Stewart Huguenot was the eldest son of the Huguenot family, one of the three ducal families of the Beltrum Kingdom. He was also the former heir of the family.
He had been disinherited after an incident in Amande where he had gotten drunk and caused trouble for Rio, which in turn had angered his father, Duke Huguenot. Now, his little brother had taken over the position of heir, and he was just a low-ranking knight of the Restoration.
It was the middle of the day at the Galarc Castle.
“Hah...”
Stewart was on duty patrolling the castle grounds. In contrast to the sunny sky, his sigh was heavy and gloomy. He couldn’t help feeling listless. Every time he passed the Galarc knights on patrol, that feeling increased.
The reason behind that feeling was Stewart’s inferiority complex towards the Galarc knights.
“Guh...”
A weak and cowardly knight that fled from Rodania as it fell. He couldn’t help the feeling that all the Galarc knights were thinking that as they sent him looks of disdain. Thus, each time he came across a knight of Galarc, he sped up his walking pace.
This is humiliating. Why should I be doing this as a high-ranking noble?
Even the knight uniform of the Restoration was embarrassing to wear. The reason he felt this way was probably because he himself would think the same if the positions were reversed.
Wouldn’t it have been better to stay in Rodania as a prisoner of honor?
Such thoughts flashed through his mind.
No, there’s no guarantee they would have kept everyone alive.
He recalled the battlefield at that time and immediately corrected himself. When the Arbor army was attacking, Stewart had been on duty protecting the city. But when he’d witnessed Renji use a single attack to freeze over a hundred Aerial Knights, he’d completely lost the will to fight. That was when he had decided to evacuate on an enchanted airship. If he were to return to that moment now, he would still choose to evacuate.
Besides, I’m the oldest son of the Huguenot family. Who knows what would have happened if the Arbors had caught me...
His justification for fleeing was his family’s status. He convinced himself out of self-interest that he couldn’t be captured as the heir of the Huguenot family.
However, that decision was now spurring on Stewart’s sense of guilt. With every passing moment, he questioned whether his decision was truly correct.
“Brother.”
Just then, someone called out to Stewart mid-patrol. Their voice had a mocking tone to it, as though they were looking down on him.
“Pierre.” Stewart turned back to look in disgust at his younger brother, Pierre Huguenot. Though only a second son, he’d gained the right to succeed the Huguenot family after Stewart had been disinherited.
“How unsightly. As a member of the Huguenot family, you should be walking with your head held high. What are you so ashamed of?” Pierre asked, seeing right through to the inferiority complex Stewart was carrying. It seemed they weren’t brothers for nothing.
“What did you just say?”
“If you had died in the fight in Rodania, you would have at least regained the honor you lost.” Pierre sighed scornfully.
Damn it! He’s just saying whatever he wants!
Stewart closed his mouth but cursed him on the inside.
Things had been better in the past. At least up until the incident that had allowed his brother to take the position of heir from him. Even when they’d been unable to stay in the capital due to the faction wars, he’d still had his pride as the heir of the Huguenot family.
But now that he had been disinherited, he didn’t want to meet foreign nobles anymore. He didn’t feel any pride in the uniform he wore. His younger brother looked down on him, and he couldn’t even argue back. At this rate, he was just a failure, of which his little brother made him extra aware every time they spoke. That was why Stewart hated interacting with Pierre.
However, Pierre was just airing his grievances with Stewart, who had abused him back when he was the heir, and returning the favor with interest.
“Father knew all along. You claimed to be guarding the evacuees, but you were just trying to save yourself by fleeing on the enchanted airship.”
“Wh-What?! Don’t be ridiculous! I would never!” Stewart stuttered, losing his composure from Pierre hitting the bull’s-eye.
“Well, I knew you didn’t have the guts to die honorably to begin with. At the end of the day, you’re still a member of the family, so I suppose it’s better than you getting captured.”
“Tch! Did you come all the way here to pick a fight?”
Realizing that extending the conversation would just create more stress, Stewart held back his anger and asked his brother for the purpose of his visit.
“No, father is calling for you.”
“What? Father...calling for me?”
Ever since he had been disinherited in Amande, Duke Huguenot had barely spoken to him. Thus, while he tilted his head in suspicion, there was a tone of joy to his voice.
✦ ✦ ✦
In the guest house within the Galarc Castle grounds, Stewart and Pierre were visiting Duke Huguenot’s office.
“Father, I’ve brought him,” Pierre said as he entered the room.
“Good work. Pierre, you can return to your own duties.”
“Yes, father.”
Pierre nodded obediently at his father’s orders. But he didn’t like the thought of leaving his father alone with his disinherited brother, so he shot Stewart a warning glare on his way out.
“Pfft.” Stewart chuckled triumphantly.
“What are you laughing at?”
“N-Nothing. What did you need from me today?”
Duke Huguenot’s cold voice had Stewart pulling himself together in a fluster. But his eyes had a faint light of expectation as he watched his father’s expression, hoping he had good news.
“Four years ago, you participated in an outdoor drill at the academy. Do you remember that?” Duke Huguenot got right to the point, pulling a curtain over the light in his son’s eyes.
“Huh? Outdoor drill? Four years ago...” Stewart’s eyes darted about the place at the unexpected question.
“The drill where you caused trouble. Don’t tell me you forgot.”
“N-No, of course I remember...”
There was no way he would forget. When he looked back on his past, that outdoor drill had been the start of his father’s disappointment in him.
However, he was offended by the accusation that it was he who had caused the trouble. While it was Stewart who had bumped into Flora and sent her over the cliff, Stewart himself had been sent flying into Flora.
I was a victim too!
He had no responsibility for the situation. At the very least, that was how Stewart saw things, and it was also how the aftermath had been handled externally. So why...
“Why are you bringing it up now?” Stewart asked nervously.
“What was the name of the boy at the center of the outdoor drill incident?” Duke Huguenot asked, ignoring his son’s question.
“If I recall correctly...it was Rio.”
This name was also unforgettable to him. After all, merely recalling it filled him with hatred. He was a lowly orphan, yet he stood out all the time, always had an air of superiority to him. He was like a plague of a boy, Stewart recalled with a frown.
That’s right. If he hadn’t been there...
Flora would never have fallen off the cliff.
In reality, it was another male student who had collided with Stewart. Stewart had been injured by the monster ambush and had tried to cling to another male student in a panic during the battle. As a result, Stewart had been thrown into Flora, sending her off the edge of the cliff. That was the truth.
However...
He pushed me, and Princess Flora was entangled in the result. It wasn’t my fault.
Stewart had used his father’s power to twist the truth. Thus, all the blame went to Rio. At this point, even his own memories and perception had been twisted by that truth. Merely recalling Rio after all this time was enough to make him annoyed.
“I see...” Duke Huguenot said after a long pause. Then...
“Uh...” Stewart’s whole body trembled. Duke Huguenot was staring at him so coldly, his gaze could be mistaken for killing intent.
But in the next moment, Duke Huguenot closed his eyes in thought.
Was it just my imagination?
Stewart tilted his head blankly.
“That aside, you weren’t in the rooftop garden during the attack yesterday, were you?” Duke Huguenot asked, suddenly changing the topic.
“Yes, I had just been on night patrol...”
“I don’t care about that. I’m asking if you saw Sir Amakawa fight.”
There was a hint of exasperation in Duke Huguenot’s tone, believing Stewart had just been hiding inside the castle. Whether Stewart himself realized that...
“No, I was extremely tired after my night shift, so I was asleep... I didn’t see anything.”
“It should have created quite the commotion,” Duke Huguenot said with a disappointed look.
“M-My apologies.”
“Forget it. I have a meeting with Queen Christina after this. You’re coming with me.”
Duke Huguenot got up from his chair while giving Stewart his orders.
“Huh?”
Stewart blinked blankly. His father never took him with him anywhere anymore.
“I told you to follow me.”
“M-Me? R-Right away!” Stewart replied in an excited voice. Could there be a chance for him to regain his position in the discussion with Christina? Hope filled his eyes once again.