The Villainous Son Loves His Mother - Chapter 68

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“No, no, I apologize for the other day,”

The Inferior said, appearing suddenly.
I’m basically capable of anything, but I’m not particularly good at identifying individual Inferiors.
But I remember this one clearly.
He dared to speak disrespectfully to my Mother.
Should I eliminate him?
What should I do, Hein? Think carefully—should I eliminate him?

I feel bad for Esmeralda, but children must eventually leave their parents’ nest.
I want her to see this as an opportunity for emotional growth.
The main reason I want to kill him is simply because I find him repulsive, but there’s a tiny part of me that’s doing this for her sake.
With that in mind, I decided to make him die from a sudden seizure or something. I gradually wrapped a thin layer of Magical Power around the Inferior male’s heart.
This was a sinister technique of Magical Power manipulation that I learned from Feri.

The heart, the source of life for all living beings, beats rhythmically due to some kind of reaction. However, by enveloping it in Magical Power—the fundamental particles that shape the world—one can disrupt this rhythm.
Feri seemed to have grasped this technique intuitively. During her time as a toy for slave traders and their clients, she would use it to kill particularly loathsome customers.
Though directly harmful magic was impossible due to her Magic-Sealing Collar, she could apparently manipulate the particles of Magical Power floating around her.
The slave trader, though unaware of her exact methods, realized she was doing something. He had her limbs severed, her tongue torn out, and tormented her to the brink of death. That was the state Feri was in when I bought her, and how she came to be with me.
I was planning to use it on the inferior male before me.
That way, to any onlooker, it would appear as nothing more than an accident.
Farewell, inferior—

“Father, mind your manners..”

Esmeralda’s words gave me pause, and I abandoned my plan to eliminate the inferior male.

◇◇◇

“Hmph, what are you saying, Esmeralda? You wouldn’t understand—”

“I do understand,”

I cut Father off.
His expression tightened in surprise, but I pressed on.

“During the Sword Tournament, you made a regrettable remark. Rumor has it that relations between the House of Aster and the House of Sarion in the Imperial Capital have soured because of it.”

“That’s precisely why I came to apologize!”

The reason for his sudden change of heart was obvious.
Having heard the rumor that Lord Hein had humiliated Vice Chief Mage Eugen in the Wand Duel, he was likely trying to curry favor.
My father had always been skeptical of Lord Hein’s abilities, but this incident must have changed his mind.
Lord Hein is currently fifteen years old. In another five years, he will inherit the headship of the House of Aster and formally become its lord.
I must admit, his ability to change his tune so quickly is quite remarkable.

“Today is a tea party between me and Lord Hein. Besides, shouldn’t an apology like this be formally presented by the House of Sarion, rather than casually brought up during a tea party?”

As I spoke, I realized I was angrier than I thought. This wasn’t the time for a family quarrel, especially with Lord Hein present.

“L-Lord Hein, I apologize. I’ve exposed my family’s shame.”

As I said this, my father opened his mouth to speak again, but I silenced him with a glare.

“She’s grown up with Ariana’s strong-willed nature…”

He muttered, but I ignored him.
I felt like burying my face in my hands.
This was too much—all because of that man!
Lord Hein was usually magnanimous, but even he would surely be offended by this. Or so I thought.

“No, it’s wonderful to see such a close bond between parent and child. Lord Fore, let’s accept your apology. However, as Miss Esmeralda pointed out, regarding this matter—”

“Of course, I’ll arrange a proper formal setting at a later date. In truth, I’m deeply impressed.”

“Impressed?”

“Firstly… I’m impressed by two things. Honestly, I was initially skeptical of Lord Hein’s magical prowess. But after hearing about his Wand Duel with Eugen, I changed my mind. Lord Hein will likely become a great mage whose name will be etched in history. That’s the first point.”

My father’s excessive praise was irritating me, though I made sure not to show it on my face.
I worried that Lord Hein might take offense at such blatant flattery.

“Is that so?”

“Still, I believe you’re still young. To think Lord Hein could accomplish what even I couldn’t… It’s truly remarkable. Perhaps things will change in ten or twenty years, but… For instance, during the recent assault on the Imperial Capital, the House of Aster reported intercepting the Dragonkin of the Former Demon Lord’s Army. However, the details of how they achieved this were kept secret. Since the interception was successful, further inquiries were dropped. But at least we know it wasn’t Lord Hein. No one his age could possibly shoot down multiple dragons. The answer is clear.”

“Let’s hear it.”

I couldn’t read Lord Hein’s expression.
Was he angry, or simply dumbfounded?

“That Dragonkin-repelling seed… it must have been Lady Helga. Salvatori Sera Eldenbloom, the ancestor of the Earl of Eldenbloom, is known as the first Demi-Human noble of the great Gaines Empire. Salvatori, a hero of the Elphen Species, achieved remarkable feats. Lady Helga is his descendant, so perhaps the Elphen bl00d within her has awakened in this era. I’ve heard that ancient Elphen Species possessed such immense Magical Power that they could freely manipulate natural phenomena… but to casually dismiss a Dragonkin?”

That’s a bit much, I thought.
No, but… could it be possible?
Considering she’s Lord Hein’s mother, it might not be entirely impossible… right?
Still, Grandfather insisted that Lord Hein was responsible.
And Lord Hein’s reaction… that too was difficult to decipher.
He closed his eyes and crossed his arms.
After a moment, he spoke.

“…That’s correct. Mother essentially did everything. But I must ask you to keep this confidential.”

“Why is that? No, wait… I see. It’s because of the friction with the Prime Minister. Indeed, as the foremost advocate of Demi-Human exclusion, he holds the House of Aster in poor regard. Rather than boast of her achievements and provoke him, Mother is deliberately maintaining a low profile by making it appear as though she’s simply carrying out her duties for the House of Aster as a matter of course, thus avoiding unwanted attention.”

Many of his insights struck me as remarkably astute.
Lord Hein’s confirmation had proven my grandfather’s assessment wrong.
Yet this revelation didn’t alter my perception of Lord Hein in the slightest.

“Precisely. Your insight is remarkable. But Mother isn’t merely avoiding the Prime Minister’s gaze. She’s currently contemplating something truly grand.”

“Hmm, a big matter…?”

“Yes, a very big matter.”

Hearing this, my father crossed his arms and began muttering to himself.

(That Prime Minister, indeed…)

(Hmm, wait a minute. Lady Helga is that detestable old man’s disciple? And she got into the academy through his connections…)

(So that old man is involved, too?)

(I despise that old man, but there’s no denying he’s a great mage… He’s far more trustworthy than Eugen.)

(Speaking of Eugen, serves him right. Trying to flirt with my daughter…)

Finally, my father nodded decisively and turned a creepy smile toward Lord Hein.

“Very well. The House of Sarion will spare no effort in cooperating. Esmeralda may not be the most charming daughter, but she possesses talent worthy of the Sarion name. No, no, well, the rest is for you young people to handle at your own pace. I’ve kept you long enough.”

With that, my father left.
To come and stir up trouble, then leave satisfied…
But Lord Hein didn’t seem angry at all.

“What an amusing father. I won’t say I have no reservations, but my resentment has vanished. By the way, Miss Esmeralda, I should have asked this sooner—is your stomach wound fully healed? It feels strange for me, the one who stabbed you, to ask, but I’ve been a little concerned.”

“Y-yes! It healed with astonishing speed, even the healers were amazed… Was that perhaps due to your consideration, Lord Hein?”

“Bones grow stronger after they’re broken, and the same is true for flesh. If you cut flesh at the right angle and with the right speed, it becomes more resilient when it heals.”

Lord Hein suddenly became quite talkative, and I found myself drawn into the conversation.
I hate to admit it, but it turned out to be the best tea party ever—all thanks to that man, no, my father.
I’ll postpone severing ties with him for a while longer.