‘Oh God, DARS, these decorations…’

Felicia squinted at the offending decoration on the tea table. In her world, she’d been more or less immune to other people’s taste in… well, everything. Unless it was particularly hideous, she could think on the bright side and find something praise worthy about it. Now, influenced by her host, she’d become more sensitive and snobbish to other people’s taste in fashion and design. 

DARS carefully examined the tea table and the decoration in question: it was a pine branch twisted into a circle, with roses, blackberries, and daisies placed in the center. 

[It looks fine to me.] 

Felicia silently huffed, ‘You need to get your eyes checked!’

The usual [...] on DARS face turned into a [o.o] and then a [-.-]. He repeated this “face action” several times, giving the illusion that he was blinking. 

[I have checked my ‘eyes’ and I still see nothing wrong.]

She internally rolled her eyes and scoffingly said, ‘That’s right, you don’t technically have eyes. How could I forget? What would you know about proper decorating...’

He floated closer to her, his face showing a bigger [O.O].

[I have eyes, see?]

Because she was in public she couldn’t push him away. Using this to his advantage, he continued to get closer. Her face twitched and the hand holding her tea cup trembled slightly as she suppressed the laughter bubbling up. Trying to cover up her obvious amusement, she drank the tea to hide her smile.

Rido had noticed her progressively odd behavior. 

Puzzled, he reached over to touch her shoulder and ask, “Mother are you alright?”

Startled at the sudden touch and question, she choked on the tea she’d been in the middle of swallowing. The liquid had gone “down the wrong pipe” and she started coughing heavily.

He immediately stood up and began slapping her back. It was only when the coughing calmed down that he spoke to her again.

“What on earth happened?” 

Feeling extremely embarrassed, she could only mutter out the first excuse she could think of: “Just nerves….”

As she was speaking, she sneakily glared at DARS.

‘Hey, are you trying to make me look like a crazy person!?’

[I did not realize I was so funny to you…….]

“I didn’t know you could be nervous...”

[I apologize for my comedic timing. Truly, if I’d known you’d make a spectacle of yourself, I’d have been more careful.]

‘........does that even count as an apology?’

Her attention split, she didn’t notice the subtle smirk forming on her son’s face.

“Mm? Why would you think that?”

“It’s just that being nervous requires a certain sense of shame. I didn’t know you had any shame.”

It took Felicia a moment to register what Rido was saying. She immediately stiffened, her attention now wholly on her son.

“Is that anyway to talk to your Mother?!”

 “Then stop being distracted and tell me the real reason.”

“Real reason for what?”

“For whatever just happened there. It looked like you were laughing at something and I want to know what was so amusing.”

Thoroughly annoyed at two people at once, she glared at him in the exact same way she had with DARS.

“If you really wanted to know, you should have considered asking nicely.”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

“You can’t seriously be—wait. Never mind.” She collected herself, exuding an air of indifference. “I’m not falling for this teasing again. Just go die an ignorant brat, you naughty boy.”

Rido didn’t seem bothered by her response and simply chuckled.

She and Rido were waiting in a side room. As people who would be related to the family in two years' time, Felicia and Rido entered the ballroom near the end. This was standard introductions for parties: the least important came in first and stood around while the more important people came in last. They got special treatment as honored guests. Their very own waiting room with a full service. They could sit down and relax until it was their turn. 

Felicia, who was used to being a social pariah, felt it a novel experience to get the “red carpet treatment”. Of course, she and the Countess were good friends. Though they were treated well, it wasn’t pandering. The other family members were busy, leaving Rido and her host alone to enjoy some drinks and snacks. With not much to do, her mind wandered.

Like obsess over the decoration sense, or lack thereof, of the Marron Family.

The Marron Family colors were brown, so they heavily favored wood and stone that was brown. This made their entire mansion seem dark. Their coat-of-arms had a brown deer, specifically a buck, with stars and a crescent moon between it’s large antlers. Under other circumstances Felicia would have thought that was nice, but when lived out it meant they had a copious amount of brown deer antlers hanging from their walls as decorations. They also had lots of silver, seemingly placed at random, to represent the stars and moon.

Felicia, being a modern person, found the antlers slightly disturbing and the color scheme questionable. But over the years she’d grown used to it and eventually convinced herself the Marron Mansion had its own kind of charm. 

Thanks to Montana’s terrible decorating, not only was she back to feeling that the Mansion was a little creepy, her heightened sense of interior design from her host had been triggered and she found it all the more distasteful.

Montana had decorated all the antlers that the public could see in wreaths made of pine tree branches. The wreaths had red roses, blackberries, and white daisies stuck into them. Felicia had a strong suspicion the roses and blackberries were a nod to her son’s family (with Fresa being red and Mora being black) and could only guess that the white daisies might have been an attempt to emulate stars.

It was a sweet gesture but it looked ugly.

So very ugly.

She felt like her eyes might water at the horrible combination. And it was everywhere... she couldn’t escape it. The doors, the tables, even the guest rooms had this terrible combination of colors added to them. 

Felicia had arrived with several other guests the day before and, upon entering, they all froze in communal shock. 

She had distinctly heard someone behind her murmur, “It’s my third time but it never ceases to amaze me.”

Felicia hadn’t been close enough to the Countess to attend the second daughter, Colina’s, Debutante Ball and the first daughter, Linda, had happened long before Felicia had any connection with the family. She had no experience with how the Marron Family did Debutante Balls but after hearing the other guest, she knew Montana’s taste was not unique. It appeared to be a family tradition.

She had suddenly become a little worried for her own Fresa Mansion, as Montana would soon be it's mistress.

Finally it was their turn to enter the ballroom. The responses were about what she expected. A murmur of shock rolled through the crowd. They were the second to last to arrive, with the last being the host family: the Count, sickly Countess, and Montana. This made it very clear to everyone how important she and Rido were to the Marron family.

She could hear people whispering nearby:

“What on earth is the Count thinking…”

“I guess the rumors about a Marron-Fresa engagement were true…”

“I didn’t think the Count would marry his daughter to a cripple.”

“Wah, those Limb Artisans have out done themselves...”

“This explains those horrid roses and blackberries.”

“Why’d I even come if they already found her a match?!”

The last comment had been particularly bitter and loud, coming from a young man near the front. His Mother paled noticeably at his rudeness. The noblewoman elbowed her son so hard he buckled to the side from the impact.

Rido kept a carefully neutral face through all the chatter while Felicia didn’t bother to hide what she was feeling: a mixture of curiosity, ellation, and a smidgen of schadenfreude. As for being offended? There was no reason to be. This was some of the most positive feedback she’d gotten from a crowd of nobles in years and she felt pleased rather than upset.

Once they were properly in the room, they were surrounded by a mob. Despite what some of the less discrete young ladies said, a sizable portion of them edged their way towards her son. They may view him as a cripple and he may be unofficially “taken”, but he was still good looking. Certainly he was better than the average boy in their age range, who tended to look gangly and plain.

As for Felicia, she was surrounded by mothers. This was perfectly reasonable considering wives did the bulk of the matchmaking between families. Most husbands shuddered at the thought of attending these events, having been forced to go to so many as young men. The few fathers who’d attended this event were here to deepen their connection with the Count.

It wasn’t that Felicia was particularly interested in all the attention, but her host loved it. The host, having been forcefully starved of the attention she’d once gotten regularly thanks to Felicia, basked in it now. It didn’t matter if it was lip service and lacked sincerity. The host was used to the fakeness of high society and was simply thrilled to be in the limelight again.

When the Marron’s entered a few minutes later, everyone moved out of the way to allow them to walk to the center of the ballroom.

Felicia gave a mental thumbs up at Montana. The Mansion was a color disaster but it seemed that Montana had used the tailor from Blackfire Company to design her dress. Thus, unlike the mansion, she looked lovely.

Thanks to Felicia, the hoop skirt had mostly fallen out of fashion among nobility. Natural waistlines had become more in vogue. Corsets were still popular but they’d been modified to focus less on a small waist and more on the curve of the waist. A-line and empire dresses that ended around the ankle were common, with formal dresses reaching down to the floor and dragging slightly. 

Currently, Montana was wearing a lovely a-line dress that used light-weight fabric, which was layered to different lengths. The dress itself was a dark brown, with delicate silver lace wrapped around her shoulders and waist. Her brown hair was piled on top of her head in loose curls, with a silver band holding it in place.

At the center of the crowd, she began the arduous task of welcoming everyone.

Felicia couldn’t help leaning over to Rido and whisper, “She looks absolutely lovely, don’t you think?”

“She looks acceptable.” Came his indifferent reply. 

Felicia sent him a sharp glare. Pinching his arm where no one could see, she said in a soft but angry voice, “If you dare show her that attitude, I will take out my whip collection and show it to you.”

His eyebrow twitched slightly at being pinched and threatened.

In a low voice he argued back, “It’s not like I called her ugly.”

“You might as well have, with that phrasing and tone.” Felicia snorted. “Today you treat her like a Princess, even if it kills you. Praise her, compliment her, whisper sweet nothings into her ear—”

Rido raised an eyebrow and interrupted sarcastically, “So lie to make her feel good about herself?”

Felicia pinched him again, this time more ruthlessly, causing him to stiffen.

“You shouldn’t need to lie to make her feel like you care and that she's worthy of being your partner today.” She hissed out. “Today is a special day, just like the wedding and first child will be special. If you mess it up, she will remember it forever and hold it against you. Understand?”

He sighed in exasperation and muttered to himself, “Am I not allowed to say what I think in front of you at least?” Then he raised his voice so she could hear him, “I’m not an uncultured nitwit, Mother. I won’t mess this up, even without your lecturing. Have some faith in me.”

She stared at him, her doubt and skepticism evident.

“Anyway, if I say the wrong thing, I have a very good excuse to use.”

“And what marvelous excuse have you thought up, mm?”

He smirked, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

She gaped at him, momentarily speechless.

“Ah, I can’t play with you anymore Mother.” He took her hand and gave it a single pat, “The Host of the Ball needs me.” 

Before she could argue with him, he’d already fled to Montana’s side. 

It had been discussed beforehand that he would have the first dance with Montana, which meant he needed to approach her before the end of her welcome speech. She had just finished her speech when he walked over, ready to take her hand. 

With elegance and charm, Rido guided his bride-to-be to the correct position and they began to dance. Her parents followed shortly after, along with her brother and sister-in-law, and then whoever wanted to dance. 

Debutante Balls were great ways for young people of similar status to meet and get to know each other. Children of higher and lesser nobles mingled freely with each other, with young women hoping to marry up and young men hoping to marry well-connected. 

Felicia watched in a corner, amused. While some of the young people were suave and beautiful, clearly reveling in all the attention, most were ordinary and no different from teenagers in her own world. They were sometimes a little timid, nervous, and awkward when dealing with the opposite sex. They would group together, as if to protect themselves, or stand alone arrogantly or with a depressed air about them. 

She wondered if she’d been like that when she was their age.

When she thought that, she instantly became depressed.

Looking into her wine class, she complained to DARS: ‘When did I get old?’

[You’re not old.]

‘Let’s not kid ourselves DARS. I’m in my 40s. In another 10 years I’ll probably have grandchildren. I’m definitely old.’

[That would put you in your 50s. How is being 50 old?]

‘Isn’t it?’

[Not by my standards.]

She cast her mind's eye at him thoughtfully.  

‘How old ARE you?’

[That’s hard to answer.]

She’d asked this once before, in her previous life, but been denied an answer. This time he’d given a real response, which made her instantly curious.

‘How is it hard?’

[Because it depends on how you define ‘old’.]

‘Uh, isn’t there only one way to define it?’

[My guess is you’re defining it based on how many times a planet orbits the sun, correct?]

‘...yeah....’

[Unless I’m directly in a timeline, I don’t live in a place where there are suns or planets. Therefore, it is difficult to use that measure to find out my age.]

‘Where do you live when you’re not in a timeline?’

[The same place you do.]

‘The White Room?’

[Yes, but before you came it wasn’t a room.]

‘Eh…. then what was it?’

A ? flashed across his face. [I do not know how to answer.]

‘Huh? Why?’

[As a human, you are restricted to defining things based on your physical senses. What I am thinking of does not match your limited understanding of existence.] He paused. [I have no words to describe that place that you would understand, therefore, I do not know how to answer.] 

‘...uh, well… okay I guess?’ Her brows were unintentionally furrowing at this information when she noticed Count Marron walking towards her. Though his face was amicable his steps were urgant.

Felicia frowned slightly.

“Count Marron, how can I—”

“Pardon my rudeness,” Count Marron cut her off, his voice tense even though his face didn’t show it. “There is a message waiting for you outside the Ballroom.” He paused, casting her a knowing look, “A message from Mora County.” 

Felicia’s whole body went rigid in alarm. Gulping down her wine, she handed the empty glass to the Count, leaving immediately. With how little she contacted her maiden family, there was no way the message coming now was any good.

Count Marron followed behind her with an empty wine glass in one hand. It wasn’t until they were near the exit that a servant passed by and he could divest himself of it.

The messenger had black hair and light purple eyes, proving he was a native of Mora County. His outfit was wrinkled and he looked worse for wear. This made her even more worried.

“Speak.” 

He gave a bow and immediately got this point: “Marchioness Fresa, I was sent by Countess Mora. I bring you two pieces of news. First, Count Mora has passed away due to an accident.”

“Accident? What kind of accident?”

With a straight face, the messenger explained, “He fell down a flight of stairs in the Mora Mansion and broke his neck.”

“...and who was witness to this?”

“Countess Mora.”

Felicia immediately felt a headache growing.

“What’s the second news?”

This time the messenger couldn’t keep a straight face and looked very uncomfortable.

“The… the Count… supposedly… has a son that the Countess was unaware of… his hair and eyes are both a dark gray...”

Felicia could only look dumbfounded. This meant that her host’s father had committed adultery and, worst yet, it was of someone of noble birth. It was similar to what happened with the host. The apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree...

“...and, certain relatives within the Mora family claiming they have the Count’s newest will, naming the boy as heir...”

She felt her legs give out from under her in shock and it was only thanks to Count Marron that she didn’t collapse on the floor. 

Inheritance laws were generally very straightforward. The father, current titled lord, would send a Birth Notice to the Royal Genealogy Library, appointing his chosen son as the heir. The library would then send an official Birth Certificate to the titled lord, which would be kept in the family chest or vault. The family has 4 chances to switch the title to a different child, with the 4th being the final one. 

However, things were not always so simple. Unexpected events could and did happen, throwing the usually routine process into complete chaos. Wills were used as a stopgap measure and would be deferred to in odd or extreme cases. An example of how this worked was with Marquess Fresa naming Querido his heir before he was born. Without that will, the Fresa family would have had the right to contest Querido’s title inheritance to the King. 

Thus, Nobles took their wills very seriously. Not only did it prevent a family feud and any bloodshed that might go along with it, it was also how wealth was divided after they died and any “last wishes” were passed onto the next generation.

As far as Felicia had been aware, her host’s father had named Rido as his successor in his will. Count Mora had always strongly approved of his grandson inheriting his title and there’d been no indication he’d changed his mind. 

However, if the extended family had conjured up a will and there was an illegitimate son with the right “colors”, that was an entirely different matter. In a conflict of wills, where neither was an obvious forgery, the law stated that the nearest male relative would inherit. In this case, that would be the son born out of wedlock. The only way to fight this rule was to go to the King directly, which took too much time, or for the nearest male relative to withdraw his title claim… either willingly or because he died.

Count Marron understood this too and had an ugly expression on his face. They needed three fiefs united under one family to request the creation of a Duchy. If they lost Mora County they lost their chance at a future Duchy.

After the initial shock, Felicia got back on her feet. She rubbed her temple, voice strained, “Count Marron, I must go deal with this immediately.”

“Naturally. Is there anything I can do…?”

“Don’t tell my son about the inheritance issue. I will deal with that and tell him once it’s resolved. But if you could tell him I had to leave early because of a death in the family, I would appreciate it.” She then added, “And tell him not to follow me for the funeral, but stay at Fresa Mansion. It’s not good to have the Mansion left empty of either of us for too long right now.”

Felicia never let Rido meet his maternal grandparents, and for good reason. Besides the fact that she’d lied for years about them being amazing, they were obsessed with their family colors. Unlike the rest of the nation, they’d immediately notice his eyes weren’t the “proper” black. The host’s mother probably wouldn’t care that much, as a grandson was a grandson regardless, but the extended family?

They would use such information to blackmail her into accepting the illegitimate son. And that wouldn’t be the end of it. They would continue to use that blackmail to get what they wanted.

Basically, if any extended family got a good look at Rido, she was screwed. The host understood this too and kept Rido away from Mora County for that reason. 

They said a few more words before she left. It would take three days, non-stop carriage riding, to get to Mora Mansion. Felicia picked up Tie and a few trusted knights along the way.

When she arrived at Mora Mansion it was already a disaster. The extended family had made camp right outside the Mora Mansion, presumably because they’d been kicked out of the Mansion by the Countess. The perimeters of the Mansion were heavily guarded, with each guard carrying a threatening musket. Her carriage had the Fresa crest on it and, including the Fresa knights, were enough proof of identity to allow her through.

Countess Mora met her at the door.

The Countess was in her 60s but looked much younger. Her hair was still black, her eyes clear, and her back straight. There were only a few age lines around her eyes. When standing next to her daughter she looked more like an older sister than a mother. This was one of the enviable aspects of the Mora Family: they all had top notch looks and tended to look much younger than their actual age. 

After a light hug, Countess Mora guided her daughter into the mansion. Felicia was privately surprised how her host’s mother didn’t seem awkward or angry at the 10+ year silence from her daughter. The older woman acted as if the time apart hadn’t happened and was, at least outwardly, friendly and polite.

From her host’s memories, she could see this was how the Countess usually acted. Perhaps her host would not have found this unusual and even been pleased by how nothing had changed, but Felicia had parents who loved her sincerely. She understood this kind of behavior wasn’t natural after so many years of separation.

If she was to put it into words…. It was as if the Countess didn’t really care for her daughter and had kept a certain distance between herself and her child from the beginning. Thus, whether her daughter visited often or not at all, the Countess was not much affected by it.

Though it wasn’t the first time she’d thought it, Felicia felt even more strongly there was something seriously wrong with the Mora family…...

She was eventually guided to a sitting room, where some drinks were served. Tie was busy putting Felicia’s things away and getting the lay of the Mansion, leaving on the Countess and her few servants in the room.

The Countess continued small talking with her daughter and then, without any warning, said:

“I must say, Count Mora certainly got his revenge in the end.”

“Revenge?” Felicia asked in confusion, not expecting the conversation to shift so suddenly.

“Yes, he found out about the poisons you see.”

“He… he didn’t know about them…?”

The Countess rolled her eyes. “Of course he didn’t! Good heaven’s child, if he knew, how could I have poisoned him all these years?”

Felicia didn’t know what to say to that bit of information. The host was also lost. The host had a complicated relationship with her family but, generally, tended to be optimistic towards them. For instance, the host had always assumed her parents got along well because they’d acted friendly in front of her. Therefore, why would her Mother hide the “family poisons”, much less use them on her Father? The host was in a mild state of shock, giving Felicia better control over her body.

“Mother should you.. Should you be talking about the… um… poisons so casually?”

“Why shouldn’t I?”

“Er, well…” Felicia glanced at the nearby servants, who were standing quietly against the walls.

Unlike in Fresa Mansion, or even in Marron Mansion, the Mora servants were as quiet as ghosts and almost as invisible. Despite being physically visible, if they stood still for any length of time it was easy to forget they were there. 

The Countess seemed even more confused.

“What? Why are you looking at the wall? It’s not as though it has ears.”

Felicia went silent for a moment.

Unsure if the Countess was joking or not, she explained hesitantly, “The… the servants, Mother…. They have ears, unlike the wall…”

The Countess burst out in laughter.

“Child, when did you become so paranoid? I have trained them well all these years. They know what I do to anyone with loose lips.” She waved her hand dismissively, “And anyway, the Count is dead, they have no one to tell.”

“What about the rest of the family?”

The Countess snorted. “What will they hear? They only know what I want them to know, otherwise they wouldn’t still be thinking the Count died accidently.”

Felicia froze. She had her suspicion but she hadn’t expected to find out something so horrific over tea and biscuits. Her host, who had already been suffering a shock, went emotionally mute after hearing this stunning revelation. 

“It wasn’t an accident?”

The Countess gazed at her tea indifferently. “It was not.”

“Mo… Mother…. Did you…?”

“Oh, don’t look so distressed! He threatened me first!” The Countess put her cup down roughly, annoyed. “What was he without me, hm? It was thanks to marrying me that he got a noble title at all! And that title got him land, money, and respect of his peers! Without me, he’d have nothing! When he was unfaithful, did I threaten him? No, I just made sure his little liaisons couldn’t produce any “mistakes” with some timely “medicine”. Not that he appreciated my generosity in the end...” She looked bitter, “And my kindness in only slightly poisoning him for so long backfired.”

There were too many things to unpack in that statement, so Felicia clung to the thing that was most important to her situation, “Then the boy is or isn’t father’s child?”

“I’m not sure….” The Countess pursed her lips. “The poison I gave him at first was diluted to reduce the side effects. Unfortunately, that kind of dose is naturally weaker and must therefore be administered regularly, lest it lose its potency. I wasn’t being consistent near the end because I thought he’d settled down. But then later I caught him with—” She paused, a look of consternation on her face, before deciding not to continue that subject further. “The point is, I gave him the undiluted version after he’d pushed things too far. He was sick for a month and didn’t realize until some time later he’d lost all interest in... the more risque aspects of life. It’s not like he suffered much, just a little more feeble and prone to illness from then on. Certainly nothing to get that angry over.”

Felicia cleared her throat and asked, “Do you remember when you… uh… switched?”

“Mm...11… maybe 12 years ago… it’s all a blur to me.”

“Do you know how old the boy is?”

“I think he’s around 13 or 14 years old.”

Felicia gave a groan of frustration.

“Yes, the timing would be right. And unfortunately he looks very similar to the Count.” The Countess sighed. “Really, not only did he threaten my life despite all I did for him, he manages to threaten my livelihood beyond the grave. I’m terribly put out by all of this, let me tell you!”

“Do you think the Will is real then?”

“I don’t know,” She grimaced. “He never mentioned having a son to me when he was busy elucidating the 100 ways he planned on ending my life. One would think, if he’d known about it, he’d have not missed that opportunity to bring it up.”

“But the boy looks very like Father?”

“From what I recall when he was that age, yes.”

Felicia lowered her head, frowning.

‘What do you think, DARS?’

[The Will is a forgery but the child is most likely your host’s real half-brother.] DARS had been scanning people the entire way in to figure out what was really going on.

Felicia mentally cried. Not only was her host’s half-brother younger than her by over 30 years, he was also younger than her son! 

‘What the frick is wrong with this family!?’ She asked rhetorically before saying to the older woman across from her, “I need to see the Will and I’d also like to meet the boy.”

“I understand the Will, but why that… mistake?”

Felicia pressed her lips together.

“He may be of use to me.”

“Use? Other than climbing into a grave for us, what use could he possibly have?”

“I won’t know precisely until I see him.” Seeing the Countess look of doubt, she huffed. “Mother, you may not realize it, but I’m exceptionally good at using people around me.”

***

Shortly after the founding of Mora County, the siblings of the heir split off into four distinct sub-families. They were surnamed the Oscuros, Debils, Reducirs, and Tenues respectively. The Oscuro and Debil Families held the inheritable title of Viscount while the Reducir and Tenue Families held the inheritable title of Baron. The Viscounts had near-black iron hair and eyes while the Barons were more ash gray, which the ignorant sometimes confused with silver.

To keep the colors as close to black as possible, the Four Great Houses of Mora kept to the dubious practice of marrying their cousins. A “lucky” son or daughter would marry back into the Mora main line. The Mora Family would favor that particular family for as long as the son or daughter was alive. Calle’s father was one of the “lucky ones”, particularly because he came from the weakest of the Four Houses— the Tenues. 

The Tenues had gotten greedy after getting a taste of the high life. When the title passed onto Querido, who was more Fresa than Mora, their favored position would naturally drop back to fourth place. The other three families were not much better off, as it was clear that Heir Querido would not be marrying any of their daughters. This put all four houses in an awkward position.

The Tenues didn’t want to lose their position and the other three didn’t want to lose their chance at gaining favor. They were at a loss as to what to do for quite some time, until they unexpectedly stumbled onto the illegitimate son of the Count living like a commoner in a village near the County border.

Their original intention had been to talk to the Count into naming the boy the next heir. They assumed he’d want to take the boy in, as he’d only had a daughter and was forced to pass his title onto his grandson as a result. The grandson already had the Fresa fief, there was no reason to let him have the Mora fief too. Alas, the Count died before they got the chance to tell him anything.

With their opportunity lost, they had to think of another way. Using letters the Count had sent to various family members as reference, they forged a Will that claimed the boy was to be the Heir. They were confident no one would see through their forgery, and thus any investigation would have to be based on eye-witness accounts. They would naturally lie through their teeth to get what they wanted.

The Four Houses had surrounded Mora Mansion with the intention of blocking all outgoing messages to keep the Marchioness Fresa ignorant of what was happening. By the time she heard about her father’s death and her half-brother, they intended on having him installed as the new Heir. But somehow the Countess had gotten word out about what they were doing and now they didn’t have a choice but to let her be involved.

Felicia found all this out as DARS scanned the various representatives of the Four Houses. 

The representatives were extremely cautious dealing with the long-absent Marchioness Fresa. Calle Mora Fresa had a horrible reputation before marrying and it had only gotten worse with her recent assertion of power over both Fresa and Mora—by hanging many nobles and wealthy commoners from the end of a rope. The Four Houses had lost some near relatives thanks to her actions and had a healthy fear of her as a result.

After some haggling, Felicia agreed to meet in a neutral spot outside the Mora Mansion. They set up a table and chairs under an old tree in a space that allowed everyone to see what was going on. Tie was beside her while the Fresa knights were on the parameter, watching for trouble.

Rather than dealing with the Will, Felicia decided to see the boy— her host’s half-brother—and have DARS scan him. DARS knowledge of the boy was from the bits and pieces he gained from the people around him— which was useful in it’s own way, but said little to nothing about the boy’s character. 

Felicia had no problem being ruthless to her host’s extended family, but she wasn’t going to punish a child for the sin of his parents. Especially since one of those parents was her host’s own father. If she could, she wanted to find a way to spare him. But that, of course, depended on him.

The boy who sat across from her was not what she was expecting.

Surprisingly, he had a timid posture and didn’t look her in the eyes once. Or perhaps more accurately, he kept his head down, looking at his shoes as if his life depended on it.  There was none of the arrogance common to those related to her host’s family. When he sat down, his shoulders were hunched and his hands were clenched into fists on his lap.

Before DARS got any information from him, Felicia already suspected he was not a willing participant in the current power struggle. Felicia’s eyes flickered towards the man and woman standing on either side of him and had a sudden suspicion.

“You two may leave.” She commanded.

The man frowned slightly. “Marchioness, pardon me. I am the boy’s guard and the lady is his maid. We were given explicit orders to remain with him during your visit.”

Felicia raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Did your orders come from the King?”

“Er, no—”

“A duke then?”

“...no…”

“Then I think you will be leaving.” She waved a hand and two Fresa knights stepped forward.

The boy’s guard and maid looked alarmed at the Fresa guards approaching. 

“Marchioness, this isn’t what was agreed to—!”

Felicia raised an eyebrow, “I agreed to this meeting place, not to harm the boy, and to let some of the Great House’s people watch. It was never mentioned how closely their people could watch.” She turned to her guard, “Keep these two at a distance where they can’t hear but can see what’s happening.”

The guard and maid had complicated expressions on their faces. They didn’t want to obey, but they also knew disobeying someone as bloodthirsty as Marchioness Fresa was a bad idea. They were stuck between a rock and a hard place. 

While they were hesitating the Fresa Knights restrained both of them and started dragging them away. The boy’s guard was no match for well trained knights. Whether it was brute strength or skill, a knight was far better than an average guard. In this case, the guard only had a defense dagger on him, making him even less of a threat. The maid obviously stood no chance either.

DARS was scanning the boy as all this was going on. It took very little time and he’d already floated back to Felicia as the guard and maid were forced into leaving.

‘What did you find?’ Felicia asked him, watching the guard struggle and get viciously hit in the head by the knight for his troubles.

[He is your host’s half-brother. Also, if this child is not removed from the situation soon, he will die.]

Felicia mentally grunted.

‘Considering the Countess' love of poisons, I’m not surprised…’

[That is not why he will die.]

‘Hm? What’s going to kill him if not the Countess? One of the other houses?’

[He will commit suicide.]

Felicia stiffened slightly, surprised.

[Ever since the Oscuro Family found him, his life has not been good. He has already tried to kill himself twice, but was caught before he could finish both times…]

‘So that guard and maid…?’

[Are there to make sure he doesn’t do it a third time.]

‘Frick my life…… and me taking him in is going to stop all that? I don’t know the first thing about dealing with depression!’

[He doesn’t need a therapist, just some way to escape. He is trying to kill himself because he feels trapped.”

‘Exactly how bad is— wait, nevermind.’ She stopped herself. ‘We’ll talk about the details later. Just let me make sure I understand: he doesn’t want to be the Heir and he’s actively trying to get out of it by any means necessary, up to and including death?’

[Correct.]

‘I can work with that!’

The two guardians had been dragged away and now there were only the 3 of them. Felicia didn’t have any more time to talk to DARS.

Clearing her throat, she introduced herself politely to the boy in front of her. “I am Marchioness Calle Mora Fresa, daughter of Count Mora. What is your name?”

There was a long pause before he spoke in a voice that she almost couldn’t hear:

“....Astro Tenue…”

[That’s not his real name.] DARS immediately contraindicated. 

Felicia eyebrows raised slightly at this information.

“Boy, whatever you say here will be kept between the three of us. There will be no punishment, no matter how rude or crudely you speak to me.” 

He gave a sharp nod but didn’t lower his guard.

After a moment, Felicia added, “In the name of God I promise not a word spoken here will be heard by anyone else and no harm shall come to you by my hand.”

The culture of aristocracy, the wealthy, and the commoner were different from each other. Though honor and reputation were extremely important to all of them, how one went about making an oath or promise was different between the classes. 

If a Noble was serious about a promise, he made it on his family name and in public among his peers and superiors. The social pressure would force him to stay true to his word. The wealthy, on the other hand, tended to put promises in writing or by exchanging items. Physical proof was needed before they trusted the other person to keep their word. But among commoners, who were poor and often illiterate, they could only make verbal promises. Of these types, a promise or oath in the name of God was the most powerful. 

Therefore, Felicia could tell without DARS telling her what kind of background this boy came from based on his reaction.

Sure enough, the boy’s body noticeably loosened and his tightly fisted hands relaxed. Felicia gave a mental nod: he must come from a commoner background then. 

"Introduce yourself properly this time."

The younger boy shifted in his seat and spoke in a timid, but slightly louder, voice, “Baron Tenue gave me that name but… but I was originally called Noche Cielo.”

“Then that is what I will call you.” Felicia responded amicably. “You have probably been told already but apparent you and I have the same father, making us siblings.”

Still looking down at his lap, he nodded.

“For my part, I hold no animosity towards you in regards to your origins.”

This comment surprised him enough that he glanced up at her.

She gave him a gentle smile to show she meant what she’d said.

“However, it is quite a problem for me if you become the Mora Heir. I would very much like to resolve the matter of inheritance now rather than have a third party do it for us.”

He immediately tensed, his face paling noticeably in fear. He had apparently taken her comments as a threat.

“I don’t mean you any harm by saying that. I have already promised I won’t hurt you. I am just stating my intentions at the start.” She tilted her head. “Now then, you must tell your intentions.”

“...in… intentions?”

“Yes, do you intend on becoming the heir?” She blinked and then rephrased, “That is to say, do you want to become the Mora Heir?”

“You’re asking me if I… want… to be the heir?” Noche stared at her with a perplexed expression. “Shouldn’t I want it?”

“I don’t know,” She raised her eyebrows, “that’s why I’m asking instead of assuming that you do.”

He looked back down at his hands and fiddled with his fingers for a moment. Finally he raised his head, chin held just a little high and said plainly:

“I don’t want it.” 

Felicia chuckled. “Good. Then we are in agreement on that. That will make things much easier moving forward—”

As she was talking, Noche’s gaze flickered to the right, where Tie was standing. Ash gray eyes locked with cyan one. Tie hadn’t expected to get noticed and gave a small smile and a nod out of habit before remembering she was supposed to act professionally. Her face immediately rearranged itself into a neutral expression. The younger boy watched all this and his eyes glazed over.

In an instant, his entire face, including his ears and neck, turned beet red.

It was so noticeable Felicia stuttered to a stop in amazement. Some people were prone to blushing, but Felicia had never seen a blush of such intensity and speed happen right in front of her eyes.

“What on earth…?” She then spoke to DARS, ‘What’s going on with this kid?’

DARS floated over to Noche and then explained, [It seems he’s taken a liking to Tierno.]

Felicia couldn’t help turning to stare at Tie, who at that moment had a dumbfounded expression on her face. She hadn’t expected Noche to react that way either and was equally taken off guard. When she saw Felicia staring at her with raised eyebrows, the younger woman immediately shook her head. 

It was as if she was saying: I wasn’t doing anything! It’s not my fault!

Felicia squinted at Tie while speaking to DARS, ‘It can’t be he did anything so corny as falling in love at first sight, right?’

[That seems to be the case.]

She turned back around and glanced at Noche. His face had reduced by two shades of red. He was back to looking at his lap, but even within the few seconds she watched he’d taken five “peeks” at Tie.

Felicia pinched the bridge of her nose. ‘Does he not understand the important discussion we’re having right now…?’

[He is very young. The young aren’t known for their ability to prioritize.]

‘I’d think after trying to kill himself—twice—he’d have a better grasp of his situation!’

[Speaking of that, this will prove useful.]

‘How exactly?’

[He is in despair. I have not told you what happened to get him here. This has given him… a reason to live.]

Felicia mentally groaned, ‘Of all the ridiculous, over-dramatic— Fine, whatever! I’ll take your word for it!’

Aloud she gave a polite cough and waved Tie forward. “It seems I skipped a step. Introduce yourself.”

Tie hesitated before stepping forward and giving Noche a small curtsy, “I am Teirno Samudr, lady’s maid of Marchioness Fresa. It is an honor to speak to you, Lord Cielo.”

Noche’s fading blush immediately came back in full intensity. He appeared stuck between wanting to look at her and being too shy to do so. His response was a garbled return greeting. 

The only thing that made any sense was at the end, “....honor is all mine.”

Tie was struggling not to laugh at his reaction. She wasn’t an obtuse person and could tell by his response that he liked her. Of course the timing was terrible and—from her perspective—he was just a kid. Instead of being flattered she found his reaction cute.  

If the situation wasn’t serious, Felicia would have found this interaction funny. As it was, she didn’t have any more time to indulge in “young love”.

“Now that everyone has introduced themselves, let’s get back to the main point.” Felicia forced the topic back to where she wanted it. “Since you don’t want to be the Heir and I don’t want you to be the Heir, the most sensible thing to do would be for you to relinquish your claim to the title.”

Having reality poured on him like a freezing cold bucket of water, his blush vanished as quickly as it came.

“I— I can’t.” He shoulder’s dropped gloomily. “I’ve said I don’t want it and they don’t listen. I’ve tried to escape but they— they always find me.”

Felicia rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “You tried to escape by yourself before but this time you will have my help.”

He looked up at her in surprise.

“The question is… where do you want to go after you’re free? If you have a family you want to reunite with, I can do that for you—”

“I don’t have anyone.” He interrupted, a painful expression on his face. “So it doesn’t matter where I go. Anywhere is fine. Farther away is better.”

‘This boy wears everything on his face.’ Felicia thought sadly. Paired with what DARS had said earlier, she had a pretty good idea what happened to his family already.

“Is Fresa March far enough away?”

“Fresa?”

“You say you don’t have anyone, but don’t you have me? I am your older—very much older—sister after all.”

His eyes widened, clearly not expecting her to acknowledge their blood-connection to such an extent.

“As my little brother, you are entitled to my protection.” The corners of her eyebrows raised and a small but wicked smile curled at the corner of her lips. “And a Mora child does not get bullied, does not get harmed, and those that try such foolishness against us, well— they all get their due.”

***

Rido was watching the incoming carriage from the second floor of Fresa Mansion with a stiff expression on his face. 

Initially he’d been upset about being left behind. It was true that the timing of his Grandfather’s death had been awkward and having to leave on the day of his engagement announcement would have been unfortunate. 

Leaving would have thrown everything off, true, but the Marron family and guests would have been understanding. Far more understanding than, say, a young man flippantly enjoying a party while his Mother went off to attend the funeral alone. 

It looked extremely selfish and shallow of him to prioritize his “happiness” while his family was technically in mourning. His Mother knew this as well but still had Count Marron hide what was really going on until it was too late for him to do anything about it.

Worse, she specifically told him not to join her later. The excuse she gave made him feel like he was being treated like an idiot. The mansion needed someone to supervise it? What was recently titled Viscount Curtidor for if not for that? 

She was definitely hiding something. 

But he’d been explicitly told to stay in the mansion. He didn’t dare disobey. 

That didn’t stop him from being frustrated and annoyed.

This lasted right up until word reached back to him that more knights had been called to Mora Mansion by the Marchioness. His anger was replaced with worry. 

If she was really attending a funeral, what did she need so many knights for? He wrote her a letter asking what was going on. But it would take 2 days for the letter to arrive and another 2 days before the reply made its way back. He could only pace around the Mansion like a caged beast, waiting for some news.

Rather than 4 days it took almost a week before his Mother thought to send him a reply. Instead of answering his question, she told him she’d been delayed and she’d need to stay at Mora Mansion a little longer than expected. Everything was fine, she claimed, and he needed only to stay home and wait for her.

Another week passed when he got word what the knights had been used for: the patriarchs of the Four Great Houses of Mora had gotten their heads lopped off via the sword for treason against their Lord. 

Rido was dumbfounded when he heard. 

Exactly how was everything fine?!

His temper was so bad during the days that followed he was unbearable to be around. It wasn’t until another letter arrived explaining the Marchioness would be returning shortly that he finally settled into a sulking funk.

In the middle of all this, Heir Ron Invierno sent him a letter boasting about having a new sibling arriving in a few months. Ron was the youngest out of 4 children, with the older children being sisters who’d long since got married. His parents were old now and didn’t expect to have a 5th child. The new child was considered an unexpected, but pleasant, surprise. As for Ron, he was thrilled that he would no longer be “the baby” in the family and could finally experience the joy of being an older sibling.

Rido, who’d lost his Father the day he was born and had no contact with extended family, felt like Ron was poking at a sore spot. Because of what happened with Valor, Rido realized that without a blood connection people could easily cut off family ties with him. Though he considered Valor, Fijo, and Tie like real siblings, they weren’t real siblings and that difference meant he could never be safe in his relationship with them.

The saying that “blood was thicker than water” seemed to be true. In the end, all he had was his Mother. She would be the only one who wouldn’t—couldn’t—leave him.  

But even being related, see how his Mother treated him? 

He felt bitter.

Ron’s letter intensified Rido’s sulking. By the time his Mother returned, he wasn’t inclined to greet her at the door as he would usually have done. As if by silent protest, he remained in the house and sent Valor to welcome her instead. He remained on the second floor, in a room that gave him a good view of the mansion’s front entrance.

Rido had exceptional vision. Part of his talent as an archer came from having excellent eyesight. Despite the distance from the carriage, he could see what was going on through the window clearly and with great detail.

He watched the carriage pull up, Valor walk over, Tie get out, then his Mother and then…

A stranger.

The stranger looked young, his hair was a dark gray and he had a unique pale skin color common to those from Mora County. Rido rolled his eyes at the sight.

For years now his Mother would pick up people at random whenever she went out. He knew, having gone with her, that not everyone she picked up came home with them. Sometimes she became their patron and helped them out of a difficult situation or she sent them off someplace that later proved useful. It depended on the person. But he would say once every 5 times the person she picked up was brought directly to the Mansion. This happened frequently enough that he’d gotten used to it. 

There was a round of introductions between Valor and the new person. 

His Mother looked around so obviously that even from afar, Rido could tell she was asking about him. When Valor responded, she looked at the Mansion, and to his surprise, seemed to look right at him. Instinctively he felt guilty and hid.

The moment he ducked he slapped his forehead, frustrated with himself. He was the victim here! Why was he acting like he had something to hide?!

He looked out the window again, but his Mother was gone. Valor, Tie, and the stranger were still there. They were walking at a slow pace towards the front door while chatting to the guest amicably.

As he was thinking about what he ought to do next, his Mother charged into the room with a bang, throwing the door open roughly.

He jumped, startled a second time at how quickly she’d found him. Despite her age, she was quick on her feet when she wanted to be.

“Exactly what do you mean by not greeting me at the door?!” She asked furiously, eyes blazing and chest heaving from practically running to find her son. 

Between being surprised and suffering from a mild case of “guilt”, he accidentally blurted out his real feelings:

“You, you left me behind, why should I greet you?!”

The moment he said it, his face flushed with embarrassment. To his own ears he sounded childish, much less to the woman in front of him. Instead of making him repetent, the shame made him feel more sullen.

She raised her eyebrows and huffed. “I left you behind for a reason.” 

“So? Do you know that everyone thinks I’m a frivolous person who lacks family affection because of what you did? It’s fine if you don’t care about your reputation, but I don’t have that luxury!”

His Mother often pressed the point that he had a reputation to keep as the Heir and it was important for him to be careful in how he acted in public. As for herself, she admitted openly there was no hope for repairing what Barrera had broken. That meant she had a lot more freedom to act wantonly.

“Better to be frivolous than get involved in a family feud over the Count title in Mora!” She retorted angrily, annoyed that he was using her own words against her.

That his claim on the Mora title had been questioned momentarily stunned him. 

“...they disputed my inheritance?”

She walked over to a nearby chair and sat down heavily, pressing her temple. He trailed behind, sitting in a chair to her left.

“Didn’t I tell you I had a good reason?” His Mother huffed again. “If you had been involved, do you realize how much bigger that travesty would have been?”

His gloom turned into alarm. Title disputes were serious problems when their goal was to eventually turn these fiefs into a Duchy.

“How can there be a dispute?”

Count Mora had only one daughter. Whoever she married became the de facto lord of the Mora County after the Count died. Since the Marquess died before the Count, it was expected the sole Fresa son would get the Mora title. The Count’s Will also stated as much.

His Mother had a complicated expression on her face before she finally explained, “...you have an… uncle.”

“Uncle?” His eyebrows rose in surprise. “When did that happen?”

Her face went rigid and she seemed to struggle for a moment.  

“About… 13… years ago…. Probably.”

Rido blinked, his mind pausing in confusion. Slowly he asked, “Why would Grandmother Mora wait until Grandfather died to contest the title? Is there… er… something… wrong with this uncle of mine?”

It was understandable for Rido to think with such naivete concerning his maternal family. His Mother was extremely proud of her family and often spoke of them like they were the most saint-like nobles in the country. They were the example for how Rido should live as a noble. 

In Rido’s mind, the Mora Family was not like other noble families and would naturally not have a messy lineage. Therefore, where else could an uncle come from but his grandmother? And why else would an uncle not be mentioned unless something was seriously wrong with him? That, naturally, begged the question of why his Grandmother would turn around and push this faulty child forward as a Heir.

“Wrong? In a manner of speaking…” She cleared her throat and looked extremely uncomfortable, her face strained. “Your Grandmother... didn’t know... about this uncle of yours... until recently.”

Rido furrowed his brow. It took him several seconds before his mind could wrap around the very obvious implication of her words.

“...do you mean to say he’s illegitimate?”

She gave a sharp, unhappy nod.

Another thought came to him shortly after that, “When you said 13 years ago… is that when he was… born?”

She nodded again.

Rido shot up from his seat and pointed at himself in shock, “My uncle is younger than I am!”

“Mmhmm.”

He opened and closed his mouth several times before sitting down again heavily.

“This means…” He glanced at his Mother in shock. “Grandfather… committed adultery?”

Her face noticeably stiffened. 

Rido scratched his cheek, puzzled and hesitating for a moment.

“How can this be? Mora Family is a most honorable and upstanding noble family… that is to say… you always said—”

“You don’t have to remind me!” She clenched her hand into a fist and hit the arm of the chair angrily. “Imagine your shock and then double it for me! To have the Mora name besmirched by my own Father and only to find out after he’d died! I had thought they were… were....”

She suddenly went silent, lowering her face so he couldn’t see her expression.

Rido waited.

When she didn’t continue he asked, “They were what?”

She picked at her skirt, shoulders slumped. With a soft, sorrow filled voice, she replied:

“...I thought they were different.”

Rido blinked several times in astonishment. His Mother was a proud woman. When speaking of the Mora Family, she’d always displayed the most arrogance and superiority. Not to mention, she was rarely honest and vulnerable when speaking with him. It was shocking to him to see her like this.

If she’d used a thousand of excuses to explain excluding him from his Grandfather’s funeral, he’d have remained bitter. But this single act of defenselessness completely destroyed the underlying resentment he’d been harboring. 

He didn’t have the heart to stay angry.

Rido rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, feeling at a loss on how to comfort his Mother. 

As he was thinking about the whole situation, he remembered the knights.

“Mother, what was all that about you calling the knights and executions?”

“Oh that.” Her expression eased, apparently more comfortable talking about such gruesome events than family shame. “It was the Mora relatives behind the dispute, not that half-brother of mine.”

“Hm? He didn’t want the title?”

“Shocking though it may be, he was threatened into obedience.”

Rido paused for a moment, thinking.

“Then this… uncle… is not a threat?”

“Threat?” She clucked her tongue. “Not at all! As far as successors go, he simply doesn’t have the tenacity to compete over a title. He was raised a commoner, after all, his mindset will of course be one of subservience. There’s no education to drive him to greater heights either. His world has always been small, there is no room for greatness in him.”

“If he’d been educated then he’d be a problem?”

“No? His personality is not greedy in that sense.”

“Then in what sense is it greedy?”

She cast him a confused look.

“What is the point of these questions?”

“I’m trying to ascertain whether he is trustworthy enough to be an… asset… to the family.”

“Oh.” Her eyebrows lifted slightly and a slight curve appeared on her lips. “Not to worry, in that sense he’ll never be a problem. It is my opinion he would be more useful to us than a danger.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely. He’s a diamond in the rough, so to speak. I intend to polish him up a bit before setting him loose.”

Rido nodded, finally satisfied. His Mother was generally an excellent judge of character. Not a single person she’d personally found and entrusted with a task had ever betrayed her. Her ability to pick talented, loyal people and then know exactly where to place them for maximum usefulness made her, in Rido’s mind, the greatest ruler of this era. 

That she developed a blind-spot for her family wasn’t something he held against her. It was natural for people to favor their family and to think the best of them. If anything, it was quite remarkable she was able to immediately cast family members aside when they proved corrupt. Many rulers never had the heart to go that far and suffered for it later.

He always felt the prohibition on women’s ability to rule was quite ridiculous when looking at his Mother. If women were physically weaker than men, what did it matter? They certainly weren’t worse off intellectually. In terms of raw skills needed to rule, not a single man in Salvias had even half his Mother’s talent— up to and most definitely including the impotent King. The country lost so much by denying women the chance to inherit…

He lightly shook his head, dislodging the extraneous thoughts he was having and refocusing on the problem at hand.

“If he is useful, then he should be used. But what about these relatives who dared covet what’s mine?”

Her expression immediately turned ugly at his mentioning them.

“It was my mistake. I showed them mercy despite having ties with that pig because they were family and they took that as weakness.”

“How stupid.”

Seeing his disdainful expression, his Mother cheered up a bit.

With a slight smirk she responded, “Indeed.”

Rido really thought these relatives were stupid. 

His Mother waited 10 years to destroy her top enemy, Barrera. And when she finally got him, she didn’t just stop at him. She exterminated almost everyone of power who dared support him. This kind of patient but thorough revenge struck fear and awe into every level of society within the March, as it should. 

Not even a year had passed and her ferociousness was already becoming legendary.

He had assumed this extended to Mora County but apparently not. But as she said, the Mora nobles had not suffered even half as much as those in the Fresa March. One would think that would make them grateful and cautious, yet this had happened instead.

Rido noted this and tucked it in the back of his mind. 

In the future, he would need to be extremely cautious being merciful based on distant family ties. Society may expect such favoritism towards family but if any of his clan was going to take his grace and then turn on him, why bother with them? It was better to eliminate that kind of trouble early on then get stabbed in the back at a crucial moment.

Thinking in terms of eliminating problems, he couldn't help wondering out loud, “Why did you stop at the Patriarchs? I’m surprised you didn’t lop the head off every male in their household.”

She sighed, clearly frustrated. 

“Unfortunately it’s a matter of manpower. We have only just gotten enough educated people to fill the gaps caused by the last round of executions in Fresa March. Those relatives of mine make up the vast majority of the leadership in Mora County. If I killed them all, who would I have to replace them? Talented individuals don’t grow on trees like fruit, they are difficult to find.”

He nodded in understanding.

“A frustrating problem. But since they’ve proven themselves untrustworthy, there’s no way they can remain in power.”

“Well said! I have already sent someone to investigate all the noble families in Mora, all the way down to the lords’ sons. There are some people with potential. We have enough allies in that region who can be our proxies for.....” She narrowed her eyes, a calculative gleam in her eye. “...cultivating those talented individuals. It is my intention to have them ready to take over when you inherit.”

“And those nobles who proved themselves disloyal?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Why are you asking me?”

“...uh…”

“When you inherit, won’t they be your problem?”

He blanked for a moment.

That was technically true but...

“You aren’t going to deal with them first?”

“Why should I deal with them?! You can’t possibly think I like having people’s heads chopped off?! Once you take over—” She raised her chin, a mixture of arrogance and self-satisfaction, “I am going to retire! Live a life luxury and relax! No more burning the candle at both ends for me, hah! I will live a properly lazy life of a noblewoman! Pamper myself properly everyday as I deserve!”

Rido’s lips twitched slightly at this declaration. 

He didn’t believe it.

No, she’d definitely pamper herself. However, the “retiring” and “relaxing” parts were extremely doubtful. During Barrera’s reign of terror, she had plenty of chances to relax. That pig expected her to be lazy and extravagant, it wouldn’t be a problem if she met his expectations on occasion. Especially since it wouldn’t have interfered with her recruiting people.

But did she ever do that?

She didn’t!

Instead she personally managed Fresa Mansion, extending her responsibilities past what was traditional. She personally educated him, plus three foreign children, when there was no social expectation for her to do so. Even her “hobbies”, like outfit design, weren’t relaxing activities...  The closest thing to true relaxation she ever got was at the Marron’s mansion. And that was only because the Countess was chronically ill and his Mother wasn’t the type to push an ill person into doing activities that might further harm their health.

His Mother was the kind of person who got easily bored with inactivity and restless if she wasn’t busy. Once he took over the fiefs, she’d instinctively find something else to manage. It wouldn’t be as big as the fiefs, but it would still be a heavy responsibility. The only thing he wasn’t certain about was exactly what that “heavy responsibility” would be… knowing her, she’d make one up!

She continued, “Putting aside my much-earned future retirement, it’s not like those weasels in Mora will be difficult for you to deal with, I have done all the hard work for you. When you clean them up and replace them with much more qualified and virtuous people, your reputation will skyrocket in Mora County. You need the boost, they aren’t as familiar with you there.”

He furrowed his brow at her observation. Fresa March had the bulk of his mother’s allies, who were also loyal to him, as well as the Invierno-born nobility his friend to the north had sent. The Invierno replants were directly supervised by Rido and had been steadily gaining footing and respect locally. That reflected well on him and increased his good reputation within the March. 

As for Mora Country, they probably only knew he was the grandson of the deceased Count Mora and that was it. But his lack of influence there wasn’t his doing, now that he thought about it...

“Shouldn’t I start going to Mora County occasionally now that I’m of-age? The nobles, at the very least, need to know my face don’t they? Thinking about it, I haven’t gone over there once...”

“No.”

He frowned at her swift rejection.

“But—”

“It’s too unstable there right now. They already tried to usurp you, who knows what else they might try to do if you’re in a place they control? Until you’ve legally inherited both fiefs, it is better to remain here. For safety’s sake.”

Rido squinted his eyes and knew something wasn’t right. Her tone was firm and her body language was relaxed, but the more he pondered it… wasn’t it strange he never visited Mora County? Not even once?

For all her chatter about the Mora Family’s honorable and prestigious past…

Hm?

A discrepancy that he’d not dwelled on too deeply prior to this moment pressed to the fore of his mind. 

While it was true she spoke highly of the Mora Family, she didn’t speak very highly of the County and how it was run. She also didn’t seem interested in having her parents visit her nor did she make any effort to visit them. If she hadn’t talked so positively about them, Rido would have concluded a long time ago his maternal grandparents had actually cut them off.

When he mentioned seeing his grandparents as a child, she’d look a little distressed and uncomfortable. At the time that kind of expression wasn’t uncommon for her, and it usually had something to do with Barrera. Back then, he’d given her the benefit of the doubt. There were many places she couldn’t go because of that pig, so this assumption was not a far fetched one.

 But that obviously didn’t apply now. 

She still didn’t want him to go there? Not until after he got his title? For safety's sake? If they planned to kill him now why would later be safer? Her excuse didn't make sense.

His thumb rubbed the side of index finger as he pondered for a moment. 

No matter how he looked at it, she was definitely hiding something. It was probably not some small thing either. He wanted to know what it was, he really wanted to know….

But he swallowed the questions before they could pop out of his mouth.

She had explicitly said she would hand over all fief management to him and gladly at that. Once he took over everything, whatever she was hiding now would be revealed to him. There would be no way for her to hide it, most likely she wouldn’t need to hide it as the problem would have been taken care of by then.

In which case, he would get his answer by waiting. 

If it was just a matter of waiting to find out, he could do that. He would do it. His impatience had almost killed him once, he’d never rush forward again. Especially if his Mother advised against it.

He learned from his mistakes.

“I’ll do as you’ve said and stay out of Mora County for now.”

The look of subtle relief on her face was not lost on him. He purposefully turned a blind eye and shifted the topic.

“Ah, speaking of Mora… what about that child-uncle? What happened to him after you dealt with the traitors?”

“Oh right, the boy! Yes, I can’t believe I almost forgot about him!” She tapped her chin, “Unfortunately I can't have our sibling relationship be made public. I can’t have the Count's, your Grandfather’s, indiscretion being bandied about the entire kingdom! Really, such an embarrassment, ugh!”

He only nodded.

“Those weasels really had no shame and had already started talking to people about Mora private family matters. Did they not consider that they’d also look bad by dragging the Mora name through the mud? Really, so stupid, all of them… ugh, nevermind. Once a rumor that juicy is out, it takes on wings like a bird and never lands. Catching it is basically impossible. That being the case, I created a new more shameful rumor that will “fly” just as quickly as the first. It will be even more potent because there’s truth to it.”

“More shameful?” Rido’s eyebrows raised. “What’s more shameful than adultery?”

She smiled grimly, eyes narrowed.

“You are such a naive little boy.”

He pursed his lips in annoyance but remained silent. 

“This half-brother of mine came from a daughter in the Tenue Family, that is, your Grandfather’s family. This is why the boy looks like a copy of your Grandfather when he was younger, to the point that even your Grandmother couldn’t deny his heritage. But that can also work in the other direction with some tweaking. Most of the men in the Tenue Family strongly resemble each other. If two people on that side had relations, the child born from them would look startling like your Grandfather.”

“If that’s the case, couldn’t it be that he really isn’t Grandfather’s child?” Rido immediately pointed out.

“Alas, he’s a true seed of the Count.” She sighed, a little disheartened. “I really wish it weren’t so, but it is.”

“How did you figure that out?”

“Because I know the true story behind his conception.”

“...ah.”

“Yes, actually I will tell you now so that you don’t have any doubts in the future. Apparently the Count… he… ugh… later in life he became rather…” She grimaced, “...sticky fingered with girls.”

Rido immediately noted how his Mother said girls and not women and had a bad premonition.

“I had no idea until I went there and heard from your Grandmother directly, but apparently it was common for him to touch girls a little more than was considered normal. Most of the girls he encountered were from his father’s side, as he often visited his siblings and their families. He never took things too far in public, he was elderly and it was his own family, so they all looked the other way despite his behavior being suspicious.” She grit her teeth, hands clenching. “There was a particularly cute and lovely niece of… of about 12—”

“Oh God, Mother, surely he didn’t—”

“He did. I can’t even say for how long he did.” 

The disgusted expression on her face was almost exactly the same as the one showing on Rido’s face.

“Well, naturally, there would be consequences. Even though he was an old leecher and everyone knew it, this poor girl thought no one would believe her.” Her face hardened. “No, perhaps she was afraid they would believe her, and blame her for it.” 

“How could she think she’d be blamed? It was her parents who knew what he was like and left them alone, wouldn’t everyone blame them?”

She shook her head, “My son, never underestimate the power of an adult on a child. The Count was very old, a “respected” elder. Whatever he told her, she would believe. Including the lies that she was a temptress, that she seduced him somehow, that everything was her fault and he was the victim of her wiles.”

“What wiles?!” Rido immediately countered, outraged. “She was just a child! Children don’t have wiles!” 

“And how would she know that? If the well is poisoned, anyone who drinks its’ water will be sick. Her first experience with adult matters was with a pervert who lied. She was too ignorant to know that he lied to her.” His Mother waved her hand angrily, “It’s a common method scum of that sort use on their victims. It keeps them silent. An effective, if horrific, method I must admit.”

Rido fingers turned into a fist. 

“Scum” was the right word.

He was related to this kind of scum! It made him feel filthy, like he’d rolled around in rotten garbage. But there was no soap that could clean away such a connection. He supposed he was lucky that scum died before he had the chance to meet him!

“Anyway, when she got pregnant she became scared. The Count had threatened her life many times to keep her silent and afraid, she thought he might kill her. As for her parents, she wasn’t confident they would treat her any better. In the end, she decided to run away.” 

Rido frowned, “She should have told her parents.”

She raised her hand in a stop motion, “Listen to the end.”

“The girl must have been quite clever in her own way. When she left, she did an excellent job covering her tracks. She made her way up to the northernmost territory in Mora County. There an elderly couple had pity on her and took her in.” She paused and sighed. “From my understanding, she was happiest during that time. But it wasn’t meant to last. She was young, too young. The childbirth was long and difficult and she didn’t make it. I found this out by having someone question the villagers where the boy grew up.”

“Such a needless death for one so young.” Rido muttered sadly.

His Mother sighed again, this time in agreement. “This is why being a strong, just leader is so important. When authority is negligent, biased or greedy, death and suffering are the inevitable outcome.”

Rido had heard this kind of thing before and nodded without thought.

“So her family never found her?”

“They did find her eventually but it was after she died.”

“Then, the baby left behind…”

“They didn’t want it.”

“Didn’t… want..? Their own grandson?”

His Mother was quiet for a moment, “Their attitude is not that unusual among nobility. Usually illegitimate children are killed in the womb and when that doesn’t work, abandoned. If there is some humanity left in them, they will abandon the baby in front of a church and not in the woods. In this case, they acted as though the boy didn’t exist. If a commoner raised him or he died of exposure, they didn’t want to know and certainly didn’t care. They were far more concerned about people finding out the real reason why their daughter ran away and died.”

Rido closed his eyes and frowned deeply. It’s not like he wasn’t aware how terrible nobles could be, his missing hand made that very clear. He just didn’t realize how far their cold heartedness extended, even to their own flesh and blood. Their daughter died because of the evil act of one man  and all they cared about was their honor and reputation rather than getting her justice. 

 He opened his eyes, feeling weary at the world. 

“You are right. I’ve been too naive.” He frowned slightly and asked, “How did they know it was… the Count?”

He couldn’t bear to call that man “Grandfather”.

“He was the only man that spent any time alone with her.”

“And they…. really did nothing?”

“There would be no benefit if they did, other than to blackmail him. And blackmailing only works if the person in question doesn’t have the power to unilaterally chop off your head. Even though the Count’s behavior was shameful to the extreme, they simply pretended it didn’t happen.” She sneered, “They told everyone their daughter was kidnapped and murdered. They even held a grand funeral. Other than a few in that small village, no one knew the truth. Until me.”

“The villagers were willing to talk to you about it? I’m surprised...”

“It was not just them. As for the others… I’m quite persuasive when I want to be.”

“...right.” He paused. “Since the Count’s actions were atrocious even by noble’s standards, they couldn’t be telling people the boy’s real origins. What have they been saying?”

“Heh, they altered the truth, of course. It was considered only slightly shameful if the Count committed adultery with a woman, even someone in the family. There was a woman who died 6 years ago from a chronic illness who was much older. That sickly woman conveniently stopped going out around the time the boy was born. The timing was right and sullying the woman’s honor cost them nothing.”

“How convenient for them.”

“Very much so, but two can play at that game. If they want to tear down my family, I can turn it on them too. My rumor was closer to the truth: The Tenues patriarch, whom I conveniently took the head off of and now has no way to defend himself, had relations with the granddaughter that went missing all those years ago. They told everyone the girl had been kidnapped and died to cover up the truth. They had abandoned the child of that sinful match to commoners. Later the child was found by the Oscuro Patriarch, who convinced the patriarchs of Debils and Reducirs to blackmail the Tenues into an ill advised coup against the Mora Family proper.” She grinned evilly, “Naturally, when the “Mad” Marchioness found out, she took all their heads off for the insulting and lying about her Father.”

“Did they really blackmail the Tenue Family?”

She chuckled, “No, though it’s true the Oscuro Family found that child accidentally. They thought the Tenue Family was short sighted and that the child could be used to increase all four of the Great Houses of Mora power if he was installed as puppet Count. They expected the Count to have forgotten who he slept all those years ago and, by altering the boy’s origin and age, they hoped to convince him to change his will and name this surprise son the Heir. The Count tragically died before they had a chance to approach him. All Four Families went into the plot willingly.”

Rido didn’t bother asking why they thought the Count would have forgotten. Considering what he knew of the man already, the answer to such a question definitely couldn’t be good. 

“Then they really had everything coming to them.”

“Yes they did.”

“And that rumor you created…” His eyebrows raised, “It really is much worse than the one they were spreading.”

“Mmmhmmm. Bad news travels fast, worst news travels faster. By the time they realize there’s a second false rumor spreading, it will have made its way through the entire kingdom. Perhaps a few stupid members of the family will try to object, but there’s truth to both rumors. It would be in their best interest not to have people too curious about what really happened. Then that the second rumor is particularly vicious and they will want it out of the public’s mind as quickly as possible. The less is said, the better. It also… “helps”... that I executed the most powerful members of their family. They will be arguing over inheritances rather than mourning.”

“Of course they will.” Rido rolled his eyes. “And what did you do with the young uncle in the end?” 

She raised her eyebrows, “Isn’t it obvious? I brought him home.”

Rido straightened up in his seat, “The strange boy!”

“Yes, that’s the one.”

“Is that…. Wise?”

“Unfortunately I couldn’t send him back. The people who raised him are dead.”

“Oh. Is it worth asking if they died… naturally?”

“What do you think?”

He sighed.

“It’s not the boy’s fault all this happened to him. Even if the circumstances surrounding his birth are extremely unpleasant, that doesn’t stop him from being my half-brother and therefore my responsibility. It’s not like the villagers will take him back after his original family was murdered during this power struggle. They’re too scared. There is only us.”

“What about sending him off to the church?”

She glared at him. “Are you implying I send off my only sibling to the church?”

“Er, my mistake.”

“Indeed.”

“Then…. What are you to do with him? Won’t people wonder about you taking in the child who was the source of a title dispute?”

“They introduced him under a false name in all the rumors, which helps me in hiding him. His appearance is an issue though. I thought I might send him to that military school we started a while back. I’ve been getting regular reports and it’s been doing quite well. There are children from all sorts of backgrounds there, no one will make the connection.”

“You want to train him into a knight?”

“Why not? It’s an honorable profession. He was raised a commoner and has no formal education. If I tried to give him the title of a low ranked noble as he is now, he wouldn’t know how to live like one. There is also the trauma of what happened to him. He lost everything all at once. I am sure he feels small, weak, and vulnerable. If that feeling of helplessness remains into adulthood, it will turn into a real problem later. But if we can equip him with the tools needed so he never feels that despair again, he will become a strong ally. Plus….” Amusement flashed across her face. “I am quite sure he has an enormous crush on Tie. If he wants to win her properly, he will need to prove to himself he is good enough and then to her as well. Knighthood is an excellent method.”

Rido felt everything was sensible until the very end.

“...he likes Tie?”

She squinted at him, “You disapprove?”

“What is the point of disapproving? He has to stand a chance at winning her heart first before I can disapprove of him. I am more shocked than anything.”

“Pfft—he might really win her over though!” She laughed and leaned forward, “What will you do if he really does?”

 “If he manages such a thing,” Rido looked extremely skeptical, “I will do my duty as her brother-in-everything-but-name and properly terrorize him.”

“Won’t that be 3 against 1? How will the poor boy survive if all the men in her life gang up on him.”

He snorted in disdain.

“If he can’t withstand us, can he call himself a knight worthy of a lady’s hand?”

“Such high standards!” 

“Of course the standards are high.” He paused, “But putting such silliness aside, I would like to meet this young uncle of mine before you send him away.”

She looked at him, a little surprised. By saying he was willing to meet him, it was the same as Rido accepting him.

“You are willing to accept him into the family?”

“If you mean without marrying Tie, then yes. Are you going to add him to the family register?”

“Locally, if you have no objection. That should give him enough protection without alerting anyone of his true nature. I will need you and Viscount Curtidor as my witnesses.”

Nobles could adopt anyone they liked, but there was a difference between locally and nationally recognized adoptions. Nationally recognized adoptions meant the child was added to Royal Genealogy Records and could inherit the parent noble’s title. Everyone in the country would know about the adoption. Locally recognized adoptions meant the noble family took responsibility for the child without the child being able to inherit any titles, land, or wealth. It could be done quietly without any fanfare.

The reasoning behind the second type of adoption was for cases when a noble child loses their parents and is taken in by an uncle or aunt. This keeps the inheritance of the child and his relatives cleanly separate, while requiring the guardians to do their due diligence. It was mostly for protecting a noble child from having his inheritance stolen from him by greedy relatives.

But because being a noble born wasn’t required for either type of adoption. Therefore, Nobles used the second kind of adoption for other reasons too. Some of these reasons were from a place of compassion and others not as much. Either way, it was useful for what his Mother needed.

“No objection from me. In fact it would be my honor to bring him into the family.” Rido spoke lightly, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

If this had been years ago, he wouldn’t have been willing. He’d been possessive of his Mother as a child. He enjoyed being the “only” child of the Marchioness and hogging all her attention. Now, as an adult, he keenly wished she’d been able to have more children. Sisters or brothers, it didn’t matter, just more siblings. His Mother was good at raising children, they would have all loved each other, sharing life’s burdens and doubling life’s joys.

He was discovering more and more how critical family relationships were to life. The Fresa Family proved that no support meant being trampled on by the wicked and greedy. The Mora Family proved that obligation and honor weren’t enough to keep family members loyal and trustworthy. If genuine love and affection wasn’t there, blood ties didn’t matter and were instead a liability. 

But a counter-example was the Marron Family. They had sincere love for each other and it showed. Even the daughters who married out would never betray their parents or siblings, no matter what their in-laws said. If pushed to it, they would betray their spouses and in-laws before their parents. 

This kind of blood loyalty was what Rido wanted, what he needed. If his own relatives by blood couldn’t give that to him, he’d make it with his own hands. Through Montana he would birth and raise children who would never turn on him. Not only that, he would have the support of the Marron Family, who genuinely cared for their daughter and any children she might have.

His young uncle would also be useful in the same way as Montana. This boy-uncle had no family, only them, and he would cling tighter to them thanks to that. They may not have raised him as a child, but they would raise him up to a man. Once he entered knighthood, he would think his position was gained through his family. His loyalty to the Fresa Family would be by both blood and gratitude.

And if, by some miracle, the boy managed to win Tie over… that was good in it’s own way. The siblings would go from siblings-in-name to real relatives. While it would not be quite the same as a blood relation, it would be better than what they had now, which was simply a thankfulness for Mother raising them.

The earlier jealousy he’d suffered from Ron’s boasting about having a new sibling finally eased. He had a new brother now too. And his brother would be better in every way to Ron’s unborn sibling. After all, when that baby was born, how many years would it take before it could talk and be of use to anyone? His brother-to-be would only need 5 or so years before he’d come back fully equipped to support the Fresa household.

Anything Ron had, Rido would have too.

But better.

***

Noche Cielo was adopted into the Fresa Household without any fanfare and only two witnesses. He chose to keep his name, in loving memory of the elderly couple who raised him. His adoption, while not secret, was not really talked about. Noche understood this was for his safety and didn’t take the lack of public acknowledgement to heart.

Fresa mansion was a unique and magical place to him. Many years later, when he’d seen more of the world, he would always come back and feel the same as he did as a child.

Heir Querido was surprisingly kind and generous. It was clear he took after the Marchioness: an unusual noble who didn’t look down on commoners or “low” society. Noche had never had siblings, his elderly parents never having children of their own, so Heir Rido’s brotherly treatment of him was startling but welcomed.

Sometimes Noche looked into his new brother’s eyes and thought something was not quite right. Was he seeing a hint of green in them? But he’d immediately dismissed it, thinking it was his imagination. After all, Fresa was red and Mora black, how could there be any green in a pureblood Heir of Fresa March?

Everyone else had a relaxed, friendly attitude towards him. To his relief, no one asked him about his past. Those memories were still fresh in his mind and he didn’t want to think about them if he could help it. 

Many that worked in the mansion had tragic pasts and had been saved by the Marchioness. Having suffered themselves, they were not in the habit of inquiring too deeply lest they accidentally bring up something painful. 

Noche’s dark gray hair and eyes did raise quite a few eyebrows. He was clearly a noble by blood from the Mora side. But the two most powerful servants in the mansion, Valor and Tie, made it clear that no questions were to be asked about it. Those in the mansion were loyal and discrete. When they were told not to ask, they knew not to ask. And not to gossip either. 

As to him being adopted, the mansion servants didn’t find out about that until much later. By the time they discovered the truth, the rumors from Mora County had circulated throughout the nation and become old news. They realized without anyone pointing it out why the Marchioness had adopted him “unofficially” and why they had been told not to ask too many questions. 

They never openly talked about the connection. If anyone outside inquired they pretended to be deaf and dumb, then quickly found Valor or Tie and told them someone had been poking their noses into places they shouldn’t. In this way, Noche’s origins remained clouded in mystery for many years and it was only after it didn’t matter to Rido’s inheritance claims that his adoption was made public.

Noche lived in the Fresa mansion for several weeks, freely and without any pressure. This time was one of healing. He suffered from nightmares every night at first and the grief over the loss of his parents would hit him at random times throughout the day. The friendliness of Fresa mansion, it’s gentle but lively atmosphere, slowly worked its way into his heart and calmed him down.

He would never stop mourning for his parents, but he found a new reason to live in their absence. And that reason was Tie, the most beautiful and wonder girl he’d ever met in his life. She was like a hotly burning fire in the winter moonless night. 

Anyone in the mansion with a brain could tell by watching Noche turn crimson and stutter when Tie was nearby that he had an enormous crush on her. Tie wasn’t the type to tease a person for their heartfelt feelings and was careful not to give him hope where there was none. But even with her being careful, a heart wanted what the heart wanted, and Noche’s heart was set on her no matter what she did.

Having lived in Fresa mansion and experienced it’s luxury and class, Noche was keenly aware of what he lacked. It was no wonder Tie didn’t view him as a man, or even someone who she could potentially be interested in. Even the hallboys, the lowest ranks servants, were more educated and better off than he’d ever been. Being adopted couldn’t make up for how he was raised and he couldn’t help feeling inferior because of it.

The topic of going to the military school to get a knight’s training was brought up only after Noche showed clear signs of improvement. It was the Marchioness who suggested it and Tie who approved of it. With Tie’s approval, Noche immediately approved as well.

Though he’d never heard of a military school, he understood knighthood. Knights were well respected and feared. They were intelligent and able to read. Most importantly, anyone could be a knight and they were better than a servant! Not only would he outclass a hallboy, he would be superior to a Steward! 

And, quietly and only to himself, he thought about a knight’s strength. They couldn’t be easily bullied or harassed. If he became a knight, no one would come after him without thinking twice. And with the skills of a knight, he could protect the people he loved. 

A few days after agreeing, he left for the military school. Somewhat to his surprise, Viscount Curtidor escorted him there. 

Once they completed his admission and got him setup in a dorm room, the Viscount took him aside and said a few words:

“Noche, the next few years will be difficult for you. Many of the boys here have years of training that you don’t have, but don’t give up because of that gap. When you fail, don’t think of it as the end. Failing lets you know where you need to improve, that’s all. With persistence and patience, you will one day be as good as the best of them. And I will share with you something my own Master shared with me: The view you hold of yourself is how everyone else will view you. If you think you are low, they will think you are low. So respect yourself. Treat yourself as someone worthy, and everyone will find worth in you.”