Chapter 10

Thank you for reading.

Regarding the parts that have been published in book form, I have intentionally left the typos, omissions, and additions as they are, hoping that they might serve as reference material later on.

Please understand.

There are people who use the typo reporting function to proofread.

I decline any reports other than those for typos and omissions.

If it becomes too excessive, I will block them.

Please bear with me.

Once upon a time, there was a man.

Well, to be honest, it wasn't that long ago, about six or seven years back.

At a party held in a certain noble's mansion, a man and a woman met.

The man was indeed a noble, but he was the second son of a poor noble family, struggling to put food on the table, while the woman came from a wealthy family in the empire.

The man, who was not in a position to attend such parties, was only there because the noble who hosted the party was his direct superior and had taken a liking to him.

The wealthy woman fell in love with the man at first sight and tried every trick in the book to win him over, but the man remained unmoved.

There was a reason for this; the man had a beloved partner to whom he had pledged his future.

The woman was furious.

Born into a baronial family, she had always gotten her way and had never been refused by a man.

Yet, the man paid no attention to her and only cherished his beloved partner.

The woman could not tolerate this.

She bribed the man's parents and elder brother, who happily agreed to hand the man over to her.

But the man, unwilling to comply, left his home and sought refuge with his beloved partner.

The more the woman could not have her way with the man, the more she hated him. Finally, she pressured the family of the man's beloved partner.

The man's partner's family, nominally noble, could not survive in the empire with a baronial family as their enemy.

As a result, the man, to protect his beloved, became a son-in-law in the woman's family.

The man hated the woman, but the following year, he fathered a son.

According to the empire's laws, a noble who had a legitimate son could never divorce.

The woman thought everything had gone her way. However, the man also found a way to laugh.

Taking advantage of the fact that he could not divorce, the man ignored his wife and took his betrayed partner as a concubine, moving to a separate residence.

"......So, the man in this story is my father, and the woman is my mother, right?"

"That is correct."

"Meaning, I am the legitimate son who prevented them from divorcing..."

Oh no, I'm in trouble.

I'm having a meeting in the parlor with Mr. Rottenmayer and Mr. Romanov.

I can't help but be a bit flippant, but it's just a way to escape reality; I'm not really being frivolous.

My head hurts. That's the truth.

But it seems there's more to it than just bad mental health.

"The letter says that the person from the separate residence has recently passed away from an epidemic, and the three-year-old child left behind will be brought here for upbringing preparations..."

"What!? A child? Do I have a sister or brother!?"

"...It's a younger brother. They also plan to move one of the maids who takes care of him here."

"Wh-What!? Why!?! This is a backwater, but it's the main residence of a baronial family!?"

"That... is..."

Is this it? Does this mean there's a possibility of me being disinherited?

Phew, I'm glad I learned a trade!

But I'm only five. Where would I go if I were cast out?

As I stare at the table, Mr. Romanov hesitantly speaks up.

"Don't worry, Futo-kun. It won't come to that. The law prohibits a son-in-law from making his concubine's child the heir, and it would be seen as a hostile takeover, leading to a complete shunning in society."

In a sense, for nobles who live on pride and reputation, being shunned from society is akin to suicide.

So, if that's not the case, what is it?

To take a child who has lost his mother away from the familiar, memory-filled mansion seems insane.

Moreover, it's the stronghold of the woman he hates.

'What if he dies from abuse!' my inner 'I' shouts.

"Probably, the target is me."

"Huh?"

My thoughts, which had been slightly taken over by my inner 'I,' are brought back to reality by Mr. Romanov's unexpected words.

I look up at Mr. Romanov, who has a bitter smile on his face.

Mr. Rottenmayer next to him has a similar expression.

"Well, Futo-kun, you might not know, but I'm actually quite famous, both as an individual and as an educator."

"Really...?"

"Yes. Futo-kun, the gap between what you know and don't know is quite extreme. I never thought there would be a child who doesn't know the elf adventurer 'Alexei Romanov' until I met you. I shouldn't be complacent."

"Ah... I'm sorry..."

My curly hair is gently pressed by Mr. Romanov's fingers as I bow my head. When I look up, I see his gentle smile.

"At first, I was going to decline being your tutor. Mr. Rottenmayer had explained the situation, but I wasn't particularly interested. But you, Futo-kun, are a mysterious child... Now, I can't imagine being anyone else's tutor."

"Mr. Rottenmayer, the letter from the master says he wishes for Mr. Romanov to be the tutor for the child—Regulus, I believe."

I'm grateful for Mr. Romanov's feelings, but as an employee, I can't refuse the wishes of the head of the baronial family.

I imagine studying at the same desk as my brother. It's unsettling. Definitely unsettling. But even though I didn't know, I am his 'big brother.'

My inner 'I' whispers that a 'big brother' should take care of his 'little brother.'

However, since the mention of my brother, everything that's happening feels like it's happening to someone else.

No, that's not right. It feels like my inner 'I' is taking over.

This doesn't seem good.

I feel dizzy. To pull myself back to reality, I ask Mr. Rottenmayer another question that's been bothering me.

"Um... I understand why my father doesn't like me. But what about my mother? What does she think of me?"

"Your mother... is quite similar to your father..."

"Because I'm the reason they can't divorce?"

"That's part of it... During her pregnancy, the head maid advised her not to, but she insisted on going on a trip. This led to a premature labor crisis, and for a while, both her and the baby's lives were in danger."

"...She thinks it was my fault that she almost died."

"......That is correct."

Ah, as I thought, I'm in a tight spot.

Thank you for reading.