Chapter 14: For The Family? What a Joke!
"As I was saying before..." I met his crimson eyes without flinching. "For what reason have you summoned me here today, Duke?"
My voice remained calm as I activated my [[Insight]] to see the details of the bastard.
A small holographic screen appeared before me almost immediately.
════〔 STATUS 〕═════
▸ NAME: ⟦ Raymond Von Ruinbringer ⟧
▸ TALENT: ⟦ Heart of Steel ⟧
▸ Core: ⟦ Tier V Exalted ⟧
▸ Note : ⟦A man obsessed with preserving his image. He would willingly sacrifice his own blood and flesh if it secured the long-term prosperity of his family and protected his reputation. Coupled with his Heart of Steel, his capacity for emotion is heavily dulled.⟧
══════════════════
Hmm, his strength is similar to what I remember from my last life.
I noted quickly in my mind as he finally opened his mouth to speak.
"You have grown... cunning." His voice remained as steady and emotionless as ever. "And since you already understand the situation, I believe we can save ourselves some unnecessary trouble."
"Dear, what are—"
Isolde immediately tried to interject.
After all, what Raymond was doing was dangerously close to admitting Cedric’s guilt outright and yet all it took was a single glance.
"Silence." His cold voice cut through the room. "Did I give you permission to speak?"
Isolde immediately fell silent.
I didn’t care about their little family drama and instead, kept my eyes fixed on the Duke.
"Save us some trouble?" I tilted my head slightly. "I do not believe I understand what you mean by that, Duke. Would you kindly enlighten me?"
Raymond remained silent for a moment before answering.
"You know exactly what I mean. Since you already know Cedric is responsible... and since he is your brother..."
The next words left his mouth as naturally as discussing the weather.
"I want you to place the blame on someone else and resolve this matter quietly without the attention of the previous emperor."
I already knew that he was aware about Cedric being the real culprit and yet I was surprised because of how brazenly he admitted it. There was no guilt in his voice as he simply stated the truth and asked me to sacrifice someone else in Cedric’s place.
My previous thoughts about sparing this bastard in this lifetime suddenly became a little harder to maintain. Still, I kept my expression calm because even if I wanted to kill him, I didn’t have the strength to do so at this moment.
"Why would I do that?"
A smile stretched across my face as the pressure within the room suddenly intensified but I didn’t even flinch.
"For the family."
Raymond’s voice remained calm as if those three words alone should have been enough.
I scoffed.
"For the family you say?"
The smile on my face widened.
"The same family that treated me worse than common peasants? The same family that bullied me so relentlessly that I considered ending my own life more than once? The same family that knew I wasn’t guilty and still discarded me because I lacked talent and a strong physique? And now you are asking me to do that family a favour?"
I leaned back against the couch, my gaze shifting toward Cedric.
"Answer me honestly, Cedric. Even if you weren’t personally responsible for most of my suffering, you saw it happen."
I tilted my head.
"Did you ever stop your mother from bribing my maids to spread rumours about me? Did you stop our siblings from beating me? Did you ever once intervene, feeling pity for your brother?"
"Answer me. Do you truly believe I owe any of you a favour?"
Naturally, I didn’t feel even a fraction of the frustration I was displaying because I had long since grown out of such petty emotions but a man has to increase the value of his product before negotiating its price, doesn’t he?
Before Cedric could answer, Isolde jumped into the conversation once again.
"What absurd nonsense are you talking about? What rumours? What bullying? You were always the troublemaker of this family!"
She pointed at me accusingly.
"After everything this family has done for you, can’t you repay that kindness even once? And don’t misunderstand the situation as this is already a mercy on our part." She crossed her arms and looked at me as if I was the unreasonable one. "After all, you don’t have any evidence against Cedric in the first place."
"The family is giving you an opportunity to resolve this matter quietly. You should be grateful instead of making such ridiculous accusations."
I almost laughed.
The irony was beautiful.
And the most amusing part was how the Duke didn’t stop her this time because despite all the differences in their personalities... Isolde was merely saying what he himself believed.
"Evidence, you say?"
The smile on my face widened as I pulled a small red crystal from my pocket and channeled a trace of mana into it.
Immediately, a holographic screen appeared in the air and the recording stored within the crystal began to play out.
"I am sorry, Young Master... I never wanted to do something like this. Mistress Isolde threatened to kill my brother if I didn’t listen to her and plant the Queen’s undergarments in your room. I was scared. I am sorry..."
As the confession echoed throughout the office as the silence followed. I watched with amusement as Isolde’s face twisted through shock, disbelief and then panic all at once. Meanwhile, Cedric had complete despair written all over his face.
It was honestly quite entertaining.
Many people would consider this a relatively minor crime as it was merely the theft of a married woman’s undergarments and yet within the Holy Empire, founded by that narcissistic Goddess of Love and Passion, violating the sanctity of another person’s love was a crime more heinous than murder itself.
Even if Cedric somehow survived the coming trial like how I did in my last life, his life would never recover and the same nobles who currently praised him would abandon him without hesitation.
After all, in an ecosystem filled with vultures, there was nothing more dangerous than becoming wounded prey.
Before either Isolde or Cedric could speak, Raymond’s voice cut through the silence.
"Since you chose to show this evidence here instead of presenting it directly to the Emperor, I can only assume you have another objective."
"So tell me, Zenith." His gaze locked onto mine. "What is it that you desire?"
