‘What should I do?’

Young Kian hesitated for a long time in the garden of the Larson mansion.

It was just a simple matter of returning something he’d found. Why was he hesitating so much?

Seeing the Larson crest engraved on it, this was clearly a precious item that its owner would miss.

Should he hold onto it and return it through Matilda?

No, that wouldn’t work. What if he got accused of stealing?

His head felt like it might explode from the complexity of it all.

Recently, he’d heard that a maid who had the mistress’s brooch in her possession was thrown out.

Kian had nowhere to go if he were expelled from this place. For Matilda’s sake, who had taken him in, he couldn’t afford to cause any trouble.

The unwanted child of Larson.

The employees often pointed fingers at Kian, calling him that. Whenever it happened, only Matilda and his friend Theodore would stand up for him, getting angry and protecting him.

But even he thought the label wasn’t entirely wrong. So while he was grateful, he also felt somewhat embarrassed.

Kian was the illegitimate child of a maid. His mother had given birth to the Duke of Larson’s child, but she wasn’t his mistress. Kian was simply a child born from a casual affair. The Duke of Larson didn’t pay much attention to a child born from a maid.

When Kian’s mother died from illness, young Kian had nowhere to go.

Literally becoming an unwanted child, he was taken in by Matilda, who had been his mother’s friend. Despite living in the employee quarters herself and receiving a tight salary, she fed and clothed Kian the same as her own children.

Fortunately, the generous mistress had allowed it, but the gazes of others weren’t so kind. Hence, the nickname “unwanted child” stuck. Even while receiving sharp glances, Matilda would protect Kian, saying it felt reassuring to have another son.

Kian was staring at the back of the man walking far ahead of him.

‘Right. For Matilda’s sake too, I need to be brave.’

Clenching his fist tightly, he began walking quickly to catch up with him.

Joshua von Larson.

That was the name of the eldest son of the Duke of Larson. He was nineteen this year, seven years older than twelve-year-old Kian.

About to reach adulthood, he had a tall, slender build. The young Kian had to tilt his head back to see that shining blonde hair.

There were people who always seemed radiant. For Kian, Joshua von Larson was such a person.

Unlike the employee quarters where light barely entered even during the day, the main house was always filled with bright light, even in the dark evening. While helping James the gardener, Kian would often stare blankly at the place.

Joshua von Larson fit perfectly with that main house, like a painting. To Kian, he was both admiration and envy.

He was said to be the top student at the Academy in the Imperial City and would graduate next spring. After two seasons passed, he would come of age, and Larson would have a new master.

This was all the information Kian had heard about Joshua von Larson from Matilda.

Of course, since Joshua attended the Academy, Kian didn’t see him often, but now he was staying at the mansion for a short vacation. Kian volunteered to help the gardener to see him more frequently, as he couldn’t enter the main house.

Perhaps because of the height difference, he found himself panting as he tried to catch up.

“Excuse me…!”

When he called out, trying to catch his breath, his voice came out louder than intended.

Joshua stopped walking and turned around.

“What is it?”

“Y-you, d-dropped this! Y-young master!”

Having not properly caught his breath before answering, he stammered, making his speech sound ridiculous.

Even to himself, it seemed so unseemly that his face turned bright red.

While he squeezed his eyes shut in embarrassment, he heard a soft chuckle.

“Thank you. I almost lost it. Thanks to you, I found it.”

At the kind response, Kian slowly opened his eyes.

“Kian, right?”

“Pardon?”

“Your name.”

He didn’t realize it, but Joshua already seemed to know his name. Considering that he was an illegitimate child, he probably wasn’t a welcome presence to Joshua. No one had said anything, but he felt embarrassed.

“Ah, yes. K-Kian, sir.”

“Right. Thank you for picking it up, Kian.”

Joshua expressed his gratitude, pulling up the corners of his mouth. It was such a kind smile. Kian didn’t know how to respond, so he gave a short bow.

“Are you hurt?”

Joshua bent down to meet Kian’s eyes. Kian’s gaze filled with bewilderment.

“…M-me?”

“Yes. Your face is a mess.”

His eyes looked concerned. Since morning, one of the employee’s sons had provoked Kian, leading to a fight. That’s why his lip was split. Joshua seemed to have noticed it with his sharp eyes.

Kian’s already red face burned even more intensely.

“If someone is bullying you, tell me. I’ll help.”

“Th-thank you.”

When Kian didn’t know how to react, those brilliant golden eyes curved gently. Just then, a young lady in precious attire approached them.

“Did you come out to greet me?”

“You’ve come a long way, of course I should. It’s been a while, Lady Steward.”

Kian heard he had a fiancée. Joshua’s fiancée, Penelope Steward, looked at Kian with curious eyes.

“Who is this?”

“This is Kian. He found my compass for me.”

Joshua smiled and patted Kian’s head.

“It was a gift from my father that I cherished. He’s my cute benefactor.”

Benefactor. It was excessive praise for the unwanted child of Larson to hear from the young master of Larson. Kian was too embarrassed to raise his head.

“Oh right, Kian. Would you like this?”

Joshua took out a velvet pouch from inside his jacket and placed it in Kian’s hand.

“It’s chocolate. Share it with your friend.”

“Th-thank… th-thank you.”

“See you again.”

Joshua patted Kian, who was repeatedly expressing his gratitude, once more and then escorted his fiancée.

“Lady Steward. Shall we go in?”

“Isn’t it time you called me Penelope?”

“Sure. But only if you call me Joshua first.”

The future Duchess of Larson, they said.

They were an affectionate pair. Kian gazed at the two heading toward the main house.

* * *

“This really tastes like heaven. I’ve never had anything like this before.”

Theodore, who had plopped down in the storage room, had a mess around his mouth. Chocolate was smeared over the split on his lip, making it a complete mess. When Kian met Theodore, he generously took out exactly half from the pouch containing chocolate and shared it with him.

“Hey, it’s amazing how this makes you feel full even though there’s not much of it.”

“Gang payment.”

Kian chuckled at Theodore’s messy lips. Only his best friend Theodore would join him in thoroughly beating up those who messed with him.

“Pretty hefty for gang payment. Just leave it to me from now on.”

“Don’t get involved anymore, Theo.”

“What are you talking about? That bastard Tom needed to be taught a lesson a long time ago. He called you a parasite. How could I not fight? Mother’s too harsh. Punishing us by skipping lunch just because we fought over him calling you a parasite is too much.”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to be a knight? You should avoid fights.”

“I’m getting stronger so I can beat up jerks like him. Don’t stop me.”

Theodore had a strong sense of justice. Thanks to him, though they were friends, Kian could live like brothers, never feeling lonely.

“Hey, if you’re not going to eat that, give it to me.”

“No way. I’m saving it.”

Kian scolded Theodore and popped a chocolate into his mouth. The sweet and slightly bitter taste spread throughout his mouth, making his hunger disappear as if by magic. He thought that it might indeed be the “taste of heaven,” as Theodore had said.

* * *

When the Duke of Larson died and even the eldest son Joshua passed away, Kian entered the main house. The main house transformed the unwanted child of Larson into “Kian von Larson,” and as the years passed, he naturally became a person befitting the main house.

The reason was simple.

The Duchess of Larson wanted Kian to become “the exact same successor as Joshua von Larson.”

Unlike the Duchess’s obsessive wish, Kian, who would come of age next year, had grown taller than Joshua had been then. But since she wanted him to be identical, he was staying at the mansion during a short Academy vacation, just like Joshua had done then. Before him was the same woman who had stood before Joshua back then, Penelope Steward.

Kian looked at his fiancée sitting across the table with a somewhat bored expression. The young lady Penelope had now become a lady of marriageable age, and her adornments had become more elaborate.

An inherited fiancée along with the position of successor. When he was in the servant quarters, this political marriage had seemed only glamorous.

To inherit a person along with possessions, how absurd.

Of course, what fault could this woman have, but the truth was, it wasn’t very welcome. Kian von Larson was having an obligatory meeting with his fiancée, just as Joshua von Larson had done.

“Young master, perhaps because you’re approaching adulthood, you’ve become even more dignified.”

“Thank you.”

The woman before him seemed more desperate than before. Back then she was too young, and now she had become a lady, so perhaps that was natural.

“I’m not just saying this, but you really are handsome. Being your fiancée—all my friends are envious.”

“Thank you.”

When he gave a somewhat obligatory response, Penelope’s face clouded with disappointment.

She seemed more troubled by his continued distance.

“Um, I think it’s because of your brother. Though our engagement came about that way, you don’t need to feel uncomfortable with me, young master.”

“What do you mean?”

And excessive desperation always seemed to breed tragedy.

“…You’re the first man I’ve admired romantically.”

Penelope Steward made a shy confession, her face turning a delicate shade of red.

“Why?”

“Well…”

He should have been exactly like Joshua von Larson.

“You’re even more handsome.”

Instead of this nauseating confession.