“Isn’t the schedule we have here from the South almost over now?”
“Probably. The matters concerning the magicians have been postponed.”
“That’s a little disappointing. The original purpose of coming here was about the magicians.”
Seeing Adrian’s disappointment, I nodded in agreement.
The cancellation of our primary objective of investigating the magicians was due to the movements of the Non-Human Race.
They had stirred unexpectedly when they should have been quiet at this time, resulting in our originally planned month-long schedule being cut down to just two weeks.
Miragen had heard that someone used a relic and had already returned to the Imperial Family, leaving only Adele and Adrian here.
Even that was now on their way back.
Anyway, considering what we had to gain from the South, I thought we had achieved everything.
We successfully secured the relic to present to the Crown Prince, and more importantly, we gained Adrian’s support as well.
As long as Adele and Adrian are on my side,
I could use the Order and the North to stabilize Taylor after becoming the Head of the Family.
The quick end to the schedule in the South could even be seen as a benefit.
It would mean we could strike first at a time when Yuria wouldn’t expect it.
I figured she would likely notice soon, but it was still certain that Yuria didn’t know about my return.
Spring wasn’t quite close enough to say that winter was over yet.
Not long after the New Year, when all sorts of matters were chaotic.
If Yuria made a move in this situation, it was highly probable that it would backfire.
The power Yuria held under the name Taylor was not small.
Some kind of ‘move’ was necessary to flip the situation in one go,
And even if that succeeded, it wouldn’t guarantee that she could become the Head of House Taylor.
That’s why I purposely let slip my movements to Yuria.
I wished that the possibility of being pulled back would trap her, and if not, I hoped she would completely ignore whatever move I made.
I hoped for the latter, but I learned from Renold’s report that Yuria was quite concerned about my routes.
“In that case, there’s only one thing for me to do.”
To assert my intentions clearly through my movements as much as possible.
Just the fact that the Saint and the Grand Duke are with me should be enough to make her anxious.
I would need to see Renold’s next report to make a more accurate judgment,
But even with just these movements, the tide was slowly shifting in my favor.
For now, I could afford to be relaxed.
At least until I set foot in the Center, there wasn’t much I could do anyway.
It was enough to hold on until the awaited news came through.
Feeling a gaze on me as I got lost in thought, I turned my head and noticed Adele was quietly watching me.
“…Do you have something to say?”
“No, I just looked for a moment. I have to go back to the North now. When will you come again?”
“I don’t know. I’ll probably be quite busy until summer.”
“I don’t know. I guess I’ll be quite busy until summer.”
Even if I push Yuria aside to become the head of the family, I first needed the support of others.
And thinking about stabilizing things… that would take at least a few months.
It was also a problem to deliver the relic to the Crown Prince and get close to him.
When I was in the South or the North, it could be said that I had it relatively easy.
Coming to the center meant there would be so many headaches, and I knew well that this leisurely time was truly running out.
Adele frowned at my uncertainty and swallowed hard at the thought of being busy until summer.
Anyway, I had to go to the North this year. Kaitel calling for Adele would be between fall and winter.
If I weren’t there during that time, he’d be anxious on his own. At the very least, I wanted to witness the events I knew about firsthand.
“But I’ll drop by around fall. By then, I won’t be Robert Taylor, but Duke Taylor.”
“Do you have confidence? The influence that Lady of the House has built up won’t be easy to deal with.”
“It’s not like I don’t. That’s why I went to the North and South to gain assurance.”
So if you ask if I gained confidence, I think I can answer that with a bit of confidence.
It’s manageable. There’s not an overwhelming difference like before,
and I received more gains from the North and South than I expected.
At least if I only count the names of those who support me, I have the upper hand.
Having secured the Dead Dragon’s relic, there would be the tacit understanding of Kaitel, and I have the support of the Saint and the Grand Duke.
Since they each represent the Order and the North, it means that if Yuria pulls something reckless, I will have the forces to deal with it.
“Don’t push yourself too hard. You know better than anyone what Yuria Taylor might do.”
“I’ll be careful in my movements. I’ve already been briefed to some extent, and once I reach the center, I need to act right away.”
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“At least until I become the head of the family, I need to get there on my own.”
Legitimacy is a particularly important factor.
No matter how little I weigh its significance, in this noble society, legitimacy and recognition are more important than anything else.
Even if I were to forcibly become the head of the family, if I didn’t receive the nobles’ acknowledgment, wouldn’t I just be a figurehead?
For someone like me who needs to utilize the name Taylor, that must not happen, and I had to maintain at least my current status.
Adele chuckled and nodded her head at my words.
It wouldn’t be a problem after becoming the head of the family, but before that, it was a position I had to reach solely through my own strength.
…I used to have no interest in the name “head of the family,” but now I found it quite amusing how important it seemed to me.
Perhaps the values I consider important have changed over time.
If I had cared about the competition for the head of the family from the beginning, what would have changed?
Thinking about it now feels foolish, but still, I couldn’t help but entertain those thoughts.
If I had dealt with Yuria earlier. If I had excluded her from my life from the start.
No matter how I think about it, I now know it would have been a positive direction.
But it can’t be helped.
Just like I did with Teresa, in the end, what I chose was a direction that embraces everyone.
Of course, this time was different.
Moving forward by discarding one by one the things that hold no meaning for me was the very purpose of this life.
No matter how much I once considered them family, they were merely stepping stones I had to tread upon.
Yuria is just one of those.
A presence I must eventually trample underfoot, never to rise again.
The precedent of Teresa left many lessons for me.
If I intended to exclude someone, I had to act quickly; if I intended to step on them,
I had to step on them firmly.
I temporarily turned my gaze toward the window in the rattling carriage.
The trees reaching for the sky disappeared, and in their place, vast plains and cities began to come into view.
Leaving the North for the South, and then again from the South to the Center.
It was a refreshing experience. Perhaps the first sunrise I would ever truly embrace in my entire life.
#
– What’s your name?
It was a recent change that the master he served had altered.
Always showing a weak and easily swayed demeanor, he was effectively ignored within the Taylor family.
He had survived solely due to the name Taylor, but Robert was the one who could say nothing even when treated with disdain.
However, one day, everything suddenly changed.
The previously timid Young Master now had a chilling glint in his eyes, and his hesitance had vanished.
His unyielding actions shifted the dynamics within the Taylor family.
The once steadfast Yuria Taylor wavered for a moment.
The connection with the imperial family loosened, and the position of Yuria Taylor, which was certain to become the Head of the Family, was now anything but certain.
Nevertheless, while there remained a clear and overwhelming difference from Robert Taylor, there were whispers in the Ducal Residence that perhaps things weren’t as they seemed.
“I spread those rumors, though.”
Renold chuckled softly with his collar raised.
Initially, he had complained a lot about being bound to Robert Taylor’s situation.
Wasn’t it just a rotten lifeline?
Even if it was unavoidable due to family, he had thought he would betray and align himself with Yuria Taylor at any opportunity.
But now? Was there really any reason to align with Yuria Taylor?
Renold was no fool.
He knew that his survival despite ignoring the only son of the Taylor family stemmed from his unique abilities.
He understood when to withdraw and when to advance.
At first, it had seemed like a rotten lifeline, but Robert’s strides were exceeding both Yuria’s and his own expectations.
He had built connections with the Grand Duke, already became public friends with the Saint, and now was involved with the Princess too.
Thus, he felt no hesitation in reporting on Yuria Taylor’s movements.
Once the rotten exterior was peeled away, gold was visible—why engage in foolish acts of fleeing?
“And right now, public opinion isn’t so bad either.”
The first thing Robert did before leaving the North was send medical support to the territory.
Before heading north, the first thing I did was send medical assistance to the territory.
It was as if I anticipated an outbreak of the plague.
In fact, the plague spread in some regions, but thanks to the timely dispatch of medical aid, it was easily overcome.
The one who ordered the medical assistance was Robert Taylor, although Yuria was up to her tricks.
Renold, in his own way, spread rumors to let everyone know that it was Robert Taylor’s doing.
Spreading rumors was Renold’s forte above all else.
He was the one who spread bad rumors when Robert was initially disregarded, so it was to be expected.
Now he felt a bit sorry for him, but back then, there was no way anyone could imagine he was hiding his true self.
Ah—
At the same time, Yuria Taylor’s behavior became strange.
I heard she had a quarrel with Robert before heading north, but I couldn’t figure out what could have escalated things this much.
When news reached Robert that he had arrived in the south and was moving with the saint,
Yuria called the nobles she had befriended to a social gathering.
I only knew a fraction of what was said there.
But what was clear was that she proclaimed she would soon become the head of the family, and at the same time began to keep tabs on Robert Taylor. Renold swallowed hard at these two revelations.
In fact, there was one more thing he needed to make known, but this one had to be approached with caution.
This anxious feeling hinted at the completion of something that could turn the tides against Robert Taylor.
What would happen if this letter leaked?
If Yuria found out, he would be as good as dead.
Yuria proclaiming that she would become the head of the family carried two meanings.
One was that she would genuinely become the head, but the head of House Taylor had to be recognized by the previous head for it to mean anything.
Now that the current head had taken an interest in this struggle for power, would he really hand over the position so easily to Yuria?
Shaking his head, Renold forced a smile.
Cold sweat trickled down his forehead, and he brushed off the sweat that had soaked his hair.
“Insane, just insane.”
Things had been smooth until now, but thoughts of the future were no longer so simple.
It was truly like standing on a rickety bridge.
Yuria’s plan to “forcefully” usurp the head’s position had failed.
It was Renold’s unilateral decision, but he had sneaked away the drug that could serve as the catalyst for her plan.
Taking a moment to breathe deeply, Renold moved the pen that had been still and started writing again.
He could only hope the lifeline he had grabbed was genuinely golden.
The moment this letter was sent, visions of a future where failure meant his own death became startlingly clear.
[I have secured it.]
Simple, yet pregnant with so much meaning.
Sighing, Renold enclosed a small vial with the letter.
Now it was in Robert’s hands.
If he couldn’t become the head, Renold would have to perish too.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
