Chapter 38

Chapter 38 – Laria Lepis (1)

Lepis’ mother, Astrian Verica, was a child of a noble family. His father, Rostwell, was an ordinary commoner, a merchant. However, Rostwell was recognized for his achievements in the trade and received a Marquis title from an emperor who valued his abilities.

Rostwell knew he would not be able to join the noble society, no matter how he received a Marquis title. He was an ambitious man and knew very well that he was smart. He found a decent partner to fill his shortcomings — A venerable family in need of his own money.

The place where he found it was the Astrian family. It was one of the noble founding families and was the only pure-blood family that did not adopt children.

Due to the indiscriminate murder of the emperor, most families barely continued the family line through adoption or collateral. Nonetheless, the Astrian family was the only place that escaped the emperor’s murder and did not lose an heir.

In addition, the Astrian family secretly nurtured private soldiers and required a large amount of money, so Rostwell was able to provide all the money the Astrian needed.

Rostwell made ties to the Astrian.

They were initially reluctant to marry a commoner, but they were pleased with the wealth he brought. So, they pushed for marriage. Originally, Verica was trained to be a successor to the family. She was that smart and brilliant, and knew how much this marriage would benefit her family.

And, that it was one of the important pieces that would solve the Astian family’s dream.

Rostwell, who was originally a commoner, had many low points in Verica’s eyes.

However, she did not blame her father. Arranged marriages of nobles for mutual benefit were common. It was such an unfavorable marriage, but Verica earned her family money, and Rostwell lost the lineage and backing he lacked.

The two people were promised to be engaged but didn’t see each other often. Even though it was a distant relationship, they said that it was a fateful love that transcended the status between commoners and nobles for their own benefit. They spread rumors full of lies.

After the engagement, they acted as if they loved each other deeply. They meet often, and they often appear at public events. It smoothly incorporated Rostwell into the noble society. Rostwell often handed them unimaginable amounts of money.

After marriage, they walked away as if their love for each other was a lie.

Although they still pretended to be good friends in public, they didn’t even talk well at home. They did not live their life as a couple. They just had a relationship to have a child once a month. It was a relationship without warmth and for purpose only.

Still, they didn’t care. They didn’t know what was wrong.

The first child was born. Verica was expecting a child from the two brilliant minds.

…Lepis.

Verica murmured. She decided to choose her child’s name from an ancient language with a good meaning — One who has light.

It was the child who would bring light.

She raised Lepis with warmth. And, the day Lepis started his first education, she was disappointed. It wasn’t on the level she expected. In addition, she gave Lepis warmth and nurtured him, which added to her disappointment.

As a child, Verica was able to obtain language enough to write letters after she began learning the language within two weeks. She also began studying other liberal arts subjects as she learned the language.

Once she was taught manners, she was never pointed out again.

Lepis had the same speed of achievement as other ordinary people of his age, though it did not win the heart of the brilliant, Verica.

She was lost, and she went to see Rostwell.

“I don’t like Lepis because he’s worse than I thought.”

They spent the night again. It was originally the duty of the nobles to have children and pass them on from generation to generation.

Among them, a smart bloodline was Verica’s wish. If the child born by marrying a commoner was not exceptional, the surrounding nobles would ignore the new Marquisate, the Laria family, and criticize the Astrian family for choosing love.

It was an important child to prove that she had not made the wrong choice. The expectations were high. Still, he did not live up to that expectation. Not even beasts used their own offspring as a tool to achieve anything.

Verica saw her child as a tool.

So, she gave birth to a second child. She looked at the child with cold eyes. Unlike her first child, she did not give a name after thinking much of it.

Eris.

She didn’t even think about the meaning of the name. She just randomly gave a name that came to mind.

“Mom. is that my younger sibling? A boy or a girl?”

Lepis grabbed the hem of Verica’s skirt by her side, and she gazed quietly at Lepis, whose eyes were gleaming. She had cold eyes that didn’t feel like she was looking at her child. Even though she was teaching manners, it felt as if he was acting stupidly because he was mixed with the blood of a lowly commoner.

“Yes. He’s Lepis’ younger brother.”

Verica removed Lepis’ hand, which grabbed the hem of her skirt.

As the second child became four years old, Verica was delighted. The child had a brilliant brain that could not even be described as a genius.

Verica would beat her children if their achievement rates were slower than she thought or if they behaved wrongly. While Eris’ legs were always clean and untouched, Lepis’ legs were always red… There wasn’t a day when he wasn’t beaten.

When Lepis rolled up his pants and lay down on the floor carpet, the servant brought a bucket of cool water and put his legs in it. In the figure of him lying with his legs crossed in the basin, the aspect of nobility could not be seen without rubbing their eyes.

Eris closed the book he was reading.

“Uwaa, I got hit today. I think Eris is great. You’re always right… Awesome. Great.”

There was no such thing as jealousy. He closed his eyes and sang a hum. Eris frowned at Lepis’ behavior. He was not noble, but he was an older brother.

He clicked his tongue.

Eris had followed his older brother, who was four years older than him, to where he was learning. It was not enough, and he was about to overtake it. Eris didn’t think he was special. He only thought that Lepis was weak.

Lepis, who was smiling even though it was right, did not understand.

“But, why are you smiling?”

Lepis got up and approached him. He grabbed Eris’s hand. It was rude to touch another person’s body without permission, even by family members.

Terrified, he pulled away from Lepis’s hand.

“Yes! I’m happy to have you. Mom smiles because of you.”

Eris couldn’t understand his way of thinking.

As the attendant announced lunch, Lepis ran downstairs. Eris stared blankly at the spot where Lepis had left. He gazed at the hand he was holding. For a while, he felt a sense of warmth being transmitted, so he stared blankly at his hand because the hot heat lingered.

* * *

It was the year Eris was ten and Lepis was fourteen. Lepis was still above the average level, but Verica didn’t like it.

Even though he studied day and night to meet her expectations, it didn’t work out. Lepis, who was sad and never lost his smile, finally became depressed. Eris could immediately notice his change, which no one cared about.

Lepis, who used to be annoying and played pranks, did not come near. It didn’t feel like he hated Eris. He was a man of unproductive words. However, his speech gradually diminished.

Because of that, he was concerned about Lepis, which was acting strange. He hung out in front of Verica’s quarters late at night. He knew it was a disobedient act that his mother would hate. Still, he knocked on the door.

“I have something to tell you.”

Eris stood at the door until permission was given. To meet his mother Just to meet his mother… Eris felt anxious. His heart was pounding and pounding.

“Come in.”

Verica’s voice was heard.

Then, he carefully opened the door and approached her. Even in the dark, he could see the cool gaze in her eyes. As Eris faltered, she beckoned to him.

“What happened? You’re never like this.”

She was puzzled by Eris’ strange behavior. She normally would not have allowed him to visit, but she opened the door anyway.

“I think brother Lepis is a bit strange.”

Verica felt her interest waning. She frowned as she didn’t want to talk about that lacking child.

“Don’t worry about such a lacking child.”

“…But, he is my brother.”

Eris clenched his fist as his hands were trembling. Verica clicked her tongue. He wasn’t supposed to be hanging out with that lacking child.

To become a good noble, he had to let go of his emotions — love, friendship, or anything else. A high place was a lonely place. If he had feelings of compassion for others, he wouldn’t be able to stand it. For Eris, he shouldn’t have any more useless feelings because he was the one to climb high.

“This world is a place where the weak are slaughtered, and only the strong survive.”

Eris was horrified by her as she sat gracefully as if she was a snake twirling. So, he unknowingly took a step back.

“You are acting out of manner.”

Seeing the frightened Eris, Verica murmured. He looked at his mother. As if Verica didn’t care that he was frightened, she looked down at him and murmured.

“I need to add more culture.”

His heart was pounding anxiously.

It was not something to say to him, who was concerned about his brother. The kindness that she showed to him… The favor that she showed was because he was a worthwhile child. He was still young and scared that he would be thrown away.

Fear swallowed up his compassion.

Eris didn’t care about Lepis anymore. He ignored him.