The Villainous Son Loves His Mother - Chapter 49

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“Young Master! A souvenir for you!”

And so Grumman handed me a massive dragon’s eye. To be honest, I had no idea what to do with it.
It was about the size of a man’s arms.
It wasn’t entirely worthless; it was said to be useful as a catalyst for magic.
But catalysts were only necessary when inferior mages stretched beyond their limits, unable to fuel spells with their own magical power. I had no need for such things.
That didn’t mean I possessed an infinite reservoir of magical power, capable of casting any spell at will.
Rather, by understanding the underlying principles of magic, I could manipulate spells with minimal magical power.

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“The underlying principles…”

Feri murmured, nestled against me as we lay together.

“That’s right. Everything has a cause and effect. When inferiors try to wield powerful magic, they waste their magical power foolishly because they don’t understand cause and effect. Take running, for example. Even for something as simple as running, there’s a proper posture, right? Even if the result of running is the same, with the correct posture and breathing, you can run faster and longer. So, what exactly is the correct posture and breathing? That’s how you deepen your understanding. Using magic is the same. Without understanding, you waste unnecessary power.”

“That’s wonderful, Young Master,”

Feri said, tightening her arms around me.
Is she even listening to what I’m saying?

“…Well, whatever. Anyway, what should we do with that thing Gramman brought? Feri, do you have any good ideas?”

After a moment’s thought, Feri suggested,

“How about presenting it as a gift to another noble house?”

“What?”

A gift?
You’re suggesting I have to resort to such blatant flattery?

“Yes, Young Master. Madam’s ambition is to seize control of the Empire—indeed, the entire world. To achieve this, we must secure the support of not only Duke Aster’s House, but also other influential families who possess both understanding and power.”

“Why not just subdue them by force?”

I retorted. Feri shook her head. Each shake sent her br3asts swaying wildly, brushing against my nose and irritating me.

“There’s a saying: ‘Outward compliance, inward defiance.’ Even if we force their submission, some will harbor resentment. That would only trouble Madam’s peace of mind.”

Her logic was sound. Personally, I’d prefer to brainwash such troublemakers or something similar, but what Mother would think…

“…So, you’re suggesting we offer gifts?”

“Yes. The Dragon Eye holds immense value for anyone other than the Young Master. However, we must choose our recipients carefully.”

“If it’s so valuable, why not give it to Mother…?”

“The Dragon Eye Lord Graman brought is from an Ice Dragon. I fear it’s highly incompatible with Madam’s magical power…”

Feri’s words rang true.
Count Salvatori, the founder of the Earl of Eldenbloom House—my mother’s ancestral home—was an Elphen. Given this lineage, an Ice Dragon Eye imbued with the power of freezing winds would indeed be incompatible.

“Then, which house should we send it to?”

When I asked, Feli thought for a few seconds and then──

“The Duke Sarion House would be most suitable.”

◆◆◆

Several days had passed since Father ordered me to rest.
Whenever I closed my eyes, the scene from the sword tournament vividly resurfaced, tightening my chest.
The reason was clear:
Hein Sera Aster.
At the recent sword tournament, he had utterly crushed me.
That alone wouldn’t have been so bad.
I had known from the start that victory was impossible, so the outcome shouldn’t have mattered.
But then, of all things, I…
More than the pain, I was overwhelmed by the humiliation, confusion, and a strange… emotion that surged through me afterward.
Before I knew it, I found myself gazing out the window, his image floating in my mind.

(Lord Hein could have easily dismissed me if he’d wanted to.)

Why didn’t he?
Why did he laugh so amused when I forced that kiss on him?
Father was furious about the incident.
Grandfather, on the other hand, praised me.

“My lady, may I?”

The steward’s discreet voice echoed from beyond the door.
I tried to calm my expression and replied,

“Yes, please come in.”

The steward pushed the door open slightly and peered inside.

“If you’re feeling better, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”

He waited for my nod before stepping fully into the room.

“Actually, a gift has arrived from Lord Hein Sera Aster, the eldest son of Duke Aster’s House.”

For a moment, my mind went blank.

“…From Duke Aster’s House?”

I blurted out, and the steward gave a small nod.

“Yes. According to the letter, it’s an apology for injuring Lady Esmeralda during the recent sword tournament, but…”

I couldn’t quite grasp the intention. Lord Hein, apologizing?

“I see… So, what exactly did they send?”

“I hesitated on how to convey this, but the gift appears to be… a Dragon Eye. Of course, it’s not raw; it’s been processed. Still, it’s an enormous blue crystal sphere, far larger than a human head… likely from an Ice Dragon.”

“A Dragon Eye…?”

My heart pounded, and I gasped involuntarily.
Dragon Eyes had been prized since ancient times as the finest catalysts for magic.
Depending on its size, it’s said to be worth enough to buy an entire country.
It rarely appears on the open market, and even the ones handled by black market merchants are so exorbitantly priced that only a handful of great nobles and royalty can afford them.

“Why would he go to such lengths…”

For Lord Hein to offer such an extraordinary item as an “apology” seemed utterly baffling.
Was there some hidden motive…?
As I struggled to make sense of it, the steward continued speaking.

“I reported this to the Duke earlier…”

The steward trailed off, but I could easily imagine the rest.

“He must have been displeased, then?”

When I asked, the steward nodded.
My father harbored a deep-seated resentment toward Duke Aster’s House.
I understood the reason—inferiority.

“Duke Aster’s House and ours should be like sword and shield. To refuse cooperation and foster animosity seems utterly foolish.”

I muttered with a sigh.
The steward frowned, looking troubled, but ultimately nodded in agreement.
He knew the gift came from Duke Aster’s House, a family Father despised, but he also understood the Dragon Eye’s immense value and had no intention of returning it.

“Ah, that’s just like Father…”

A wave of cold disappointment washed over me, as if icy water were seeping into the depths of my heart.
Father always spoke of “enhancing the prestige of Duke Sarion’s House” and “restoring our pride,” yet here he was, scheming to make use of a gift from an enemy he loathed.
Silently, I climbed out of bed and asked the steward,

“Where is the Dragon Eye now?”

He answered immediately,

“It’s on display in the reception hall. For now, the Duke has ordered it strictly guarded, forbidding anyone from touching it.”

“I see. I’ll go see it later.”

“My lady, you’re still recovering. Please don’t overexert yourself.”

The steward calls out to me, and I offer him a small smile.
Truthfully, the pain is minimal, and I can move without any difficulty.
I still can’t believe I’ve recovered so quickly after being stabbed in the abdomen, requiring only a few days of rest.
The Healer said Lord Hein had stabbed me that way—
Could it be… that he cares about me?
Whether it was a gift or not, was it done without ulterior motive, purely out of concern for me?
The moment I entertained such thoughts,
a sharp, painful sensation gripped my lower abdomen.