**Chapter 10: The Ebern Couple in a Frenzy**
“What have you done! That foolish son of ours!”
Lucas Ebern, the head of the Viscount Ebern House, shouted in anger from his study within the mansion.
His son, Cedric, had committed an outrageous act. He had taken the daughters of the House of Marquis Rosemary—Viola and Primula—into the forest, putting them in a life-threatening situation. Fortunately, the monsters that had attacked them had departed, but it was a close call; they could have suffered far worse than mere injuries.
“I specifically told you to treat those sisters with the utmost respect! Damn it! My plans are ruined!”
“Do you really care so little for those girls? More importantly, our son—Cedric—has been injured!”
Lucas’s wife, Lisa Ebern, frowned at her frantic husband.
“This is not the time for such concerns! If this continues, we will lose our noble status! Do you understand?!”
“Noble status…? What do you mean by that?”
Lisa’s face was filled with genuine confusion. Frustrated by his wife’s lack of understanding, Lucas slammed his fist on the table.
“Lady Viola and Lady Primula are daughters of the House of Marquis Rosemary. They are the daughters of my direct superior, the Court Magician Chief!”
While the Viscount Ebern House was indeed noble, it was of a far lower rank compared to the House of Marquis Rosemary.
The title of Viscount of Honor was a rank bestowed alongside a position, often looked down upon as that of a “new noble” or “noble pretender.” Although Lucas had been granted a temporary noble status due to his position as Court Magician, he would revert to commoner status once he stepped down. If Cedric were to become a Court Magician, he would be officially recognized as a “Viscount” due to the lineage of Court Magicians in their family, which had persisted for three generations.
However, an incident had occurred that threatened to shatter this envisioned future.
“If the Marquis of Rosemary decides to, he could easily 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 House of Marquis Rosemary to their mansion. The two daughters were renowned for their extraordinary beauty, and Lucas had intended to unite one of them with Cedric as his bride. Yet, that ambition had backfired spectacularly.
“If I could secure a connection with the daughters of the House of Marquis Rosemary, it could have led to Cedric’s support, and perhaps even a promotion to Count! And yet, that foolish son of mine…!”
He had desperately pleaded for Cedric to seize the opportunity to build a relationship with them, especially with their upcoming enrollment at the Royal Academy next year. He had explicitly instructed Cedric to win the sisters over, yet here they were, facing this calamity. When he had gone to apologize to the House of Marquis Rosemary, he had been met with a complete rejection—there was no chance for explanation.
“Th-this can’t be happening… Are we really going to become commoners…?”
Lisa finally grasped the gravity of the situation, trembling in fear.
“This… this isn’t what we agreed upon. We were supposed to become nobles, weren’t we…?”
“If Cedric had been more responsible, it would have been a reality! Where did we go wrong in his upbringing…?!”
“B-but he’s such a kind-hearted boy… How could he have harmed a woman…?”
Lucas and Lisa had spoiled Cedric since childhood, rarely scolding him. His innate talent for magic had likely contributed to their indulgence. They had failed to notice the twisted personality that emerged from Cedric’s tendency to bully the weak and act selfishly.
“I thought Cedric was different from that failure… How did it 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 House of Marquis Rosemary.”
“What!? Hand it over!”
Lucas snatched the letter from the butler’s hand, his anxiety palpable as he tore open the wax-sealed envelope. He unfolded the letter and read its contents, his expression freezing.
“What is this…?”
“W-what does it say?!”
Lisa pressed him for an answer, but Lucas remained motionless, clutching the letter. After what felt like an eternity, he finally looked up at his wife.
“The House of Marquis Rosemary wishes to invite that failure… Rest, to their mansion. They do not want us or Cedric to come—only him.”
“…Huh?”
Both Lucas and Lisa fell into a stunned silence at the unexpected content of the letter. Unbeknownst to them, significant events were about to unfold involving Rest.