

“I like the way you put it, calling him an idiot.”

Aster complimented my assessment of Paris. I had sensed before that he particularly disliked Paris.

Well, I’d probably hate having a brother like that too.

I quickly accepted this and moved on to the next person.

“If it were the Duke, he would have spread the word, so it’s not him. So, the only one left is…”

I hesitated to say the last option out loud. But Aster seemed to already know the answer.

“You’re half right. Even if the Duchess wanted to hide everything, it would be difficult alone.”

Come to think of it, I had never heard any proper information about Aster while living in Ahivith. It seemed as if someone had deliberately blocked the information.

At the time, I wasn’t interested in him, so I didn’t care. But now, thinking back, it was impossible unless someone had intentionally done it.

I finally realized who might have cooperated with the Duchess and spoke up.

“So, the Duke of Blanche either cooperated or turned a blind eye?”

“More like he pretended to turn a blind eye while fully supporting her.”

“Why? Even if it’s the Duchess, you’re still his son.”

I couldn’t understand. Even if he was an illegitimate child, he was still the Duke’s son and the current heir to Blanche. Publicizing his abilities would benefit the family.

Seeing my puzzled expression, Aster spoke with a low laugh.

“I haven’t been officially recognized as the heir yet.”

“What?”

That meant the heir of Blanche could change at any time. The head of the family nominated the heir, but the approval came from the branch elders of the family.

Approval required the majority consent of the branch elders. It was usually a formality, with the head’s nomination being approved.

Even if the branch elders objected, if the head died after the nomination, the heir could become the head without approval.

So I assumed the approval process was already complete. Sensing my confusion, Aster explained.

“Many of the elders are loyal to the Duchess.”

“But you only need a majority for approval. Most of the elders should be loyal to the Duke. Gathering the Duke’s people and neutrals should be enough…”

“They know but choose not to approve. The Duke of Blanche.”

“What?”

Setting up an heir but not officially recognizing them?

Sometimes there were half-hearted heirs, but that was usually when the head had no children and adopted a branch family child to keep them in check.

‘He doesn’t call him Father.’

It was surprising that he referred to the Duke by title, not as Father. It seemed like a refusal to acknowledge them as parents.

Given his upbringing abroad and the Duchess’s presence, it was understandable that he wasn’t close to the Duke.

Aster spoke calmly.

“The Duke’s debauchery continues, yet no scandals arise. That’s strange, considering the Duchess’s nature wouldn’t tolerate it.”

“…There’s a deal between them.”

“Yes. The Duchess is gaining a lot by overlooking it.”

Among the things the Duchess gained, Aster’s share seemed significant.

Despite his outstanding abilities, he wasn’t well-known in Ahivith and lived as a half-hearted heir. There might be other things I didn’t know.

It seemed the Duke kept Aster as an heir to check the Duchess while maintaining control.

‘They’re tied by fate yet are each other’s checks.’

Such relationships tend to be strong, knowing too much about each other’s weaknesses.

A relationship that’s hard to crack but can collapse entirely if it does.

I began to understand the kind of life Aster had led.

‘When he was young, I thought he was a fool. He rarely spoke, was clumsy, and even stuttered. He was so thin that he grew up no different from a servant.’

Recalling Helen’s stories about Aster’s past, the man before me seemed a bit pitiful.

As an illegitimate child, he probably wasn’t properly acknowledged and was treated like a servant.

Paris and Helen were exceptions because the current Duchess supported them. But Aster’s mother…

‘His mother was terminally ill. She was in such a severe condition that she couldn’t survive a day without the alimony provided by Father. She was originally healthy but suffered misfortune after being harassed by Father.’

I vividly remembered Helen’s indifferent expression as she spoke.

Aster had lived a life that wasn’t entirely wrong to describe himself as a discarded illegitimate child.

‘He must have gone through unimaginable things.’

There was no one on Aster’s side in Blanche. As I silently stared at him, Aster spoke.

“You look like you pity me.”

“Not just that. I also think you’re impressive.”

Hearing that, Aster stared at me. I sincerely encouraged him.

“You’ve endured well in such a den.”

You’ve grown well.

Replaced by my gaze, he suddenly gulped down the wine. He seemed embarrassed by the sudden compliment. He fiddled with the empty glass and muttered.

“Well, I wasn’t in Ahivith most of the time. That alone made it bearable.”

That meant it was unbearable in Ahivith. Aster, looking embarrassed, took another sip of wine from the table.

He already had a drink with each greeting. Drinking like that would soon make him drunk.

I grabbed Aster’s hand as he brought the wine to his lips again.

“Don’t drink too much now. You’ll have to drink more when you meet people later. You really don’t attend parties often, do you?”

At parties, drinks usually accompanied conversations. Drinking too much alone could ruin the atmosphere.

“Oh.”

Realizing he had already had several glasses of wine, Aster put down the glass. He seemed to have kept drinking because he was thirsty from the long conversation.

“Francis wine is indeed delicious. I kept drinking without realizing it.”

“I’ll send you some later. So, please restrain yourself here.”

Aster smiled lazily at my small scolding. He seemed already tipsy, more relaxed than before.

He had mixed various drinks from champagne onwards, so it was understandable that the intoxication was hitting him now. He swirled the wine glass, the red wine as deep as his eyes.

As I quietly watched, I asked softly.

“You say you don’t like parties, so why did you come here?”

“How could I let you go alone?”

“I’ve been alone all this time.”

At my nonchalant reply, Aster’s eyes wavered slightly. He answered in a small voice.

“I never intended to leave you alone.”

“I never said I was lonely.”

“Then maybe I was the one who was lonely. I’ve always been alone too.”

“You’re being honest now that you’re drunk?”

I propped my chin and stared at Aster. I became a bit curious about his life in Arendt. He might be more honest now.

“How was your life studying abroad?”

“It was a place full of people like Brix. They stuck to me no matter how much I tried to shake them off.”

Aster muttered with a disgusted look. It seemed he had been quite bothered by Brix throughout his time studying abroad.

For an introvert like Aster, an extrovert like Brix must have been almost the opposite. But since he didn’t completely push him away, it seemed he liked Brix to some extent.

“Still, Brix must have made you feel less lonely.”

“Well, the reason that alleviated my loneliness was something else…”

Aster exhaled deeply and looked at me intently. He muttered in a voice so low I could barely hear it.

“Thanks to…, I managed to endure.”

“Thanks to who? You didn’t mention the subject.”

“Hmm. I feel a bit dizzy.”

Aster stopped talking and stood up. He looked thirsty. Before he could stumble, I quickly supported him and said,

“Shall we go to the terrace?”

At that, Aster’s red eyes deepened.