And what could be said about Daniel?

Even in the eyes of society, he was nothing but pitiful.

He was the eldest son of the Lukehardt family — the long-awaited firstborn, welcomed with great hope and celebration, and given a prestigious name from birth.

And yet, despite all that promise, Daniel was painfully ordinary.

He was slightly above average in his studies. Slightly above average in physical ability.

Despite all the time, effort and expectation invested in him, however, he remained frustratingly mediocre — neither remarkable nor inadequate, but somewhere in between.

He showed no real passion for learning, nor did he take any true pleasure in wielding a sword.

Instead, he drifted through life with a careless, indifferent attitude, being drawn more to play and mischief than anything substantial.

Having been raised with excessive affection, he grew up spoilt and self-indulgent.

Ultimately, there was no better way to describe him.

“At least his inability to know his place hasn’t changed.”

Delphius stared out of the carriage window.

Beyond the blur of passing greenery, he found himself thinking of those careless eyes that had always seen everything as insignificant.

Daniel, who resembled Lady Lukehardt more than anyone else, had always been the center of attention because of that.

He had grown up receiving affection effortlessly, and perhaps because of that, he had learned to take everything for granted.

Business was no different.

Unlike Delphius, who had been handed a failing hotel and forced to endure constant losses just to keep it afloat, Daniel was handed thriving enterprises — ventures that were already on the rise and needed only to be maintained.

Nothing had changed since childhood, when Daniel would mock and order around the frail Delphius without a second thought.

Even now, ten years later, Delphius had changed beyond recognition. But then again, there had never been any reason for Daniel to change.

Even when he ruined a business, another opportunity would simply be handed to him — like a new toy to replace the old one.

It was now impossible to count how many businesses had collapsed under Daniel’s management, ranging from small distribution operations to major financial enterprises.

There had even been times when his failures threatened the very foundation of the Lukehardt family’s wealth.

And yet, without a trace of shame, he would reach out again, insisting that next time would be different.

Even the Duke of Lukehardt was no longer the man he once was.

Perhaps age had softened him, making him overly sentimental.

Although he would click his tongue in disapproval, he continued to entrust Daniel with new ventures time and again.

At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the Lukehardt coffers ran dry.

“Who would dare…”

Delphius had amassed most of that wealth.

Of course, the initial capital came from the current Duke of Lukehardt — that much was clear.

However, the growth and success that followed were the result of Delphius’s efforts and abilities alone.

Now, with Delphius steadily leading the family towards prosperity, the duke had all but withdrawn, choosing to spend his days in comfort and leisure instead.

If Delphius were to pull back now, the entire household would collapse in an instant.

At best, the prestige they had accumulated might sustain them for one generation, but no longer.

In truth, everything within Lukehart now depended on Delphius.

And yet, despite knowing they could not afford to lose him, the duke still had not appointed a successor.

There could only be one reason for that. But that, too, would come to an end today.

Delphius fixed his gaze on the distant spires of Lukehardt Castle as they slowly came into view.

Seeing the place he despised so deeply made him feel disgusted.

He had shown enough consideration for Ariella, Daniel’s fiancée, who had brought him back into the world in her own way.

If he was going to destroy them, it would be better to do so before the wedding, for their honor’s sake.

And yet, where had she gone?

As the thought returned, a hollow laugh escaped his lips.

Sneaking into the seasonal estate while he was away and acting as though she were the mistress…

The document in Delphius’s hand fluttered in the breeze coming through the partially open window of the carriage.

Every detail of what had been happening within Lukehardt was recorded there with meticulous precision, laid bare before him in ink.

The moment he thought of how casually Daniel had carried on, even knowing his wife was pregnant, anger surged through him, sharp and uncontrollable.

An intense, violent impulse rose within him, as though he might grab that smug, careless expression and grind it into the dirt.

But he knew that kind of violence would only bring fleeting relief.

It would solve nothing.

This was why, as soon as he had finished his business trip, Delphius did not return to the seasonal estate in the capital.

Instead, he headed straight for Lukehardt’s main residence.

Disgracing Daniel on the surface was not enough. He intended to drag him down completely — body and soul — until all he had left was filth.

Perhaps then, when he was confined to a place no better than a pigsty, he would finally learn his place.

Suppressing these thoughts, Delphius let out a long, steady breath.

The relentless demands of work had left him deeply exhausted.

It had been a long time since he had slept in a proper bed.

Sometimes he would even book expensive hotels, only to leave them untouched as he pushed on to the next destination.

Without realizing it, his thoughts had drifted to Ilenia.

It had been weeks since he last saw her. He had intended not to let it stretch beyond a month, but things rarely went according to plan.

Would she still be waiting for him?

When he left, her stomach was still flat, but perhaps it had started to show by now.

He had wanted to be the first to place his hand on her growing belly.

The thought that he had missed that moment lingered, cutting deeper than he had expected.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’

It wasn’t as though they would stop at one child.

The more children, the better.

What he had missed with the first child, he could make up for with the second.

With that thought, he pushed the feeling aside and lifted his gaze as the carriage slowly came to a stop.

It had been a long time since he last set foot here.

He hadn’t returned once since his mother’s funeral.

Without realizing it, his body tensed.

The moment the door opened, a sharp, biting scent came in with the cold air — a scent he loathed above all else.

The scent of Lukehardt.

“It’s been a while.”

Perhaps thanks to the message he had sent ahead before boarding the carriage, the Duke of Lukehardt showed no great surprise as he greeted him.

“What brings you all the way here? I was beginning to think you’d forgotten this place even existed.”

“I trust you have been well.”

“Well? My son takes a wife and never once comes to see his parents—and you expect me to be well?”

The words were tossed out bluntly, edged with cold indifference.

Even the child of an enemy would not have been regarded with such hostility.

“Why do you insist on living in that cramped little estate instead of staying in the main house? Isn’t it too small for the two of you? It doesn’t even suit your status. It’s nothing more than a seasonal residence, why cling to it like that?”

“In society, a residence large enough to house dozens of servants is not considered small.”

“It doesn’t befit the name of Lukehardt! At the very least, you should have expanded the estate—or moved somewhere grander altogether…”

“That’s enough. I didn’t come here to discuss trivial matters.”

“…Very well.”

The Duke of Lukehart tapped the ash from his cigarette into the tray.

“What brings you here? For you to arrive without notice, it must be something urgent.”

“You are already aware… that my wife is pregnant.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

There was no way the Duke didn’t know—not when even that fool Daniel was aware of it. And yet, he widened his eyes, feigning ignorance with ease.

“If you had kept your wife so carefully hidden, perhaps I wouldn’t have known. Should I send a gift now, at least, to offer my congratulations?”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Delphius shook his head.

“Is there not something else you should be saying?”

“What would that be? Must I personally travel to the capital to congratulate my daughter-in-law on her condition?”

“The matter of succession.”

So he intended to feign ignorance until the very end.

Before the Duke could continue with his meaningless evasions, Delphius laid his cards on the table.

“You asked me to prove that I am worthy of inheriting the name of Lukehardt—and I have done so. You told me to build a family—and I have done that as well. Ahead of any of my brothers.”

“……”

“It is time you name a successor.”

“…I said that building a family meant having a wife and child together—not ending it at something as trivial as a pregnancy.”

“Duke Lukehardt!”

What kind of nonsense was this?

Delphius couldn’t begin to understand it.

The anger he had kept buried for so long suddenly welled up inside him, causing a painful tightening at the back of his neck.

They had told him to prove his worth to the world, and he had done just that.

He had built businesses, expanded them, and established new ventures.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he elevated the Lukehardt name across the entire Mateo Empire.

A family? A sound mind?

None of that had ever truly mattered.

As long as things looked right on the surface, that was enough for them.

Just as he had carefully concealed the flaws of his own body beneath a perfect exterior, a family was no different.

Marry as they wished. Produce a child as expected.

No matter how distorted the truth beneath it all might be, as long as it remained unseen, it could always be hidden.

Wasn’t that the reality of the Lukehardt household?

And even after doing all of that…

It still wasn’t enough.

“Pregnant… yes, of course. It is something to be congratulated. But is there any guarantee that child will be born safely? And if she were to miscarry, would you still be so confident in inheriting the position then?”

She was his lawful wife. The child she carried would be his grandchild.

At the very least, he should have chosen his words with care—prayed for the child’s safe birth.

Yet hearing the Duke speak so casually of a miscarriage, Delphius found it impossible to hold back any longer.

“Do not think that simply because you say something, it becomes reasonable, Duke Lukehardt.”

“Everything will be decided after the child is born, Delphius.”

The Duke remained firm.

Even as those cold eyes seemed ready to strangle him where he stood, he merely stroked his beard in calm indifference.

“That is all I have to say. Leave now. Unless you have something else to add, in which case, you may stay.”

As he watched the Duke dismiss him with a careless wave, Delphius ground his teeth.

Instead of lashing out, he turned away and left the room.

It had been a long time since he last set foot in the castle, and he had no desire to stay any longer than necessary.

Pulling his hat low over his face, he climbed back into the carriage.

At the horse’s sharp whinny, the carriage lurched forward.

One day, he would cast the old man aside and banish him to some remote estate on the edge of the land.

And then—

This castle, this seat of power… it would all be his.

With that thought, Delphius forced his anger back down.

The ambition burning within him fused with years of buried resentment, setting his chest ablaze.