Chapter 10: The Eberrn Couple in a Frenzy
“What have you done! That foolish son of ours!”
Lucas Eberrn, the head of the Eberrn Honorary Viscount House, bellowed in anger from his study within the mansion.
His son, Cedric, had committed an outrageous act. He had taken the daughters of the Rosemary Marquis House—Viola and Primula—into the Forest, putting their lives in grave danger. Fortunately, the monsters that had attacked them had retreated, but it was a close call; had things gone differently, the two young ladies could have suffered far worse than mere injuries.
“I specifically told you to treat those sisters with the utmost respect! Ugh, damn it! My plans are in ruins!”
“Honestly, you could care less about those girls! More importantly, our son—Cedric—has been injured!”
Lucas’s wife, Liza Eberrn, frowned at her husband’s outburst.
“This is not the time for such trivial matters! If this continues, we will lose our noble status!”
“Noble status…? What do you mean by that?”
Liza’s expression was one of genuine confusion. Frustrated by his wife’s lack of understanding, Lucas slammed his fist onto the table.
“Viola and Primula are daughters of the Rosemary Marquis House! They are the daughters of my direct superior, the Court Magician Chief!”
While the Eberrn Honorary Viscount House was indeed noble, it was of a vastly different caliber compared to the Rosemary Marquis House.
The title of Honorary Viscount was a rank bestowed alongside a position, looked down upon as that of a “newly minted noble” or “noble pretender.” Although Lucas had been granted a temporary noble status due to his position as a court magician, he would revert to commoner status once he stepped down. If Cedric were to become a court magician, he would inherit the title of “Viscount” officially, having followed in the footsteps of his grandfather for three generations.
However, an incident had occurred that could shatter that envisioned future.
“If the Rosemary Marquis were to take offense, it would be easy for them to dismiss me and expel me from the court! If I cease to be a court magician, I will fall back to being a commoner!”
In hindsight, Lucas regretted inviting the daughters of the Rosemary Marquis House to their mansion. The two sisters were renowned for their extraordinary beauty, and Lucas had hoped to pair one of them with Cedric as his future wife. But now, that ambition had turned against him.
“If I could secure the support of a daughter from the Rosemary Marquis House for Cedric, not only would he have been a viscount, but he might have even been promoted to count! And yet, that foolish son of mine…!”
He had desperately sought opportunities for Cedric to interact with the sisters, especially with their upcoming enrollment at the Royal Academy next year. He had instructed Cedric to win their favor, yet here they were, facing this calamity. When he had gone to apologize to the Rosemary Marquis House, he had been met with a complete rejection—no chance to explain himself whatsoever.
“N-no… This can’t be happening! We can’t become commoners…!”
Liza trembled, finally grasping the gravity of the situation.
“This… this isn’t what we agreed upon. We were supposed to become viscounts, weren’t we…?”
“If Cedric had been responsible, that would have been the case! Where did we go wrong in his upbringing…?!”
“But… but he is such a kind-hearted boy… How could he have harmed a woman…?”
Lucas and Liza had spoiled Cedric since childhood, rarely scolding him. Perhaps it was due to his innate talent for magic that they had overlooked the twisted nature of his character, one that thrived on the suffering of the weak and acted selfishly.
“I thought Cedric was different from that failure… How could it have come to this…?!”
“Excuse me, my lord.”
A knock at the door interrupted their turmoil as the butler entered.
“A letter has arrived from the Rosemary Marquis House.”
“What!? Hand it over!”
Lucas snatched the letter from the butler’s hands, his heart racing as he tore open the wax-sealed envelope. He unfolded the letter and scanned its contents, his expression freezing.
“What… what is this…?”
“W-what does it say!?” Liza urged, her anxiety palpable.
“……..”
Lucas remained silent, still holding the letter, lost in thought. After what felt like an eternity, he finally looked up at his wife.
“They wish to invite that failure… Rest, to their mansion. They said we and Cedric need not come; only he is to be invited…”
“……..Huh?”
The unexpected contents of the letter left both Lucas and Liza in a state of shock. Unbeknownst to them, significant changes were about to unfold regarding Rest.