Bad Born Blood Chapter 120

Chapter 120

The visit to the Silver Moon Pavilion was over. Hemillas sent to my room, telling to rest until dinner.

’Luka, we’ll talk in detail later.’

I recalled Hemillas’ last words.

Now that I had so personal ti, I sat alone in my room, repeatedly spinning the Graken Vuth.

Whirr, whirr.

The Graken Vuth rotated in my grip, making a faint slicing sound.

Agatha’s words and actions wouldn’t leave my mind.

’Agatha Custoria.’

I assud that everything Agatha said was true. She was a woman on the verge of death due to the aging of her brain. She wouldn’t be capable of fabricating an elaborate lie.

’And those emotions, condensed over ti... there’s no way they were false.’

Never in my life had I encountered emotions so deep and dark. Just being near her felt like I was being stained by them. The grudge, like a curse, was vividly entrenched.

Click.

I stopped the spinning blade with my finger.

’Noel Mullizcane, Agatha Custoria.’

Agatha had probably loved Noel. And she must have felt betrayed. So she betrayed Noel in return. That likely led to Noel’s downfall.

’And the wealth and glory she gained for disposing of Noel must have been the foundation of the Custoria family.’

It was only a hypothesis. I needed more precise details about what had happened in the past. But as I had realized in my previous investigations, very few records remained from that ti.

Creak!

I stabbed the Graken Vuth into the wooden table. The blade sank in about a knuckle’s depth, making the table tremble side to side.

’Let’s organize this, Luka.’

First, I was not a clone of anyone, nor was I a genetically enhanced human. At least according to Agatha, that was the case. I had reached this point solely through my own efforts.

The relief I felt from that fact was substantial. My sense of pride remained intact. If anything, it ant I had every right to look down on those at the bottom.

’Second...’

Agatha Custoria and Noel Mullizcane had a deep connection.

Given the circumstances, Agatha betrayed Noel, received credit for suppressing the rebellion, and was elevated to nobility. And that rebellion itself was likely orchestrated by the Empire.

’If Noel was similar to ... he must have said and done plenty of things that could hurt others. Enough for Agatha to feel utterly betrayed.’

I was well aware that I was an insufferable bastard. That ant Noel must have been the sa. A fool who went out of his way to make enemies.

And the third fact, the one that mattered to right now—

’Agatha knew about my position as an Overseer, yet she didn’t tell Hemillas or the Elders.’

It was purely out of her sense of debt toward Noel. She saw Noel in , which was why she refrained from doing anything that might harm .

...How weak, Agatha. Even when her own descendants might die because of , she still chose to withhold that information.

Either way, it worked in my favor.

’Agatha must have once led the Custoria family to prosperity with an iron will. It was only with age that her mind weakened, and her judgnt beca clouded.’

To think that the founder of the Custoria family believed in reincarnation and was waiting to reunite with her dead lover.

"Hah..."

I wanted to sneer at Agatha’s choices and judgnt, but all that ca out was a hollow, bitter laugh.

’But Hemillas isn’t soone who can be kept in the dark just because information is hidden. There’s no telling how much he already knows.’

All I could do was make the necessary preparations on my end.

Outside the window, the sun was setting. Still seated, I closed my eyes and took a brief nap.

Step, step.

About thirty minutes passed. I heard the footsteps of a servant outside.

A knock at the door followed, announcing dinner. I opened my eyes, my mind sowhat clearer.

As I stepped out of the room, I saw mbers of the Custoria family making their way to the dining hall one by one.

Because of the approaching Storm Season, the mansion was more crowded than usual. There weren’t even enough seats at the table—those of lower status couldn’t attend at all. Even among my closer relatives, those within three degrees of kinship, there were over thirty people.

Hemillas stood from his seat before the al began.

"The Storm Season is upon us again after thirty-four years. As always, if each of us fulfills our roles diligently, it will pass without incident. And..."

He never finished his sentence.

Daaang, daang, daang.

A solemn toll echoed, making the windows tremble. The sound ca from the Silver Moon Pavilion.

It was the bell announcing the death of an Elder.

Clack.

Everyone closed their eyes in unison and bowed their heads in silent tribute.

’Agatha Custoria is dead.’

How many at this table even knew the founder was still alive until now?

Agatha had lived well past the limits of even a noble with full-body prosthetics. She must have watched countless descendants be born and die. As a military family, many likely perished young.

The Elder’s death passed without much ceremony. A brief mont of silence was all there was.

Most of the family mbers had only known of the Elder’s existence; few had ever seen her face.

Hemillas was the last to open his eyes.

"...Now, let us continue. My son, Lukaus Custoria, has achieved many rits thus far. Most recently, he protected His Highness Francec from an assassination attempt. This is not a feat to be overlooked. Even at a young age, he has proven his capabilities."

The eyes of everyone in the room turned to . Having drawn sufficient attention, Hemillas continued speaking.

"If I were to die or beco incapacitated, Lukaus will act as the interim head of the family until a new head is formally elected. This has already been discussed with the Elders—"

The entire dining hall seed to stir. Soone even dared to interrupt the head of the family—a rare occurrence in a household where authority was paramount.

Five people abruptly stood up, pushing their chairs back with force. Two others struck the table in frustration. Even those who remained seated failed to conceal their shock.

And I was just as dumbfounded.

"You—you made this decision without even consulting ...?"

The most vocal opposition ca from my stepmother, Eva.

Hemillas ignored her and kept his gaze forward. His eyes glead, pressing down on the opposition with sheer force.

"This is not an arbitrary decision but a rightful authority of the current head. And let remind you, this is only an interim position, not that of the next official head. The next head will be chosen through the family’s traditional election process."

Even as Hemillas attempted to assert his authority, the uproar did not subside so easily. This was not a statent that could be taken lightly.

’The Custoria family elects its head, but the interim appointnt by the current head inevitably influences the final decision. That’s why the position has always gone to a direct descendant.’

Hemillas wielded imnse authority as the current head. His choice of an interim successor was, in practice, a declaration of his preferred heir.

’What is Hemillas thinking?’

Confusion swelled within . I could not discern his true intentions.

He had never once hinted at this decision before.

Even Juppe, with whom I had reached a ceasefire today, was scowling deeply, unable to mask his expression.

Despite having older biological sons, Hemillas chose , his adopted son. At that mont, whatever authority Juppe had left crumbled completely. By tomorrow, his support within the family would be cut in half.

The food arrived swiftly, thanks to Hemillas signaling the servants to hurry. The al provided a slight reprieve from the commotion.

However, the relatives barely touched their food. They whispered amongst themselves, murmuring in hushed but urgent tones.

Clatter.

I chanically moved my utensils, barely tasting the food. My mind was preoccupied with observing the reactions of those around .

"During the last Storm Season, rioters exploited the lapse in security and pushed into the noble districts."

"That’s why it’s best to stay at the main house for the ti being..."

"Besides, the atmosphere feels rather unsettling."

Ensuring security and safety was one of the reasons why so many had gathered at the mansion ahead of the Storm Season. The Custoria estate, being in a quiet suburban area, was well protected from any unruly mobs. Any unauthorized intruder would be riddled with bullets long before they got close.

"Why would the head of the family choose an adopted son..."

"Enough. From my perspective, he’s qualified."

Scattered argunts broke out. Not everyone opposed my appointnt as acting head. In particular, people like my uncle, Arthur Custoria, seed pleased with the decision.

’Arthur Custoria.’

A man who appeared just often enough to be hard to forget. He was Hemillas’ older brother but had been all but stripped of his chance to inherit the family headship. His modest ambition was to marry his daughter to .

"The position of acting head is necessary when the family faces a major crisis. It ans we need a fixer. And Lukaus has learned well under Hemillas, hasn’t he? There’s no issue here!"

Arthur spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear. He flashed a smile and winked. Beside him, his daughter sat shyly, though she had such little presence that I couldn’t even recall her na imdiately.

Arthur didn’t wield imnse influence within the family, but he wasn’t powerless either. Hemillas still treated him with a degree of respect as a brother.

...Sohow, the uncomfortable dinner finally ca to an end.

I imdiately headed to Hemillas’ study. I wasn’t the only one. Eva and Juppe were already standing in front of the door.

Looking down from the railing, I saw other relatives lurking, waiting for their chance to speak with Hemillas.

"I go first, Luka. Don’t worry—I haven’t forgotten our agreent to cooperate."

Juppe spoke at the door, barely containing his displeasure while maintaining a calm facade.

Since he arrived before , I thought it was only fair to let him go first. I took two steps back in consideration. But when had anything in life ever gone the way I expected?

"I need to speak with Luka first. The rest of you can co in when I call for you."

Hemillas erged from his study and spoke firmly.

Juppe, unable to hold back any longer, raised his voice.

"Father! This is unacceptable. You’re being too unfair!"

Juppe finally erupted, pouring his emotions out at Hemillas.

"...Juppe, act like an adult. Nikolaos would not have behaved this way."

Hemillas did not et his son’s emotions with emotions. Instead, he reprimanded him with an unsettling level of composure.

Then, with a slight tilt of his chin, he gestured for to enter.

Step, step.

I had no choice but to walk forward. Before entering, I gave Juppe and Eva a brief nod as an apology.

I had no understanding of what it felt like to be rejected by one’s own father. But in this mont, I sympathized with Juppe.

Creak, thud.

The study door closed. In the silent room, Hemillas stood waiting.

"One thing is certain—you’ve completely abandoned the idea of being a good father."

I spoke dryly.

"You’re stating the obvious, sothing both you and I already know. The responsibilities of a family head leave no room for being a good father."

Hemillas sat down first. I remained standing, watching him.

"Why did you appoint as acting head?"

"What do you think?"

He responded to my question with a question—one of the most infuriating conversational tactics. If it were anyone other than Hemillas, I would have grabbed them by the collar and thrown them.

"At first, I thought you were trying to put in a difficult position. But jealousy and resentnt from others an nothing to . In fact, I had more supporters than I expected."

"Hmm. Especially my brother—he seems to like you quite a lot. He even had Anna all dressed up today."

Hemillas chuckled as he uncorked a bottle of liquor on the table. Anna was Arthur’s daughter.

"...I have no interest in my uncle’s sches. Regardless, I still don’t understand why you chose as acting head. I can’t even guess."

"It’s a major gamble for as well. So, of course, you wouldn’t be able to figure it out."

Hemillas poured himself a drink and downed it in one go. Then, retrieving another glass from the cabinet, he poured two drinks.

’A gamble?’

What kind of gamble was he talking about?

My thoughts spiraled further into a maze. No answers ca to . My forehead burned with heat. Once an Akies Victima’s thoughts started running, they were difficult to stop. There was no simple switch to shut them off like a machine.

My head grew hotter. My brain had already been overworked from eting Agatha.

Biiiiiii—

A ringing noise filled my ears. Hemillas’ figure almost looked like a black beast again. Damn hallucinations, acting up again.

"The Elder who passed away today... told to place my trust in you. I don’t know what they ant by that. So let’s figure it out together."

Hemillas picked up a glass of liquor and extended it toward . I hesitated before taking it.

He knew sothing. Yet, he wasn’t pressing for answers. What exactly was this monster thinking?

There was only one thing I could promise him.

"...When the ti cos, I will stake everything to protect the Custoria family."

"That’s enough."

Hemillas raised his glass and extended it toward mine. The sharp clink of glass against glass rang out.

...As expected, liquor still tasted awful.