Clash with the Duchess and the Nephew's Bold Claim
The moment we got home, a major incident was waiting. The first thing that popped into my head when I heard what Alois said was, What the hell is this bullshit? It wasn't anger from the insult—it was pure disbelief because it was so absurd. That Ares had neglected her spouse to death? And didn't shed a single tear afterward? No way in hell!
Ares had been utterly devoted to Seres from the original story, and I was feeling that devotion firsthand right now. There was no way someone who treated her child this well would do that to her spouse. It was baffling.
"Mother, what are you talking about?"
Arios looked just as stunned as me, clearly thinking the same thing.
"I've seen how kindly you treat Seres. You're not that kind of person."
"...I don't know when that woman became your mother, but I'm just saying what I've seen with my own eyes."
Alois looked at us like we were the weird ones for not believing her.
"For starters, I'm not even sure she truly cherishes her child that much. A woman as heartlessly cold as her, who sees others as mere objects."
"Enough."
I couldn't take it anymore and cut her off.
"Stop insulting my mother with baseless nonsense."
"Baseless? Every high noble my age knows it's true. I'm not being sarcastic—I'm telling the truth."
"And you're one to talk, when you couldn't even keep your own husband in check."
I couldn't hold back my anger and threw her family issues right back at her.
"I heard he got fed up with you obsessing over work every day and divorced you in the end."
"Seres!"
Arios called my name in shock when I brought up something from the original story. Alois flinched for a moment, then composed herself.
"...That was indeed my mistake. I won't deny it."
She countered coldly.
"But as a wife, I at least treated him with the bare minimum of respect."
"Wow! If the bare minimum got you divorced, I'm scared to think what would've happened without it! Would you have stabbed him to death or something?!"
"...Don't mock me. Some call me heartless, but I have more humanity than your mother."
I burst out laughing at her words.
"Haha!"
"Why are you laughing?"
"Because the you I know is absolutely not a humane person."
"...We're practically meeting for the first time today. How do you think you know me well enough to say that?"
"Someone who throws out a dying person just because they're in the way."
I said it with a sneer. In the original story, Alois, fed up with headaches from Seres, made up an excuse to separate from Arios, then dumped the now-alone Seres outside. By then, after everything he'd been through, he'd already half-given up on life, and his terminal condition was starting to show. Was that mercy? Or was she just scared of Viol grilling her later? Because she dumped him right in front of the imperial palace, Seres ended up back in Viol's clutches. Knowing that, I couldn't stomach hearing Alois brag about her "humanity."
"That's an oddly specific example. Anyone hearing it would think I actually did that."
Alois frowned, having no idea about the circumstances.
"Don't make wild assumptions."
"Didn't you? And you have no plans to in the future? You know yourself best whether you're the type."
"I've never done anything like that!"
"No, you're exactly the type who would."
We glared at each other for a moment.
"...It seems I've said something unnecessary."
Alois was the one who backed down first and apologized.
"I'll apologize, so let's drop it."
She must've realized arguing with me any further over this would gain her nothing.
"...I'll apologize too. Mentioning the duchess's family matters was too much."
"Thank…"
"Just because the other side stoops low first doesn't mean I should. It's unbecoming."
Even as she accepted the apology, she twisted the knife to the end.
Then, "I'll be going now. I don't want to see your face anymore."
"Is that so? Safe travels…"
"Being around you feels like bad luck rubbing off. I might end up divorced too."
"…."
I didn't want to talk to this woman anymore. I'd planned to stick around longer and poke at her nerves some more, but bringing up Ares made it hard to hold back. She wasn't my real mom, but we had a mother-son relationship now, so hearing her insulted shook my composure.
"Seres, wait!"
Alois stayed silent as I prepared to leave, but Arios stepped in to stop me.
"I'll apologize for what my mother said, so don't be mad!"
"...Nah. I went too far too. I'll cool off at home. I'm not mad at you, so let's hang out later."
Alois didn't matter, but her divorce was a sore spot for Arios too. Dragging it out in anger made her face hard to look at today.
"Kids, let's just go."
"Just go?"
"She's a duchess, what can we do? And this is her territory—not like we can beat her to death here."
"...Understood."
The Death Knights glared at Alois who'd provoked me but followed without choice—though they deliberately stabbed their swords into the ground on the way out, ruining the duke's land.
"Let's never meet again, you nasty-tempered duchess! If we do, I might end up dumped in front of the palace—or maybe I'll dump you!"
I left those parting words as we went.
"...Wh-what kind of man has a temper like that? I don't want to see you again either, if possible."
"What was that?!"
After Seres left, Arios unleashed her pent-up anger at her flustered mother.
"I can't forgive you, even if you're my mom! What did Seres ever do to deserve that treatment?!"
She'd invited him over just to irrationally harass him and even insulted his parents. Even someone not head-over-heels for Seres would be pissed. So she grilled her sharply.
"...Something's off."
Instead of excuses or apologies, Alois went quiet, then made a strange face.
"It's not what I expected at all."
"What did you expect? That Seres was some brat relying on his looks with a nasty personality?"
"...No, I thought even worse of him."
Alois was thrown off. Seres had a completely different personality from the spoiled playboy she'd imagined.
And then, "That kid doesn't look like Ares at all, does he?"
Arios compared Seres's appearance to Ares, sounding puzzled.
"No similarities except the silver hair."
"...Isn't he like his late father?"
"No way. If so, his father would've been called the empire's top beauty."
Even comparing him to Ares's husband from memory, there were no similarities. Personality either.
"He gets riled up so easily over a little provocation, unlike his mother."
"What? Lady Ares gets riled up easily too. Mostly over things related to Seres, though."
"That creepy woman really loses her reason over her son?"
She'd heard rumors Ares doted on her son but never believed them. It didn't fit the Ares she knew at all.
"It's weird, really weird…."
From their first meeting, she'd sensed Seres wasn't the type she expected and found it odd. That's why she'd eyed him strangely sometimes.
"Keep bringing up things he didn't do, saying weird stuff—he's full of suspicious points."
"You're picking fights first and then saying that? Given what you just did, he deserves to throw it back."
"…."
"Anyway, so?"
"...Better not to meet that kid again. He's not what I thought, but he's got weird vibes and a temper that's too strong."
"No way! If that's how it is, I'll cut ties with this family!"
"Don't say that lightly…."
"You don't understand people, Mom. That's why Dad divorced you!"
"...Argh, seriously!!"
Problems persisted even after Seres left. Alois tore at her hair.
I was spacing out in the carriage when it stopped.
"Lord Seres, my master. We've arrived at the estate."
Niobe's voice came soon after. I opened the carriage door, and she reached out to me.
"Please take my hand."
"Nah, I'm good."
I'd held it going to the Graviuss duke's place because etiquette demanded it, but this was our home. No need for a woman's escort, so I refused. Niobe panicked.
"You can't! What if something happens getting down alone?!"
"What accident?"
Tripping was the worst that could happen stepping off a carriage. And while I was weaker than her, I was still a superhuman far stronger than any normal person. To prove no worries needed, I hopped down lightly.
This time, Niobe and the Death Knights swarmed behind me like bodyguards.
...Even Emperor Viol probably didn't get this level of overprotection. Still not used to the burdensome escort, I headed into the estate.
I wanted to check on Ares first, but
"Se-Seres!"
"Of all times, you come back now…."
The servants' attitudes toward me were weird. Like I'd shown up at the worst possible moment, they were flustered.
"What's going on?"
I asked, clueless, but they hesitated to answer.
"W-well?"
"Actually, there's a guest right now…."
A guest? Who? Who could make them hesitate even to tell me?
A bad feeling hit me. A guest they'd hesitate to mention to me wasn't ordinary. Even if Emperor Viol dropped by, they'd tell me straight.
No way?
"Lord Seres!"
"You can't go alone!"
I ignored the still-hesitant servants and headed to the reception room. With the Death Knights rushing after, I reached the door.
A voice boomed so loud it shook the whole estate, arguing fiercely.
"So what I'm saying, Aunt Ares, is that I am the one qualified to be your heir. Seres isn't even your blood son—he's not a real Huferion at all, just an adopted stray!"