Chapter 80

Glaring at the money lined up on the counter without hiding his disgust, he spat out venomously and plopped down into a chair, propping his cheek on his hand.

This isn't how you should treat a customer, but in his mind, neither I nor the master are customers.

Illegar let out a deep, overly obvious sigh.

"So, what do you want to know?"

"Everything."

"That's quite greedy."

"Most of all, I want to know why you, who hate Rockdel so much, are here."

Illegar, still propping his cheek, cast a glance at the master.

"Did you investigate me?"

"To some extent. I thought you didn't resemble Rockdel at all."

"We're half-brothers."

Illegar said this casually.

Indeed, Illegar and Rockdel are actually blood-related brothers.

The child of the first wife and the child of the second wife, that's their relationship.

By the time Illegar was born, Rockdel was already an adult, working as an apprentice butler for the master's father. Thus, they had almost no interaction.

"Do you really believe I'd say we were on good terms?"

"Not at all."

"Immediate answer, huh?"

"Having seen you argue countless times, it's natural to know you don't get along."

"…Young master, I don't recall arguing with him in front of you, though?"

"Did you know that children often like to secretly watch what adults do?"

I wanted to interject, "No, I didn't know that," but I held my tongue.

Moreover, if you did such impolite things, you'd probably get a cheerful lecture from Ragnar.

"So, you were secretly listening? I doubt that's what a duke's heir should do."

"Actually, it was by chance."

Those are completely untrustworthy words, aren't they? After exposing that you were secretly listening to adults, saying it was by chance is what kind of excuse?

Illegar's mouth was twitching.

"I'll be more careful from now on. Thank you for teaching me about children's characteristics, young master. How about I teach you something good? My family was on the verge of decline because your grandfather disliked us."

The master nodded, saying, "I see."

Illegar's tone, devoid of anger or hatred, seemed to be objectively stating facts.

"The previous generation had already given up on his son early on. He used that useless son to launch a large-scale purge. My family—Rockdel included—was among the targets."

"You were considered potential troublemakers?"

"I have no idea how a family as distant as ours could be troublemakers, but there must have been something I didn't know. I can guess, though. They probably dreamed of some meaningless glory."

From his dismissive words, it seems he doesn't like his family much.

It's not surprising that they aren't close just because they're blood-related.

"My family, though a butler lineage, was at the bottom. We weren't supposed to serve the main family. Yet, suddenly, I was chosen as a candidate for the next heir's butler. It seemed suspicious from the start."

"You were a perceptive child."

That's odd.

I heard from the master that he was chosen because of his age and the lack of suitable candidates, but it seems there's more to it.

I didn't interrupt because I didn't want to break the flow of the conversation. Calmly thinking about it, the personnel arrangement does seem odd.

"Do you not care that your real father is being used to be discarded?"

"In fact, I don't consider him my father. My grandfather raised me."

The duke's family is quite ruthless. My family is bad enough, but the master's family is also quite troublesome.

However, at least the previous duke raised the master with love, so that's a good thing.

But it seems Illegar has some thoughts about the previous duke, the master's grandfather.

"Because he died suddenly, we're in this situation now."

Ah, right, the cause of death was a heart attack, wasn't it? It was quite a big news story at the time.

"A mediocre head of the family, who only had half-baked power, took over and indulged in his ambitions. This is what happens when you do as you please."

A mocking laugh.

Illegar averted his gaze from the master, who showed no emotion.

"Did I stray too far from the topic…? The reason I'm here, in short, is because I got married here."

"Huh?"

I was taken aback by the unexpected answer.

"This used to be a peaceful countryside. Even after the coal mine closed, it was still a hometown for those who grew up here, and they managed to get by. I left the territory because I was fed up, but I met someone from this village, who is now my wife."

"By chance?"

It might be common, but it feels too coincidental to not be suspicious.

Without answering, Illegar began to describe the village as it used to be.

"It was a quiet countryside, but it was comfortable. Especially after experiencing a harsh family life."

There were no shops left after the coal mine closed, and now they live self-sufficiently.

They buy what they lack from the neighboring town.

"Lord, you don't really care about this backwater village, do you?"

The topic suddenly changed, and I looked at Illegar questioningly. He was smiling wryly.

"Has the surrounding villages and towns started to suffer? That would be a reason for you to act, right?"

"I see. Revenge against the neighboring villages and towns? Not exactly. We've already taken action before it became a problem."

"What do you mean?"

"We stopped it before the damage spread. If the damage got too big, we'd be blamed too."

"What are you talking about?"

When I asked the master to explain, Illegar finally seemed to understand and glared at the master.

"Murdoch was your agent, wasn't he?"

"Thanks for the quick understanding. Thanks to him, we could mine relatively safely."

Mining is inherently dangerous.

Even with experts advising, there were likely many small risks.

But if the master had arranged all of this, then—

"You knew everything and did nothing?"

That's right.

I thought the same thing.

And I want to know the full story now.

"Reisha, I didn't hide it. I only found out recently… The main reason the coal mine closed was because it contained a large amount of harmful substances."

"Harmful substances…"

"Long-term exposure can be dangerous. I'm not an expert, but I think the reason your grandfather quit after a short time was because of this. The epidemic you heard about was probably due to poisoning, not disease."

Illegar's tight-lipped expression seemed to show regret.

"I didn't know about the illegal mining. Some villagers were doing it. However, the toxic substances flowed into the river, and the livestock that drank the water were the first to be affected."

The villagers used well water from a distance, so the damage wasn't significant.

However, Rockdel took advantage of this weakness.

"At first, it was thought to be an epidemic, but it was actually toxic substances from the mine. Moreover, the fact that it was illegal mining. If this was known, it would threaten the entire village, not just a few people."

Illegar knew.

He knew that mining in a closed mine was a crime.

And the fact that toxic substances were being released into the river was a significant issue.

Even if it didn't affect human health, it would cause disputes downstream. At the very least, it could lead to compensation issues, which this small village couldn't afford.

"Ah, the debt problem—"

"It's not exactly debt. I think, based on my imagination, that they were either forced into a debt spiral due to compensation or forced to help with the mine."

I think the master is right.

And Karnaak, hearing about the debt, had many misunderstandings.

"This is also my imagination, but I don't think it was just a few people. I think Rockdel's people had already started. They just used the villagers to avoid being caught."

"That's right. It's a peaceful village, but there are a few bad apples."

Outcasts of the village.

Most villagers didn't get involved with them.

That's why Illegar was slow to realize what was happening.

"They threatened me. I'm not a righteous person. I just wanted to protect the village. Even though I knew it was a crime, many agreed. If the villagers who were spreading the poison were caught, the children would suffer. For the sake of the hometown, children, and family, we decided after many discussions. But I didn't think the surrounding villages and towns were involved too."

Illegar laughed lowly.

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