IBACM Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Delani finally looked up from the catalog and gazed at Axel. Then, she spoke calmly.

“You’re not the firstborn.”

Axel’s face twisted, almost as if he was about to cry.

Did Delani really believe that only the eldest son could inherit the title? It’s been ages since the concept of firstborn inheritance disappeared…

“I trust you don’t hold such narrow-minded beliefs about the firstborn inheriting everything in this day and age,” Axel said.

Oh…

His sarcastic tone seemed to irritate Delani. The corners of her lips curled upward in a mocking smile.

However, as if deciding to step back for now, she softened her tone.

“Why should brothers argue over something like this? If your brother becomes the successor, you can support him. It would be great to work together. So, Axel…”

“I said no! Why am I always pushed aside?!”

Ah, he finally exploded.

Axel shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice filled with frustration.

“It’s not my fault my brother feels inferior to me! What am I supposed to do about it? Do you even realize I outperform him in everything? What am I lacking compared to him?!”

“Axel.”

“Why is it okay for him, but not for me?!”

Honestly, even now, I didn’t feel the slightest bit sorry for him.

He was being treated unfairly, yet he acted the same way toward Dedrick, who had it even worse.

This “Why can he, but I can’t?” attitude made me quietly raise both middle fingers in my mind.

Meanwhile, Axel continued his rant.

“Even Father included both of us as candidates for succession. Just… support me a little—”

“You can’t!”

A sharp yell cut him off.

Both Axel and I were stunned, our eyes widening in shock.

This was the first time Delani had raised her voice like that.

“I don’t even know why you’re on the candidate list, but clearly, the Grand Duke must be up to something—!”

Her words left me dumbfounded.

Gemma hurriedly tried to calm her down.

“Madam, please, take a breath!”

Only then did Delani unclench her hands, which had been gripping the armrest of the sofa so tightly it looked like she was about to tear it apart.

What was that about?

Was there a reason Axel shouldn’t be a candidate?

And why did she suddenly bring up the Grand Duke…?

It felt like I had just stumbled upon a huge secret, but I had no clue what it meant.

“What do you mean? Are you saying I shouldn’t be a candidate for successor?”

“It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“Mother!”

“Axel!”

Delani’s fierce tone made Axel flinch and take a step back.

She glared at him, her face full of cold anger.

“If you’re whining over something this trivial, how do you expect to lead an entire duchy? You’re not fit to be the heir. Focus on supporting your brother instead.”

“But if that’s the case, then my brother—!”

“Did I not tell you to leave?! Or do you need me to call someone to drag you out?”

Delani’s icy stare cut through the air like a blade.

Axel bit his lip, his face filled with hurt, then he turned around and stormed out of the room.

To be honest, even I felt wounded by the sheer coldness in Delani’s gaze.

Once we were alone, silence filled the living room.

It was Gemma who finally broke it.

“Madam… You could have held back a little.”

“He touched on that matter… Ha.”

Delani let out a deep sigh.

“Just keep an eye on him.”

“Yes, Madam.”

With that, silence returned, broken only by the sound of pages turning in the catalog.

---

When I returned, I opened the wardrobe door to find Dedrick studying.

As soon as he saw me, he rushed over with his arms outstretched.

“…?”

“Come here.”

Just three words.

Obediently, I stepped forward, letting him help me down from the wardrobe.

“I can climb down on my own, you know.”

“I know. But it’s safer this way.”

I had never once fallen while getting out of the wardrobe, though…

While still in his arms, I curiously ran my hand along his back.

“You feel… solid.”

Then our eyes met. Or rather, I had to look up at him—way up.

I gasped.

“You’ve grown so tall!”

“It’s my growth spurt.”

I immediately dragged Dedrick over to measure him against the wall.

Sure enough, in such a short time, he had shot up considerably.

“But I haven’t grown at all…”

“You’re still cute as you are.”

I didn’t grow to be cute, but whatever.

Anyway, complaining won’t make me taller, so I began telling him everything I had seen earlier.

“…And in the end, Axel couldn’t say another word and just left.”

After hearing the whole story, Dedrick tilted his head slightly in thought.

“But why would the Grand Duchess say that? The Grand Duke always chooses based on ability… and Axel isn’t bad at studying.”

“Call him ‘that Axel jerk.’”

“That Axel je—…”

Go on, say it!

But in the end, he couldn’t finish the sentence and added, “brother” instead.

Such a kind-hearted kid.

I pressed both of his cheeks, making his lips pout like a fish. As I looked at his face, I continued our conversation.

“You said he’s better than Somerset, right? They’re only a year apart. Is Somerset really that great at swordsmanship?”

No, not really.

In the novel, neither of them were particularly talented.

But our Didi? He was a genius.

“Umm…”

His muffled voice, thanks to my hands pressing his cheeks, was adorable.

He carefully took my hands in his and lowered them before speaking.

“They’re about the same. But the Grand Duchess treasures the eldest son a lot… I heard she had a hard time giving birth to him.”

“So that’s why she cares about him more?”

Still, that didn’t explain why she was so against Axel being a successor candidate.

“Could it be that Axel isn’t actually their real son?”

Haha!

I laughed at my own joke, and Dedrick chuckled softly too. But he immediately shook his head.

“That’s impossible. If he wasn’t their real son, the Grand Duke’s retainers would’ve noticed. There’s no way something that big could happen without anyone knowing in this castle. Also, they record specific dates to prevent that kind of thing. I don’t know exactly what dates they’re talking about, but…”

Oh, probably their conception dates.

But I didn’t say it out loud.

If I did, Dedrick’s face would turn red—no, explode from embarrassment.

Honestly, they probably didn’t even give him a proper education, let alone that kind of education…

“I was just joking anyway.”

As much as Delani favored her eldest son, I didn’t think she would go as far as faking someone else’s child as the Grand Duke’s.

---

The invitations had been sent, and the preparations for the banquet were nearly done.

But Dedrick seemed completely uninterested. Instead, he just stared at my wardrobe and asked,

“Isn’t that wardrobe too small?”

“Is it?”

I had never thought it was small before.

“Can you replace it? If you can, should I buy you a new one?”

Why is he saying this all of a sudden?

I wasn’t worried about his finances. Each of the three children received an allowance, and since Dedrick had never spent his, it must have piled up quite a bit.

The Grand Duke himself managed their bank accounts.

Which, honestly, was a relief.

If Delani had control over it, Dedrick would probably be penniless by now.

Or worse—she could have used it against him, claiming he was recklessly wasting money.

Technically, the Grand Duchess should be managing it.

But even the Grand Duke didn’t trust her.

“How big should the wardrobe be? About the size of this room?”

While I was lost in my thoughts, Dedrick was already planning the decorations.

I quickly stopped him.

“A wardrobe should be a wardrobe. If it’s that big, it’s no longer a wardrobe!”

“Oh… Would it be hard to live in if it’s too big?”

“Not exactly… But if it’s too spacious, I wouldn’t feel at ease. I like it being a bit cramped, with lots of clothes around me and something to hide behind.”

“I see…”

He sounded a little disappointed, so I tiptoed and wrapped my arms around his shoulders.

“And I can’t replace this wardrobe. I have to use this one. It’s like my heart, you know? Can you take your heart out and replace it?”

“No.”

“Exactly. So don’t worry about the wardrobe. I love this one!”

Dedrick stared at me for a moment, then blushed slightly and murmured,

“Me too…”

Ah, so he’s also come to appreciate the coziness of the wardrobe.

“Oh, and here—”

He opened a drawer and pulled out two deep red roses.

“Roses? In winter?”

“The glass garden doesn’t follow the seasons.”

The roses were full, lush, and beautiful.

“Did you bring them just to show me?”

Instead of answering, he gently placed one on each side of my tied-up hair.

“Because they remind me of you.”

“Roses? But I don’t have any color…”

I was completely dull and gray.

“Your horns are red.”

He lightly touched my horns and smiled.

“Remember what I said before? That you reminded me of a rose?”

“Yeah, you did.”

“That hasn’t changed. No matter your past, your horns are beautiful.”

I stared at him, and he gazed back with warmth in his eyes.

“Like a rose. No… even more beautiful than a rose.”