Debuff Name
Effect: Disappointment
Duration: [Time remaining]
His status changed from favorable to neutral, and his anticipation turned to disappointment.
‘He’s surprisingly naive.’
I had been clear, yet it wasn’t just because he was scared and retreated.
The reason was that Captain William’s words were too careless.
Even if we limited information about Cedric, it wasn’t completely unknown.
The story could spread like a rumor through various people, or there might be an unseen surveillance system of mine.
That was why I had to coldly reject William’s enticing story as well.
If I accepted his proposal here, it would be the same as declaring enmity toward Anna and Cedric.
It was a completely different story from gaining honor in the war and raising my own reputation.
The reason was simple.
‘Because Mother is still in the territory.’
While clicking my tongue at William’s actions, I remembered that people still genuinely worried about the territory in such a pure way.
I patted Captain William on the shoulder a couple of times and walked away.
Captain William held firm resolve in his own way, but unfortunately, a half-hearted help from me right now was unnecessary.
‘I can handle everything on my own anyway.’
Eliminating Anna and Cedric was entirely my responsibility.
I had no intention of sharing that joy with anyone else.
“It’s already becoming enjoyable.”
* * *
I did not like boasting.
I always calculated gains and losses, and I had personally experienced that showing off too much brought backlash rather than favor.
But an unexpected boast was about to spread throughout the entire country.
“……On the basis of distinguished military achievements by many, His Majesty decrees that the second-grade Golden Lion Medal be bestowed upon Adrian Lawrence, the second son of the Lawrence family, by His Majesty Gradis Lloyd Reinhardt, the 23rd King of the Reinhardt Kingdom.”
“This is a great honor I will cherish for a lifetime.”
I knelt before the king’s personal letter and stood up with a start once the tedious royal prose ended.
The palace steward sent by the royal court congratulated me with a handshake while pinning the golden medal to my chest, and I gripped his hand.
-Zing.
-Click! Click!
And this scene was recorded perfectly by the broadcast cameras and newspaper cameras.
I knew the equipment of the Vanguards was worth as much as fighter jets, but I never imagined it would be evaluated this highly.
Perhaps the country, with the war dragging on, had simply picked me for the face of the war.
‘Cedric must be having a fit right now.’
Probably thinking I had stolen his achievements.
The single-celled mind of Cedric believed that anyone who appeared on the battlefield would automatically earn merit.
I waved half-heartedly toward the cameras.
* * *
Regarding Adrian Lawrence, the prodigy of the Lawrence family.
Adrian Lawrence, the young hero of the war.
Cedric, sitting quietly beside Anna, was already glaring at the screen with a bad expression.
Adrian was not only trending in the real-time popular searches but also featured in multiple news articles on the front page.
“Damn it!”
Anna’s expression was no better either.
Cedric turned to look at Anna.
“What about Father?”
“He’s out there with that commoner.”
The commoner Anna referred to was Silvia Lawrence, Adrian’s mother.
Silvia had come from a somewhat wealthy merchant family, but to them, commoners were mere insignificant beings.
“Father has been obsessed with that woman lately. Why aren’t you doing anything about it?”
“If I don’t do anything, will I have to feed him poison?”
“Mother!”
“Tsk, don’t raise your voice. The reason Father is obsessed with her is because of Adrian.”
Adrian and Cedric, who had been called prodigies in the family as children, had always been compared to each other.
To Cedric, Adrian was an unforgivable complex and the target of his jealousy.
But when Mother brought up Adrian again, a murderous glint flashed in Cedric’s eyes.
“What do you mean by that?”
“While Adrian is on the battlefield, it seems Father swore he would protect that woman. Directly from me and you.”
But upon closer look, it was nothing worth worrying about.
“It’s true that after the war returns, Adrian will sever all ties with the family and completely leave the house.”
“Yes, that brat will probably do his best. After marriage, he’ll have to find his own path. Isn’t the war a good opportunity for that? Once he gains huge merit, he could even receive a title for single combat.”
Anna’s words essentially meant that Adrian was not Cedric’s rival anyway.
Cedric suppressed his excitement and leaned back deeply into his chair.
As expected, it was all according to Mother’s words.
Behind them stood the border baron grandfather, and most of the Lawrence family had already been infiltrated by Anna.
But even so, was Adrian only annoying because of simple complex?
Cedric was too irritated by Adrian.
* * *
In the lord’s office of the Lawrence Viscount territory.
“That brat.”
The lord of the Lawrence family, Rayford Lawrence, watched the footage of his son’s impressive appearance alongside Adrian’s biological mother Silvia and laughed.
His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were not smiling as he watched the broadcast appearance.
Yet the problem was that this footage somehow looked oddly intellectual because of his handsome appearance.
Silvia clapped her hands with an innocent smile even though she had watched the same video many times, wondering if Adrian’s broadcast appearance was good.
“Once I receive the Golden Lion Medal, I should at least get a viscount title after the war. At least my mind will feel lighter.”
“You must be sorry you couldn’t support your talented son?”
Silvia narrowed her eyes sharply at the lord’s appearance.
The lord was momentarily speechless, then nodded obediently and said yes.
“You know this yourself. This is the best we can do.”
The lord of the Lawrence family was merely a hollow lord now.
A temporary ruler of this land until he could hand the territory over to Cedric.
He had bitten off his own tail by choosing power out of youthful ambition.
“I understand the situation, but I still can’t forgive you.”
“I know. But back then, I had no choice if I wanted to save Adrian. If I had dug any deeper, Anna would have definitely eliminated him.”
The lord explained his position to Silvia as if it were an excuse.
But even though his head understood, his heart could never accept it.
At Silvia’s sullen expression, the lord put on a bitter face and turned his gaze back to the screen.
“Still, it’s fortunate.”
And the lord, who had once again seen Adrian properly doing his part, breathed a sigh of relief again and again.
But.
If Adrian had been in this place, he would have asked his father this question.
‘Is it really fortunate?’
