Chapter 3

Miles was the second son, but he was not the spare heir.

When Miles was born, his older brother was ten, his cousins were eight and six, and his uncle, who was said to be the son of his grandfather's young second wife, was five. Moreover, his father doted on this uncle abnormally, so everyone had a vague sense of the situation.

It was unclear whether his mother felt neglected, but in any case, Miles was born, and two years later, Mary was born.

When Mary was born, everyone treated her as the first girl, pampering her like a butterfly or a flower, while Miles was completely ignored by the family.

Only the nursemaid raised both of them equally, but by the time Miles turned five, Mary's tantrums had become severe, and the nursemaid became exclusively Mary's. Even though his father instructed the uncle's nursemaid to take on a dual role, it was impossible to raise them together when they lived in different places. The uncle, who was already seen as a threat to Miles' position, was never taken care of.

Furthermore, his step-grandmother started to harass Miles as if she had just remembered him. His brother was protected by his father, and his sister by his mother, so the neglected Miles became a good target for venting frustrations. His parents actively ignored him, thinking that if the other children were not affected and the step-grandmother was satisfied, it was fine.

His father visited the step-grandmother frequently, his brother was busy with the education of the heir, and his mother only paid attention to Mary, who could attract his father's interest. By the time Miles should have been receiving the education of a spare heir, his cousins and uncle had already learned a lot, and Miles was only taught superficially.

By the time Miles turned ten, his brother had a child, further diminishing his role as a spare. Since no one paid attention to him, he learned swordsmanship from the gatekeeper and spent his time reading books in the library.

Despite not having a place in the family, Miles was blessed with friends. He often befriended those born after the third son, as their circumstances were similar. However, seeing Miles, who was even more neglected and bullied, they all sympathized and often invited him to their homes. The nursemaids and parents of his friends were all strong-willed and often scolded him along with their children. Miles believed he grew up straight and true largely thanks to these people and some of the servants, like the head cook.

***

When he started school, he enjoyed his days, but being forgotten by his parents, he was never given a fiancée. Like his friends born after the third son, he prepared to leave home and make a living after graduation, even without a title from his family.

Nicholas, who was in the same class, initially attracted people with his good looks and friendly demeanor. However, his actions often disregarded others' feelings, and gradually, people started to leave due to the increasing troubles.

On the day Mary came, Nicholas just happened to be behind her, and they were not friends at all. Later, when Nicholas asked him to introduce his sister, he refused. He also warned his parents about Nicholas, but the connection with the Waddington family was too attractive, and his words were not taken seriously.

Mary also asked him to introduce Nicholas to her friends, which he refused and warned her not to bring him to the classroom. Despite this, Mary came to Miles' classroom, and Nicholas quickly joined, making a lunch date. Miles could barely keep an eye on Mary.

After returning home that day, Miles confronted Mary.

"You said you wanted to introduce Nicholas to your friends, but Nicholas has a problematic personality. It could damage your friendships."

"It didn't seem that way to me. He's a very nice person. Besides, it's up to them after the introduction."

"At least investigate him before introducing him. Aren't they important friends to you? ...And if you think you might be attracted to Nicholas, don't introduce him. If you fight over a man, the friendship will end, regardless of Nicholas."

"I trust my own judgment. Besides, it won't come to that."

Mary left without taking Miles' advice seriously.

When he first met Harriet, he thought she was a quiet and cute girl with a gentle demeanor. However, it was obvious that Harriet was attracted to Nicholas's appearance.

She was a fun and wonderful person to talk to. He wondered why she was friends with Mary, but being dragged around by Mary seemed to give her life a moderate amount of excitement.

As they had lunch together every day, Miles' worst fears came true. Mary gradually became more attached to Nicholas. Miles advised Mary several times that if she liked Nicholas, she should tell Harriet, but she ignored him. Eventually, Mary started going out with Nicholas on weekends and enjoyed a secret relationship.

It seemed that Nicholas had told Harriet about his feelings and suggested that if they got engaged, they could say it was due to family arrangements. How could they think he wouldn't notice their public displays of affection?

Seeing the slightly sad look on Harriet's face, Miles wanted to prevent her from being hurt, but he also wanted to see her and couldn't bring himself to tell her about Mary's betrayal, knowing it would hurt her even more.

When he heard from his parents at dinner that Mary was planning to get engaged, he thought the consequences had finally arrived. The engagement and marriage were likely due to their intimacy. However, his parents were pleased about the connection between the families.

The next day, thinking it might be their last lunch together, Nicholas brought up the topic of the Duke of Westwick's daughter to continue the lunch meetings. After Harriet and the others left, Miles confronted Nicholas.

"Is the story about the Duke's daughter a lie? What's your goal?"

"Hmm, it's not entirely a lie. There are rumors, after all."

Nicholas probably spread the rumors himself. When Miles glared at him for not revealing his goal, Nicholas sighed and started talking.

"Mary is worried that I might be attracted to Harriet and that our group will fall apart. So, by showing that I'm close to Mary for a month, I hope Harriet will give up and we can all be friends again."

Miles was stunned by Nicholas's words.

"Even if you break up with Mary, can you be friends with her and her new boyfriend if you see them being affectionate in front of you?"

"No, I can't... But Harriet will swallow it. She seems quiet, and she'll pretend to have a good time even if she's upset. I think that's enough for Mary."

Nicholas must be someone who can't consider others' feelings. Such a relationship won't last.

If he had told Harriet about Nicholas from the beginning, or somehow warned her about Mary's betrayal, Harriet might not have been hurt so much. For a month, Miles watched Harriet suffer, deeply feeling his own inadequacy.

***

A few days later, Nicholas and Mary, along with their parents, were discussing the details of the engagement at the mansion.

Suddenly, his father's angry voice was heard, followed by heated arguments, or rather, one-sided excited voices.

Approaching the door, Miles could hear the content of the argument clearly.

"To write in the contract that Mary will stay on the estate during the social season after graduation...! That's too much bullying!"

Miles' mother seemed to be attacking Nicholas's father.

"Without Nicholas's escort, if she can participate in social events without causing a scandal and handle it well, she can go out. We offered to pay compensation if she doesn't marry."

"That's not fair... You've taken away Mary's future options, and at least you should let her have some freedom!"

"No matter what you say, I won't let Nicholas go out. He's terrible at socializing, and it's not just unprofitable but harmful.

"Mary can come here during the off-season and meet her friends privately or visit her hometown during the season."

At that point, Miles' father intervened.

"I find it hard to believe that Nicholas can't socialize."

"That's the tricky part... Even if it's not obvious in the short term, he will definitely cause problems."

"Then, if it's for a short time, it's okay to let him socialize..."

Miles knocked on the door, interrupting his father's words. When he entered, Nicholas looked troubled.

"I know it's impolite, but I couldn't help it because the voices were heard outside the room... The rumors about Nicholas causing problems are true. I can share some stories from school if you'd like."

He then told stories about Nicholas blaming higher-ranking students for his failures, tricking girls into cheating on tests, and abandoning them when caught.

"Nicholas doesn't avoid causing problems in the short term; he just avoids getting caught. He chooses the person most likely to help him succeed at the moment, without considering the consequences, and ends up being hated and spreading rumors. When Nicholas wants something, he doesn't consider the family or others. If he goes out, he'll make enemies and cause damage to the family. I support the Waddington family's decision.

"Also, if they get engaged, it's best to set rules for if Mary gets pregnant during school. Nicholas wants Mary the most, so he might get her pregnant to make her drop out. If she doesn't graduate, socializing won't be an option.

"Another clause should be added to divorce Mary if Nicholas commits a crime. If Mary asks for something Nicholas can't buy with his salary, he might resort to fraud. If forced labor is an option, Nicholas will be happy as long as Mary is with him, so making separation a punishment will be more effective."

His parents and Mary turned pale, finally realizing they had made a terrible mistake, while Nicholas glared at Miles. Nicholas's parents had a complex expression, understanding their son's abnormality despite trying to cover it up.

"Do you realize how disrespectful it is to spread rumors and add unnecessary clauses to the contract?"

Nicholas's anger didn't affect Miles.

"The head of your family can verify the rumors, and the contract is decided by the heads of both families. If he were normal, he would easily agree to clear his name."

The Earl of Waddington sighed.

"...The rumors Miles mentioned are true. Nicholas, I won't hide your troubles from potential in-laws, and I will accept all of Miles' suggestions.

"If the engagement is broken, you will never leave the estate, and I will spread rumors about Mary."

Miles looked at Mary.

"But, didn't you hint to your friends about your relationship with Nicholas? ...I'm sure Nicholas has shown off a lot. I think it will be difficult for Mary to find another match."

Miles left after saying what he needed to, leaving the decision to the heads of the families.

In the end, after weighing the compensation, the connection between the families, and Mary's future, Nicholas and Mary decided to get engaged. It was clear that Mary could only think short-term, so keeping them both confined to the estate was the best for both families.

Nicholas would stay on the estate after graduation, and Mary could only visit the capital during the off-season. If Mary got pregnant, she would take a year off to raise the child with her in-laws and a nursemaid, and graduate. After giving birth, Nicholas would not see Mary until she graduated, only the child.

His family questioned why he introduced Nicholas, forgetting that he had tried to prevent the introduction and warned them to stop.

He was concerned that Mary still wanted to maintain her friendship with Harriet, but he emphasized that the lunch meetings were over at the engagement announcement. The friendship was likely already over from Harriet's perspective.

When Nicholas called him to the terrace where they used to have lunch, saying he had something to ask about Mary, Miles had a bad feeling, which turned out to be true when Mary and Harriet arrived.

He glared at Nicholas, who was unfazed.

"Because if you and Harriet get together, Mary and Harriet can continue to be relatives."

He was still selfish and didn't consider others. Miles was worried that they would cause trouble and drag him into it if left unchecked.

When he passed a note with their plan to Harriet, she seemed confused but realized she wasn't the only victim when she looked at him. It was comforting to see her smile, even if it was a bitter one.

Reassured that Harriet would distance herself from Mary and Nicholas, Miles wished for someone to bring her happiness.