He hadn’t been called grandfather in a very long time. Christoph had always been formal, calling him grandfather or count, unless he was very young.
Grandfather.
Count Schneider curled the corners of his mouth. This trip was worth it just for this. When else would he hear the word grandfather from Christoph?
The king of the sea without blood or tears, once known as the Shark Count, seemed to have aged. That he felt nostalgic about this much was new.
“Follow me.”
Count Schneider nonchalantly turned his back.
Ah……!
At last, relief flicked across Christoph’s face. No, perhaps joy. Maybe ecstasy. Or even respite.
Standing still, clenching his fists, he swallowed hard. His Adam’s apple moved up and down heavily. And finally.
“……Marianne.”
Christoph, murmuring her name, left the room as he was. Martin followed the two, belatedly holding his jacket.
“Master, please wait a moment.”
(This is the time separator.)
The view outside the window flew by quickly. The houses that appeared now and then disappeared completely, and the endless open fields stretched on monotonously. A cypress tree was pushed back in an instant.
Christoph’s eyes were on the blue earth, but he was not looking at the serene landscape. With his eyes slightly narrowed, he was struggling to find the answer to a question that was tormenting his mind.
“You said the police station?”
He finally asked the question out loud, as if he couldn’t figure out the answer no matter how hard he thought.
Count Schneider nodded, placing both hands on his cane.
“Yes, that’s what I said.”
Suddenly, Christoph’s gaze turned cold. He had been like a sharp, edged knife all along. A perilous blade that would cut your hand if you were even slightly careless. A blade that did not choose its target to corrode.
It was impossible for Count Schneider not to notice that. However, he was not disturbed by his grandson’s sharpness. Although he appeared benign on the outside, he had once been a man who gained infamy as the Shark Count.
With a relaxed smile, he said.
“Don’t blame me for heeding Marianne’s request. I am quite fond of that child. Perhaps more than you, Christoph, think.”
With only his eyes, Christoph looked at the duke and quietly licked his lips. Instead of pursuing the duke, he threw a gentle question.
“Marianne Habeck?”
“Yes, that’s the name the child is using now.”
Duke Schneider, whose jawline had sharpened since he last saw him, gazed at his grandson and spoke in a compassionate voice.
“Let’s see, you must have started your first day at work today. By the time we arrive at Blauberg, it’ll be time to leave. Despite my objections, Marianne is staying at boarding house number 31. It’s the boarding house run by the mother of the servant assistant, Louis. When you arrive, he’ll be waiting. Follow Louis.”
Christoph’s face suddenly darkened. His blueblack pupils sank deep without knowing the bottom. He seemed to swallow the rising emotion, applying a firm force to his lower jaw.
Marianne Schneider, not Marianne Habeck. Did she want to abandon Schneider’s name? Did she want to sever the connection with him? Why?
A question without an answer gnawed at his head again. At that moment, one person’s name surfaced.
Veronica Cloje.
“Is it because of Veronica that Marianne entered the police station under false pretenses?”
“……”
As if reading his mind, Duke Schneider struck the bullseye. Christoph slowly lifted his eyes.
His and the duke’s eyes met. The duke’s graygreen pupils seemed to reproach his indifference.
“I reviewed the Veronica case myself. The report written by the detective in charge had no anomalies. It was, unfortunately, a suicide.”
A pathetic excuse flowed from Christoph’s teeth. As if Duke Schneider was Marianne herself.
The duke silently looked at his grandson. Christoph Schneider, with a fully grown man’s face.
A long time ago, when he rushed to the place after hearing the news of his son and daughterinlaw’s accident, he found Christoph standing silently.
The mere fouryearold boy was staring at the crumpled car with his blueblack eyes. He neither cried nor screamed. Red blood flowed from his torn forehead.
But the child did not think to wipe the blood, only silently stared at the car, crumpled beyond recognition.
He thought it was fortunate. A lucky coincidence that at least one heir survived the terrible accident to continue the Schneider lineage.
Since then, the duke hung on Christoph all the expectations he should have for his son. Thankfully, he was an excellent man, satisfying the duke in every way, enough to offset the loss of a son.
But as he entered the twilight of life, the duke belatedly realized his mistake. Everything was to satisfy his own ambition.
Now, he wanted Christoph to be happy. He sincerely thought so. Since he had rebuilt the Schneider family with his hands, he wanted Christoph to enjoy it comfortably.
Tsk.
Looking out the window, Christoph clicked his tongue quietly. As if he was dissatisfied that the train was not moving faster.
Suddenly, the duke’s lips slackened. He let out a gentle sigh, recalling Christoph’s appearance in the office earlier.
Duke Schneider had never seen his grandson lose his reason like that. He had never seen him so impatient and anxious.
Perhaps it was the first time a man who had never failed in his life faced despair. He didn’t know.
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
