Ch.215I’ll Give You My Last Name (5)

“So that’s what happened with the first one, but what are you going to do with the second one?”

“Brother Kartrik? I need to set up a house for him in the west.”

The treatment of siblings who couldn’t become the family head. This was the topic Rezein was most interested in. She leaned in to listen.

“Not as far as a frontier planet, but I’ll keep them separated.”

“I see, so that’s how it is.”

“I’m just following family regulations. There won’t be emotional sanctions, so I hope he won’t be too discouraged about the transfer.”

“I understand.”

While they called it a transfer, it was closer to exile.

Still, this was a generous measure.

In the Adelbein family, betrayal didn’t just end with exile. There, people would mysteriously commit suicide without knowing it, or become mystified, kinder, or prettier—all everyday occurrences.

“Anyway, once they lost the support of the Council of Elders, my two brothers are no threat to me. There’s no need for bloodshed. I’m not an Adelbein, after all.”

“…I see. By the way, what about Seti?”

Rezein’s Adam’s apple moved with a gulp.

What would happen to her daughter and herself now?

Her worry proved unnecessary. Eidel brought up a merciful topic.

“Unless she gets married, she’ll continue to stay at home.”

“Why?”

“As my AT… as the vice family head, she needs to manage the family assets. Since I’m in a research position, I absolutely won’t have the time or capacity to manage the family wealth.”

“Is that the real reason?”

“Hmm.”

Eidel changed the subject.

“Let me put it another way. If I were to throw Seti out, what would you do, Father?”

“That would be your decision, wouldn’t it?”

“Why?”

“Because you’re the family head. A family head makes decisions and takes responsibility for them. The Council of Elders has given you that right and duty.”

“Won’t you stop me? Seti is your daughter, after all.”

“Of course, I’ll decide whether your choice is right or wrong after seeing what you decide.”

“That’s just wordplay.”

“I told you. With duty comes responsibility.”

Eidel grinned and said:

“Then, I’ll tell you my honest thoughts.”

Rezein perked up her ears. This was the part she needed to listen to carefully.

What followed was shocking. Or more precisely, unexpected.

“I want Seti to continue pursuing her dreams in a stable environment.”

“Dreams?”

“Yes. Her dream of creating a major corporation, becoming rich, and using that money for her mother and father.”

Sitting on the bench, Eidel continued in a low voice.

“It’s too grand to call modest, yet too pure to call solemn… but everyone has such simple goals, don’t they? Wanting to be happy, or wanting someone’s attention.”

“Is that really all there is to your reason?”

“I simply don’t have the bad habit of making my little sister cry.”

He was sincere.

Even if it weren’t Rezein, anyone could see that Eidel’s words contained not a trace of falsehood. The unconsciously changed atmosphere added persuasiveness to his words.

“The ring I gave you today was prepared by Seti. Funny, isn’t it? That penny-pincher who never spends money burned billions on such a luxury item.”

“That means…”

“Seti is the kind of child who tries to buy even things that aren’t for sale.”

Those non-purchasable items were family harmony, the sight of Arnold and Rezein as a loving couple, and the attention and love that Seti herself honestly wanted to receive as a child.

Of these, neither Rezein nor Arnold had provided any. Not until now.

The autumn wind was cold. Rezein’s hands trembled as she pulled her cardigan closer. The sensation of her conscience being sliced to pieces.

Soon after, Rezein fled the scene as if escaping.

***

A few days later on the weekend, Eidel brought two women to the Rheinland main residence. These beauties were to be Eidel’s future wives.

“You know there’s hierarchy among wives, right? The position of first wife is mine.”

“What? There’s no such thing.”

“Yes, there is.”

“You’re doing this after coming all the way here? You’re really mean.”

“I told you not to misunderstand. This isn’t a polygamous marriage I permitted because I like you.”

They don’t seem to get along very well…

Rezein worried, though she wasn’t directly involved. How on earth would the current family head manage these two women? Had there not been proper discussions about the polygamous marriage?

A tumultuous married life seemed likely.

Still.

With wives like these, wouldn’t she be able to learn more about Eidel?

With a glimmer of hope that she might gain information, Rezein approached the two young women.

“Ah, hello.”

“Hello.”

The two prospective daughters-in-law bowed their heads. Rezein casually acknowledged their greeting.

“We’ve met before, right? Seti’s mother, do you remember me?”

“Of course.”

Rustila Kersil.

This one is fine.

Rezein liked her sociable personality and knew from their previous conversation that she genuinely liked Eidel. She was the girl Rezein had encouraged to couple with Eidel to strengthen her position within the family.

On the other hand.

“…”

Zernya.

A girl whose background alone made Rezein uncomfortable.

Her sharp fox-like eyes were frightening. She was a typical Adelbein woman. This girl had recently exposed the family’s true nature and slipped away unscathed.

Rezein didn’t know why.

Could it be? Did she come to change her surname to Rheinland knowing that Adelbein’s disgrace would soon be exposed?

It gave her chills.

If so, she was no ordinary person.

Then again, being a direct descendant of the main family, perhaps she could do such things. Rezein avoided making direct eye contact.

“Father wanted to meet his two daughters-in-law before the wedding, so I brought them, Mother.”

Eidel embraced the two women from behind as he looked at Rezein.

Rezein was surprised. As soon as Eidel’s arms touched them, both women pretended to be embarrassed, acting coy.

“Eidel, come over here for a moment.”

“Yes, I’ll be right there. Mother, would you mind chatting with my brides for a while?”

“What? Yes…”

And so the three were left behind.

In front of their mother-in-law, the two brides couldn’t move an inch.

The problem was that Rezein, concerned about Zernya, couldn’t speak freely either.

A situation where the mother-in-law was cautious of the daughter-in-law.

She could only ask formal questions.

Like, “What kind of man do you think Eidel is?”

Rustila, who was scratching her cheek in embarrassment, answered first.

“He’s my benefactor and mentor. Before being a husband, he’s more like a mentor, and that’s why I fell for him… Ahaha, it’s hard to explain precisely…”

In her rambling appearance, Rezein saw her younger self. A woman deeply in love always becomes like this when talking about her lover.

Next was Zernya.

“Eidel is just like me.”

Meaning she already considered herself the mistress of the Rheinland family.

Indeed, this is what an Adelbein is like, Rezein thought.

She gritted her teeth inwardly.

Come to think of it, why should she be cautious? Adelbein had already fallen.

After exchanging a few more questions, Rezein took advantage of Rustila’s momentary absence to change her expression. She asked directly.

“Miss Adelbein.”

“My surname is not Adelbein.”

Right, already assimilated, I see.

“Then, former Miss Adelbein. Why did you expose your family? You were the family head. Money, power, prestige. You could have had everything in the North.”

“…”

“Why go through the trouble of destroying your family and burning your bridges? There was no guarantee that Eidel would keep you as his wife afterward.”

She had mustered this much courage for her daughter’s sake. She would never forgive Zernya for taking what Seti had built. It was a moment when maternal love overcame fear.

Zernya asked with a hollow laugh:

“Why did I abandon my family and the position of family head? That’s too easy a question.”

“What did you say?”

“Because it was the right thing to do.”

With a tap, Zernya set down her teacup. Her deep purple eyes were as calm and clear as the storm in the teacup.

“I wanted to end the thousand years of evil deeds of the Adelbein in my generation. That’s all. I did it because it was for humanity, because it had to be done. Even if Eidel hadn’t taken me as his wife, I would have done it eventually.”

“But because of that, your parents…”

“So, are you calling me unfilial?”

Zernya adjusted the scarf around her neck. Her hand, moving toward her nape, fumbled emptily as if retracing the past.

“…I was subjected to human experimentation by those parents. All my relatives who entered the same experiment died, and I alone survived, carrying three fake constellations. Of course, those constellations were just useless gas masses.”

Rezein’s breath caught.

This was the first she’d heard of it.

Zernya continued her revelations.

Most of it detailed her parents’ atrocities. Some were so disgusting that Rezein wanted to cover her ears.

She couldn’t dismiss it as lies because Rezein herself was from Adelbein. Somehow, she could believe the main family would do such things.

“There’s no blood relation or anything. I’ll move forward on the path I believe is right. If I meet my parents, I’ll kill them; if I meet my teacher, I’ll kill them. And it was Eidel who showed me this path.”

It sounded cruel if misunderstood.

But that’s precisely what makes it paradoxical.

Zernya’s cheeks gradually turned rosy, like clothes dampened by drizzle. Embarrassed by her own words, she pulled up her scarf to cover her mouth and nose. Then she blurted out:

“What’s the point of maintaining the Adelbein family head position? Not if there’s no future where Eidel is happy at the end.”

“…”

Without a doubt.

This is the face of someone in love.

The expression a woman can only make when deeply in love.

Rezein’s confusion deepened.

How on earth did Eidel von Rheinland seduce this viper of a woman?

“Darling, I need to talk to you.”

With her question unresolved, Rezein headed to Arnold’s office.

***

Arnold had been thinking a lot since their conversation a few days ago.

Afterward, he briefly called Eidel to discuss a few more things. Whether this was right, whether he could do as he wished. To this, Eidel said:

“That’s for Father to decide.”

“Why?”

“Because Father is her husband.”

It was logical. Arnold nodded and let Eidel go.

Soon after, he made his decision.

Let’s lay it all out.

Arnold called Rezein, closed the door, and in the quiet office, began speaking in a plain tone.

“Now that Adelbein has fallen and months have passed since the family head selection, I can finally say this. I’ve been wary of you all along, knowing you were a spy sent by Adelbein.”

“…Yes.”

Rezein answered as if confessing.

She had known this fact.

“But that’s just the surface reason. I had another woman I loved, and she passed away first. Longing for her, I couldn’t love you.”

Rezein nodded and smiled.

She already knew that too, from secretly overhearing his conversation with their son a few days ago, but she didn’t mention it.

Instead, she decided to reveal a secret she had kept hidden.

“That’s alright. I also had a man I loved besides you.”

“I know.”

“…What?”

She was taken aback.

She hadn’t properly told him, had she?

“Your face says ‘how?’ Isn’t it obvious? That face of yours, stiff as dry clay when meeting me, occasionally showed signs of life.”

Rezein stammered, “Um, um.”

“To make such an expression, you must have someone else in your heart.”

“You… you can tell the difference?”

“Of course. Whenever Reika looked at me, she had the same expression you did then.”

“…”

“Staring blankly, then smiling for no reason, frowning without cause but relaxing at times, constantly rolling your eyes or touching your heated cheeks, and so on.”

I see.

So he noticed that much.

It felt bitter yet somehow sympathetic. She had thought him cold as steel, but surprisingly, he had similarities to herself.

“That’s enough about the past.”

Meanwhile, Arnold organized his thoughts.

He said:

“I called you here to make a proposal.”

A distinctly different tone. It was the same tone he had used twenty years ago when they first met. Rezein felt both déjà vu and unease.

And then, at Arnold’s next words, she staggered, unable to steady herself.