Even after Adrian’s response, Lucas remained unfazed.

“I’ve been neglecting you, Brother.”

“Neglecting me? Don’t push yourself. There’s no need to think like that.”

Adrian’s smile was as steady as ever.

Then, the chamberlain’s voice rang out again.

“The Duke, Georg Askanian, has arrived.”

As he entered, both Lucas and Adrian rose from their seats and greeted him.

“You’ve arrived.”

“Sit.”

Georg’s gaze briefly landed on Lucas’ composed expression, so different from a year ago, before moving away as if he had lost interest.

Now, his eyes settled on Adrian.

“How is your health?”

“I’ve improved a lot since before I arrived. Being home brings me peace, and I almost forget that I was ever unwell.”

“That’s good.”

His words held no trace of emotion.

Even though this was the first time in over a year that the three of them had gathered, Georg Askanian showed no sentiment whatsoever.

A fleeting, sardonic smile flickered across Lucas’ face as he observed him.

As the servants poured aperitifs into their glasses, Georg recited a prayer.

“Bless us, O Lord, and these gifts which we are about to receive. Through Christ our Lord, we pray.”

His voice was devoid of any gratitude.

Then, he gave a short command.

“Eat.”

For a while, only the sound of cutlery against plates filled the room.

As they neared the end of their appetizers, Adrian finally spoke.

“It’s been a long time since the three of us last shared a meal. Being here makes it feel real that I’ve returned home. How have you been, Your Grace?”

“There was nothing out of the ordinary.”

Even though the response was curt and stiff, no one at the table found it unusual.

Georg Askanian was a man of few words.

Most of the time, he simply gave an icy stare to silence others. It was rare for him to engage in conversation at all.

This was a privilege that only Adrian Askanian could expect.

“That’s good to hear.”

Adrian replied with a perfectly polished smile before seamlessly shifting the conversation to Anhalt’s political situation.

As the discussion continued, the servants began to feel a sense of ease.

Georg Askanian excelled at commanding submission, but he never inspired true loyalty.

Adrian was different.

Every time they saw him in action, it became clear why he held such a firm standing in the Imperial Court and across the Empire.

By the time Adrian wrapped up his discussion with Georg, the suffocating tension at the table had eased considerably.

Now, Adrian turned his attention to Lucas.

“It’s also been a while since I’ve had a meal with my dear brother. I heard you placed second in the Bavarian Magic Potion Tournament.”

“Yes.”

“I was quite surprised when I heard about your excellent grades at school, and you’ve impressed me yet again. I’m truly pleased to see your consistent achievements.”

“It’s all thanks to your faith and support, Brother.”

Lucas offered a polite smile before continuing.

“More importantly, I heard you had an accident. What happened?”

The servants, though they didn’t show it outright, were clearly taken aback.

Just last year, he could barely muster a response when spoken to.

Now, he was looking Adrian straight in the eye and asking questions.

Yet Adrian Askanian showed no sign of surprise.

His expression remained as warm as ever as he regarded his younger brother.

“It’s not a particularly pleasant story, but you should know. I was attacked by magic set up by Pleroma and lost consciousness. At first, I didn’t think the injuries were serious, but the diagnosis suggested it would be best to receive treatment in the Empire.”

At the mention of Pleroma, the servants exchanged glances.

As trained Askanian household staff, they quickly suppressed their reaction, but Adrian had already caught that brief moment.

His expression stiffened slightly, but Lucas only smiled enigmatically.

“I’m fine, Brother.”

Adrian must have been curious to see how his Pleroma-born younger brother would react upon hearing that Pleroma had attacked him.

Lucas glanced at the bowl of soup placed before him before speaking again.

“You’ve been through a lot. I heard Pleroma has been making bolder moves lately, but to think a close family member would be harmed… That is truly shocking. I will pray wholeheartedly for your swift recovery.”

“……”

Adrian smiled softly.

“Thank you.”

The soup was cleared away, and a plate of bread was set in front of them.

The conversation had shifted several times by now, mostly revolving around politics between Georg and Adrian.

Then, at a natural pause, Adrian turned to Lucas.

“Luca, could you pass me the butter?”

“……”

Lucas, who had just taken a sip of wine, casually rang the service bell on the table.

The atmosphere froze.

Even Georg stopped speaking and looked at Lucas, effectively ending their conversation.

A servant quickly composed himself and approached.

“How may I assist you, young master?”

“Make sure it’s placed conveniently for my brother to use.”

“Yes, young master.”

The servant obeyed without a second thought, treating it as a natural command.

Lucas smiled as he looked at the two men staring at him.

“I don’t need it anymore, so please use it comfortably, Brother.”

“……”

It wasn’t wrong.

Each of them had multiple glasses in front of them, so stretching across the table would have been inconvenient.

And as a noble, the son of a ruling family with over a hundred servants at his disposal, giving orders should have been second nature to him.

But Lucas Askanian wasn’t that kind of person.

Especially when it came to a direct request from Adrian—he had never displayed any flexibility before.

All the servants, still considering Lucas to be below Adrian, anxiously gauged Adrian’s reaction.

Yet Adrian wore the same serene smile as always.

And Lucas, too, remained unchanged.

***

For the next three days, Adrian Askanian never once summoned Lucas to his room.

At mealtimes, Adrian did nothing more than smile and engage in casual conversation.

He only brought up school life, friends, and Pleroma—nothing out of the ordinary.

While the entire household staff struggled to adjust to Lucas’ transformation, Adrian treated his utterly changed brother the same as always.

Not once did he question the change.

It was an oddly normal and peaceful approach.

Then, on the fourth day, Adrian finally summoned Lucas.

***

Since his request was for me to come alone, I entered the building without any attendants.

The meeting place was the theater.

For a ruling family, having facilities like this within their estate wasn’t unusual.

The current Duke wasn’t the type to enjoy such things, so it was likely built by a previous head of the family.

“You’re here.”

Hearing my footsteps, Adrian Askanian turned from his seat near the middle.

“Yes.”

I answered indifferently.

His goal was simple.

To determine whether he could sense magic from me or not.

To see if I had the potential to one day surpass him and take revenge.

He came all this way just to confirm that, yet he dragged it out to avoid showing his agitation.

He should have hidden it better.

From the moment he willingly injured himself to return here, he had already revealed his unease.

After analyzing his status window and hearing firsthand how he was injured, I was completely sure—

He did hurt himself on purpose.

So, after days of waiting, why call me to the theater specifically?

With a tone as if we had been friendly siblings for the past eighteen years, Adrian asked,

“We used to come here often when we were younger. Do you remember?”

“No.”

“Well, I suppose not. I was ten, and you were three.”

I chuckled lightly.

He was well aware of the massive age gap, yet it never troubled him to abandon his brother both socially and physically.

“How come you called me here?”

“I feel like I haven’t been able to look after you properly since you enrolled in the Imperial Second Academy. And since you mostly stayed in your room as a child, you didn’t get many chances to enjoy yourself.”

Adrian spoke while gazing at the empty stage set.

“There are a lot of things I’d like to ask you.”

“……”

Right.

It was about time he dropped the act.

I wasn’t worried about him detecting my magic. I was controlling even the faintest traces in the air.

Still, I wasn’t in the mood to take any chances, so I sat one seat away from him.

Luckily, Adrian didn’t seem to mind. He likely interpreted it as typical behavior for someone my age.

Before long, the theater troupe he had arranged stepped onto the stage.

The play was Macbeth.

I wasn’t expecting much, but since this was a noble family’s hired troupe, it wasn’t completely unbearable.

[Honor, love, and friendship… All that remains for me is a curse.]

I half-listened to the lines while thinking through Adrian’s plan.

Before I knew it, the play had reached its final act.

I had only been counting down the time when Adrian, still staring at the stage, murmured,

“No matter how many times I watch, I never tire of it. The lesson is clear—one must never end up like that.”

“That’s true.”

I couldn’t help but smile.

Lesson?

Since when did this bastard have the right to talk about lessons?

The age gap between us was a misfortune.

If we had been only a year or two apart, we would have either ignored each other or outright fought.

He would have shown his true nature more easily, and I could have dealt with him more conveniently.

Instead, I had to put up with this disgusting charade of kindness.

Then, Adrian spoke again.

“So, are you still taking your medication?”

“……”

It was the first time he had brought this up.

We might be heading straight for the basement soon.

I answered without emotion.

“I am.”

Adrian rested his chin on one hand and smiled.

“But it doesn’t seem to be working.”

“……”

I stared at him in silence.

The voices from the stage, the music—everything faded from my awareness.

Processing critical information was already demanding enough.

I didn’t have the luxury of paying attention to that.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You can tell me the truth, Luca.”

“There’s nothing more to tell. I’ve already answered honestly.”

Think.

Why would he say, “It doesn’t seem to be working”?

I knew how to suppress magic in the air better than even Leona or Elias.

If I didn’t, people like Traut would have picked up on it.

That was a skill I had honed to an unparalleled level.

Then, Adrian Askanian smiled and extended his hand.

“……”

He didn’t say a word, but his intent was clear.

He wanted proof.

Even if I masked the magic lingering in the air, there was one thing I couldn’t suppress without an external tool—

The magic running through my veins.

Until now, Adrian had no direct way of detecting my magic.

So, there were only two possibilities for why he made that claim.

Either he was bluffing.

Or he had obtained information from somewhere about me using magic.

If it was the latter, I needed to know exactly what he had discovered.

What should I do?

There was no need to think for long.

I reached out my hand.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep