A few days later, the day that everyone has been waiting for has arrived.
Duke Artus was waiting for a guest in his office in the mansion.
The wine from the deepest cellar, called the Artus’ treasure which all the wine collectors had drooled for at one point, was on his desk with its corks opened.
Two glasses were placed in front of Duke Artus and the guest’s seat, respectively. It was a glass that had been filled even before the guests arrived.
Today’s guest was Meldon Artus.
It is neither Meldon Verix nor Meldon, but Meldon Artus.
He crawled by all means into the Artus family a few days ago. Duke Artus has never, ever wanted to acknowledge him as a member of this family.
His wife was already shocked and left for her parents’ family.
As Cedric had warned, and to Duke Artus’ uneasy premonition, everything went from worse to worst.
Duke Artus no longer had a choice.
He had recently contacted Meldon to come to his office because he had something to talk about alone. He replied that he would come today.
Duke Artus stared at Meldon’s glass, not his own. Naturally, his glass contained substances other than wine.
‘It can’t be helped.’
If he doesn’t do this, this family is over.
It’s for Felix. In order for him to proudly inherit the family, he has no choice but to dirty his hands.
He had no choice but to do this. Really, he couldn’t help it.
“……He’s here.”
The butler said heavily.
He still didn’t know how to refer to Meldon.
“Okay, let him in.”
Duke Artus had already drunk more than five strong drinks in a row.
He was absorbed in other thoughts to forget his guilt.
There is still half of the drug given by the Holy Empire. He only put half of it in the wine.
He saved half for emergencies. He had already heard that half of it can be effective enough.
‘If this works……maybe I can save it and use it for someone else someday.’
He pondered.
‘How about Beolde?’
Seeing that damn bitch to really go crazy made him feel a little better.
Or Hikan is good too. Cedric, too. Anyone who had humiliated him.
‘Yeah, I don’t need anything else. With this, I…….’
This Empire will soon be trampled under the hooves of the Holy Empire anyway.
What’s wrong with following the path that period should take?
Duke Artus’ eyes flashed.
‘All the trouble will be over soon.’
Finally, the door opened, and the person he was waiting for appeared.
“Gosh, I really didn’t know my father would call for me.”
Meldon entered the office with a grin.
He sat on the chair the butler had pulled out, put his arms up at the desk, rested his chin and crossed his legs. And he looked at Duke Artus with a smile.
The Duke’s mind again became complicated. Meldon’s eyes, nose, and mouth resembled him.
“So why did you call me?”
“……I realized. Since you’re in this family anyway, I can’t stop you from taking my place.”
“Wow, what a quick realization.”
Meldon sneered.
Normally, he would have been furious, but he didn’t feel anything right now.
He is someone whose life will end soon anyway. There was no need to get enraged every single time.
“I’ll just obediently let you take the position of the heir to the family. Without a word, as a member of this perfect family. Instead, you need to guarantee us something. A very minimal amount of honor, a seemingly not bad relationship, or something like that.”
A weak-minded person might be shaken, but Meldon did not raise an eyebrow.
Instead, the smile on his lips grew even thicker.
“Did you call me just to say that? Wasn’t that a failed deal anyway?”
“……I changed my mind. Aren’t you still my son? What’s the use of embarrassment between rich people?”
He grasped Meldon’s hand across the table with his wrinkled hand.
However, Meldon glanced at him, seemingly unimpressed.
“……Well, I suppose so.”
“…….”
“Stop bullshitting, and if you want to drink, I’ll give you a toast.”
‘G, good.’
Everything seemed to go according to Duke Artus’ plan. He hurriedly raised his glass.
“Yes, that’s great. It would be unreasonable to pray that this alone would solve our relationship. But hopefully this is a start. This is the most expensive alcohol in Artus. You will definitely like it.”
Instead of answering, Meldon was staring at the glass offered by Duke Artus. For quite a while, enough to make the Duke to feel uneasy.
Soon after, a meaningless smile spread across his lips.
“The moment I receive this glass, there is no turning back. Everything.”
“Wh, what do you mean?”
“It’s been a pleasure, previous Duke Artus.”
Meldon took his wine glass and gulped it down. Even though the alcohol was quite strong, he emptied the glass at once without frowning.
‘Didn’t they say that transcendents don’t get drunk?’
However, this drink will be a little different.
Only then did Duke Artus feel a sense of relief. Meldon was right. It’s all over now. All the trouble…….
‘Come on, I’m going to report to the Imperial Guard.’
He’s going to report that a transcendent ran out of control at the Artus’ mansion.
If a transcendent runs wild properly, it is said that not only the mansion will be blown away, but the entire surrounding area will completely disappear, so he should hurry.
‘Yes, let’s start anew.’
It is to abandon this mansion, which has been polluted by the persecution of other transcendents, and start over in a new one.
Duke Artus bit his lip.
How much humiliation did he have to go through because of these things? What the hell did he do wrong…….
“Boris Artus.”
Then, Meldon called him.
He called his full name instead of father. It was unusual that Duke Artus opened his eyes wide.
“Isn’t something strange?”
“…….”
Indeed, something was wrong.
As evidence of that, Meldon, who should be running wild, was calmly pouring another glass of wine by himself.
“Really, as you say, expensive alcohol is the best. I think it tastes better because there are no impurities mixed in.”
“…….”
“‘There will be a reaction soon?’ must be what you were thinking. No, according to common sense, when you suddenly call me and offer me a drink prepared in advance, who drinks it all at once? Also, people can’t be that stupid. Of course, pigs can be stupid. Seems like you’re a pig.”
Duke Artus could not hide his confusion with the continuous verbal abuse and Meldon’s undisturbed appearance.
He jumped out of his seat without realizing it.
“Wh, what is this…… !”
“Oh, as expected, pigs can’t understand people.”
Meldon grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him to sit down.
Duke Artus trembled and looked at him with anxious eyes.
“Some, something’s wrong…….”
At that moment, the door opened.
Duke Artus had a foolish hope.
He hopes the savior beyond that open door will somehow solve this situation. Whether it’s someone from the Holy Empire or something else that will drive Meldon mad.
He looked at it with a desperate expression.
However, it was Merida standing there.
She was holding a tray with a teapot and a teacup like a maid.
Merida approached politely and put the tray down on the desk. There was only one teacup. That one teacup went in front of Meldon.
Merida poured tea into the teacup in perfect manners and smiled at Meldon.
“Please drink it, Your Excellency Duke Artus.”
“It tastes even better because it’s the tea from my elder sister.”
“Oh my, you flatter me.”
Merida put her hand on her cheek and laughed incongruously.
Duke Artus’ eyes, who were completely unaware of what was going on, were looking alternately at them.
It was only a moment later that he understood what he had heard.
“Ah, what, Duke Artus? Wh, what do you mean, Merida?”
“Oh my, the ‘previous’ Duke Artus. What are you talking about? The previous Duke used the family seal and handed over the title to my brother.”
“Wh, when did I!”
“Ah, of course, I do it as the acting family head, so it’s natural that you don’t know.”
Merida spoke casually.
Now Duke Artus’s mind was about to explode from the bombs that kept exploding.
“Wh, what did you say?”
“As expected, the current Duke Artus is smart. I guess this person is really a pig. Seeing that he doesn’t understand people.”
“Haha, I did say that, sister.”
A friendly time has passed between the two.
The previous Duke Artus became more and more aware of the situation as the conversation between the two continued.
His face grew paler. However, he couldn’t accept the reality, so he shouted first.
“Y, you, what qualification do you have to be the head of this family! You’re not even from this family in the first place!”
“I already know that. Our Miss Dalia already knew it and finished it. I’m very grateful. Even without you, I received the support from the Imperial family and the other three Ducal families.”
For the first time, a real friendly smile crept across Meldon’s lips.
However, that smile disappeared without a trace as soon as he saw the shrieking previous Duke Artus. He couldn’t believe it, but there was a limit to his patience.
He took out the papers and held them out. It was definitely the family seal that was stamped at the bottom of it.
Translator Note: I just returned from my hometown few hours ago and finally managed to finish tl this chap..fuhhh *wipe sweat*…thankfully I translated half of the chapter before I went back to hometown yesterday
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