"Is that all you have to say? Then leave. And see to it that you never speak of such nonsense again."
"B-but, Lord Eugene!"
"Enough! Did you not hear me? I told you never to speak of such nonsense again!"
As Eugene rose, emanating a heavy pressure born of pure fury, the young servant found himself utterly speechless.
Amidst the stifling tension, the old servant—who had remained silent until then—took a step forward. He bowed deeply before Eugene.
"My deepest apologies, milord! I shall take this boy aside and see to his education personally. I beg your forbearence!"
"Hmph... If you leave this instant and swear never to breathe a word of this again, I shall let the matter slide. If you understand, then get out."
"Understood...!"
Keeping his head bowed as he answered, the old servant quickly seized his subordinate's arm and ushered him out of the room like a gust of wind.
Though they hurried, the elder man was careful to close the door quietly. Once they had put a sufficient distance between themselves and Eugene’s study, the young servant defiantly shook off his hand.
"Wait a moment! I know it was an impertinent request, but considering the future of the House of Clay, restoring Yugo-sama to his position is the only logical choice!"
"I am well aware of that. My own heart aches when I look upon the current succession dispute within this house."
"Then why didn't you support me?! You have served the House of Clay for years and possess Lord Eugene's absolute trust. If you had added your voice to mine, perhaps—"
"You fool! Do you not realize that such shallow thinking will only worsen the situation?!"
The young servant flinched and fell silent at the sudden roar from the old servant, who had been so composed until now.
The elder man took a long, slow breath before speaking to his junior in a low, earnest voice.
"As you say, the House of Clay is currently mired in a sordid power struggle over the seat of the next head. It is not the sort of simple affair that would end just because Yugo-sama returned."
"But even so, his return would be a powerful statement! Given Yugo-sama's recent achievements, his rivals wouldn't be able to say a word—!"
"A heart consumed by greed does not stop so easily. If Yugo-sama returns to the House of Clay, those vipers will stop at nothing to find a weakness they can exploit. And if they do, Master Fee will undoubtedly be dragged into the line of fire. Far from settling the conflict, his presence would only drag us deeper into the quagmire."
"Ugh...!"
The young servant bit his lip in frustration, his teeth grinding together as he listened.
Seeing that the boy was at least beginning to understand, the old servant softened his tone.
"...Yugo-sama's return would be a fresh spark on a powder keg. Lord Eugene understands this better than anyone... and I suspect he simply does not wish to see Yugo-sama or Fee-sama caught in the explosion."
"What...?"
"If they were dragged into this ugly battle for power, it is plain to see they would be ground down to nothing. It was the same during that incident involving Yamato's Warrior Shrine Maiden. If milord were to clumsily reach out now and praise Yugo-sama's deeds, it would only make those eyeing the succession wary. Lord Eugene is intentionally avoiding contact to keep the target off their backs. This is his own way of showing a father’s solicitude."
"..."
Because he understood the current state of the House of Clay, he refused to involve his sons, who were currently enjoying their academy lives far away from the filth of the capital.
As the old servant had noted, there was the pragmatic desire to avoid adding fuel to the fire, but there was also a deeper, paternal sentiment beneath Eugene’s cold exterior. Precisely because his sons were growing into fine men, he did not want them to be tainted by the muddy succession struggle.
"I understand your desire to celebrate Yugo-sama's growth and see him returned to his rightful place. But you must realize that matters of state and family are never so simple."
"...I see. I spoke out of turn. Please, forgive my arrogance. But—"
"But what?"
The elder man knew that this youth was not inherently unreasonable. Curious as to why he was still hesitating, the old servant waited for him to speak. Finally, the young servant voiced his final concern.
"Even if Lord Eugene has decided not to name Yugo-sama the heir, the other candidates will eventually hear of his exploits. They will become wary regardless. If there is a chance they might move against him anyway, wouldn't it be better if Yugo-sama had milord's formal backing?"
"...I understand your fear. However, if Yugo-sama has truly matured as the reports suggest, then he should be capable of overcoming any petty scheme they throw at him. Perhaps Lord Eugene intends to use those very trials to measure exactly how much his son has grown."
"As a father, and as the head of the house... Lord Eugene is carrying more than we can imagine..."
Eugene had his own complex web of intentions. As the head of a powerful and prestigious noble house, he could not afford to move carelessly.
Deep in thought regarding the heart of a master who sought to protect his sons while simultaneously testing their mettle, the two servants returned to their respective duties.