Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Teaching Dragon Society (1)
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“Oh, so we’re finally getting to meet that mysterious figure Wellington’s been raving about with such enthusiasm?”
“Come on, ‘mysterious figure’? What is this, some kind of criminal hunt?”
“That’s because you’ve been hiding them away no matter how much we begged you to spill the beans.”
Wellington gave a wry smile amid the barrage of teasing from his longtime friends.
He could understand why they were saying that.
For the past three months, he hadn’t hung out with his friends at all—he’d been practically glued to the Fourth Training Grounds.
He’d even turned down group meetups and blind dates, which he usually loved.
As a result, among his friends... among the members of the Teaching Dragon Society... the biggest topic had been, “Just who the hell roped in the young heir of the Narsio family?”
But Wellington hadn’t mentioned Theo even once during that time.
‘These guys still have strong preconceptions about Young Master Theo.’
Even if rumors were circulating that Theo had started changing recently, those were just stories making the rounds among the lower inspectors.
To people like the Teaching Dragon Society, who were already part of the ruling class, it wasn’t even amusing gossip.
‘So this gathering will help him shake off that old image he’s built up.’
Wellington believed Theo could more than hold his own with them.
It wasn’t for nothing that he was the first person Wellington had ever admitted defeat to.
No, even setting that aside.
From what he’d observed at Theo’s side all this time, Theo was different from everyone else.
Persistence.
Effort.
Hunger.
Talent.
He had it all.
‘And leadership too. Character as well. He’s not someone who’s going to end up as just some bastard son.’
Truth be told, Wellington had first approached Theo out of boredom.
But now, he was completely won over by him.
There was just one problem.
‘I still don’t know if he considers me a friend.’
Theo kept a consistent distance—not just from Wellington, but from everyone else, too, in a strange way.
That was why Wellington wanted to invite him to the Teaching Dragon Society even more.
If he showed Theo his true feelings, maybe Theo would open up a bit.
‘It’s not like unrequited love or anything—what the hell am I doing?’
Still, that just went to show how appealing Theo was.
“Don’t hound Well so much, guys. You’ll find out soon enough anyway—what’s the rush?”
The atmosphere shifted completely at the sudden remark from a man who’d been quietly listening to the conversation from the side.
“Y-yeah... you’re right...”
“I guess so. If Well’s praising him, he’s gotta be qualified to hang with us.”
“I wonder which family’s blood he’s got. Would be nice if he’s one of ours.”
“Ours? Wouldn’t that mean the blood’s kinda tainted?”
“You bastard? Insulting my family? Duel me. Let’s fight.”
“Pfft hahaha! Kidding, kidding.”
“Who the hell k...”
“Anyway, I can’t wait already? Hahaha!”
The man grinned, clearly pleased with the changed mood, and winked at Wellington.
Wellington responded with an awkward smile.
The way he commanded the room just by sitting there hinted at the fearsome nature of the Ragnars.
But that gaze of his, treating everyone here—including Wellington—as naturally beneath him... that still grated.
A mix of affection as a friend and irritation as a rival, perhaps.
Dark Leopard, Axion Ragnar.
The promising star of the Third Wife’s firstborn son, alongside ‘Snow Ice Sword’ Ray Ragnar, and one of the biggest prospects for this Awakening Ceremony.
He usually came off as playful and full of laughter.
But he had an incredibly strong sense of pride and arrogance about himself.
He was also the de facto leader of the Teaching Dragon Society.
‘The only one I’m worried about is Axion, but since there’s no connection between him and Young Master Theo... it should be fine.’
Wellington tossed back the whiskey in his hand and pushed the thought aside.
Because of that, he didn’t notice.
The fact that Axion was still watching him with a strange smile.
* * *
This was the first time Theo had found himself in a truly awkward situation since his regression.
“How about this outfit, Young Master?”
“No, sister. I think a shirt with frills like that one would suit him better.”
“What about a tailcoat?”
“It’s nice, but don’t you think they’ll say it’s too much over there?”
“Then let’s go with this color for this part...”
“How about this hat?”
“Oh my, oh my! What’s this? It’s perfect, dear. So mature and stylish.”
“With that frame of yours, anything looks...!”
Chatter chatter.
Prattle prattle.
The news that Theo was making his social debut for the first time spread like wildfire among the maids of the Rose Palace.
-Young Master’s making his social debut!
-And it’s a huge party that Wellington Narsio personally invited him to!
-All sorts of VIPs will be there!
-We can’t let our beloved Young Master go out looking shabby!
-Let’s make him the star of the gathering!
-He’s already so handsome with that slim figure—anything will look great on him!
The maids dropped whatever they were doing and threw themselves into finding the perfect outfit for Theo.
Thanks to them, Theo suddenly found himself turned into a dress-up doll, his vision spinning.
‘Where... am I? Who... am I...?’
Weren’t clothes just supposed to be comfortable for moving in?
That’s what Theo had always thought, but the maids insisted otherwise, and he had no choice but to yield.
Truth be told, as someone who’d always been treated like an unwanted child in the family, he’d only heard about high society—he knew nothing about its ecosystem.
All he knew was that lavishly dressed men and women mingled, while whispers and gossip flew behind the scenes.
So Theo had no choice but to leave it to the maids, who were veterans(?) in this area.
‘That invitation... did I mess up by saying yes?’
Truth be told, Theo had accepted the invitation to learn more about the blue light.
His intuition told him it was connected to the messages somehow.
‘The light vanished right after I got the invitation.’
But he had to uncover the secret behind the messages for sure.
So he’d steeled himself to attend, even if it was a hassle, for a closer look.
Bang!
“Just what kind of cheap, tacky garbage are you lot dragging in here for my son?!”
The door flew open irritably, and Cecilia stormed in.
A whole entourage poured in behind her.
Neatly dressed tailors, servants clutching armfuls of various fabrics, barbers loaded with scissors, people carrying makeup tools—quite the varied bunch.
Even porters struggling with a massive full-length mirror and a chair.
“And you brought these to my son, saying they suit him? Useless trash! How dare you call yourselves his attendants with eyes like that... Tsk!”
Cecilia inspected the clothes on the rack, clicking her tongue.
The maids’ heads drooped automatically.
Theo wondered if he should step in, but Cecilia turned to him with a beaming smile, as if nothing had happened.
“I heard about it too, my son. You got an invitation from the Teaching Dragon Society, right?”
“That’s right.”
“And you didn’t come straight to your mother?!”
Cecilia took a deep breath and continued.
“The Teaching Dragon Society is a gathering full of geniuses like Emil, that sly old fox’s son Axion, and Wellington. Naturally, it draws a ton of attention. Even the Elder Council is watching. So every single outfit, every bit of refinement, every courtly mannerism—they’ll pick it all apart.”
Theo could only nod silently.
He knew what she’d left unsaid.
Bastard son of a concubine.
That alone was enough for people to sneer, “What would he know about etiquette?”
He’d experienced it plenty in his past life.
“You’ve always been so solemn and proper since you were little, so etiquette won’t be an issue. But outfits and refinement are different. They depend on taste above all, and that doesn’t come overnight.”
Cecilia smiled confidently.
“But luckily, your mother can help plenty in that department. Now, what are you all standing around for? Attend to my son.”
Clap!
As Cecilia clapped lightly, four tailors approached Theo with measuring tapes.
“Pardon the intrusion.”
From there, it was smooth sailing.
They took his measurements meticulously, jotting down notes, and asked about his preferences.
The barbers sat him in front of the full-length mirror and styled his hair to suit him.
The makeup experts discussed colors that matched his skin tone.
Then they all huddled together, whispering intently—full of terms Theo couldn’t follow.
The surprising part was that Cecilia was leading it all.
Not just stubbornly pushing her own ideas, but understanding the experts’ input and giving precise feedback.
Her expression was deadly serious.
What was the word for it?
Radiant with life?
‘Did Mother... have this side to her?’
Theo had only remembered her as shrill and jealous, so he couldn’t help but be shocked.
‘Come to think of it, they said she was a famous actress when she caught the Family Head’s eye. Did she learn all this from that?’
Even the Rose Palace maids seemed stunned by this new side of Cecilia, their faces full of surprise.
Clap!
“Alright, let’s start work based on what we discussed.”
The barbers went first, tidying Theo’s hair.
The unkempt mop that hadn’t been properly cut fell away in chunks.
The makeup experts refined his sun-tanned features into something sleeker.
Once they fitted him with a temporary garment and slipped shoes on his feet.
Theo stared at his reflection in the full-length mirror—it felt so alien.
On the other hand.
“Oh my, oh my my...!”
“Young Master... is that really you?”
Ooooh.
Cheers erupted from all around.
Some maids blushed, stealing glances at his profile.
His already renowned handsome face from the Ragnars had become even more striking.
His outfit was the same.
The clothes highlighted his lean, subtly muscled frame to perfection—like wings themselves.
“How do you like it? Satisfied?”
Cecilia grinned confidently, pleased with her handiwork(?).
“It feels... uncomfortable.”
“Comfort and style are inversely proportional, after all. You’ll have to bear with it. This is another kind of Awakening Ceremony.”
Cecilia stood beside Theo and tilted her head.
“But my son, have you grown taller? Your shoulders look broader too. You’ve shot right past your mother now.”
Theo, unable to mention the messages, mumbled vaguely.
“Seems like it.”
“Must be your growth spurt—your features look sharper too. Almost like the Family Head in his youth...”
For a split second, Theo caught the bitter smile on Cecilia’s lips.
But she switched back to a confident expression in an instant.
“Remember this, my son. You are the son of this Cecilia. Be proud and elegant wherever you go. Never cower. If you stand tall, the world won’t dare harm you.”
Even if it came from her twisted affection and possessiveness toward her son.
“And even if you make a mistake, don’t worry. Your mother will be your umbrella, protecting you no matter what.”
Theo felt a strange emotion from her he’d never sensed before.
“......”
For some reason, his chest tickled.
* * *
“...Young Master Theo? You look like a completely different person.”
“Are you teasing me too, Wellington?”
Theo sighed as he climbed into the carriage where Wellington had come to pick him up at the Rose Palace.
‘It really suits him that well.’
Wellington looked puzzled at the misunderstanding.
“Clothes make the man”—Theo had changed so much he was almost unrecognizable at first glance.
He’d probably be the top in looks, men and women combined, at this gathering.
Clatter—
The carriage wheels began to turn.
The venue was the Camellia Palace.
It was quite a distance from the Rose Palace.
Wellington eyed Theo, who still seemed awkward and uncomfortable in his outfit.
“I heard this is your first time at a gathering like this, Young Master Theo.”
Theo nodded silently.
“Even so, I’m sure you’ll handle it just fine, even if it’s awkward at first. My friends are curious about you too. They’re not bad guys. Just...”
“Is there something you’re worried about?”
“To be honest, Axion—that guy is a bit... no, very mischievous. But it’s not malicious...”
Wellington’s trailing words fell on deaf ears.
Axion.
That name alone echoed in Theo’s mind.
‘Renden left the Rose Palace and connected with Axion’s side. Was that really a coincidence, or...’
Theo occasionally entertained such speculations.
-In his past life, was there some long-brewing conspiracy behind Mother’s false accusation and my death?
-And was Renden truly uninvolved?
Theo’s thoughts stretched long before snapping short.
“...The one who said he wanted to meet you and sent the invitation is actually Axion too. So please don’t think badly of him.”
In that moment, Theo’s eyes gleamed.
‘Is that how it is?’