Slap.

Father’s hand viciously struck Rodney’s cheek. No one had a chance to stop him.

Never in his life had he heard such a piercing sound. The illusion that time had stopped filled the air as the sound of blade against blade echoed through the entrance hall.

Regaining his senses, Rodney’s head was turned to the side. The cheek facing forward was as red as if it had been burned. A spasm formed at the corner of his mouth where he had been hit.

“You are the eldest son of the Marsen family, Rodney! That won’t change even if you die and come back to life. You’ve grown up in affluence because of the Marsen lineage. And now, you dare to abandon the Marsen name as soon as you’ve grown up… You’re just looking out for your own interests, ignorant of the grace bestowed upon you.”

Whether a slap had brought back his senses, Father’s voice had calmed. Nevertheless, Rodney’s expression remained unchanged. Rodney gently touched his stricken cheek.

“Affluence is important, yes. But did you, Father, actually bring about this affluence?”

“I’ve devoted my life for the Marsen family… You, who know nothing, have no right to evaluate me.”

“I’ve also done everything for the Marsen family. I had pride in the Marsen name and genuinely worked hard for it. But now, Father, I realize that the Marsen family is not my pride, but my shame.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Do you think I know nothing? How the Marsen family got to where it is now.”

Father paused, as if struck by the comment.

“You don’t know, Rodney. Business is originally…”

“I don’t want to hear such lame excuses. I’ve grown up despising you and now despise the Marsen lineage. What will happen to the Marsen family that you’ve devoted your life to if I, feeling this way, continue to stay and inherit the company?”

Rodney knew things his siblings didn’t. He was able to perceive the numerous twisted morals entwined behind the Marsen family.

The Marsen family was only splendid on the surface. Yurik had even put all of the Marsen family members on the guillotine.

“Thus, the Marsen family disappeared without a trace in a single day.”

This was one of the few narratives about the Marsen family in the original work.

To prevent this fate, I had educated myself. The problem was that there was a distinct smell of fishiness in the Marsen family, but I didn’t know where it originated.

But Rodney knew.

Rodney wanted a divorce between Mother and Father, staking this issue. Rodney alone, who knew nothing about the original work or his own fate, was cool and composed. On the other hand, I…

I felt nauseous.

“Father, make your choice. Will I ruin the Marsen family with my own hands, or will we cleanly divorce and hide the Marsen family’s shame?”

“Rodney, enough is enough.”

As Isabel pulled Rodney’s arm, his previously open lips snapped shut. Father laughed foolishly, seemingly perplexed by Rodney’s obedience to Isabel’s words. It was a mess.

And it was frightening.

“So, you plotted all of this, huh? Getting Rodney back home was all your doing. You’ve twisted the children to take your revenge for what happened ten years ago.”

Father’s arrow was aimed at Isabel.

“Speak up, Isabel! Was this your intention from the beginning? To ruin the Marsen family by marrying me? Right. It’s my fault for not knowing what kind of woman you are!”

“Don’t insult my mother!”

“You’re foolish, Rodney! I thought you were wise, but you’re still breastfeeding from your mother, huh. What exactly did Isabel write to you, hm?”

Father’s tirade continued relentlessly, aimed at both Isabel and Rodney. When Rodney gave him a fearsome glare, he shut up, only to pull the trigger on the more vulnerable Isabel.

The words and languages were so rough and haphazard that the other siblings remained deathly silent.
“Yes, all of you must be on your mother’s side! Isabel raised you that way!”

Father accused innocent siblings after pointing his finger at Isabel. His finger moved from Bernard, one by one, until it finally reached me.

“…If you think about it, you were the cause. If only you weren’t there, if only!”

Father’s eyes were fixed on me. Rodney, who had been watching the situation, stepped between my father and me.

“Lise is actually a blessing. Thanks to Lise, we’ve learned how selfish you are, Father.”

“Selfish? I was the savior for that child! I brought her in without even knowing if she’s really mine!”

“Then why didn’t you resolve it within the Marsen family? You were convinced Lise is your child; that’s why you brought her in!”

“I brought her because of that woman’s persuasive tongue. Dammit! If she hadn’t been that alleyway person then…”

Father muttered to himself, then stopped speaking when he realized everyone was watching him. He quickly grabbed his coat from the sofa.

“I can’t take it anymore either. If you want a divorce, go ahead! But know this: There will be no support from the Marsen family! The alliance formed through marriage with the Follong family will also be severed. Furthermore, there will be no agreement on child custody!”