“F-Fabricate it?” I quickly shook my head and looked over at Stein, who was standing to the side, with a face full of innocence.

“That’s right. You’ve made up lies and put them on paper…”

It seemed that the message had been received, and Stein cut Lloyd’s words off with a frown, “Stop.”

Lloyd pointed a finger at me, “But Father! He-!”

“I won’t repeat myself, Lloyd.”

“Ugh…”

As he could no longer shout at me due to his father’s influence, his face screwed-up as though he had sucked a lemon.

“Riley.”

“Yes, Father.”

“It is late now, go to your room.”

The sound of grinding teeth could be heard from next to Stein, it was Lloyd, obviously.

“And…”

“...?”

Just as I was about to go to my room after saying my farewells to my father and brothers, I was stopped as Stein suddenly spoke.

“Tomorrow. I have some words to say, so as soon as you wake up, you are to come to my office.”

As soon as you wake up…

Count Stein hadn’t chosen a specific time because he knew that I was the latest to ‘wake up’ in the mansion. What he didn’t know was that it was because I read, and I lost track of time--which is one of the reasons I was considered ‘lazy’.

“...Yes” I replied to him, I didn’t ask what he wanted to talk to me about, since I would find out tomorrow. I was also aching from overusing Mana, and didn’t  want to drag the conversation on…I just wanted to lie down with a good book.

“Then, good night.” I bowed once to the three in front of me.

Despite Sera’s worries, there weren’t any major arrangements.

***

“What are your thoughts?”

As Riley disappeared around the corner at the end of the corridor, among the three men remaining, Ryan asked Stein.

“What do you think?” Stein asked in return.

After a pause, Ryan replied, “I do not think…he is lying.”

Because of Ryan declaring Riley’s innocence, Lloyd couldn’t hold back and spoke up, “Brother!”

He couldn’t believe his older brother’s words, and clenched his fists.

“To read a man’s eyes is an ability that every great swordsman must develop. You must be able to determine right from wrong, it also allows you to read your opponent’s attacks and plan out your future moves.” Ryan’s cold eyes met his brother’s, “Losing mother was…unfortunate, but there is nothing we can do. We cannot allow our emotions cloud our judgment in this situation. To have an assassin in the Iphelleta house, truth be told, I am ashamed…I almost want to give Riley words of gratitude.”

“Brother! How could you say that?”

“Then, are you saying I am wrong? Would you prefer that those facts never came to light?”

Lloyd lowered his head, his clenched fists shook--but, there was nothing he could reply with.

“Lloyd, it was bound to come out. It’s better that it was exposed now--so we could control it. There is nothing that you can hide forever.”

“But brother, Mother…What about Mother?!”

Ryan was also angry, but for different reasons than Lloyd.

He was angered that his mother was an assassin, that his brother wouldn’t listen to him.

“We are currently in front of Father.” Ryan warned his brother.

At these words, Lloyd could no longer nag, and closed his mouth.

The usually kind, gentle brother seemed a great deal stricter today.

Feelings of betrayal, frustration, and rage made his heart pound. Lloyd clutched his chest and lowered his head.

“Firstly, I have the same thoughts as Ryan. Riley doesn’t seem to be lying.” Stein finally spoke up, after listening to the argument between the brothers.

He also didn’t see anything resembling falsehood in Riley’s eyes.

“But…”

“...?” Both Ryan and Lloyd tilted their heads at their father’s unexpected word.

“No, it’s nothing.” Stein, who was looking in the direction that Riley had gone, shook his head and turned back.

***

“Brother.” Lloyd called out to Ryan, who was ahead of him.

Although he did get angry at his brother’s stubbornness before, Ryan stopped and turned to his brother, he didn’t want to ignore him.

“Do you really think that Mother was wrong…is that what you think?”

In response to Lloyd’s shaking words, Ryan’s stiff face turned gentle and walked over to him, his right hand raised.

‘Is he going to hit me?’

Lloyd closed his eyes, expecting a slap to the face--then opened them wide, surprised, when Ryan’s hand gently landed on the top of his head instead.

“Lloyd…”

“Brother?”

As he patted his brother’s head, Ryan continued to speak, “The successor hasn’t been decided, yet.”

At his gentle words, Lloyd’s mouth dropped open.

The successor to the house…

It was as Ryan said, the successor to the Iphelleta House hadn’t yet been decided.

It might be because Stein was still in perfect health, but some speculated that Stein still had some expectations for his third son.

“Mother’s incident can still be solved after the successor has been decided.”

“Brother…then?”

“Yes.”

He was talking around it, but if Ryan’s words were to be summarized in one sentence: He will win the position of successor, and then he will make a move.

“Brother!” Lloyd’s green eyes began to shine.

Ryan chuckled at his brother’s gaze of respect.

“I would never allow Riley to gain the position of Family Head just because I angered Father. While it’s true that he’s as lazy as hell, we can’t deny that Father stills sees potential in him.”

It wouldn’t have been odd if both of them were also banished alongside their mother, but thankfully, they could stay in the mansion because they had been trained in the family’s swordsmanship.

Not only that, they hadn’t been dropped out of the list of potential successors, so they had to aim for that position.

“Let us think about Mother after that.”

“Yes--yes!” Lloyd nodded twice at those words.

Just as Lloyd turned his gaze to the ground, contemplating his brother’s words…Ryan’s gentle smile quickly twisted into a sinister one.

***

It was the day after the assassins’ attack, and lunch had passed. I had finally recovered from the strain of Mana overuse, and was standing in front of Stein’s office.

Ian was standing next to me, sweating nonstop.

My eyes were still a little sore, a dull ache behind my left eye was annoying me.

“Young Master, how can you fall asleep now? Wake up! Now!”

It seems that Ian was misinterpreting my actions--well, it was reasonable from his point of view.

“Ah, alright.”

I also had to put up with Iris’s scolding that went on and on, but she actually cared, so it didn’t annoy me like Ian’s endless complaining and scolding.

“Master ordered you to come, personally. Oh dead, I shouldn’t have let my guard down at that moment…Damn it.”

No longer able to stand Ian’s nagging, I placed my hand on the door knob.

As I promised, I came to Stein’s office when I woke up--since I slept from early morning until fairly late in the afternoon.

“Young Master, this may be a good opportunity for you. Lady Orelly has been banished from the mansion. You ca finally aim to compete for the successor’s seat…

Before Ian could finish his words, I knocked on the door with my other hand.

“Enter.” Stein’s reply came almost instantly.

“I’m going in.”

“Y-Young Master!”

Just as I was about to turn the knob, Ian called out to me, and I turned back to him.

He mouthed ‘Good luck!’ and took a fighting stance, encouraging me.

I gave him a quick nod and entered the office.

“Riley.” As I entered the room, Stein, who was in the middle of paperwork called out without even glancing up at me.

“Yes.”

I wonder what he wants to say.

I was beginning to get a bad feeling.

“Leave the mansion.”

“Huh?”

Well, those words were a little unexpected.

Among the numerous documents piled on his desk, he grabbed one of them and handed it to me after scribbling some words on it.

“...That’s it?”