Chapter 67

“She’s this shy. My wife.”

She wondered if Cecil hated the word father, but Cecil just smiled affectionately.

Cecil spoke kindly to the emperor and Rowena, holding the emperor’s hand in one hand and Rowena’s in the other.

Despite how thick the carpet was under the bed, she knelt. Her legs were numb, but Rowena listened to Cecil and lost track of time looking at the emperor.

* * *

The engagement banquet hall was quiet. After the crown prince and Rowena had gone, administration heads and some older aristocrats left first, then the other four dukes slowly exited the engagement hall.

Paul, who squandered only champagne, was heartbroken.

Rowena looked gorgeous, but her happiness had nothing to do with Paul. Rather, she seemed happy to be engaged to the man who put her father’s hand in bad shape, but also annoyed.

You seem ungrateful!

This is why he doesn’t invest anything in a girl. Paul put down his glass, thinking it was a waste of money that went into Rowena.

Some of the remaining nobles were slowly leaving the hall. As the imperial brother-in-law managed to survive until the end, Paul hurried to tap Matthias on the arm.

Matthias couldn’t talk to anyone gathered there, but Theo was different. He was acquainted with one of the aristocrats of the administration, so he was just talking.

Matthias was also determined to intervene, but as soon as he made eye contact with Matthias, he gave a strange contemptuous look and stiffened.

Damn it…

It had always been like that. He dared to go one step ahead of him, the eldest son. Matthias had been bothered by it ever since he was a child.

Paul placated Matthias and told him he was greater and better, but Matthias had something he didn’t tell Paul…

That he was secretly using magic tools.

Matthias was receiving more allowance than the others, and he was buying a couple of magic tools with that money.

Theo was sleeker than he was, yet a man of great power. Matthias didn’t want to lose to Theo. Even the maids of the house bothered to look at Theo rather than Matthias.

Paul thought Matthias was stronger than Theo, but he wasn’t. Their swordsmanship teacher noticed but didn’t tell Paul. He only took money from Matthias.

Every time and in every game, Matthias used magic tools. With that power, he repressed Theo, but the older he got, the harder it became to beat Theo.

Even though he was using magic tools!

Theo would quickly catch up even if he increased his muscle strength and made his body more agile.

Matthias was always afraid of it because he was the only one with a different mother.

He was always anxious about whether the three stupid things would work together and drive him out or steal the count title that belonged to him.

Paul loved Matthias, but he didn’t even know he was using magic tools continuously. Even when he was found out and kicked out of a knight school exam, he only thought it was the first time.

If Paul, who worshiped force, knew that Theo was stronger than him, even if that wasn’t the case, he would have been kicked out if he realized that he had borrowed the power of magic tools at every midterm evaluation.

No, that’s not going to happen! I have already grown up, and Theo is just a knight leader who leads the subjugation of the territory!

Mathias didn’t allow Theo to pass the exam at the Knights School, which he had failed.

He changed the name on the test results by buying one of the exam supervisors from time to time.

No one knew that Theo’s unjust fall was not because he did badly, nor because the Count of Adelia’s name was not great.

Looking at the dejected Theo, Matthias laughed at him inwardly. He wasn’t supposed to go up higher than he did. Rowena also sacrificed for the family and him, and little Louis deserved to live like that because he was the family’s eldest son.

As Paul always said, Matthias’s success was everyone’s success.

But Rowena fell in love with the crown prince. The stupid little sister who had to deal with his anger as he pleased.

Matthias suddenly considered his position unstable.

What if I’m not the only one who knows that I came from another mother? The girl down there must have a grudge against me. What if Theo knows about everything? Would he still accept me to be the next count?

The mere imagination made him feel uncomfortable.

As Matthias expected, Rowena forgot her place and began to run wild.

She pursued the prince and went into the imperial palace. Out of reach from him and his father, she seemed to believe in the crown prince and looked down on them.

Never, she won’t take what’s mine away! Adelia is mine!

Matthias’ eyes gleamed frightfully, but only for a moment. No one gathered there noticed.

* * *