After Cedric stormed the mansion, Duke Artus was tormented by Felix all day.
He said that he couldn’t be something like a duke, so he needed someone else to be his heir.
Even though he had scolded him for being so immature, he kept on whining, and eventually Duke Artus raised his hand on his son.
Of course, he didn’t know what happened between Cedric and Felix, so he only guessed that the shock of being hit by Beolde was greater than expected.
‘That damn bitch!’
He can’t believe that she managed to make his eldest son to look weak like that. He was blazed with anger towards Beolde.
But he had no time for that. Unfortunate things keep on happening endlessly.
That day, he received a reply to the letter he sent to the Duke of Pesteros yesterday.
It was not pleasant, but from the content, he knew that he had to go for a visit there.
Duke Artus hastily looked for yesterday’s letter. No matter how much he looked through his glasses, he didn’t say that he would personally go and apologize.
‘Wh, what? Just what the hell is this?’
However, Duke Artus could understand it after a little thought.
This meant that he would not accept it as an apology until they met and heard it in person.
‘You want me to go and apologize for such a trivial matter?’
Duke Artus was infuriated inside.
Hikan, whom he has seen so far, was not someone that sensitive.
He was a very flexible person when it comes to work. No, it looked like he was dealing with it in moderation.
So he thought that this case would be over smoothly with just a letter…….
However, since Hikan had replied this way, he had no choice but to go.
He would like to have his son to take care of it, but he has been lying on the bed and groaning since he was hit by Beolde.
Even if he wanted to cuss, Duke Artus was also someone who was active in the social world during Beolde’s heyday.
Even though he never admitted it out loud, he was also afraid of Beolde.
His mind, which had been thinking about other alternative options such as sending a servant or sending Merida there, finally reached somewhere.
Only then did a smile crept across his lips.
‘Well, is it really an apology that the Duke of Pesteros wants?’
Maybe Hikan Pesteros used the apology as an excuse and actually needs some time alone with him.
In the first place, it was absurd to do this just because of that little kid. Moreover, weren’t the transcendents emotionally dry?
Felix’s method was wrong, but what he was trying to convey was something everyone could relate to.
The remaining three families needed to prevent the Mershain family from taking the lead.
‘Of course, Blueport doesn’t seem to have any intention of leaving his estate.’
A cruel smile lingered on Duke Artus’s lips at the thought of the incident caused by the now predecessor, Duchess Mary Blueport, four years ago.
Even if we call them transcendent, in the end they are just a human being. It’s just a trivial existence that ends when you turn your head.
The matter was settled well, however……since then, Duchess Mary Blueport’s political career has come to an end.
Her son, Lewayne Blueport has taken over the position, but the fact that he hasn’t even come close to the capital so far means that he wants to live in that estate for the rest of his life.
‘In the end, all I need to do is to convince Duke Pesteros.’
Somehow, that idea seemed very reasonable.
Eventually, he lifted his heavy hips and stood up from his seat. Then he moves towards the Duke Pesteros’s mansion.
However, his confident predictions were somewhat crushed upon his arrival at the Duke Pesteros’s mansion.
The butler of the Pesteros guided Duke Artus to the drawing room without blinking even though the head of another Ducal family member came.
All the employees he met along the way bowed their heads and glanced at him.
For some reason, he felt like he could see that they were trying to hide their smiles.
‘Damn it, it must be my inferiority complex.’
Or, maybe his son’s disgrace yesterday has already spread throughout the capital.
Duke Artus forcefully pressed the corners of his wriggling lips.
‘Where are those insignificant ones!’
He felt uneasy. This was not what he had expected.
He came to have a legitimate talk with the owner of this place, Hikan Pesteros. But for that matter, the way they treated him was too irreverent.
To address this anxiety, he felt the need to set an example to show them who was the superior one.
They arrived at the drawing room before he knew it.
A simple refreshment was prepared. Hikan hasn’t come yet. He sat on the sofa guided by the butler and called out to him in a sharp voice.
“Butler!”
The butler looked at him in surprise. Duke Artus said with a stiff expression on his face.
“How are you disciplining your personnels? What’s wrong with their attitude towards their superiors?”
“……If you have any complaints, we will correct them.”
The answer came back a beat slower.
As Duke Artus was about to add another word, the door of the drawing room opened and Hikan entered.
In an instant, Duke Artus felt the room become chilly as if the temperature had dropped by one degree.
“I heard that you are coming to apologize, but it seems that you have come to enforce the discipline of our family, Your Excellency Duke Artus.”
“…….”
Duke Artus went silent.
This reaction was also different from what he had expected. Hikan sent the butler away and sat across from him.
“If you have something to say then say it.”
“……It was regrettable that my son made such an offer to Miss Dalia yesterday.”
“I’m not here to hear the word ‘regret’.”
Hikan picked up a teacup then took a sip of the tea and said it flatly.
Duke Artus spoke in unprecedented embarrassment.
“Then you really want to get an apology?”
“That’s right. I’m going to get an apology from both Felix Artus as well as from the Duke.”
“To get an apology from another Ducal family only because of that……”
“Only?”
Hikan’s voice grew sharp.
Duke Artus flinched.
“To touch my sister is ‘only’ for you?”
The atmosphere was tense. Duke Artus quickly recovered.
“……I apologize for saying that.”
Hikan’s momentum then became somewhat softened. However, the cold attitude remained.
Duke Artus was bewildered by the unexpected development. But he didn’t forget his purpose of coming here.
‘I can’t believe he really called me all the way here because of his little sister.’
That, in the opinion of Duke Artus, was really absurd as a member of a high-ranking noble family.
He had no intention of going to this extent, even if his daughter Merida had to go through something like that. Much less when it’s not even his own daughter but just a sister……
“Listen, Duke Pesteros. I admit that my son did something stupid. But why would he do that? If you think about the reason, why would I……”
“I know. Cooperation to prevent the Mershain family’s dominance. That’s what I heard from Dalia yesterday.”
‘Now we can communicate.’
Duke Artus thought. But Hikan still spoke with a stiff expression.
“But the first thing you need to do is to apologize sincerely to Dalia. Otherwise, it means nothing.”
And now they’re back to the starting point.
Duke Artus’s head slowly started to heat up.
‘That sister! Sister!’
Is that one little bitch that important?
No, he thought that this demand was nothing but to show that Pesteros was superior to Artus.
The sister is just an excuse, and if he needs his help with this, he has to admit that Artus is below Pesteros.
However, it was disappointing that it was Artus, not Pesteros instead.
He said while holding back his anger.
“Alright. I’ll personally apologize to Miss Dalia. So now back to the point.……”
“Not only you, but Felix Artus should also apologize.”
Even Duke Artus couldn’t stand those words.
Artus was also one of the four great ducal families. Just how far did he want him to lower himself?
“This is too much, Duke Pesteros.”
“It’s not too much at all. Considering the disgrace my sister would have felt by those words.”
“What do you mean disgrace! Your words are too harsh. How can my son’s proposal be a disgrace to Miss Dalia?”
“Then are you saying that your son is on an equal level with my sister?”
There, for the first time, Duke Artus was enraged.
“Then what could my son have that is inferior to that little child!”
As soon as his words finished, he heard something crumbling.
It was the teacup handle that Hikan was holding.
At the same time, the teacup itself turned into sand and slid down.
It was impossible to know whether the tea inside had evaporated or had been consumed.
Duke Artus looked at Hikan with trembling eyes.
A blue gleam flashed from his eyes. Duke Artus thought that it would not be strange if he died right now.
“What you just had said, say it again.”
“……I, I should get going.”
Duke Artus fled the place in a hurry.
“Butler! Damn it! Why is this mansion so complicated?”
The butler looked at him pathetically as he quickly ran away from the mansion, but Duke Artus was not in the right mind to reproach him.
Translator Note: hmm I don’t know what to put here…just amazed by Artus’s stupidity hahaha
