Published at 11th of March 2026 11:46 am

Chapter 138: A family matter

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

“Fantastic!” Theodore exclaims, oblivious to the tone that made the rest of the room flinch. “We were just going over the Jakenhal variations. I did think that perhaps your field of study might provide some insight into some of the unique paradoxes that arise from…”

“Dearest brother,” she interrupts with a fake smile and a tone that finally causes him to flinch with the rest of us. “I am certain that your new acquaintances would not begrudge you should we leave the room to converse for a few moments.”

He scrunches up his face in seemingly genuine confusion. “Well, certes, but that is a strange hypothetical to be engaging in...”

“Theodore!” she snaps, all illusion of polite pleasantry vanished. “Come with me, now!”

Theodore’s face freezes in a mixture of emotions that include guilt and embarrassment as he glances around the room and plasters a reassuring smile for our benefit. “Please, if you would, continue in our absence.”

There’s a dull click from the door as the two leave us, and the Marquis Phillip, behind. Everyone glances about, clearly wanting to speak, but glances at the dour – yet still absurdly fashionable to even my untrained eye – Marquis, and decides to wait in silence instead. Which, as it so happens, rather suits me, as it allows me to focus on the listening token I placed just outside the door.

Unfortunately, while I do so much want to switch to the visual version of the spell (as they stopped just outside the door where I placed the token), that would require a quick but conspicuous chant. Which, besides not wanting even my friends to know about the spell, it would no doubt be reported by the Marquis. Fortunately, I can silently will the sensitivity to increase without any outward indication, and so can easily make out their hushed whispers. (I doubt that Cecellia lacks a silencer, but likely decided their conversation not worth obscuring given the difficulty of properly setting up said device in such an open and irregular space as the main library chamber.)

“Is there a problem, dear sister?” Theodore asks with an innocence that I don’t need visual stimuli to tell is put on, though perhaps he is actually ignorant as to the cause of his sister’s ire.

“Dear brother,” I can hear the menacing smile, “far be it from me to be overbearing regarding whom you choose to spend your time with, but it did seem to me that your little group does contain an individual whom I did advise you strongly not to associate with. Do you perhaps recollect the individual of whom I speak?”

“Ah,” he utters, followed by the sound of him scratching the back of his neck as he no doubt glances away from his stern sister.

“Ah, indeed. But worry not, dear brother, I am aware that I warn you of a great many things and that, no doubt, this one simply slipped your mind. No doubt, now that I have reminded you of the peril, you will seek to remedy your quite understandable error by ejecting the interloper from your company with all due haste.”

“…No.” He says, quietly but with defiance somehow built from nothing over the course of a single syllable.

“No? Pray tell,” she says through grinding teeth and a tone that causes me to wince from her indirect ire.

“He’s good. I want to keep him.”

A stretched and menacing silence followed by flat and measured words. “Better than the experts mother allocated to teach you at great cost?”

He scoffs. “No, of course not. But they’re so boring. Stuffy. Set. They don’t learn with me, don’t come up with novel solutions. Don’t think of approaches that slip past me.”

“And he does?”

“Well… once, I guess. I suppose what I mean is that he chooses solutions that I had dismissed for criteria that I hadn’t considered, which is nearly as interesting… really.” He almost seems dishearteningly unconvinced. “What does it matter?” He continues, snapping into defiance. “You never let me keep the ones I really want.”

“That’s not true. I let you associate with all sorts of people. I only cull the dangerous sorts, which this Malichi is.”

“So?” he whines. “Isn’t Marquis Horse-Lover dangerous?”

“That’s not his name.” She audibly rolls her eyes.

“It’s what it means,” he responds, gloatingly. “You know, in the language where he’s from…It doesn’t matter. What matters is that he’s dangerous, but you play with him anyways while stopping me from doing the same with the ones I want. It’s not fair.”

“So what if it’s not fair?! I don’t ‘play’ with him. I use him to keep us both safe.” She hisses the last word.

“You use him because you like surrounding yourself with pretty things,” Theodore counters flatly.

“He’s useful because he is a pretty thing. People react to his presence the way I want them to react. It’s useful to – which I don’t understand why I need to remind you – keep you out of this silly game called ‘heir apparent’ mother thrusted us into. Unless you’re saying you’ve changed your mind and decided you want to join the competition after all?”

A sullen silence ensues. “…You’re saying you don’t enjoy him aesthetically?”

“So what if I do?” she hisses. “So what if I find him pleasant to be around in addition to his utility? Is it really so bad that he helps me relax with all the work I do for both of us?”

“…Sorry, I shouldn’t have suggested that. I know you get it from everyone else.”

“…I forgive you. Sigh… you’ll get rid of this Malichi?”

“…No.”

She sighs again, but more aggressively this time. “Why not?”

“Because I don’t understand why he’s so dangerous.”

“You don’t… Theodore, he rejected Vincent. If you snatch him up, that will be seen as a slight to our dear brother. Saying that you can gain the loyalty of those whom Vincent is unable to. People will assume that it’s deliberate and that you’re breaking your carefully cultivated neutrality. Which would have been bad enough on its own until mother butted into things and gave him a gift?”

“She did?” he asks, baffled.

“You were in the room, Theodore!” she exclaims, clearly louder than she intended.

“But, why would she do that?” Dismay seeps into his voice.

“I don’t know! She probably heard about the issue with Vincent and thought it’d be funny to throw a cat at some pigeons.”

“You don’t mean that,” he says, slightly teary voiced. “She wouldn’t play around with us like that.”

“…No, of course not,” she says with a reassuring tone and weary sigh. “I just… I don’t understand why she’s playing this game in the first place. It’s not like she’s going to die anyways.”

“Do you think she doesn’t intend to designate any of us heir?”

“No… no I don’t.”

“Then why bother with it? Why play the game and chase after support?” he asks, almost pleadingly.

“Because even if it is just a game to mother, it’s one I can’t let Vincent win. For one, there’s an off chance that if he gets enough support, mother might feel forced to designate him regardless of her current intent. Second, him getting support is bad regardless. He hates us, remember?”

“He doesn’t hate us. He’s just… grumpy. Mother says it’s a phase.”

“Mother is wise and farsighted, but it’s hard to see what’s in front of you when you’re always looking at the horizon.”

“…I suppose…”

She suddenly breathes out in a forceful and protracted manner. “This is a distraction. Even if you don’t care about the fact that you associating with this ‘Malichi Mongrel’ will harm your perceived neutrality, think about why he’s suddenly hanging out with you in the first place.”

“Why… Because I asked him to, obviously.”

“Theodore!” she snaps. “I specifically instructed him not to associate with you. The only reason he would do so anyways is if he’s someone else’s pawn. Someone who he thinks will protect him. Considering that he attended the equinoctial with dearest sister Tallia, I would consider her the prime suspect. Which, I shouldn’t have to remind you, she is Vincent’s ally.”

Theodore scoffs. “She’s not Vincent’s ally. Don’t be silly. She just knows how to handle him better than the rest of us and doesn’t want him to be isolated from the family.”

“You put too much stock in her carefully manufactured appearance of carelessness.”

“And you’re too distrustful of our own family. She’s capable, but that doesn’t always mean calculating like you do. Maybe she hoped Malichi would be a bridge between us.”

“And you’re too hopeful. Even if she doesn’t have some scheme to our detriment, be assured that Vincent does. Besides, any benevolence she may have intended will be hard to achieve while she’s off on campaign.”

“Still, I want to trust her. She’s nice. She always has been to me. Just because she’s also nice to Vincent doesn’t mean that I should suddenly discount that. Trusting that past kindness won’t change is the only way our family is going to get through this intact.”

“Sigh… Fine. Let’s assume she hasn’t changed from the scant few months since the start of this stupid game and she just wants us all to stick together. Well, Vincent hasn’t changed either, and he didn’t need the excuse to be a nasty little shit. He’s always been a schemer, much more so now that he actually has good cause to. If you don’t want to protect yourself from him, that’s fine, but at least don’t thwart my efforts to protect both of us… Unless you’ve reconsidered and decided to join the contest in earnest? Keeping this Monhal wouldn’t be a bad opening move, but only if you intend to follow through.” There’s almost hope in her voice at the suggestion.

Theodore chuckles sadly. “I’d make a terrible ruler, and likely a not much better heir.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure. You wouldn’t rule like mother, but that doesn’t mean ruling badly. At the very least, you’d be better than Vincent. Really, either of us would probably be fine. It’s not like we’ll be asked to rule anyways. So long as Vincent doesn’t gain more power.”

“Oh? What if Avery gets picked?” Theodore asks, clearly amused at the prospect.

“Yeah, what if?” Cecillia chuckles. “Who knows what that shadow would do. Probably wouldn’t even understand what the fuss is about.”

“Heh, yeah. Maybe they would have a point.”

Cecillia scoffs. “That’s the last thing I need – you’ve already weird enough without them rubbing off on you… Look, will you do what I ask and get rid of this Malichi?”

“…I don’t want to.”

“Sigh… Then will you take advantage of his presence, drop your neutrality and join the competition in earnest?”

“I don’t want to do that either.”

“You can’t have both, little Dore.” She says sadly.

“Why not? Aren’t we mother’s children? If we can’t have things both ways, then what’s even the point of our divinity?”

This produces a chuckle followed by a sigh. “Fine. If you’re really saying that having a new friend with the same interests is worth the same as you avoiding the contest… then I’ll make it work for you… like I always do, little Dore.”

“Thanks, sis…” There is a slight cracking in his voice, followed by the rustling of clothing that I assume to be a hug.

“Of course… it’s what I do. Now, compose yourself. You can’t let them see you like this. It would be beneath your dignity.

“Yeah… Yeah, I know. Thanks.”

A minute of silence ensues, followed by them returning to the room. The meeting continues for an hour with Cecillia staying to watch, though the Marquis does leave to peruse the main room, citing boredom.

Theodore ends the meeting with a cheerful tone that none of us feel. I try to leave before anything else can happen, but the Marquis suddenly appears at the end of the row of bookshelves that I choose to escape by, revealing the intent of his early departure with a predatory grin. I turn to look back and see Cecillia closing in from behind with an oh so polite smile and sweet lilting voice.

“Malichi, so good that we can have this chance to talk. Walk with me, will you?”

I suck air through my teeth as I force them into a subservient smile. “Of course, your highness, I live to please.”

Share