What kind of feelings should one have towards a grandson they haven’t seen for 20 years?
It was only after hearing the news that he was dead that he finally got to meet his daughter.
The feelings towards Taylor were, rather, close to negative.
So when he heard the word “grandson,” he felt no particular emotion.
Just a slight curiosity about the person his daughter had given birth to.
“Must be something learned from Mother.”
He was a bit surprised by the confident attitude, yet it felt oddly familiar.
He must know that he was trying to end this conversation.
Yet, without showing any dislike, he seemed to be trying to pique his interest instead.
What does the name “Mother” mean to the grandson in front of him?
For a moment, the Count looked into his eyes and chuckled softly within himself.
At the very least, it didn’t seem to carry a negative connotation. He could only think it was a small relief.
Although she was frail, his daughter lived more healthily than anyone else.
Serena was the one who, without even considering a political marriage, volunteered to engage in one first; whether it bore fruit, he couldn’t tell.
The rumors about his son, Robert, were a mess, and his daughter, Yuria, was not acting any differently from her father.
In the end, he thought his daughter had failed to achieve what she had envisioned.
That’s what he believed until he met Robert.
“Northern, Order, Imperial Family. The three powers are already with me. Once I become the Head of the Family, I will help stabilize it through their support.”
“Can you be certain? About whether their support will remain even after you become the Head of the Family.”
“I am certain.”
What he was so confident about remained unclear.
It was already extraordinary that he had directly involved a Grand Duke and a Saint, but there wasn’t even a flicker of doubt in his belief.
It felt just like looking at Serena. A face with a strangely upturned smile overlapped in his mind.
As he gazed at it, the Count let out a small sigh and gently closed his eyes.
…There was not a single resemblance.
The eyes were of Taylor’s uniquely cold blue, and if there was any resemblance to Serena, it would be a part of the face.
Even that was hardly visible due to the extraordinarily dark expression.
Those empty eyes seemed to reflect every storm of the world, making him feel like he was looking at an elderly man older than himself.
Perhaps it was just his mood, but it seemed Taylor had experienced many things under that family.
The reason for coming here was probably to gain his support.
He knew this, but he didn’t want to involve himself with the Taylor family.
That was the place where Serena had died, and the place he didn’t want to send her away.
So there couldn’t be any affection for such a family, even a little.
He had intended to send him back right away, but he had now found himself oddly interested in Robert.
The resemblance to his daughter lay not in appearance but in other aspects.
In what he said or in the unexpected preparations he made.
Me, bringing out something completely unexpected.
Because everything I saw before resembled Serena so much.
-Political marriage? I don’t think it’s bad. I met that Arthur Taylor guy once. Can’t he change enough?
Speaking of how the head of the family could say that Arthur Taylor, who wasn’t well-regarded, could change, and preparing for marriage behind my back, that’s just…
This time, the Grand Duke’s seal that was brought didn’t look much different.
Normally, this wouldn’t even be attempted; for some unknown reason, it even brought about an oddly successful outcome.
Objectively speaking, Robert’s plan seemed quite plausible.
Imperial Family and the North, South.
And if he continues to gather the nobles, it could potentially overwhelm the power that Yuria Taylor possesses.
However, direct intervention should be avoided; just having that name backing up the situation was enough to change the landscape significantly.
And recently, there were changed rumors.
That Robert Taylor had completely become a different person, and good rumors began to follow the prince who was always plagued by bad reviews.
The fact that the source wasn’t from the center but from the outskirts of the territory was quite important.
It meant that the central forces couldn’t completely control the outer regions.
It’s worth a shot. While it was clear that this evaluation was made objectively,
the Count focused on the person of Robert himself.
Is he Robert Taylor? Or is he trying to go in a slightly different direction?
There was no difference whether he supported someone like the current Lady of the House.
In fact, supporting Yuria, who has a similar stance to the current head of the family, might quickly bring about some stability.
However, whenever I looked at Robert, I couldn’t shake the feeling of encountering my daughter’s fragment.
The things he said and the thoughts reflected in those words. The Count, who was contemplating for a moment, then quietly licked his lips.
“What I’m curious about is what your thoughts are about after becoming the head of the family. How do you plan to handle matters afterward?”
Upon hearing the term “posthumous matters,” Robert’s expression darkened slightly.
It was a problem he had been constantly pondering.
After he became the head of the family, he would surely need to reorganize the power that Yuria held.
To avoid repetition, a clean conclusion was important.
Cutting off the ongoing bad connections. It would be best to end everything in his generation so that such traditions wouldn’t continue.
So, is he trying to erase the name Taylor completely?
If the family disappeared through betrayal, it would indeed be the cleanest conclusion.
Still, he should think a bit coldly about Yuria’s treatment.
Hesitating, Robert slowly replied.
“Yuria, I plan to end it by my own hand.”
“Are you saying you’re going to kill me?”
“If that’s the only way to resolve this, then I would. I don’t want to repeat what happens in the Taylor family every generation. At the very least, I think we should be the last.”
“…It seems you’re not considering the possibility of reformation.”
If it were Serena, she would have thought about the possibility of change in this situation.
Just like how she tried to do with Arthur Taylor long ago.
As the tiny heart she had been nurturing began to fade, Robert, with a small smile, spoke up.
“My mother used to say something.”
“Do you mean Serena?”
“She said there’s no such thing as a bad dog in this world and that anyone can change. It was a saying she repeated often, so I remember it well.
– There are no bad dogs in the world. If something is bad from the start, that’s just an excuse, and I truly believe it can change in the end. Perhaps even Duke Taylor can change? Living together for about ten years might turn him into a completely different person.”
Serena’s words were indeed correct.
Anyone can change, and her daughter, who pursued a completely different path from the Taylors, accepted those words when she agreed to marry.
Feeling Robert’s gaze on him, the Count looked on with a grim smile.
Not all of Mother’s words were entirely true.
Perhaps it might be right that there are no inherently bad people, but that certainly did not apply to Yuria.
Could there be anyone who tried harder than her? Even after dozens of reincarnations, she tried to change her very essence, yet in the end, nothing had changed.
This meant there was no possibility for anything twisted to return to normal. Thus, she couldn’t just stand by.
For anyone else, it might be different, but Yuria Taylor had to see this through to the end, no matter what.
“However, there are indeed bad dogs. My sister was one from the start.”
“…It seems you have made some attempts.”
“I made plenty of attempts. Perhaps I even tried harder than anyone else.”
The Count swallowed briefly, releasing a small sigh. Those words did not sound like a lie.
The emotions tangled within his vacant eyes were truly complex.
Whatever he was thinking, Robert, who uttered such words, appeared troubled. He didn’t seem like someone who would tell a lie.
“There are people who don’t change. While one could view them positively as consistent, I cannot say what Yuria does is good.”
“Then what about others?”
“I don’t want to see much blood. I aim to save as many people as possible and somehow bring them to my side. That’s why I’m acting this way, right? I think you know well that this is behavior I wouldn’t normally have to engage in.”
It was undeniable that he was correct.
To bear the name Taylor and act directly like this was an exceptional occurrence.
Usually, nobles would come to him on their own, so regardless of the situation, Robert was the one approaching the nobles first.
To assimilate and embrace, was likely the process that brought me here.
It’s certain that Serena is part of the reason.
“I don’t think what my mother said was completely wrong. If someone tries, they can change. If they change their heart and join, I would accept them without hesitation, but Yuria is not that person.”
Though it was a firm expression, one could sense a hint of bitterness beneath it. The Count felt a strange emotion as he looked at Robert.
Despite resembling Serena, he also had aspects that mirrored Arthur Taylor.
It wasn’t that unusual to resemble one’s parents, but he never thought it would be possible under the name Taylor.
“If you become the head of the family and once the posthumous matters are decided, what do you plan to do next?”
Perhaps this question was somewhat unrelated to the task at hand, but Robert answered it quite willingly.
It was something he had always kept in mind. Even as he advanced to kill the Crown Prince, the family would still exist.
“…Not much will change, I suppose.”
There were only a little more than a year left. He wouldn’t spend that entire period at the Ducal Residence, and above all, he would strive to become a close aide to the Crown Prince.
Some would be disappointed with his actions after becoming the family head, while others might turn their backs.
If Father had seen such a scene, he would have come immediately for retribution.
What would Mother have done, he wondered. Though he thought he had forgotten a little by now, Robert didn’t want to deny his mother’s influence.
As she had always taught him, he was now worn out by such words and had mostly given up.
Yet, it was true that he still wanted to continue the legacy.
“However, changes are certain. Whatever it may be, it will be for the better.”
“Vague words, indeed. Nothing specific, just abstract.”
If it had been someone else, they might have rejected it outright. In fact, it wasn’t a proposal that greatly appealed to him, and even if he were to support it, he would be at a greater loss if it failed.
“I think things will change. If I go to that person and live together, won’t everything change for the better? Just like Father did.”
But in the end, he only saw Serena.
The appearance of the daughter lost 20 years ago appeared to the grandson who returned after 20 years.
He was simply drawn by his heart.
Even if age had dulled his judgment, wouldn’t it be alright to believe once in a while?
“I hope this goes well.”
The Count answered that he didn’t want to hear news of a sudden death one day. As he thought this, Robert quietly smiled as he looked at the Count.
The emotion reflected in his expression was a recollection of the past.
Though he couldn’t pinpoint exactly who it was that overlapped with him, if it was Mother,
that alone would be enough.
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