"……It’s a lie."
His father—Lucas Ebern—muttered, his voice hollow.
His eyes were wide with disbelief, the words tumbling from his trembling lips.
"It’s a lie. There's no way… a failure like you could…"
"You called me a failure again, didn't you? While speaking to the successor of a Marquis House."
"No, that’s… but…!"
"Look it up for yourself. The formal engagement procedures are already complete. The truth will be clear soon enough."
"…………"
Lucas finally seemed to realize from Rest's cold composure that he wasn't lying. He slid off the sofa, collapsing onto the floor in a heap.
"Lie… lie… lie… lie…"
In the corner of the room, Liza sat on the floor, mumbling the same word over and over like a broken toy. Her eyes were vacant, fixed on nothing as she retreated into a world of total denial.
(An even bigger reaction than I expected… is it really so unbelievable that I’m marrying both of them?)
Or perhaps this was simply the final blow.
Their beloved son, Cedric—the child they had pinned all their pride on—had failed the Royal Academy entrance exam. Meanwhile, Rest, the "failure" they had spent years mocking, had not only passed but would be attending the very Academy they believed was Cedric's birthright.
Furthermore, the daughters of the Marquis Rosemary House, whom they had schemed to claim for their own family, were now Rest's.
Everything they had ever wanted had been seized by the boy they had treated like a dog. Faced with such a total reversal of fortune, their spirits had shattered completely.
(……This is the end of it, then.)
Rest let out a quiet sigh.
The sense of accomplishment wasn't quite what he had expected, yet he felt a profound lightness—as if he had finally shed a weight that had clung to his body for years.
At last, his ties to the Honorary Viscount Ebern House were severed. He had cleared the regrets of his neglected mother and settled the score for the four years of oppression he had endured.
(When I think about what these people put us through, part of me feels like this isn't enough revenge… but honestly, it doesn’t matter. This is enough. I’ll let them rot.)
He didn't have a burning desire for further vengeance, nor did he have a taste for kicking a fallen foe. He was done with them.
"Just to be clear… you’ve already surrendered your parental rights over me, and I reached adulthood this year. I don't need your permission for anything."
"…………"
"…It’s a lie… lie…"
"So, this is the last time we'll ever be involved with one another. I wish you whatever happiness you can find."
Rest would no longer inherit the Honorary Viscount House, but that didn't mean the family's path to a true Viscountship was permanently closed. Cedric could try to retake the Royal Academy exam next year to become a Court Mage, or they could find some other way to distinguish themselves and earn a title.
(Though… whatever path they choose, it has nothing to do with me anymore.)
"Well then, I'll be taking my leave. Excuse me."
"I shall see you out, Rest-dono."
The butler, who had been waiting quietly in the room, stepped forward to lead the way in Lucas's stead. Rest followed him through the door and down the hallway toward the entrance.
"…You have become a magnificent man, Rest-dono," the butler said softly, without turning around. "I am certain she… Chiffon is smiling down on you from the next world."
Chiffon was the name of his late mother. This butler had been her colleague, and it was through that bond that he had shown Rest what kindness he could.
"When the Master coerced her, got her pregnant, and cast her out… many of us were sick with worry for her. Because of our positions, we could do nothing, but…"
"…It's all right. You gave me food and medicine when I needed it, didn't you?"
"…It was merely an attempt to soothe our own consciences. We failed to stop the abuse you suffered."
The butler's voice was thick with sorrow as he spoke.
"You have every right to hate us. Please, find the happiness you deserve at the Marquis House…"
"…………You're being dramatic, really. Instead of that, just tell me what's been happening around here since I left."
Rest chatted idly with the butler as they walked. Before departing, he told the man to rely on him if things ever went south and to pass that same message to the other servants who had looked after him.
Then, he walked out of the Honorary Viscount Ebern House. He never again looked back at the mansion that had served as his birdcage for so long.