No Dark Secrets In This Book

Episode 65

‘What is this? This huge gain?’

Even though I like sweet deals, this was excessively profitable. The former family head and current chairman of the elder council is pushing for me to be the family head? Where else can you find such a great exchange? I don’t know why he’s suddenly siding with his great-grandson today, leaving his son who has been trying to kill his great-grandson for more than a day or two, but…

To comfortably go along with it was a matter of trust.

“What is your intention…?”

I need to know what this bastard is thinking before deciding whether to hold hands or not.

“It’s exactly as I said. It seems better for you to be the family head than anyone else.”

“Isn’t it the same that there is no justification?”

“I saw your report card.”

Wow. The grade leak sure is fast.

Unlike the sarcasm inside, I smiled graciously on the outside. Because that’s more effective. Surely, is Cassice Demillang going to be surprised by this?

“What does that have to do with justification?”

“Doesn’t it mean you’ve become strong enough? There’s no reason for you to be bound by the likes of Areah.”

No, wait, I still have a lot to learn though…? There are so many things that will screw me over if I don’t master them, even if I roughly passed with blood magic…

“Leave Areah. And build up your achievements.”

Nevertheless, my pride saved my face. Whether my insides were in turmoil or not, the outside was full of pride.

“Achievements meaning?”

“What else but raids? The family head has almost no battlefield experience…”

“Could you get to the point?”

“Slice up a Named. If you can do that, I will move the elder council.”

At that moment, chills ran through my whole body.

Because Jeong Ian’s mind knows what the elder council of Demillang symbolizes.

The family head is absolute. The family head decides everything for the family. Even the position of the branch family heads depends on the decision of the family head.

However, the elder council has one absolute power that can only be used once if all current members agree without a single objection or rejection.

“That means…”

“A vote of no confidence.”

A no-confidence resolution.

‘We cannot trust the family head, so expel all of us from the family and disband the elder council.’

It meant they had the authority to pull such a ballsy move.

Of course, they can disband it. If they intend to ignore Demillang’s history, they can release the countless old and powerful elders who have devoted themselves to Demillang into the world. If they want to tremble in fear imagining the future where they will face them as enemies.

I couldn’t help but shudder at his words that he would use that no-confidence resolution, which can only be used once against the current family head’s opinion, for me.

But at the same time, reason whispered like this. Such wholehearted support, what’s the catch?

It was then. The former family head, who had a young and innocent face like a boy, suddenly became an old, tired, and sorrowful face as if he had instantly taken on all the years he had gone through.

His back figure was scattered thousands of times through the cracks of the shattered mirrors. Fluttering his hair, which was either white with age or originally white, he spoke slowly, leisurely, and laboriously.

“I can’t tell you everything. But I’ll let you know that there was a reason I had to do it.”

“Was there a problem with the family head?”

“…Please try to understand what process I went through until I decided to expel my son.”

I roughly get it. It seems great-grandfather didn’t step up just because he felt bad for his great-grandson. Then it’s rather better.

‘This way, I can trust him.’

I held his hand and shook it. The soft and white hand without any wrinkles was no different from that of a boy, but only his face was tired, and I liked that very point. Because it seemed like I could backstab him as much as I wanted. Although my trauma gives me chills every time I see his aged face, my great-grandfather, that doesn’t change the fact that I benefited from it separately.

I know the regressor will be perplexed as the original story changes drastically. But hasn’t the original development already been shattered long ago, starting from the contract dating? Therefore, I hope you’ll also understand that I’m dropping out of school.

But putting that aside.

“By the way, I came to meet the pharmacist…”

Let’s take care of my business too. My business that I almost forgot because the former family head suddenly popped up.

“Ah, was there a problem with the medicine?”

“Well, you would know that.”

“As far as I know, there was no problem?”

“…?”

Those words sounded strange in some way, so I tried my best to pretend I wasn’t shaken.

“Great-grandfather?”

“Yes, was there a problem with the medicine I gave you?”

***

‘First, let’s take his support but not trust him.’

That’s what Cassice Demillang decided to do.

Jeong Ian had a basic distrust of humans. He was a lonely being who didn’t even trust Ryuseong, whom he thought he thoroughly understood after reading the original. But even a lonely person knew how to smile while calculating gains.

Thanks to that, the unexpected meeting ended smoothly.

The former family head seemed to have understood my words about coming to meet the pharmacist as a signal to treat him as the identity of the pharmacist, and he was too much of an elder and a person whose intentions were unknown to fiercely question why he swapped the medicine.

So I asked nicely.

“Why did you change the medicinal ingredients?”

Then great-grandfather answered that he did it for my health.

How could you become addicted in a day or two, his two eyes saying that contained deep concern for his son who was trying to kill his great-grandson.

Still feeling uneasy, just before expressing my intention to no longer take the changed medicine, the former head nodded and said he understood. That’s all, but…

‘Ugh…’

My whole body felt heavy. Is it because my entire body is resonating by synchronizing with the surrounding mana? My arms and legs felt as if they weren’t mine. A disharmony as if I was walking around with a doll’s limbs attached.

But he was Cassice Demillang. Actually, he was Jeong Ian, but still, to others, he was indeed Cassice Demillang, and if so, he thought he had a duty to show an appearance that matched it.

‘And I have a martial art that’s good to use at times like this.’

The founder of Cheon Seogong was a quadriplegic patient. He created martial arts to control his immobile body on his own. By constructing nerves with mana and functioning as tendons, he was able to operate his whole body as if moving on his own, at least in the eyes of others.

Cassice Demillang doesn’t know his life. He only thinks that his life must have been a struggle stained with darkness. In the era when the Black Fog was raging, amidst the selfishness where people were busy just taking care of themselves, the insults and hardships he suffered were a weight that Cassice Demillang couldn’t even imagine.

Even so, I don’t feel burdened by using this martial art for personal gain.

‘Martial arts are awesome.’

A tool is just a tool. Cassice Demillang doesn’t have human emotions towards tools.

At least, let’s not forget, he only thinks.

He only hopes that the wish to not forget the origin remains.

‘Did I catch the sincere bug too from Ryuseong?’

Anyway, Cassice Demillang, judging that it was difficult to control his body, smoothly operated Cheon Seogong.

Hwaaak…!

In an instant, a white whirlwind swept around Cassice Demillang as he approached the car.

The light lingering in that wind contained an uncanny mystery even to the touch, so the butler looked back, doubting his senses, but by then, the wind carrying the mystery was already gone without a trace, and even the remnants had dispersed into the air.

All that remained was a gentle mountain breeze. Only that slow wind made the gray cape coat and the necktie strangling the neck flutter.

The glamorous features that made even the diamond brooch look humble asked with a bewitching smile what the problem was without words.

The boy who looked like a doll, as if his hair was crafted with platinum and moonstone and zircon was embedded in his eyes, had just shed his boyish appearance and was warning with such a bright smile. Asking if there was any problem.

The red lips don’t say a word, but the butler feels it.

He now considers himself… an enemy.

It has always been like that. He won’t reveal anything. Even if he gets injured, he won’t call for him if there is no proper need. But why does his heart ache? The butler, the old man called Vincent, felt an inexplicable sorrow as he saw the young boy he practically raised grow up so venomously.

“…”

But he couldn’t say anything. He only bowed his head and silently showed his loyalty, nothing more was possible.

Because that was Cassice Demillang’s order, and it was the command of not a branch family head, not a young master, but just a human being.

“Let’s return to Areah.”

There was no way but to follow.

***

‘Wow! I feel so refreshed going to school to drop out!’

Actually, I wasn’t the type to diligently attend school in my original life either. So I desperately wanted to drop out of high school, but my brothers said they would buy me a house if I just got into college. Moreover, the better the college I got into, the higher the specs of the house would be, so I gritted my teeth and studied, and the result was the Department of Astronomy at Korea University.

To be honest, my brothers probably didn’t know I could study this well, so they were surprised and asked why I didn’t study, and said they would give me several houses, but I just humbly declined and received only one. Instead, I chose the best house. Kukukuk. I don’t know for sure, but they must have been quite upset.

I didn’t go because I liked stars. I set it as my goal because someone said you have to study like crazy to get into the astronomy department, but I just happened to get in.

Everyone asked me why I didn’t do it if I could do so well.

But I, I’m telling you…

‘I guess dropping out is in my nature!’

My whole body was feeling refreshed at the thought of leaving school! I don’t think I’ll need Cheon Seogong at this point? Ah, I feel like I’m flying! It’s really the best!

No one stopped me from tasting the ultimate pleasure.

First of all, it’s dangerous to touch a target in a state of peak mana synchronization.

‘And because that target is Cassice Demillang.’

Therefore, if there is someone who can stop me at this moment…

“…Why does your face look like that?”

Of course, it’s only Ryuseong.

Just like the development of a certain novel.