Act 60

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With a single click of his tongue, Joshua looked up at the building marked with the symbol of the ‘Closed Eyes’ with a displeased expression.

“Sir, even if it is a directive from the head of the family, there is no need for you to go in person. One of the servants could…”

“Then, you go.”

“Cough.” As his confidant began to speak, Joshua opened his mouth with half-closed eyes.

The confidant showed a sign of discomfort with a cough, then eventually gave an awkward smile.

“Stupid fool.”

Though he muttered a curse, Joshua was resigned to the reactions. After all, he was here specifically to see ‘Julian Crypart Frason’.

“Fine, I’ll go alone. The rest of you wait here.”

With a deeply furrowed brow, Joshua entered the building of the ‘Closed Eyes’. Several of his confidants looked uneasy, unsure of what to do.

The reason Joshua had chosen to go alone was clear.

‘He has a hold over my weakness.’

He knew that during a previous attack on Julian, he had enlisted the help of the dubious group ‘Dawn Society’. Moreover, isn’t he a member of the ‘Closed Eyes’, the royal exclusive agency? While some might look down on his mixed heritage, no one could deny his stature.

What if Julian decided to expose him?

‘It wouldn’t just end there.’

That’s why Joshua had agreed to Julian’s request, hoping his own misdeeds would remain submerged.

‘It must not reach anyone’s ears.’

Not anyone’s.

“What brings you here?”

Upon entering the building, a woman who appeared to be a receptionist asked with a smile.

“I’m here to see Julian. Lead the way.”

“Ah, one moment please.”

At his command, the receptionist began scanning a chalkboard behind her.

“Sir Julian is currently away on personal business.”

“Where did he go?”

“I can’t say…”

At the mention of Julian’s absence, Joshua’s forehead veins twitched.

He had come all this way, braving a face he loathed, only to find him not present? And his whereabouts unknown?

“Why don’t you know?”

“Um, well…”

“Isn’t that supposed to be your job?”

As Joshua glared with bulging eyes, the receptionist’s face rapidly paled.

“Let’s leave it there, shall we?”

Just then, a voice suddenly interjected. Joshua turned his head towards the source of the voice.

“Don’t you know that Sir Julian is unpredictable?”

Speaking in a calm tone, the ‘Closed Eyes’ commander Odwin slowly approached. Despite her small stature for an adult woman, she radiated confidence without concern for her height.

“It’s been a while, Commander Odwin. Or is the title ‘Commander’ too lavish for a fallen noble?”

Joshua greeted her with a mocking tone, but Odwin seemed unfazed by such remarks, having dealt with them not just once or twice.

“Call me whatever you like, it doesn’t bother me. Besides, seeing that you’ve come all this way to see Sir Julian, there must have been some incident, right?”

With a faint smile, Odwin spoke in a way that made Joshua internally click his tongue. Though Odwin likely didn’t know the exact nature of Joshua’s relationship with Julian, her speculation was enough to deeply irritate him.

“Stop making unnecessary guesses; there’s no such issue.”

“Oh! So you came to see Sir Julian even though there’s no particular matter?”

Odwin’s smile deepened.

“Such brotherly love.”

Crack.

At her words, Joshua unwittingly clenched his fist, veins bulging more than usual on his neck.

‘Damn her.’

There’s no way she doesn’t know about the relationship between Julian and the Crypart family. Her words were clearly meant to provoke him.

A fallen noble daring to insult the esteemed Crypart family.

“How dare you, you have no right to say…”

“Long time no see, Joshua.”

Just then, a familiar voice reached his ears. Recognizing it as Julian’s was not difficult.

Joshua slowly turned his head. There was the familiar face, albeit more tired-looking than usual.

“What brings you here?”

“Brother, I came to have a talk.”

“A talk, you say?”

“Yes, could you spare some time?”

Seeing his face, Joshua requested politely. In their relationship, it was Julian who held the reins.

Especially today, Julian did not seem to be in a good mood. Antagonizing him could lead to unpredictable repercussions given the leverage he held.

“…This is unexpected. To think you’d bend your temper.”

Watching Joshua’s demeanor, Odwin muttered softly from behind.

Being close enough, Joshua heard the murmur and slightly bit his lip.

“Come inside, then. This isn’t a conversation for the outdoors.”

***

What does he want here?

Seeing Joshua waiting for me, that was the thought that crossed my mind.

I knew Joshua detested me. He wouldn’t have come if he had fulfilled the favor I asked at the family council.

This won’t be pleasant.

Especially not now, with all the matters concerning the ‘Black Knight’ already on my mind.

“Father… ah, no, the head of the family has something urgent to discuss with you, Brother Julian.”

Hmm, a nuisance indeed.

“The head of the family, you say?”

“Yes.”

“Is it really necessary?”

I voiced my thoughts out loud, implying whether it was truly necessary to meet.

So far, the Crypart family has treated ‘Julian’ like a tumor within their lineage, and that attitude was unlikely different from the head, ‘Oben Crypart’.

“I don’t quite see the reason.”

The only thing that came to mind was Joshua failing to execute my command properly. I casually turned my head and looked indifferently at Joshua.

With a short sigh, a deep shade of ‘fear’ began to emanate from above Joshua’s head.

Previously, the tendency to look down on me had mostly faded, but today, there seemed to be an extra emphasis on manners.

“Perhaps… was the favor I asked too difficult?”

“No, not at all! I advocated for you to be the next head of the family at the family council, just as you requested!”

Joshua’s voice grew louder, almost as if he was confessing. My request to him had been to support me at the family council and to draw attention to make me a potential candidate for head of the family. The Crypart family publicly handles the candidacy for the headship.

If my name were put forward, it would be difficult for the Crypart family to act against me without consequence.

“Oh, it seems he didn’t want to see you for any negative reasons.”

Joshua’s murmuring voice was tinged with resentment.

“What will you do?”

“Hmm…”

I trailed off deliberately, organizing my thoughts. ‘Right now, with the Hayden Reich situation and my focus on the Dawn Society, I really don’t have time to waste.’

“I understand.”

“Then, please contact the main house whenever you can. The head of the family…”

“No, I won’t be visiting the main house.”

At my words, Joshua looked noticeably flustered.

“Excuse me? Julian, brother… didn’t you say you understood?”

“Yes, I did. But I’m busy with my own duties.”

As I spoke, Joshua’s expression hardened. He seemed to have a rough idea of what was coming next.

“If the head of the family would personally visit, I might be able to make time despite my busy schedule.”

With a smile, Joshua looked around, unable to find his footing. It was quite something for a mere branch family member like me to ‘summon’ the head of the Crypart family.

He wasn’t stupid. He would understand this as a ‘firm refusal’.

‘The head of the family wants to meet me.’

I think I understand why. Given the unusual atmosphere within the royal circles, they probably want to use the notoriety of ‘Julian’, whether infamous or not.

‘Since Joshua brought it up at the family council, it wouldn’t be odd to steer the conversation that way.’

But, from my conversations with Herand, I’ve always felt this way—I don’t view the Crypart family favorably. It must be due to the original ‘Julian’s personality.

“Why don’t you come and visit him instead, brother?”

Grind.

I could almost hear the grinding of teeth, and I didn’t need to see Joshua to know it was him.

“If the head of the family came to see me, wouldn’t that look bad both inside and outside the family?”

“Joshua, you do care about the family’s face, don’t you? That’s why you came to meet me secretly at night.”

My sarcastic remark made Joshua’s pupils dilate slightly before he averted his gaze. Soon, he bit his lip.

“For now… I will relay exactly what you’ve said to the head of the family.”

***

As the office quieted down, I got up and walked over to the mirror.

Then, I began sculpting with ‘Sombras’ in my palm. What took shape was a mask.

It wasn’t exactly like the one used at ‘Dusk Flame’, but due to the jet-black color of ‘Sombras’, the ambiance was similar.

“The appearance doesn’t really matter, as long as it’s a black mask.”

The polite language that usually flowed naturally was gone. When wearing the mask, it seemed the character traits of the ‘Black Knight’ took precedence over polite speech.

***

As Joshua exited the building, the tendons in his neck were visibly strained. Upon seeing him appear, his aides, who had been waiting, hurried toward him but hesitated to speak due to his fierce demeanor.

“Damn it… Damn!”

A peculiar current was stirring within the Crypart family. It involved discussions about removing the derogatory nickname ‘Frason’ that had been attached to Julian, who had not been fully acknowledged by the Crypart family until now.

These were merely spoken words, however. The infamy Julian had accumulated over the years was too vast to simply absorb.

‘The problem is that such talks are starting to surface.’

Having been educated from a young age about the importance of lineage, Joshua found it intolerable that a ‘half-blood’ from a branch family was being mentioned so frequently.

And the reason for this platform?

‘Because of what I did…?’

Who could have predicted that his fervent support at the family council, intended to breed resentment against Julian, would backfire? Who knew Herand would sympathize with Julian?

As Julian’s influence grew, Joshua’s own standing within the family inevitably diminished. After all, it was Julian who held sway over him now.

‘At this point.’

Joshua clenched his fists.

‘I have no choice but to arrange a meeting between Father, the head of the family, and Julian.’

The reason Father had summoned Julian was probably due to the increased mentions of him at the ‘family council’.

Otherwise, there was no explanation.

‘Surely, Father isn’t like Herand, harboring sympathy for Julian. That would be unthinkable.

Right, of course!

This strange current starting within the family would resolve itself if the head of the family and Julian met. Facing that arrogant wretch would surely correct things.

‘Surely, it won’t be my fault again that his momentum grows?’

A fleeting pang of anxiety passed through him, but Joshua shook his head, denying it.

Surely, that couldn’t be.

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