Episode 67. Mount Bern (2)

“Aunt Vera is busy with that too… and Monica seems out of it because of that. I’m the only one with time to spare, I guess.”

Who could I send as a guest from the main Family? My regression point was after I came to Yulstein, so I didn’t remember many people. It’s been over ten years since I last saw them… it’s mainly because I haven’t contacted them at all during that time, but I didn’t really want to contact them anyway. If Henry hadn’t ended up like this, I probably wouldn’t have contacted them this time either.

“Do you know who came?”

“I haven’t seen them either, so I don’t know. I heard it’s some kind of knight with a bushy beard. Do you know them?”

“A bearded person isn’t exactly rare…”

It’s a common trait, but since it’s someone from the main Family with a beard, a few people came to mind. But I didn’t have good memories of any of them…

“Anyway, they probably won’t call you in today, so get some rest. Quit smoking.”

“Okay…”

I really need to quit smoking. Winnie looked at my lower body with a hint of regret and swallowed hard, but she restrained herself and left, thinking of my health. If I had done it again today, I might have really died…

The next day, I greeted the guest with Monica in the drawing-room. It was the person I had roughly expected.

“It’s been a while, Count Yulstein-kakka. Long time no see, Edward. How have you been?”

“It’s been a while.”

“It’s been a long time, Sir Franchello.”

“What kind of nephew is so stiff with his uncle? Keol keol keol.”

Uncle my ass. I got goosebumps at the sight of him trying to act friendly with me. Franchello Mountberne, the previous Head of the Family’s younger brother and my uncle. I still vividly remember him sucking up to the next Head of the Family while ignoring me with Henry, doesn’t he find himself disgusting? Seeing him act like this to me now, Henry’s condition must be bad.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t attend the wedding. Don’t forget that you’re still a member of our Mountberne Family, even if you’re so far away…”

“Didn’t you say time was short? Let’s postpone catching up and deal with the urgent matter first. Sir Edward ‘Yulstein’ is a busy man, you see.”

“Understood, Count Yulstein-kakka. I was just so happy to see my nephew after so long that I…”

“And, I don’t know about personal relationships, but Sir Edward ‘Yulstein’ is the husband of this Count Yulstein. I would appreciate it if you would at least use honorifics.”

“…I will be careful.”

Monica started with a preemptive strike, looking displeased. It felt refreshing to see the old fox’s expression sour. Monica and I stood on one side with the reception table in between, and Franchello stood alone on the other side. Since there was only one seat on Monica and my side, and I was just standing there, Monica gestured for me to sit down.

“Thank you for your consideration, Count-kakka.”

“Don’t mention it. You requested a private meeting so much, I had to grant you this much.”

I heard about the private meeting, but I felt awkward sitting alone while Monica was standing.

“Since this matter is within the Mountberne Family, shouldn’t the members resolve it among themselves?”

“….Sir Edward Yulstein is a member of the Yulstein Family.”

“Ah, I will be careful. Heo heo, I’m not used to the change…”

“…Then.”

As Monica closed the drawing-room door, only Franchello and I remained.

“Then, since Sir Edward Mountberne hasn’t heard the explanation, I’ll start with the situation.”

“Yes, but I am Sir Edward Yulstein.”

Since he was maintaining a polite attitude, I threw a jab at him. It’s funny to see his greedy face twitching.

“…Sir Edward Yulstein, are you aware that your brother, Sir Henry Mountberne, was unexpectedly attacked?”

“Yes? What are you talking about?”

Ah, um. I should have acted a little surprised. Was it obvious? But I was really surprised that it wasn’t an accident but an attack.

“Hmm, hmm. This is the first time I’m hearing about this.”

“Of course. There’s no way this fact would have spread this far already.”

Franchello’s eyes as he said that were suspicious, unlike his words. Since it was my doing, it could be said that his intuition was quite accurate, but well, there’s no evidence or witnesses anyway. Seeing that he didn’t directly point at me, it seemed that Henry wasn’t in a state to talk.

“He was attacked by an unidentified knight order on his way to Retinel and is in critical condition. Fortunately, none of the escort knights died, but they were all injured, and the Count, who was caught off guard, is in critical condition…”

…It was so different from what I knew that I was speechless. Knight order? What’s that? He’s a guy who tripped over his own pants while jerking off and cracked his head, but it’s been packaged pretty well.

“…It’s hard to believe just hearing it.”

“That’s the official position, can I speak comfortably now?”

“Yes, please do.”

Franchello leaned back on the sofa and took out a cigar. I wanted to smoke one too, but considering I had been lying down all day yesterday, I didn’t dare. Franchello said, inhaling the smoke.

“Honestly, there are many strange things about this. It’s not like a knight order would suddenly attack a passing noble, right? Especially when the escort is weak.”

Franchello looked at me and said.

“It would make sense if it was a mercenary group. And if they were hired by someone… Mercenaries will do anything for money. The guys in charge of the escort seem to be trying to exaggerate the opponent as much as possible for fear of being held responsible for the failure, but there’s a limit to that.”

It was true that the escorts hid the truth, but the content they tried to guess was far from the truth. The situation felt funny. To the point where I felt a little sorry for Henry. Franchello leaned closer to me and said in a low voice.

“Why did you try to kill him?”

“…I don’t like that man very much, but I don’t have enough resentment to attack him like that. In the first place, I don’t have the time or money to do that.”

“You can ask the Count for money. You can hire people for time… Well, everything will be revealed when the culprit is caught, so let’s move on for now.”

Franchello smiled knowingly and sucked on his cigar again.

“Anyway, what’s important now isn’t the past. The state of the territory is a mess since the Count became like that. Because Henry couldn’t handle it and ended up like that, factions are already divided and fighting.”

Henry married a few years earlier than me, but he didn’t have any children yet. I didn’t understand why he didn’t have children when his sister-in-law looked perfectly fine, but he was too busy going to the tomb and doing those things, so there was no way he could have children.

“Edward, you can’t be left out either, so I came to see you like this. Leaving aside the bloodline, you have the highest priority.”

“…I suppose so.”

I was the Head of the Family’s adopted son, but I was still the Head of the Family’s child. Everyone who needed to know knew that I was only an adopted son, but in fact, I was an illegitimate child, so there wasn’t a big problem with the bloodline either.

“But isn’t it troublesome to make someone who even changed their name to become a son-in-law go back and forth? It’s hard to become the Head of the Family with so little support. That’s why I came to see you.”

A simply written contract was handed to me.

“Just sign here. I prepared the paper in advance.”

I roughly skimmed through the contents. Hmm. Edward Mountberne gives up the right to succeed as Head of the Family…

“Ah, couldn’t you read? It just says you’re giving up your right to succeed. Just write your name below that. You can at least write your name, right?”

Franchello Mountberne fully supports Franchello Mountberne’s ascension to the Countship…

Does he still think I’m illiterate and trying to pull a trick like this? I didn’t like the way Franchello was looking down on me and sneering, but he’s trying to scam me so openly. So this was the purpose of requesting a private meeting.

“Surely you don’t even know how to write your name? Should I sign for you instead?”

“No, I can read.”

Franchello looked at me in surprise.

“And, I don’t support you.”

At those words, Franchello’s expression turned to shit.