Ch.4Introduction

“Heh heh heh heh…”

“Tsk tsk tsk tsk…”

The shocking news that an illegitimate child had been accepted into a noble family—and not just any family, but the House of Bourgogne—spread very quickly beyond the Duchy of Bourgogne in all directions.

Nobles who had no connection to the Bourgogne family treated it as excellent gossip material for their social gatherings, while those with some ties merely expressed slight displeasure. But the reaction of all nobles bearing the Bourgogne surname could be summed up in one word:

Are you insane?

“…It seems our nephew was quite fond of that woman.”

“Prepare a carriage for the capital immediately!”

From hundreds of years ago until just a decade past, the descendants of younger brothers who had lost the ducal title to their elder siblings were scattered throughout the Duchy of Bourgogne.

Dijon, the capital of the Duchy of Bourgogne, now faced a wave of these descendants.

……….

“…Greetings, Brother. I am—”

*Swoosh*

“…”

‘Well…’

I had paid my respects to three older brothers and two older sisters, but not a single one of them had acknowledged my greeting.

Being completely ignored without even a glance was actually among the better responses.

Some made no effort to hide their displeasure, openly scrunched their faces in disgust, wrinkled their noses, or cursed me to my face, saying I wasn’t their sibling and shouldn’t address them as such. It was quite something.

I don’t consider you my real brothers or sisters either. I’m only greeting you because the Duke ordered me to.

“…Are you alright?”

Chloe, who had been following me since I started making my rounds of greetings, hadn’t lost her concerned expression even once from beginning to end.

Employed as my personal maid and dressed in a maid’s uniform, Chloe was now stroking my head to comfort me.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. I expected this.”

“Yes…”

“Good, it’s almost time for my lessons. Let’s go back.”

“Understood.”

“…”

Even as we spoke, Chloe kept glancing back and glaring at the back of my brother’s head as he walked away ignoring me. She had been doing this since our first greeting.

Hmm… Chloe is a smart girl, so she probably won’t do anything impulsive, but I should say something just in case.

“Chloe.”

“Yes.”

As soon as I called her name, Chloe’s eyes, which had been darting left and right, immediately fixed on me.

“You know that you shouldn’t be disrespectful to them, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

Chloe’s expression suggested this was the most obvious thing in the world.

Hmm… I guess I was being too sensitive.

“And when we’re alone, you can call me ‘oppa.'”

“…Young master.”

“Still the same, I see.”

I still can’t quite figure out what Chloe is thinking.

She used to call me “oppa” just fine before… sigh…

“You’re still my sister, you know. Don’t be so hard on yourself just because you were adopted.”

“…”

It makes me so sad when Chloe calls me “young master,” as if she’s punishing herself for being adopted.

Forcing her to call me “oppa” would be wrong, so I’ve tried to gently persuade her, but the result is always the same.

Whether she calls me “oppa” or “young master,” the emotion and tone behind it are identical, so I’ve come to accept it, but the two words are clearly different.

Someday, I’ll make it so Chloe can freely call me “oppa” without worrying about what anyone thinks.

For that, I need to succeed first.

“Come on, let’s go.”

“…Yes.”

Chloe, quite naturally, began walking behind me.

Ah, really.

“Don’t stand behind me. Walk beside me.”

“Yes…”

Honestly, she doesn’t need to act like a real maid.

Seeing that other maids handle all the ordinary chores, it seems the Duke only made her my personal maid in name only.

……….

“He will become a great asset to the Duchy of Bourgogne. He will serve you well. So—”

“There are plenty of talented people. Why must we use that commoner?”

“Louis!”

A thunderous voice echoed through the Duke’s audience chamber.

“…”

“Hmph.”

When I acknowledged Claude as my son, treating him like a commoner could certainly be seen as challenging the Duke’s authority.

Yet Louis, the eldest son, showed no sign of backing down. As if he had done nothing wrong, as if I were the one at fault.

“…”

‘Damn it.’

There are too many eyes watching.

If I were to assert my authority here, Louis, my future successor, might appear weak to our vassals. I can’t allow that.

Of course, if I just let this slide, my authority, already diminished by the Claude affair, would plummet even further… but what choice do I have? I must support my son.

“…He is a bright child. Be friendly with him.”

“…”

Louis didn’t answer, just glared at me.

The Bourgogne relatives who had arrived from various territories wore the same expression as Louis.

“Your Grace, is that child’s talent truly so remarkable?”

“…”

‘This bastard…’

My brother, with whom I’ve never been on good terms, spoke these irritating words with a smirk.

“Truly?” he asks. “Truly?”

If one were to take the words at face value, he’s simply questioning Claude’s abilities. But combined with his expression and tone, they take on a different meaning.

He’s asking if I’m making up a convenient lie to justify taking Claude in, if I was so fond of that woman—Marie—that I’d do this.

“Heh heh…”

*Swish*

“…?”

Normally, I’d be seething with anger, but… having received daily reports on Claude’s every move, I can only laugh.

Fine, it’s better to show them directly.

This is perfect timing, with all the family members gathered, I can formally introduce Claude.

The Duke gestured slightly to a lady-in-waiting, waving his open palm back and forth, and seeing this, she quietly bowed her head and left the audience chamber to fetch Claude.

……….

“Chloe, do you understand?”

“Mmm… it’s fun.”

‘…’

This child… what is she?

Literally, there’s nothing left for me to teach.

I had prepared all sorts of lessons, thinking a child raised in a village would need extensive education, but it was all for nothing.

I had foolishly planned the curriculum for a typical 13-year-old.

Like most nobles, I thought the father was exaggerating his child’s abilities.

He seems a bit lacking in theology and magic, but those aren’t subjects I can teach anyway…

“Ah… so it’s not that you know it already, but that you find it fun…”

“Hehe…”

It seems this child doesn’t need a teacher at all—just books filled with knowledge.

Having already completed the curriculum, Claude has set his teacher aside and is using his education time to teach Chloe instead.

“So, to explain in more detail—”

*Creeeeak*

“—?”

“Huh?”

Time flies by quickly, doesn’t it? It must be time to finish… or not, the hourglass is still running.

What’s more puzzling is that the maids entering the classroom have various elaborate clothes draped over their arms. This isn’t normal.

“Distinguished guests have arrived. You must prepare.”

“…”

The highest person in the castle is only the Duke.

Yet they say distinguished guests have arrived… I can guess what this means.

……….

“…I pay my respects to the esteemed lords.”

*Swoosh*

I heard the gist of it while changing clothes.

The Duke wants to demonstrate my talents to the family members to justify my adoption.

Well, I’ll do my best then.

The more I struggle now, the easier things will be later.

“Your posture is… acceptable.”

“Thank you, Uncle.”

“…Hmph.”

I learned their appearances from the maids.

The bald man in red clothes before me is my great uncle, and the one with thinning hair beside him is my lesser uncle.

I’ve memorized all the other relatives too. Nobles wear distinctive clothes to show off, which makes them easy to identify, thankfully.

…It’s a bit concerning that all my uncles are bald. I hope I won’t end up like that?

The Duke has a full head of hair, so I should be fine… though I’m a bit worried.

“Claude, was it? Raise your head.”

“Yes.”

‘In these situations, I should raise my head after three seconds… hmm.’

Surprisingly, their gazes aren’t as hostile as I expected.

Just moments ago, they were looking at me like a cockroach on their pillow, but now it’s more like ants on the roadside.

Both are insects, but if I hadn’t memorized the proper etiquette, nothing would have changed.

Anyway, let’s appreciate that my treatment has improved slightly.

“I greet Your Excellency, Frédéric de Bourgogne.”

“Yes… you’re thirteen?”

“Yes.”

After those words, Frédéric slightly turned his head to look at Duke Charles.

The two men’s gazes met, and after a moment, those gazes returned to me.

“My brother has been singing your praises quite extensively.”

“You flatter me.”

“Can you explain the history of our House of Bourgogne?”

“My brother” and “our House of Bourgogne.” He clearly refuses to acknowledge me as family.

Of course, I don’t deeply consider the ducal family as my own either, so we’re even.

“Yes, the Duchy of Bourgogne, under the reign of the great former Duke Philippe, not only conquered territories of the Holy Empire but also gained independence from its overlord, the Carolingian Kingdom—”

As I continued explaining the history of the Bourgogne family heads in reverse chronological order, I could feel the nobles’ gazes in the audience chamber softening.

Whether it was the etiquette I showed earlier or the family history I’m reciting now, honor truly is the best medicine for nobles.

Memorizing the family history first was definitely the right choice.

…In truth, I already knew all the basic knowledge from my previous life, so I only had to memorize theology and history.

“—That concludes my explanation.”

After finishing with the description of the founder, I could no longer sense the previous hostility from the relatives filling the audience chamber.

‘Tch…’

Except from my half-brother Louis and the two uncles.

For them, the best outcome would have been for me to embarrass myself and damage the Duke’s reputation, but I responded too perfectly, which clearly displeased them.

Whether I had been inadequate or perfect, neither option would have won their favor.

Or perhaps it was impossible regardless of what I did.