Rachel was just leaving the familiar entrance with a much more relaxed expression when—
Clang—
The firmly closed front gate opened.
A black-haired man who seemed both unfamiliar and familiar entered alongside the Valencia family’s aide and knights.
He was the Mercenary King, Nathan.
The moment their gazes met—his calm, blood-red eyes meeting hers—Rachel felt as though the memories she had buried away might resurface again.
But his carefree attire, contrasting so sharply with the memories in her mind, brought her back to reality for a brief moment.
Then a strange look flashed through his eyes.
As if he recognized her.
“Young Lady?”
“……”
Rachel, who had stiffened, barely managed to lower her gaze at Becky’s call.
‘It must be my imagination.’
There was no real connection between the two of them at present. All that remained was her own discomfort and uneasiness stemming from memories that only she possessed.
For a moment, she remembered their brief encounter on the central road.
But that had only lasted an instant.
Before Nathan could approach, Rachel turned back toward the carriage.
“Let’s go.”
“Please take my hand.”
Sir Hoffman, who had already approached, held out his hand. Rachel placed her hand on his and climbed into the waiting carriage of House Valencia. Becky quickly followed her inside.
The Valencia butler, who had been standing quietly nearby, politely closed the carriage door.
“Have a safe journey, Young Lady.”
“Go!”
Sir Hoffman quickly signaled for the carriage to depart.
Rachel stopped Becky, who was about to open the window.
“Wait.”
“……?”
Several figures could be seen passing in front of the window Becky was about to open.
Rachel deliberately avoided looking in that direction.
The carriage and the figures outside passed each other.
“Now.”
“Yes.”
Becky opened the window.
The cold air helped settle Rachel’s churning stomach a little. Beyond the carriage window, the magnificent garden slowly disappeared from view.
Finally, this was the last time.
This carriage belongs to House Valencia.
Coming face-to-face with that man.
Even this estate would become a place she would never visit again.
Ah, there was one last time, wasn’t there?
Rachel thought of Paris, whom she would meet after the truth was revealed.
The end was approaching.
***
Meanwhile, Nathan kept his eyes on the carriage passing by him.
A small silhouette was briefly visible through the window before disappearing.
‘So she really was the Young Lady of House Valencia?’
He had seen her looking at him with slightly tense eyes before hurriedly retreating into the carriage.
It seemed that she had recognized him as well.
“……”
So the reason she had gone pale when they encountered each other on the central road must have been because of him.
“Welcome.”
The Valencia butler greeted him courteously.
As Nathan dismounted from his horse, he glanced toward the carriage that was just leaving through the main gate.
“Who was that young lady?”
“Ah, she is the Young Lady of House Ingrave. She will soon be marrying our Young Master.”
Marriage?
He was surprised once that she belonged to another noble family, and then surprised again to learn that she was already getting married.
Come to think of it, nobles married young, so there was no particular reason to be surprised.
“Please give me the reins.”
“……”
After staring at the carriage that had already disappeared, Nathan handed the reins to the butler.
He slowly rubbed his complicated expression away.
“This way.”
Erasing his thoughts, he followed the aide toward the Duke’s study.
Other than the Imperial Palace, it was the most luxurious estate he had ever seen.
As he climbed the intricately carved staircase overlooking the grand circular two-story hall, he recalled what little information he knew about House Valencia.
A family known for sealing a Great Monster that had lived for over a thousand years.
He had heard that direct bloodline was important.
Their family ability was .
Other than that, he knew very little.
Naturally.
Unless a request specifically involved them, Nathan had almost no interest in the royal court or the world of nobles.
The aide stopped in front of a door heavily guarded by Valencia knights.
Knock, knock—
The aide knocked on the closed door.
“Duke, this is Gix. I have brought the Mercenary King.”
“Come in.”
“Please.”
The door opened silently.
As Nathan entered, he immediately sharpened his senses.
Three above the ceiling.
Two near the large windows.
One each around the bookshelf, wall, and floor.
And he could also sense a familiar presence beside the Duke of Valencia.
Across the room, blood-red eyes met crimson eyes.
Nathan gave a slight bow.
“I heard you have something to tell me regarding my mother.”
“……I do. Sit.”
The Duke gestured toward the sofa opposite him.
As Nathan sat down, he studied the young Duke before him.
The Duke of Valencia.
One of the most prominent nobles in the Empire.
Yet contrary to his expectations, the man looked remarkably young.
Late thirties to early forties, perhaps?
Meanwhile, the Duke was also staring intently at him.
“……”
“……”
Clink.
The silence was broken when the aide returned and placed refreshments on the table.
Nathan lightly touched the antique teacup.
“I see you have also placed someone behind me.”
“……!”
Nathan had immediately recognized the similarities between the hidden Shadows here and the people who had been watching him.
Similar aura.
The same ability.
Even a similar method of manipulating mana.
So that was why the aide had hurriedly stopped him.
He must have known Nathan was going after the Shadows and intervened before he could reach them.
The Duke glanced at the aide, looking troubled.
“I suppose a swordsman who has reached that level can sense such things.”
“……”
Tap.
Nathan put down the teacup without taking a sip and stared sharply at the Duke of Valencia.
“Now tell me. Why did you investigate me?”
“……Gix.”
The Duke quietly gestured toward his aide.
What Gix placed on the table was a glass vial filled with a transparent reagent.
The Duke immediately drew a dagger and cut his own palm, letting several drops of blood fall into the vial.
The transparent liquid turned dark red.
The Duke held the vial out toward Nathan.
“Could you put some of your blood into this?”
“I asked for an explanation.”
“This is the explanation. I believe you may be my son, so I need to confirm it. And because we were concerned that someone might notice, we needed to protect you from the shadows.”
The aide approached and offered Nathan a fresh dagger.
Nathan calmly examined the dagger and the reagent before looking at the Duke.
So that was why they had investigated his mother and even tracked down the midwife.
Nathan quietly sank deeper into the sofa.
His hands did not move.
“I’ll decline. I have no desire to become entangled with a great noble family.”
“……You don’t seem very surprised. Did you perhaps anticipate this?”
Who knew?
With an indifferent expression, Nathan shook his head.
“I didn’t expect this. I simply thought that since I awakened the ability, if House Valencia learned of it, they might try to connect me to them by blood.”
“……!”
His biological father, appearing now.
Even now, something seemed to be churning inside him.
Not a shock.
Something closer to anger and disgust.
“Is that all you wanted to tell me?”
Nathan looked at his biological father with little interest.
The once-hopeful expression on his father’s face slowly hardened.
“……You don’t seem very happy. Do you resent me for coming to find you now? If that’s the case—”
“I don’t want to hear it.”
His firm tone prevented the Duke from finishing.
The Duke had already become certain that Nathan was his son, and even his manner of speaking had changed.
But that was not something Nathan cared about.
Beyond the large windows was a magnificent view.
Nathan did not know what his biological father had expected from him, but—
“If you wanted to find me, you should have come while my mother was still alive.”
“……!”
So that his mother would not have suffered.
So that she would not have died so meaninglessly.
He should have come at the very least while Nathan was still a minor.
But he hadn’t.
This was something that should have been settled six years ago.
Or three years ago, when Nathan had become an adult.
Until today, Nathan had not even remembered the existence of his biological father.
So this really was too late.
A chill began to settle into his red eyes.
“Why do you look so surprised? You abandoned me back then, and now that you hear your son has become the Mercenary King, suddenly you need me?”
“That’s not it—”
Confusion appeared on his biological father’s face.
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