"Damn it!"

  In the end, the clan leader decided to let his mother's grudge dissolve in water in exchange for significant compensation.

  Although there were some objections to the clan leader's announcement, the majority supported it.

  The atmosphere was very different from when Mother was murdered by Helga.

  Adam was too young to remember the events of that time well, but the family's atmosphere remained hostile until he grew up.

  It was initially quite intense.

  The change in the atmosphere was largely due to Duke Valther.

  He didn't suppress us with the power of his ducal house.

  Instead, he persisted with gentle persuasion over a long time.

  The inclusion of a clause that recognized personal duels in the contract also played a part.

  There could be someone who would defy the clan leader’s decision and confront Helga with a sword.

  Not just because Helga killed his mother, but also because countless others died in the pursuit squads that followed.

  There were those who lost all four sons to the pursuit squads, and there were instances where entire families died together.

  Hatred towards Helga still overflowed within the family.

  Duke Valther declared he would allow personal grievances to be settled.

  As long as it took the form of a duel, the family would not be held accountable—a daring proposal.

  "Helga is strong; that must be why."

  No one could kill Helga, who even handled numerous pursuit squads with ease, if they charged at her in rage.

  However, the focus of the proposal wasn't there.

  If Helga were acknowledged as Klaus's wife, attacking her would be akin to drawing a sword against the ducal house.

  It would become a matter between families.

  The clan leader had also tried to rally other families to subdue Helga, realizing this too late.

  It wasn't just because he couldn't forget his daughter’s grudge or because of the family's honor.

  It seemed that from a certain point, the grandfather, as the clan leader, guessed the Duke's intentions and tried to kill Helga before she could officially become his wife.

  Drawing a sword against the powerful magical Duke’s family would mean obliteration.

  Especially since Klaus was the heir to the ducal house.

  And Helga would become the next duchess.

  "If Helga cannot be killed."

  It was only natural for the clan leader, the grandfather, to nod at the Duke's generous offer.

  Those who couldn’t forget their grievances probably understood that as well.

  The atmosphere even eased when it was announced that such a clause was included in the contract.

  "But I..."

  What should Adam, the only remaining child of his mother, do?

  Adam closed his eyes.

  It wasn’t just simple hatred.

  He was born in the ducal house and was two years old when his mother was murdered by Helga.

  However, his name was not listed in the annals of the ducal house.

  It would be natural for a child of the heir’s lover to be listed in the ducal annals, but he lived simply as the lover’s child until he was two.

  After his mother died, he was sent to his maternal family's home.

  The apparent reason was the execution of a prenuptial contract agreement.

  His mother had become the heir's lover to pass on the strong wind magician’s blood.

  The contract stated that if there were more than two children, at least one should be returned to the maternal family.

  Although Adam was the only child his mother bore, the ducal house sent him back as an apology for not adequately protecting another family's daughter.

  It wasn't just Adam.

  Several of Klaus's lovers had children, all of whom were sent back to their maternal homes.

  All of them were not listed in the ducal annals.

  If it had been just one, it might have raised suspicions, but there were several, so superficial honor was maintained.

  The contract likely stated that each family would get back one child.

  Externally, no one gossiped that it was strange.

  Helga’s matter also became significantly highlighted.

  However, none of the children returned from the ducal house resembled Klaus.

  Adam was the same.

  He did not resemble Klaus at all.

  Not the father’s platinum hair, nor the violet eyes, not even a single finger.

  Adam did not even resemble his mother.

  While his mother had dark blond hair, Adam’s was closer to black.

  Neither his eyes, nose, nor skin color resembled hers.

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  His mother's family were fire magicians, and the ducal house had been renowned as wind magicians for generations, but Adam’s magic controlled earth.

  "If I weren't adept at earth magic, there wouldn’t have been a place for me in this family."

  Because he was a competent earth magician, he could proudly be part of this family.

  "The fact that I was sent back as Klaus’s son from the ducal house played a part."

  However, he could not claim to be of the ducal bloodline.

  When the ducal house sent back the lover’s children, it severed ties as if completely disowning them.

  The secret contract meant that the other family’s affairs were unknown, but it was likely the same.

  The ducal house firmly stated these children were not of their blood.

  The bastard child.

  An invisible mark seemed branded on his forehead as he walked.

  He had felt that all his life.

  Because he felt he had no roots, he obsessed over his mother and father.

  He constantly reassured himself that he was their blood-related child.

  That's why he couldn't forget his mother's grudge.

  If he forgot, if he stopped hating Helga, Adam would become no one.

  He wouldn’t be his mother's child anymore.

  He would become a complete stranger.

  "If Helga ever leaves the Forest of Demons... then I must be the first to kill her."

  So that he might end it too.

  Adam muttered to himself and closed his tired eyes.

  That was when a servant came to call him.

  A friend he hadn’t met for years had suddenly visited.

  "Without even making a prior appointment, what could it be?"

  Even among close friends, appointments are essential when visiting nobility.

  "It's not like him not to know that. Could something urgent have happened?"

  Pondering this, he headed to the drawing room where his friend quietly awaited him.

  The friend looked similar to when they had last met.

  Not much seemed to have changed.

  Except, perhaps, the noble aura had faded a bit due to living as an adventurer for a long time.

  Almost like a commoner.

  Considering his situation, Adam felt a bit ashamed of his self-pity.

  His friend, like Adam, was a child released from the ducal house, but he had no magical talent.

  He eventually left the family to make a living as an adventurer.

  They might be half-brothers in the eyes of the world, but Adam did not consider him a brother.

  He knew the reality.

  The friend felt the same.

  They related to each other strictly as friends.

  Friends who shared deeper bonds than anyone else.

  "It's been a while, Adam."

  The long-missed friend suddenly embraced him.

  Feeling the strong pat on his back from his friend’s hand, Adam hugged him back tightly.

  "What’s the matter all of a sudden? Surely, nothing bad has happened?"

  Adam asked, and his friend looked at him seriously.

  "I'm fine. I’m sorry for visiting without contacting you, but I rushed here from Endes without stopping for a moment."

  "What happened?"

  Something about the friend’s demeanor seemed off.

  Adam gestured for him to sit opposite him, and the friend looked at him with dark-shadowed eyes.

  "Helga’s son has appeared."

  "..."

  "Klaus’s... our father’s child."

  When alone, they referred to Klaus as their father.

  Not because they thought of themselves as half-brothers tied to the ducal house.

  The two knew the truth, and there were no thoughts of being half-brothers.

  But, simply out of their wishes, when alone, they acted like legitimate children of Klaus.

  That allowed them to think and act that way.

  There was no one else in the world who permitted such a thing.

  That counterpart was precious to both of them.

  Adam knew how much his friend’s words were hurting him.

  He was deeply wounded too.

  Swallowing hard, Adam forced a voice out.

  "Is he like us?"

  "No, he’s different. He’s definitely the father’s child. His hair and eyes are exactly like the portrait. The ducal house’s platinum hair is really unique, as you know. Especially the violet eyes."

  "..."

  "What are you going to do?"

  The friend’s eyes looked sad.

  He knew that Adam was looking for a place to die.

  He hadn’t participated in the pursuit squad due to the clan leader’s objection, but Adam was always looking forward to dying at Helga’s hands.

  He desired the honor of dying in revenge for his mother, a tragic member of the ducal family.

  To him, that seemed more beautiful than a miserable life.

  But now, fierce jealousy occupied his heart.

  The true son, with the father’s blood.

  There was such a son.

  It was blood Adam could never possess.

  "I thought it would never be."

  He had speculated that the father was infertile.

  That’s why all the lover’s children were not his blood.

  Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense.

  "..."

  His clenched fist hurt.

  It seemed he had put too much force into it.

  The friend took his hand, pale white, and unfolded his fingers one by one.

  The fingernails had dug into his palm, drawing a bit of blood.

  After a small sigh, the friend grasped his hand.

  "I’ve decided not to call Klaus ‘father’ anymore after seeing him. This is the last time. At least, it ends within me. I’m now someone unrelated to the ducal house."

  "..."

  "But it might be different for you."

  The friend brought his hand to his forehead.

  He murmured softly.

  "Whatever path you choose, I won’t stop you. I can’t. It might be the only way to end your pain."

  "..."

  "My friend... my only brother, another son of my father... farewell."

  Farewell...

  The illusion they had built together in a world of lies crumbled.

  The friend had stepped out of the cocoon of fantasy into reality.

  He knew that.

  Adam realized he was left alone inside the cocoon.

  The friend had managed to break out on his own, but Adam could not break what surrounded him.

  As if distracted, the friend left the drawing room.

  Adam sat blankly for a long time before rising from his seat.

  That day, he left the mansion to search for Helga’s son, as his friend had told him.

  The trading city of Endes.

  "He’s there."

  Hatred and jealousy fiercely burned in his mind.

  "Rafa..."

  The real son of his father.

  ***

  After spending the first night in a high-end inn, it wasn’t long before we moved to a different lodging.

  It’s hard for people to downgrade once they’ve raised their standard of living.

  Once you’ve tasted high-quality ham, it's really difficult to make do with the cheapest sausages on sale at the supermarket.

  At least, it was difficult for me.

  After spending a day at the high-end lodging, the thought of sticking to the cheap inns that were indistinguishable from barns was unbearable.

  It seemed Tatiana felt the same.

  Her eyes sparkled when she first saw the double room, but they dimmed a bit the day we moved back to a cheap inn.

  Tatiana tried to be careful so I wouldn’t notice, but I knew anyway.

  We are a couple, after all.

  There’s a saying that a couple is of one mind.

  I really aimed for that physical unity.

  No, no, I don’t mean to talk about such risqué matters.

  Let’s go back to the inn.

  When I told the original innkeeper that we got married and wanted to upgrade our inn quality, he surprisingly recommended another inn.

  It was a newly opened inn.

  So, we moved there, but the innkeeper was a bit odd.

  "Strange, right? I wonder why the innkeeper is here."

  Tatiana spoke first, tilting her head.

  "..."

  It was really strange.

  He seemed to have less beard than before, and somehow his skin looked better...

  Oh, wait, there were no scars.

  The original innkeeper, being a former adventurer, had quite a few scars here and there, but this innkeeper, though he looked identical, had none.

  Tatiana also noticed this strangeness, her eyes widening.

  The new innkeeper laughed.

  "You were surprised when you first came because I was out acquiring the place. I am the son. I’ve heard a lot about you from my father. I look forward to serving you."

  To be so similar to his father was truly surprising.

  Genetics are amazing.

  I mean, I’m a spitting image of my mother, so maybe it’s not so rare.

  It’s not my place to talk about others.

  No wonder the original innkeeper sent us off with such praise, saying it was a great place.

  'It was his son’s place.'

  It was actually quite good.

  The price seemed cheaper than other inns in the area, and most importantly, the building being newly built meant no bugs.

  Bugs, no.

  Although I slap them with my palm whenever I see them, if they swarm over the jerky or food, there’s nothing I can do.

  It seems like they're all dead, but when I turn around, they come swarming back again.

  That makes it impossible to feel like eating again.

  In that regard, the new inn might be better than the expensive high-end lodging.

  At least there are no bugs.

  But this place wasn’t without its problems either.

  The food was really bad.

  It didn’t seem like the ingredients were bad, but somehow the taste was off.

  "Sorry, but can we go back to the previous place for meals?"

  After a few days, Tatiana, who had been eating at the new inn, finally couldn't stand it anymore and asked.

  The son-innkeeper drooped his eyes and nodded.

  "Please do that. I make it exactly like my father, but for some reason, all the guests go there. It seems the same to me when I taste it."

  That must be because your taste is off.

  Your food and your father’s are entirely different.

  If you don’t know that, you’re taste-blind.

  You shouldn’t be running a restaurant.

  I wanted to say that, but neither Tatiana nor I said a word.

  Probably, previous guests hadn’t said anything either.

  The son-innkeeper had a very pitiful look.

  Just looking at his face, you’d think he was about to die.

  Thinking we were saving a human life, we quietly kept our mouths shut and went back to the previous inn for meals.