Time passed quickly and the seasons changed. In Cadel’s vision of the past, Lumen was growing up. The lines of his body and face thickened, and he was on his way to becoming a strong young man.

But it wasn’t all for the better. His gentle eyes turned calloused, his lingering smile vanished without a trace, and his innocent demeanor became stiff and cold as if he had no emotions.

The reason for the unwelcome change was easy for Cadel to guess.

‘……It’s just too cruel.’

Everyone who had been close to Lumen was disappearing. People and animals alike.

Even though it was a hound that accompanied young Lumen, it could not avoid the wrath.

“That beast is threatening Joseph. We don’t need a dog that doesn’t recognize its master.”

The hound had never threatened Lumen’s older brother. The guy was just faithful to his duty as a hunting dog and caught a wild animal.

The hound died the day after Lumen cleaned him up, fed him tasty treats, and praised him. It died in front of him.

“Don’t! Please don’t kill him! Debbie has never threatened Older Brother, he has never seen him! Aaargh!”

Froch’s soldiers held a howling Lumen down and forced him to watch his dog die. It was Froch’s order, but their expressions were not happy. Still, no one stopped them.

The next was a foreign swordsman who was hired to train Lumen in swordsmanship.

Lumen’s new teacher was not very good. This was well known to Lumen and to the teacher himself.

“Hehe, it turns out I’m going to become your disciple? Young Master should be learning from a better teacher than me…….”

“Sir Eric is also a very capable person.”

“Of course I am. I’m just afraid that learning from me will only slow down your growth, Young Master Lumen. Well, I’d better work hard, because I don’t want to lose my hard-earned job.”

Eric was nothing short of an obstacle to stop Lumen’s explosive growth. Lumen knew it, but he didn’t say it out loud. This was because he liked Eric’s easy-going personality.

“I have never seen a talented person like you in my life. If you ever become famous, will you be sure to say that you learned swordsmanship from this Eric Luvster?”

Eric also liked Lumen, and after training, he would talk about the genius of the second son of the Dominic family at the local bar.

Word spread quickly, reaching the ears of the King, who was so impressed that the youngest person to manifest sword energy was born in his country that he personally invited Lumen to the castle and presented him with the famous sword the next day.

“……I’m sorry, Sir Eric.”

Eric, a foreigner, was buried in a small, dingy cemetery without a decent grave.

“They say he died in an unfortunate accident. It’s a pity that a young man died in vain like that. ……By the way. Are the rumors true that he exaggerated your talents?”

Lumen did not know that the unfortunate accident that befell Eric was an encounter with Lumen himself.

Next was the servant who secretly stole Joseph’s books and gave them to Lumen. Next was a soldier who drank heavily and praised Lumen’s outstanding skills and character to his colleagues. Then a merchant who gifted Joseph with good medicine and Lumen with a precious long sword.

One by one, they died or disappeared, and now everyone in the family, not just Lumen, was guessing at the reason for the bad luck that had befallen them.

“I’m scared to go anywhere near Young Master Lumen. The last time I did, his meal was said to be better than Young Master Joseph’s, and the chef was beaten up. But I saw it. They were the same meal.”

“I really feel sorry for Young Master Lumen. He had such outstanding looks and skills. If he had been from a different family, he would have lived happily and beautifully. These days, whenever I see the shadow on his face, I feel uncomfortable inside.”

“Hey, don’t pity him. Isn’t it because all the people who have died so far are showing sympathy? In order to survive, you have to pretend not to see, pretend not to hear, and pretend not to care.”

The maids who served Lumen pretended not to notice him slowly becoming isolated. It was only for survival.

Therefore, Lumen did not get angry or intervene even while listening to the conversation between the women who sympathized with him. He just lowered his melancholy eyes.

Cadel’s stomach was in knots. As he watched the events unfold in rapid succession, he calculated the chances of success for the ‘Operation to Assassinate Froch Dominic’.

‘If I don’t kill him, I’ll be upset and feel like I won’t be able to subdue demons or anything. Son of a b*tch. What does he have to gain by trampling on his own son so hard? If the eldest son, who was so incompetent, was elevated to the position of patriarch, the family members who watched the entire process would be very supportive of the idea of changing the patriarch.’

Cadel gritted his teeth and tried to push Lumen’s back, which he couldn’t even touch.

‘Why are you here listening to all that chatter? Go back to your room quickly!’

With a shallow sigh, Lumen turned on his heel, as if he could hear Cadel’s desperate cry. But he didn’t make it more than a few steps before someone stood in his way.

“Young Master, are you going to train again today?”

“……Ah, Mary. Yeah. I have to train every day.”

“Then I’ll make a snack just in time for the end of the day. How about pumpkin pie? Apple pie is fine, but we’ve got some good pumpkin in town.”

“Then I’ll have som…… No, no. I’m fine, take it to Older Brother. He’ll be hungry from studying.”

Mary was the Dominic family’s maid, and for now, she was the only one who spoke to Lumen and cared about him. Cadel was grateful for her, but he was also afraid that she might be caught and killed. It seemed Lumen felt the same way.

Seeing the second young master refusing even snacks, Mary said with a bitter smile.

“I told you, you don’t have to worry about me. I’ve been serving the Dominic family since the current Marquis was your age. I’m not easily dismissed. I’m a capable servant.”

“…….”

“Pumpkin pie, okay?”

“……Yes.”

At the small affirmation, Mary smiled broadly and cheered him on, and a faint smile appeared on Lumen’s face.

* * *

Mary was the only friend in Lumen’s lonely life.

“Parties are hard. It’s hard to laugh, it’s hard to carry on a conversation, and it’s hard to thank everyone for the barrage of unwanted gifts. Maybe I’m not cut out for nobility, Mary.”

“Is that so? I don’t know if nobility is for everyone, but you were born a noble, so why not enjoy it? It’s a high position, and you can’t let anyone mess with you.”

“……Even Father?”

“That’s a good idea!”

She comforted Lumen.

“I think swordsmanship is a lot of fun, and I’d love to meet and compete with as many people as I can, because there are so many amazing people out there.”

“Then you could go on a road trip, a cross-continent adventure in your coming-of-age year.”

“I can’t. Father wouldn’t approve.”

“Oh, no, Young Master. Do you really think you’re going to have to ask your parents for permission every day of your adult life? The sky’s the limit when it comes to knightly adventures.”

It allowed Lumen to dream on dark nights.

“A straight posture brings upright energy. Stay upright not only when training, but also in the mansion! It would be best if you walked with your shoulders squared. This is Young Master’s house.”

“……If I’m confident, I’ll be obtrusive.”

“Don’t try to conform to other people’s perspectives. You have to think about what suits you best. Come on, stand up straight!”

She was his parent, his friend, his teacher, his only support. A breath of fresh air in a choked hell, a gust of wind for his struggling body.

Therefore, her death was enough to destroy everything Lumen had managed to build up to this point.

“Mary…… No, Mary……. Don’t die. Don’t leave me alone…….”

Mary was lying on a small bed, gasping for air. Her complexion was pallid, her cheeks deeply sunken, her cheekbones prominent. Lumen sobbed, clutching Mary’s hand as she slowly died.

“It’s not Young Master’s fault……. You know…?”

“If only I hadn’t gone to see Mary, if I hadn’t complained……. Who is it, Mary? Who poisoned you? I’ll take revenge. I’ll…… kill all of them. Okay?”

“I’m just, getting old and dying. It’s not anybody’s fault.”

“Don’t lie to me!”

The wailing voice cracked badly. Lumen glared at Mary, his face contorted into a mess.

“It’s my father, right? He made you like this. That fucking piece of trash, to destroy everything I hold dear, to make sure I have no one to turn to!”

“Young Master Lumen.”

Mary reached out with difficulty and stroked Lumen’s tear-stained cheek. Her petite fingertips still tinged with affection.

“Leave this place. There are so many more, better things out there. Find someone there that is kinder, more beautiful, and more precious than me…… and cherish that person.”

“I don’t want to…….”

“Young Master, you can’t find a life here. You know, right? Young Master, you already know everything.”

Despite Mary’s heartfelt advice, Lumen shook his head in refusal. Tears fell steadily down his shaking head.

Cadel stared at the floor from a distance, unable to bear to watch. Lumen’s misfortune was painful.

“Go away. And never, ever come back again.”

Lumen didn’t want to become the patriarch because he wanted power, or to repay the faith of good people. Lumen grew up to get revenge on Froch Dominic, the man who had crushed and broken everything he had ever known, and to do the same to the things that man held dear. He had grown up to seek revenge.

In the dark, distorted, and changing scene, Cadel could feel his deep anger.