Luan lay sprawled on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
As his eyes traced the chandelier, he pondered what to do next.
“I don’t even know if I should be here. Mother insisted that I become the Duke of Belzette, but….”
That position was never meant to be his.
“Father remarried… One day, a child will be born to inherit the title of young duke.”
He didn’t want to take anything more from Aachen.
It was already an immeasurable grace that Aachen had taken in the son of his late twin sibling.
As if that weren’t enough, Aachen had even kept the fact that Luan wasn’t his biological child a strict secret.
He endured malicious rumors and criticism just to protect Luan.
That was why Luan had recklessly withdrawn from Kimish Academy and returned home.
There had been a fellow student who deliberately spread vile rumors about Aachen.
Luan couldn’t forgive someone looking down on Aachen.
When he hit the offender in a fit of rage, Aachen had stepped in and apologized.
“Father even made a proper apology.”
On top of that, rumors spread that Aachen used his power to silence others.
Luan couldn’t stand it.
The longer he stayed at Kimish Academy, the more harm it brought to Aachen.
A soft knock came from outside the door.
‘Is it Father?’
Luan adjusted his posture and looked out, but the hallway was empty.
“…What is this?”
Something nudged against his foot, and he looked down to find a covered plate left on the floor.
Lifting the lid, he found a strawberry cake and a small note.
Unfolding the note, he was met with an atrocious scrawl—messy handwriting with frequent spelling mistakes.
***
Big Brother, hello.
Cherry tasted the cake first. It was super delicious.
You know… Your eyes looked sad.
I hope eating this makes you feel better.
***
It must have been left by the little girl he saw earlier.
Even as he glanced around, there was no trace of anyone nearby.
“Did she just leave this and run back to her room?”
Leaning against the door, Luan thought about the girl.
He couldn’t understand why she always reached out to him, even from the first time they met.
He wanted to ask someone—anyone.
Are all children who receive love this warm, like sunlight?
How could someone give so freely without hesitation?
Unlike him, who always measured and debated everything, she simply shared pure kindness.
His stomach growled.
“…I’m hungry.”
He hadn’t been eating properly for days, and hunger gnawed at him.
His gaze landed on the strawberry cake, its soft whipped cream piled high.
Picking up the fork, he carefully speared a strawberry and placed it in his mouth.
The cream on his tongue was overwhelmingly sweet—so sweet that he instinctively shut his eyes.
Tears began to fall onto the carpet, one after another.
Once they started, they wouldn’t stop.
Tears poured endlessly, soaking the fabric beneath him.
As they trickled into his mouth, the strawberry cake no longer tasted sweet.
Yet he kept eating, shoveling bite after bite into his mouth.
Eventually, he ate too fast and choked, pounding his chest hard.
His sobs clogged his throat, making it impossible to speak.
Afraid that someone might hear him, Luan quickly covered his mouth and wept.
It was unbearable. He didn’t even know why he felt this way, even as he cried.
He knew he shouldn’t be like this, so he hastily wiped his tears.
“Father remarried out of responsibility. To protect me, the only surviving blood of his deceased relative.”
When he first heard about Aachen’s remarriage and the new stepmother and sibling he would gain…
He had been curious about what kind of people they were.
He wanted to ask Aachen, but the words wouldn’t come out.
A few days ago, he had heard that a small wedding ceremony had been held in Peztaine.
Hilane Peztaine.
Now the new Duchess of Belzette, the mistress of Hestur Castle.
Hilane was an incredibly beautiful woman.
Her emerald-green eyes held a deep warmth, like a lush forest.
The gentle cadence of her voice was soothing.
In truth, he wanted to befriend the little girl he met earlier, too.
But they were not a family he was allowed to yearn for.
Luan’s gaze drifted back to the bed he had been lying on earlier.
The place where his mother had died.
The spot where she always knelt and bowed her head for his sake.
Time had faded the comforting scent, but…
Every time he lay in bed, it still felt like he was in her embrace.
As he always had, Luan lay down at an angle and spoke to the one who would never answer.
“Mother. I don’t think I belong here.”
He couldn’t stand the thought of Aachen suffering from ugly rumors because of him.
His mother, Rose, had once been accused of seducing a royal despite being a mere commoner.
She had never responded to those accusations.
She had feared that speaking up would bring harm to Luan.
That was a memory Luan could never forget, no matter how young he had been at the time.
He couldn’t bear the thought of another innocent person being ridiculed because of him.
“Even if I become the Duke of Belzette….”
It would be meaningless.
Luan was unworthy of the position, and more than anything, Rose was no longer there to witness it.
“…I shouldn’t be greedy. I mustn’t get caught. I’ve hidden myself well until now, so I can keep doing it.”
Luan forced himself to hold back his tears again and again.
Once you claim something, you start wanting more.
So, if you never take anything in the first place, you won’t have anything to lose.
Letting go wasn’t difficult.
“…This is the right choice.”
* * *
“Where is the young duke?”
Hilane had come down to the dining hall after putting the sleeping Chevelyn to bed. She glanced at Aachen, who was sitting alone.
Just as Aachen gave a troubled smile, Luan descended the stairs.
‘Did something happen?’
The boy’s expression was unusual.
“Luan, come and sit,” Hilane greeted him with a warm smile, noticing that he hadn’t taken a seat.
After some hesitation, Luan finally sat down.
Soon, the appetizers were served, filling the dining hall with the rich aroma of delicious food.
“Father, please dismiss the servants.”
“The servants?”
Aachen was taken aback by Luan’s sudden request, but he complied and had the staff leave.
Once only the three of them remained, Luan spoke, looking directly at Aachen.
“Father.”
“……”
“Please… disown me.”
Hilane was utterly shocked by Luan’s unexpected words.
‘Disown…?’
Her eyes met Luan’s.
“…I have no reason to stay here any longer since I am not your real son.”
Luan’s voice was steady as he continued, his gaze unwavering.
‘Are you telling me? That you’re not the duke’s biological son?’
Aachen abruptly set his knife down with a loud clatter, cutting Luan off.
“…Luan. You are to be confined to your room for a week.”
For the first time, Aachen’s voice carried an unfamiliar firmness.
“Father, I mean it. I—”
“Go upstairs. Now.”
Luan looked as if he had more to say, but in the end, he left without another word.
“……”
“……”
Silence settled between Aachen and Hilane.
She didn’t ask first, and he couldn’t bring himself to speak.
After a long pause, Aachen finally broke the silence.
“…Luan is not my biological son. He is my twin brother’s child.”
‘Luan isn’t the duke’s son…?’
Why had Aachen raised him as his own despite that?
“When my brother died in a carriage accident, I married Luan’s birth mother to pass him off as my own.”
Then, Aachen turned to Hilane and offered a sincere apology.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
“If Luan hadn’t said anything today, would you have kept it a secret forever?”
Aachen lowered his gaze, as if to confirm that her assumption was correct.
Hilane wasn’t angry—just surprised.
The more she got to know Aachen, the more she realized how deeply responsible and devoted to his family he was.
‘He truly is an incredible man.’
Rather than feeling deceived, she found herself feeling something new—something she didn’t even recognize within herself.
“Don’t say that, Duke.”
“Hil… Are you forgiving me?”
“No.”
Hilane shook her head firmly. He had done nothing wrong.
“This isn’t something that requires my forgiveness.”
“…Hil.”
Aachen’s blue eyes widened in surprise.
“Regardless of blood, Luan is your son. Don’t ever say otherwise.”
Aachen squeezed his eyes shut, tears slipping down his face.
“…I don’t know what to do. How much must he hate having me as a father to ask for something like that…?”
His voice was filled with sorrow, trailing off as he struggled to continue.
But Hilane had seen Luan’s expression when he asked to be disowned.
It wasn’t defiant, nor was it spoken in anger.
“The young duke didn’t ask to be disowned because he hates you.”
“Then why…?”
Aachen looked at her, confused.
Hilane answered softly.
“I think he’s afraid of bringing harm to you.”
The fact that he had chosen to say it in front of her, carefully gauging her reaction, made it clear.
It wasn’t a plea for himself.
It was a reassurance—his way of telling them not to worry about him because he wasn’t Aachen’s biological son.
***
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