What a long cat?

Gale kicked the chair next to him and spat out vicious curses.

“Does that arrogant bastard think he can talk like that? I swear I’ll kill that bastard!”

Even Gale, who was ranting like a madman, had someone precious to him.

Luna, who had raised him in place of his parents since he was young. The familial love he felt for her was particularly special.

The remarks Evan made that mocked her were still vivid in his mind, and he regretted not killing him at that moment.

“If it weren’t for those bastards!”

If Gadel and the other mercenaries weren’t there, Evan would have died hundreds of times over in that spot.

Gale imagined fulfilling that wish as he cooled his anger.

“Damn it… I’ll definitely tear that mouth apart next time.”

“Gale, saying that makes me look forward to it. When will you meet Evan again?”

Amir’s voice resonated calmly like a lake.

Gale was slightly impressed by his relaxed tone.

“Huh. Amir, you’re still calm as ever.”

“Haha. We have no reason to be angry. Evan is the one who will be discarded soon anyway.”

Amir revealed his pure malice with a childlike smile.

He then turned back to where they came from and opened the entrance wide.

“Well then, shall we prepare to greet our guests now?”

“What? What guests?”

At Amir’s sudden remark, Gale raised an eyebrow.

Just as he was about to ask further, faint footsteps could be heard from beyond.

It wasn’t just one person. The irregularly mixed footsteps belonged to several people.

“Ah, you’ve come after all. You’re earlier than I thought.”

“….”

The guests were Evan’s former party members.

They had been abandoned by Evan and had left for this path.

Of course, it wasn’t a protest against Evan’s change. It was part of the plan from the beginning, and Evan had no part in that plan.

However, the cruel conversation with Evan accelerated the plan ahead of schedule.

“Anyway, welcome. Let’s get along from now on, shall we?”

Amir extended his hand for a handshake without hesitation.

But the women didn’t reach out their hands and just hesitated.

It was out of guilt. Nevertheless, the bond they had formed with Evan over the years was not something to be taken lightly.

“Haha. Looks like you still can’t let go completely. Or are you pretending to be sorry for being comrades?”

Amir mocked them with a smirk.

Among the women who were listening absentmindedly, Judy suddenly spoke up.

“Don’t speak like that when you know nothing.”

“I know nothing? It’s obvious that you’re coming here after being hated by Evan. Just by looking at Judy’s expression, I can tell.”

“….”

Judy fell silent like a mute.

Although they had left Evan like this, they had their own hopes.

Even if they were leaving, they wanted to part warmly, greet each other happily if they met again, and end on good terms.

But their relationship with Evan had deteriorated to the worst.

Would things have been different if they had apologized to Evan earlier?

Judy regretted thinking about it belatedly.

‘…It’s already too late.’

Their apology would not be accepted. So Judy harbored a different hope.

Just like always, that Evan would come to them, apologize, and restore their relationship to how it was.

It might seem a bit selfish, but Judy sincerely believed and hoped for it.

Because Evan was a valuable comrade.

#

After the commotion, I immediately left the village.

So, there would be no chance of running into the heroines and Amir’s group.

Of course, we would eventually meet, but it was too soon for that.

So, why did I leave the village like this?

Avoiding the heroines? Afraid of retaliation from Amir’s side?

No. It’s a more grand and urgent reason.

It’s because I have no money.

I roamed the gambling dens like my own home, spending money on mercenaries in taverns, so it was only natural that I ended up penniless.

With an empty wallet, I felt the seriousness of the situation and pondered on ways to make money.

Most adventurers earn income through monster hunting, dungeon raids, and quest collection, but for me, there was a much easier and simpler way. A fantastic method to make easy money without lifting a finger.

‘Even so, as his son, he’ll surely give me a few coins.’

Evan is the heir of a prestigious marquis.

Due to some reason, he had a falling out with his father and chose the path of an adventurer, but that lineage doesn’t disappear.

A family overflowing with power and wealth. I plan to use this solid background to my advantage.

‘What worries me a bit is that I don’t know the ins and outs of rich people’s affairs, but well, I’ll figure something out.’

I can somewhat guess.

In the original work, Evan mentioned that he had severed ties with his father, didn’t he?

This conflict was definitely not a trivial matter, so thinking that my plan would proceed smoothly is a mistake.

Anyway, asking my father for money.

That’s why I’m here at the main mansion of my family.

“It’s even bigger than a royal palace.”

I turned my head completely backwards, looking up at the mansion as if I were looking at the sky.

Rather than calling it beautiful, the word majestic suits its size better. If a war were to break out, this mansion could be used as a fortress for a siege.

Thinking about it again, Evan is an idiot. Leaving behind such a family and following those useless old men, it’s frustrating.

Isn’t it? It might have been inevitable.

Even in the novel’s story, it was like that. If there was a rift between the head of the family and the heir, they would part ways.

For this reason, if he was expelled from the family and chose the path of an adventurer with those women, it would be a reasonable phenomenon.

Even so, Evan being an idiot won’t change, but oh well.

“By the way, how do I get into this house?”

I’m standing in front of the main mansion of the Elaine family.

If I take just one step forward, I could enter, but the closed iron gate is preventing me from doing anything.

What a dilemma. Breaking down the gate to enter is out of the question, and climbing over the wall would make me look like a thief.

Should I just sit here and wait until someone comes?

“Hmm?”

Just then, I spotted someone on the other side of the gate.

An old man with white hair wearing a black tailcoat. Judging by his unique attire and the way he was tending to the yard, he seemed to be a servant of the family.

As if he noticed my gaze, the old man turned his head towards me.

For a moment, our eyes met in the air. Since there was nothing to be ashamed of, I didn’t look away and kept my gaze fixed on his.

“Who are you?”

The old man furrowed his brow as he spoke.

It wasn’t an expression of displeasure. It seemed like he was squinting his eyes slightly to improve his vision.

He observed my face for a while, tilting his head.

“Oh, Lord Evan!?”

Before I could reveal my identity, he called out my name.

He recognized me without any proof, showing that he had a keen eye.

I thought he had poor eyesight, but it seems I was mistaken.

“Lord Evan! Is it really you, Lord Evan?!”

He opened the gate and rushed towards me.

Grabbing my shoulders tightly, he bombarded me with various words.

“It’s really you, Lord Evan…!”

His voice was filled with various emotions.

Surprise, sadness, joy, pity, confusion.

Even though it’s a completely different emotion, it still means welcoming me.

Sometimes I would throw resentful words, but I knew it was a sign of affection towards me, so I let it slide.

“You’ve been worried all this time! Where have you been and what have you been doing…!”

“I’ve just been busy with this and that. Don’t worry too much, I’m doing well.”

The overly welcoming attitude of the old man was burdensome, but I handled it gracefully.

The events that followed proceeded swiftly.

As we exchanged updates, the old man guided me to the mansion, and I naturally found myself settling in at the ancestral home.

“You’ve become quite the fine man since I last saw you. I almost didn’t recognize you for a moment.”

“Has it been that long?”

“Yes. It’s been a whole 5 years. Since that day, I haven’t been able to sleep peacefully due to worrying about you, but now it seems like I can have good dreams.”

Even after 5 years, the steward who welcomed me with open arms.

Moreover, why would he bother welcoming Evan, who was practically abandoned by the family?

“It seems like you were close with Evan.”

From the start, Evan’s kind nature extended goodwill to everyone.

Thanks to that, he quickly became friends with the mercenaries. Just like them, this steward must have received Evan’s kindness.

In addition, it doesn’t seem like Evan is treated poorly by the family.

Just by the fact that the steward welcomed me to the mansion, it all makes sense.

That’s right. Even if he’s a steward who loves Evan, would they bring in an outsider like me?

So, I’m still considered a member of the family, and this is my right.

“It’s fortunate amidst misfortune.”

I thought there would be some trouble since I had severed ties with my father, but it seems like it was all for nothing.

Of course, there’s no room for complacency. I’ve learned a few things from dealing with noble bastards in my past life, and among them, there weren’t many good memories.

“They were all either incompetent bastards or corrupt piglets.”

Not everyone was like that, but the majority of nobles fell into that category, so it’s easy to generalize.

And there’s no reason for Evan’s family to deviate from my expectations.

Evan, who maintains friendly relationships with everyone, is disliked by my father. Just by that, can’t you get a rough idea?

“Your father was very worried as well.”

Whether he learned to read people or not, the steward threw a piercing remark.

I chose my words carefully after a moment of silence.

I casually spat out a single word I had organized.

“It’s unexpected. I didn’t think my father would be like that.”

“…Your father is unable to be honest, especially when dealing with you. He must cherish you a lot, which is why he acts that way.”

“You don’t need to comfort me too much. I didn’t come back just to live comfortably. I’ll achieve my goal and leave again.”

“Goal? What do you mean by that…?”

I didn’t answer that question.

There was no need, and revealing my intention to come for money would seem too materialistic.

“Well. I still hope you’ll be comfortable here. That’s my personal wish.”

“I want that too. As long as I don’t have to worry about others watching.”

“Haha. Don’t worry. As I said, your father…”

He suddenly stopped speaking and his face stiffened.

Then, he put on a polite tone, pretending to be very courteous.

“Excuse me. Young lady…”

Young lady?

I followed the steward’s gaze and saw a young girl who looked like she was in her early teens, with curious eyes stealing glances at me.

Come to think of it, it wasn’t just the head of the family who disliked Evan.

Evan’s half-sister, Mary Elaine. She was also described as not particularly fond of Evan.

“She looks quite dirty. What a scrawny little thing.”

The first impression of the younger sister was exactly that.

I don’t know. It seems like it would be difficult to get along well.