“Charlotte.”
Duke Ferdia called once again. In Charlotte’s mind, a conversation with Elodie from just a few hours ago flashed by.
“Will you keep it a secret?”
“Of course! Trust me!”
After such a confident declaration, how much time had passed since waiting to receive such a question? It made one suspect whether Father already knew where they had gone.
“Uh, um… I don’t know anything.”
Charlotte looked into the distance, faking ignorance. Although I didn’t know the exact reason, I knew that Father strongly disliked Duke Seres. Before Duke Seres disappeared, they couldn’t stand each other every time they met. It was a story from almost 20 years ago, but it seemed to be ongoing.
While relations with Marquis Angelos were not good either, it was different.
Marquis Angelos treated him as if he didn’t exist, but Duke Seres seemed to loathe his very existence.
In front of such a father, I couldn’t possibly say that I went to the Seres Capital Mansion with my sister.
“I don’t know.”
“I just went out for a short walk.”
With that answer, Charlotte firmly sealed her lips, indicating that she would say no more.
Duke Ferdia, who had been staring intently at his son, tilted his head slightly and said, “You follow Elodie quite well.”
It was a question that didn’t seem to have any intention of reproach, but Charlotte blushed for no apparent reason.
It was probably because his actions towards Elodie came vividly to mind.
“That was when I was immature.”
“Now you speak like you’ve matured.”
“I’m no longer an ignorant child.”
Though Charlotte confidently responded, Father saw him as nothing more than a naive child.
While chuckling at that sight, Father asked again, “Tell me again, Charlotte. Where did you go and what did you do today?”
“The basics of guarding include strict confidentiality. Even if Father orders to report, I cannot speak.”
“You’ve grown up, but your sophistry has only increased.”
It was Duke Ferdia who gave the order to guard Elodie in a similar situation, so there was no way strict confidentiality existed.
Perhaps realizing the weakness of his argument, or maybe Father knew something, Charlotte couldn’t meet his father’s eyes.
‘But I can’t say.’
Charlotte clenched his fists.
He wanted to fulfill Elodie’s request to keep the secret. It was the least he could do for his sister.
Duke Ferdia, who had been silent with his chin resting on his hand, lazily opened his mouth.
“So, you won’t tell me until the end.”
“Yes.”
“A reliable guard indeed.”
At the unexpected compliment, Charlotte subtly turned his head to look him in the eyes. Terrifyingly, Father spoke.
“Adhere to your beliefs, then, and take on your duties.”
“Duties?”
“To the southwest, there have been frequent appearances of abnormal beasts recently. I’ll assign a few knights to you, investigate the circumstances of their appearances, and report back.”
With the sudden assignment of a task, Charlotte soon understood the meaning of the mission.
In other words, this was a hunt and a threat. Punish the crime of daring to defy the family’s orders.
Normally, Charlotte would never commit the misconduct of keeping silent in response to his father’s inquiry.
He always wanted to earn his father’s approval.
But this time, there was a reason he couldn’t step back.
‘First, I must keep the promise with my sister.’
With determination, Charlotte nodded and replied.
“I will complete the mission and return.”
It was his first rebellion against his father.
Since returning from the Seres Capital Mansion, Charlotte’s figure had not been seen.
“Has he finally lost interest in me?”
It had been longer than I expected. I thought he would treat me well for about a week because of guilt.
‘Well, he’ll manage on his own.’
What mattered to me now was the safety of Charlotte, the second son of the Ferdia family, a direct descendant with strong authority and talent in swordsmanship.
My dear father, who I happened to encounter at the Seres Mansion.
It was my task to wake up my father who had fallen into a deep sleep, confronting sin and evil.
But there was a problem.
Where on earth could I find the Seal Stone of Pride guarded by the Apellite family, which had already vanished into thin air!
“Greed even picked up the one that came up for auction, but…”
I muttered quietly, but somehow, Greed perked up his ears and turned to look at me.
[Eh? Did you call me?]“No, go play somewhere.”
[Got it!]Seeing the innocent destruction by Greed, who engaged in breaking things, I closed the book I was reading with a thud.
“This book won’t do either.”
With this, I had examined all the books that came from the family library.
Unfortunately, even the last book did not contain proper information about the Apellite family.
Clearly, it was treated so poorly that it was not even detailed in any book, despite being a heroic family that sealed the Seven Deadly Sins.
Moreover, it didn’t even explain how they met their demise.
“It seems intentional erasure of records at this level.”
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.”
