Seep In
Silence. And uncomfortable stares.
Wayne could wait as long as they wanted if they were just going to inspect him.
“Your eyes take after Father’s,” Adam finally said after a long pause.
“Is that so? I was disappointed because I don’t look like him at all. More importantly, let me thank you properly, big brother.”
Wayne rose from his chair and bowed at a perfect ninety degrees.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I know you’re the one who saved my life, big brother.”
“...What?”
“Bran wanted to kill me. But I heard you ordered them to bring me back alive.”
Adam shot a quick glare toward the door.
‘You idiot! I told you to watch your mouth...’
Bran, waiting outside, was idly scratching his ear as if it itched.
Adam’s expression softened a bit as he looked back at Wayne.
“Bran’s always been hot-tempered and impulsive—he might’ve killed you. But how could brothers shed blood? The moment I heard he was heading your way, I sent a messenger right away, ordering him to bring you back alive no matter what.”
“As expected, you’re the one who saved me, big brother. Thank you for your grace.”
Wayne bowed deeply once more. Internally, he clicked his tongue at Adam’s cunning.
‘Not someone to underestimate...’
Even in this moment alone, Adam was pinning all the blame on Bran while touting only his own benevolence in saving Wayne.
“So, do you resent Bran for it?”
“No. Honestly, thanks to him, I got the chance to kill Cassnet and escape that hellhole of a mansion. I actually see him as a benefactor.”
“Is that right? Since it came up, I’m curious. Did Cassnet really abuse you?”
“Take a look at how brutally that son of a bitch beat me.”
Wayne shot to his feet and shamelessly dropped his pants.
Adam grimaced but examined the wounds closely. There were fresh cuts, scabbed-over spots with bruises, and even old scars. Clear evidence of long-term abuse.
“Disgusting! Cover up.”
Wayne dressed and sat back down. Suddenly, Adam’s eyes turned fierce, and he slammed his fist on the chair arm.
Bam!
“Eek! You scared me!”
“Then why did you lie in the audience chamber?”
“Pardon?”
“Did you think you could lie to Father and get away with it?”
Wayne hit the floor in exaggerated shock, prostrating himself.
“Th-that’s not it!”
He whined in a pitiful voice.
“No matter how much Cassnet abused me, he was the knight Father sent to protect me. And in the end, he really tried to shield me. How could I confess that I stabbed him in the back? How could I tell the truth?”
Adam stroked his chin with one hand, lost in thought.
“And Father—no, the Marquis—is the same. How could blood kin lock me in that prison for sixteen years? Getting beaten by that bastard every day was infuriating enough, but fuck! There were no women, so I had to sleep with maids twice my age. Do you have any idea how that felt? Not that there were any women around. Ha! Fuck!”
Wayne vented his genuine frustration and rage.
Adam chuckled inwardly.
‘He’s got Stein blood in him after all.’
Every man in the Stein family loved women. Adam, the eldest, had no scandals, but the Marquis in his youth—and his other brothers—had endless rumors. Adam himself had quite the tangled web of hidden affairs.
“Don’t resent Father too much, Wayne. He did it to protect you from Bran or the others possibly harming you. Of course, he had no idea Cassnet would abuse you like that.”
“I understand, but...”
“Get up now. Someone might think I’m bullying you.”
Wayne prostrated himself again.
“Please! Don’t tell the Marquis.”
“What?”
“Promise to keep it secret from him. Then I’ll get up.”
“Hah! Fine. What we just discussed stays between brothers.”
Only then did Wayne rise.
“Thank you. In this vast castle, you’re the only one on my side, brother.”
Wayne’s eyes even welled up a bit.
“If anything troubles you in the future, come to me. I’ll stand by you.”
“Thank you, big brother!”
Wayne wiped his tears and studied Adam’s face. Had his act worked? Adam hadn’t fully dropped his guard, but his expression and tone were noticeably softer.
‘That bastard! Thinks he’s got dirt on me now.’
If dodging Adam’s suspicions meant handing over his liver and gall, Wayne was willing.
“You can go now. Send Bran in.”
“Um...”
Wayne hesitated.
“What? More to say?”
“Could you... give me some gold coins?”
“Gold coins?”
“I heard you need them to go out. But Cassnet handled the money, so I don’t have a single one.”
Adam smiled faintly for the first time.
“How much do you need?”
“The more, the better.”
Wayne watched Adam’s reaction carefully.
Adam pulled a heavy pouch of gold from a drawer and set it on the desk.
“Come back when it’s gone.”
“Thank you, big brother! Truly, thank you!”
Wayne tucked the pouch into his bosom, flashed a broad grin, and left.
“So, what do you think, brother?”
Adam stroked his chin instead of answering Bran’s question, deep in thought.
“Ugh! This is frustrating as hell.”
“Quiet!”
Bran pouted at Adam’s low growl.
“I still can’t read that kid.”
“But he did kill Cassnet, right?”
“True, but why lie for you? That’s still unclear.”
“Ah! I think I know.”
Bran held up his pinky finger.
“Women.”
“Huh?”
“The Blue Knights showed up out of nowhere that day—no time for anything else, but I promised him one thing. If it all went well, I’d hook him up with all the women he could want.”
“Women, huh...”
“Yeah! He loves them as much as I do. Wouldn’t shut up about it the whole way here.”
Adam nodded, something clicking.
“Since we’re introducing him to women anyway, we need one who’ll drain his soul.”
“Drain his soul?”
“Stunning beauty, but not too obedient. And crucially, one we can control.”
“Pfft, where would we find a woman like that? If we did, I’d take her first...”
Bran’s face paled.
“Brother! You don’t mean...?”
“You’re getting sharper. Right—the girl you brought this time. Sold off for her father’s gambling debts...”
“H-how did you know?”
“You think there’s anything in Dresden I don’t know about?”
“But I haven’t touched her yet—just cleaned her up a bit.”
“That’s why I want her. You can handle her and her father, right?”
“Of course, but...”
Bran looked like he might die of regret.
“Brother, can’t it be someone else? I’ll give you my favorite concubine, Monica.”
“No worn-out slut.”
“But wouldn’t more experience make him more obsessed?”
“You’re a Stein man—don’t you get it? Quick thrills get boring fast.”
Bran suddenly understood but still hated to part with her.
‘Damn it, I need to stall somehow.’
Back in his room, Wayne experienced the wonders of maids drawing him a bath. They even applied the best ointments to his wounds.
‘Adam’s no pushover, as expected.’
He hadn’t bought everything Wayne said. But crucially, he didn’t suspect Wayne wasn’t the real Wayne Stein.
That alone was a win. His secret was safe forever...
‘Wait, what about Peter?’
The witch knew about the other man outside. That’s why she’d said there were three of them from the start. And she’d foreseen Peter coming to kill her.
‘She said she’d handle him alone—must’ve done it.’
Peter hadn’t returned late into the night, so something had definitely happened.
‘And the witch?’
She was fine. Blind, after all. Plus, she’d prophesied that Wayne Stein would lead many and be cheered by crowds. Since he was Wayne Stein now, not being exposed yet proved it.
Wayne sighed in relief. Glancing around, he covered his mouth and grinned.
‘So I’ve become royalty...’
One of the top five families in the Barantia Empire.
‘No, with the emperor and royals, that makes six.’
The Stein family was like one of Korea’s top six conglomerates—complete with massive military power.
In his past life, he’d been a salesman grinding himself to death. No amount of effort—even dying and waking up—could’ve made him royalty.
Unless reborn into a chaebol family. But here he was, royalty without even being reborn.
Sure, it was like parachuting into an entry-level corporate job. But that was fine. Everyone knew he was family, and status didn’t vanish.
In corporate dramas or novels, protagonists methodically take over: hoarding shares, amassing wealth, seizing affiliates, winning executives.
To Han Sang-tae, this world wasn’t much different. Gather people like stocks, subtly win over key family figures, and reversal opportunities would arise.
At minimum, he could grab a big piece.
Bowing his head now wasn’t a big deal.
His identity as Wayne was laundered perfectly. Next up...
‘Survive!’
Solid identity or not, he was still an unhatched chick. Flaunting talent, visiting the Marquis, or pulling people in would draw suspicion. Adam and Bran would kill him risks be damned—cleanly.
Even if Frank protected him, he couldn’t suspect the official heir without proof. Adam would pin it all on Bran, like this time.
And Frank’s favor could shift. He’d saved Wayne for his old love, but sixteen years had passed. Leaving him alone might’ve been hiding him, not protecting.
Next year, the Marquis turned sixty. He couldn’t shield forever.
‘Looking weak or submissive isn’t enough.’
He had to infiltrate their midst without them knowing who the enemy was.
Adam was the official heir, suspicious, and sharp. Don’t target him directly—start with the easier ones.
Knock knock!
“Who is it?”
“It’s me, Brother Bran.”
Bran scowled the moment he saw Wayne.
“What? At this hour?”
“Let me buy you a drink, brother. At a place with women.”
“Huh? Women?”
Time to start spending like royalty.