Iritis closely observed Matapju’s reaction. A little while ago, when I asked about my parents, Matapju couldn’t maintain composure. One eyebrow slightly raised, and his fingers were trembling ever so slightly. It was just as I expected. However, the response from Matapju’s mouth was completely opposite. “……No.” Does he know? Matapju always displayed such behavior when telling a lie. Even when he said, “You’re practically my grandson,” he showed a similar reaction. Iritis smirked. “Really? I thought the nobleman would need a long-term plan sooner or later.” That was Iritis’s conclusion. To abandon a child in front of Matap required money and power.
So, my parents must have had a status higher than nobility. Perhaps Matapju received money and turned a blind eye. Then why did he abandon me? Could it be that I was born as an illegitimate child? Maybe my commoner mother gave birth to a nobleman’s child and they were abandoned together. A servant with commoner blood was considered a disgrace in the imperial noble society. Then why seek me out only now? Perhaps my supposed father, being a busy person, never saw his son from a concubine, or maybe he only produced mediocre offspring. It might be regrettable that the abandoned child survived and became a great sorcerer later on.

The fact that he was determined to make me his successor added certainty to his suspicions. If my guess is correct, such a father would have been better off not knowing.

However, Iritis felt the pull of his lineage. He wanted to meet him at least once. There might have been other circumstances, though.

But…

“I don’t want to know to the extent of marrying another person while having the woman I like.”

Although Prodia currently has no feelings for me, Iritis wanted to dedicate his life to her in the future.

Not in the past.

Iritis asked Matapju.

“Finally, I’ll ask you the last question. Who are my parents?”

But Matapju still remained silent.

Iritis smiled bitterly.

I won’t hold onto regrets any longer.

“I’ve said everything that needs to be said, so I’ll be leaving now. I won’t bother you again.”

“If you’re not going to participate in the competition and won’t stay here, then where do you plan to go?”

“You know Inspiration well. I’ll find a place to sacrifice my body.”

Iritis bid him a final farewell.

“Stay healthy.”

Eventually, he disappeared with the smoke.

Matapju couldn’t bring himself to stop him.

He gazed endlessly at where Iritis had been until the purple smoke completely dispersed.

Once there was nothing left in the room, he took out a frame hidden in an old drawer.

In the photo, a middle-aged Matapju was smiling brightly with a young girl.

Blue-violet hair and azure eyes.

A woman who looked exactly like the current Iritis.

Stroking her face in the photo, Matapju murmured sadly.

“…Your son looks just like you, Iris. Jumping into hopeless love like a fool.”

Iritis returned to the rank of a duke, but strangely, there was no one in the house.

He soon heard from the butler that Prodia had gone to the city.

“More importantly, Lady Paphier has been waiting for you.”

“Paphier is waiting for me?”

Something didn’t feel right.

Iritis hurriedly headed to Paphier’s room.

“You’ve returned, Lord Iritis!”

Paphier informed him of everything that had happened so far.
The story was about Prodia making a contract with Reke.

“…So, I would like to know more about Lord Dae-Gong. Since you will be staying with us from now on.”

Paphier hid the information about the divine spear for the time being.

However, he was not skilled in lying.

Iritis, who had been watching Paphier’s eyes tremble anxiously, spoke.

“What are you hiding, Paphier?”

“Um…?”

“You wouldn’t ask about Reke just for that reason.”

What to do?

Paphier swallowed his saliva.

Suddenly, Iritis’s eyes sparkled.

“Did Reke do something to Prodia?”

“No, that’s absolutely not…!”

“Then why are you so scared?”

Seeing through him, Paphier flinched.

Then Iritis reassured him by meeting his eyes.

“From now on, whatever you say will be kept secret. So, tell me.”

After hesitating for a moment, Paphier eventually confessed everything to Iritis.

The story went back to the day when they first met Prodia at the Grand Temple.

As Iritis listened to his story, his eyes gradually widened.

“He said something to Prodia?”

“Yes.”

“And Reke’s name was written on that divine spear thing.”

“Yes. But I couldn’t read it to the end…”

Iritis’s mind became complicated.

Of all things, Reke’s name was written in the message from the Lord who entrusted Prodia.

As if he wasn’t already suspicious.

After a moment of contemplation, Iritis finally spoke.

“Alright. I’ll tell you what I know about Reke. But I hope you keep this story a secret from now on.”

“I swear by the Lord’s name.”

Iritis revealed to him the past with Reke.

As Paphier listened to the story, his face turned pale.

“Lord Dae-Gong was indeed a dangerous person.”

“He was. But…”

Iritis continued to tell him about what happened in the hunting grounds.