The office from which Nox had departed was enveloped in a heavy atmosphere.
“Father…”
Lano, despite the corrections to address him as father, tremulously opened his mouth.
Edwin leaned back in his chair. His aura of dignity had vanished, leaving only a man in his forties with a lonely expression.
“I knew he didn’t hold me in high esteem, but, asking me to die…”
For the first time, Edwin could not respond to Nox’s fury. He was taken aback by the impact and chuckled at himself with a humble snort.
Perhaps he had assumed that children unconditionally adore their parents.
“Father… Why didn’t you treat Nox and me the same way?”
Lano had asked Edwin this question repeatedly. Though they were a child’s words, Lano had requested that Nox be treated like him, even sending them together to the nobility school.
“I thought if he stepped out, he would be more exposed to criticism and hurt.”
With rumors of his illegitimate son circulating in high society, compared to Lano, their differences stood out even more. He knew that every misfortune would be attributed to Nox, it was something he anticipated.
“Then, why didn’t you tell Nox about it?… Why didn’t you bother to help him?”
His brother had asked for help, that was true. But it was the father who first pushed that hand aside.
The pleading in his eyes gradually turned into indifference and in the last few years mixed with disdain and revulsion, like the scorn knights directed towards sinners.
“I didn’t have time.”
Edwin was too occupied. As the kingdom’s chief fencing instructor, he taught knights and led battles when powerful monsters arose. His position in royalty, seemingly solid, was fragile. He had done inhumane things besides noble deeds.
Nox’s red eyes seemed capable of seeing through all past sins; it was terrifying.
“Now, everything seems to be just an excuse.”
It could be said that he had been avoiding his children due to his occupation.
“In hindsight, it’s strange how he knew so much about noble customs and manners without having had a tutor.”
His unwavering posture when facing even the king’s brother, expressing his opinions boldly, was truly the image of nobility.
While the charming presence that makes others want to support Lano is important, Nox’s ability to enforce his will absolutely, as shown before, is innate.
It is something that cannot be acquired at will. It could be said to be the essence of a king.
However, it was not Edwin who cultivated this in him.
How much indifference he showed towards his son. Edwin was overwhelmed with guilt.
It must have been an important family entrusted to him by his late wife.
“Who taught him?”
“I don’t know the details… He often taught himself little things like writing or attended classes, but it seems he hated etiquette lessons…”
Then, Lano glanced briefly at his father with disdain.
“I have many ideas about his rough vocabulary and his ability to insult abundantly.”
The servants will be thoroughly questioned about how they secretly treated Nox, and then who could have instructed him in that noble behavior?
“Among all the residents, Nox only got along with Nana and the chef Pascal. They are probably having their final farewell right now.”
***
Nox was in the kitchen, just as Lano had anticipated.
“So, you’re leaving in the end.”
“Yes. For me, Pascal is like a father. Thank you for everything so far.”
Raising his eyebrows with arms crossed alongside Pascal, Nox leaned against the wall. He enjoyed crunching on a rusk, a gift from Pascal, sprinkling sugar on the bread crust.
Pascal was the benefactor who saved Nox from malnutrition. Without him, Nox would have died physically and mentally.
Pascal also imparted general knowledge and common sense to him during their informal conversations.
“As I am going to become an adventurer, let me know if you ever need anything. When you must contact me, go to the adventurers’ guild and ask for ‘Astra, the sorceress’.”
“I understand. I will remember that.”
“Do not tell Duke Galaxia under any circumstances. Not even Lano.”
“Understood.”
Although Pascal felt conflicted seeing that Nox no longer even called his biological father “dad”, he nodded.
“I also want to say goodbye to Nana, do you know where she is?”
“She left a moment ago with a tea set. I thought she had gone to see you.”
“Tea set?”
Nox tilted his head nonchalantly, wondering if she had also gone to see Lano.
The other maids in the kitchen looked puzzled to see Nox there, with a strangely calm expression, even though it was not mealtime.
