Chapter 13: Meeting the Duke Ruinbringer.
The hallway was as grand as ever.
The Head Butler walked ahead of me with his usual poised posture while I followed behind with a calm smile on my face.
Countless paintings adorned the walls, each one depicted a fragment of the Northern Dukedom’s history, proudly displaying generations of achievements and victories of Ruinbringers.
Normally, the servants scattered throughout the halls would have mocked me openly. Today, however, they remained silent because the news of what had happened in the Imperial Court had already reached the estate.
For the first time in years, they were cautious of speaking bad about the stain of Ruinbringer. Still, it wasn’t nearly enough to erase the terrible reputation I had spent so many years cultivating but at least they made an effort to hide their contempt and bowed whenever I passed.
I paid them no attention because my thoughts were occupied by something far more important.
The meeting with my lovely father.
Even as his son, I had only met my father three times throughout my entire previous life. Four, if one counted the day I was born.
The first was after my trial, the second was when he exiled me for reasons that still made little sense to me and the third...
... was when I burned everything he had built before his very eyes and slit his throat. Needless to say, there weren’t many wholesome memories involved.
Though, if possible, I would rather avoid killing that bastard in this lifetime.
The decision was not out of pity and certainly not out of affection. It was because I had learned a very important lesson during my previous life.
Killing your greatest enemies was often the greatest mercy you could grant them because death freed them from the burden of their sins.
The real satisfaction came from making them live through the things they hated most.
Besides, all his death had brought me in the previous timeline was an endless mountain of problems.
Someone had to take over the Northern Territories. Someone had to govern them. Someone had to handle the politics, the administration and the endless piles of paperwork.
Unfortunately, that someone had ended up being me to keep the kill as a battle of succession rather than a demonic act of killing a Duke and then there was that ridiculous war afterward.
I shuddered.
Nope, there was absolutely no chance I was repeating that particular tragedy ever again because this life was supposed to be peaceful.
My thoughts were on the verge of spiraling, something that happened far too often thanks to [[Chaos Mind]] but before they could get any worse, the butler’s voice snapped me back to reality.
"Young Master, we have arrived."
Looking up, I found him standing before a grand set of doors that towered over me as he bowed and knocked onto the door with practiced precision.
Immediately, a cold voice echoed from within.
"Send him in."
There was no need to announce who had arrived because someone of my father’s strength would have sensed my presence long before I reached the door.
The butler pushed one of the doors open while maintaining his respectful posture as I caught sight of two familiar figures through the widening gap,
A beautiful woman sat gracefully upon a couch and beside her sat a boy around my age with an annoyed expression.
So, the whole party is here already.
The smile on my face widened slightly as I stepped inside.
The doors closed behind me with a heavy thud as the grand office greeted me.
The room was spacious and meticulously organized, an elderwood desk occupied the centre, covered by neatly arranged stacks of documents and different artifacts.
Behind the table sat a man with pitch-black hair and calm crimson eyes with his posture straight and his expression unreadable.
He was Raymond Von Ruinbringer, the Ironblood Duke and my ever so loving father and a bastard I was eternally grateful for not resembling in the slightest.
As for the woman and the boy seated across from me, they were none other than my fifth stepmother, Isolde and her perverted degenerate son, Cedric.
"So you have arrived." My father’s cold voice echoed through the office. "Take a seat."
I nodded and sat on the couch opposite theirs before turning my attention toward him.
"For what reason has the great Ironblood Duke summoned a pitiful individual such as myself?" I asked politely, barely hiding my sarcasm.
"What insolence!" Before my father could respond, Isolde immediately jumped into the conversation. "Have you forgotten even the most basic manners? You stand before your father and your mother and yet fail to offer a proper greeting?"
"I would appreciate it if you remained silent, Lady Isolde." I didn’t even spare her a glance. "I came here to meet the Duke and not you unless, of course, the reason I was summoned is for you to beg forgiveness on behalf of your son, the real culprit behind the crime I was framed for."
My smile widened as I finally turned toward her.
Silence engulfed the room and for a brief moment, even Isolde seemed stunned, probably wondering how I knew about that.
Then her expression twisted with fury.
"How dare you! If not for the Duke’s blood flowing through your veins, you would never have made it this far. You should be grateful instead of accusing your talented younger brother out of jealousy, without a shred of evidence at that!"
Some things truly never changed.
I had to give her credit for maintaining her character. Still, I ignored her completely and shifted my attention toward my supposed little brother Cedric.
"Be honest with me, little brother."
My voice softened.
"Why did you do it? Why frame me? Did you hate me that much? Or was it your mother’s idea?"
Cedric remained silent but his clenched fists spoke louder than words ever could.
Before Isolde could launch into another uselessly lengthy speech, an overwhelming aura flooded the room, the pressure was enough to make her immediately fall silent.
I didn’t react and instead turned back toward my father and smiled.
"As I was saying before, for what reason have you summoned me here today, Duke?"
