The Sub Male Lead is Burning with Jealousy - Chapter 6 Part 14
Inviting the ducal families to high-ranking noble gatherings was standard. Although Duke Noer had fallen out of favor with the imperial family, he hadn’t committed any blatant offenses that would justify excluding him from all gatherings. Therefore… Anais, just to be fair, would likely include them.
Jeremy Noer was an incompetent bast@rd, and Rahil would have preferred if his confidant Demian became the duke’s heir. Unfortunately, Demian had no such ambitions.
Demian’s primary goal was survival, and his secondary goal was caring for his sick mother.
He had somewhat achieved the first, but missed the opportunity for the second. Though she passed away relatively comfortably in a good house, there must have been lingering regrets.
Especially seeing the greedy Duke Noer, who was ten years older than his mother, still alive and well.
‘This isn’t an issue to rush, so I’ll set it aside for now…’
Rahil smiled subtly as he reviewed the interim report on the monster hunt. This year, the number of monsters hunted had increased compared to last year. It indicated an increase in the number of skilled knights, and a bountiful harvest had led to more monster sightings.
The reason for the increase in monsters despite the good harvest was that farmers, having ample work, did not venture into the mountains and fields to gather herbs or hunt game. As a result, the population of wild animals and, consequently, monsters had increased.
He knew this from scholars’ reports, but this was the first time he saw evidence during his reign. Additionally, it was noted that during wartime, if corpses were left unattended, the number of monsters that fed on the bodies could increase explosively.
‘If this harvest festival goes well… it wouldn’t be a bad idea to resume the hunting tournament around spring.’
Both monsters and wild animals tended to descend on villages when their food supply ran out. It had been challenging to hold the tournament in recent years due to the civil war, but it seemed feasible to revive it this year.
* * *
The staff welcomed him as he entered the mansion. The duchess was on her way home, and the duke was in his study. Jeremy felt he needed to see his father.
Between his mother and father, he wasn’t sure who had given the order, but he thought he could figure it out by seeing their faces. He didn’t plan to accept them as his family again, but he needed to know the true culprit who had killed the woman and child he loved.
Shrugging off the butler who tried to lead him to his room, Jeremy headed for the study and opened the door without knocking. There Duke Noer was working, with his secretary standing by his side.
When Jeremy met the irritated gaze of the Duke, who had just put down his papers, he bit his lip. His father’s attitude hadn’t changed much since he had kicked Jeremy out of the house.
“Do you think you’ve accomplished something significant upon your return?”
“…”
Jeremy couldn’t bring himself to utter any of the retorts he had prepared. The Duke Noer’s unwavering eyes showed no guilt or remorse, contrary to what Jeremy had expected.
‘I thought if it were either my mother or my father, it would definitely be my father….’
The Duchess of Noer was a powerful woman but one who feared becoming estranged from her son. Therefore, she would certainly hesitate to directly harm Laila and Charles.
In contrast, the Duke believed that as long as he controlled the House of Noer, it was Jeremy who needed to bend. He always imposed his will on Jeremy, regardless of what Jeremy thought.
Jeremy guessed that his mother was the one who had insisted on hiding who was responsible for the murders. It seemed like something she would stubbornly cling to.
But now, seeing his father’s reaction, he realized he might never know which one of them was responsible.
“…He was your grandson, Father.”
After a long silence, Jeremy finally said this, to which the Duke responded with a scoff.
“Do you think I sent assassins because I thought that mongrel didn’t carried my blood?”
Jeremy immediately understood who the Duke referred to as ‘that mongrel.’ Demian Dubois wasn’t alive out of the Duke’s mercy. The House of Noer had tried to kill him multiple times but failed. The assassination attempts stopped only after a warning from the Emperor.
“Was it you who killed them, Father?”
In response to Jeremy’s question, the Duke sneered. Jeremy, taken aback by his father’s oppressive gaze, took a step back.
“You useless idiot. …You may leave now.”
The secretary bowed to both the Duke and Jeremy before leaving the room. Jeremy, feeling pushed by the secretary’s gaze, stepped into the study. Once the door closed, the Duke stood up.
“Did you return in my carriage just to ask me that? Was it that important?”
“I loved Laila! Charles was my son! And yet…”
The Duke laughed in disbelief at Jeremy’s tearful voice. Jeremy’s anger flared.
“What’s so funny?!”
“What’s so funny? Do you not know? Jeremy, didn’t you also love Lady Ruol just as you loved that woman?”
Neither the Duke nor Anais Ruol were foolish. They could only be deceived by Jeremy’s emotions because he had appeared genuine.
Because Jeremy seemed to have fallen for Anais at first sight, the Duke had naturally believed him when he said he had ended things with his mistress and child. Anais on the other hand, had never expected him to have such a relationship.
Jeremy’s face turned red at the Duke’s accusation.
“That has nothing to do with this!”
“Nothing to do with it! You are the heir to the House of Noer! Are you saying you didn’t know what your mother and I are capable of? If those two were so important to you, you should have fled the empire with them long ago!”
Jeremy fell silent at his father’s thunderous roar. Tears fell, but he couldn’t tell if they were from guilt or sorrow.
“The only reason you stayed in the capital instead of running away was because you wanted it all! You dumb, incompetent bast@rd! You didn’t even have the ability to hold onto it!”
“ugh…”
Jeremy lowered his head, tears streaming down. The Duke clicked his tongue in disgust but then softened his gaze slightly.
“It’s not wrong to desire family, but abandoning pride in our lineage is unforgivable! Jeremy, the bloodline of the House of Noer is noble, and it must be protected!”
Duke Noer approached and grabbed Jeremy’s shoulder. His fingers dug into Jeremy’s flesh, but Jeremy didn’t complain. He was only afraid of the fierce look in his father’s eyes.
“Think about why you are here, why I strive to protect you instead of some filthy mongrel!”
Despite the Duke’s repeated reprimands, Jeremy couldn’t feel them in his heart. The Duke looked at him with disdain before letting go.
“…The harvest festival will soon be held. With the Emperor having an Empress, this festival will be different from any in the past. As it’s her first official event as Empress, she will prepare thoroughly. So, you will remain in seclusion until the festival is over. Understand?”
The festival was about three weeks away. Considering Jeremy’s actions, the Duke wanted to send him to an estate outside the capital to cool his head, but there was the matter of the Emperor.
The Emperor was still pressing for Demian to inherit the Noir name. If Jeremy didn’t quickly regain his place, it would be problematic.
‘Whether the hunting tournament is revived or not, the New Year’s Ball will still be held. By then, Jeremy must be engaged to another noblewoman and established as the heir!’
“Understood.”
Jeremy reluctantly agreed, and the Duke stared at him for a moment before turning away. Jeremy hesitated, then bowed his head and left the room. The Duke watched him leave with irritation.
‘If only that fool had inherited even half of the mongrel’s talent!’
All Jeremy had inherited from his parents was his mother’s insatiable greed.
