Chapter 3: Family dinner.
A week later,
After finishing his meal, Liam, as usual, opened the window and scattered the food crumbs outside. After a while, a gray bird landed, pecking at the crumbs while keeping a cautious eye on Liam, ready to fly away at any sudden movement.
Upon seeing the bird's cautious behavior, Liam burst into laughter, saying, "Ahaha, what a vigilant bird."
Liam then reflected on the events of the past week. The new concubine his father had brought had arrived at the Duchy yesterday. Moreover, while on her way to the Duchy, they had been attacked by a group of bandits. "If it weren't for some of my father's knights being there, they'd probably be dead by now. My stepmother's expression was truly worth the entertainment."
Liam vividly remembered Marry's expression as she tightly gripped her dress. Liam's stepmother had indeed failed in her attempt to harm the new concubine and had even attracted some unwanted attention. Even the Duke had a clear look of disappointment when he eyes on the Marry. However, today, a family feast had been organized to celebrate Concubine arrival and foster unity within the family.
Liam had been eager to use the library to learn about the history of the country and the continent it was located in. Unfortunately, the servants had informed him that the library was temporarily off-limits due to maintenance and cleaning for the next few months.
Liam caught a glimpse of his stepbrother reading books inside through the windows, but he didn't protest. He simply smiled and left the area. Liam leaned back in his chair, yawned, and stretched. He was searching for an escape, but it seemed like every avenue was blocked by stepmother.
Liam left his room, thinking it was time for his stepmother's visit. He walked forward, turned right, and found himself facing a grand staircase. He ascended the stairs and turned left, heading straight for an even more ornate door.
There were a few guards at the door, and when they saw Liam approaching, they blocked his path and asked, "Why are you here?"
Liam didn't mind the guards not using honorifics when addressing him. He smiled and said, "I wanted to request something from my mother. Is she available right now? If not, could you please pass on my message?"
The guards exchanged glances and knocked on the door. After hearing a response from inside, they allowed Liam to enter. He waited outside the door for a while, and then a guard with an expressionless face informed him, "You can go in."
Liam entered the room and saw Marry, who had a pale face and looked unwell. Concerned, Liam spoke, "Mother, are you okay? Why do you look so pale? Have I infected you with my illness? Damn, what have I done..."
"No, Liam, I'm not sick, just a bit tired... What did you come for?"
"Mother, my issues are not important right now. Are you sure you're okay? Please take good care of yourself. If anything were to happen to you, what would my father, my brother, and I do?"
"Huh, your father?"
Marry muttered as if she had heard something amusing, then glanced out of the window to her right.
"I'm really fine, your concerns are unnecessary... Why did you come?"
"Mother, it's really not important..."
Marry interrupted Liam before he could finish his sentence.
"What did you come for? Don't repeat the same words about your mother's health."
Liam seemed saddened by Marry's tone of voice and appeared somewhat embarrassed to express his strange request.
"Mother, I want to read a few historical books about our continent and even our country. I went to the library, but it's under maintenance, so I couldn't go inside. Could you help me borrow a few books from there? I don't have to read them in the library; I can read them in my room."
With a raised eyebrow and a somewhat interrogative expression, Marry asked, "Why do you want them?"
"Mother, I thought about this: if there's ever a discussion or event related to our country, and they ask for my opinion, I thought I might embarrass you and my brother."
Liam didn't mention his father again because stepmother was already upset with the Duke. Instead, he spoke about his brother, who was the future Duke.
"Who would question you? The chances of such a discussion are low."
"But, Mother, didn't you tell me to be prepared for anything? If I disregard it as a low chance and such a discussion arises, wouldn't I disappoint you and my brother? Besides, my brother will be the future Duke, and gossip might circulate about his brother, meaning me, who doesn't even know the history of his own homeland. I don't want to be a source of embarrassment for my brother. Maybe I'll become a disgrace to him because of this, so I don't want this situation to happen."
Then, Liam knelt down, clenched both of his fists, and placed his right hand on his chest. His eyes were filled with worry and concern, and there were tears in his eyes, but they hadn't yet rolled down his cheeks.
"Mother, please..."
Liam's voice trembled as he lowered his head, and a few tears fell to the ground. He looked like a child who was afraid of embarrassing his family. In truth, his body was that of a child.
Marry, as if acknowledging some validity in Liam's words, sighed and said, "You're right, okay. I'll request a few historical books to be sent to your room."
Liam jerked his head up, and his eyes sparkled like stars. He smiled, and there was gratitude on his face, visible even to the obtuse. He bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you, Mother. I'll leave you now so you can rest comfortably. Please don't forget you can always come to me. Take good care of yourself."
Marry smiled and replied, "Alright, alright. You take care too."
Liam bowed once more with respect and left the room energetically. As he left, Marry, watching his departure, murmured to herself, "What an innocent child. He doesn't even know I've been using him."
When Liam entered his room, it was as if he had finally found a purpose. He lay down on his bed and thought to himself, "In the game I played, there was no mention of the continent or the country's history. There were only a few teleportation villages and dungeon names. The game mostly took place in dungeons. Maybe there was an NPC who talked about its history and continent, but I never encountered them."
Liam was curious about this game world. If he wanted to gain more, he needed knowledge because in this world, knowledge was everything. Without knowledge, no matter how strong you were, you could fall into a trap, unintentionally offend someone, or miss out on great opportunities.
Knock, knock
Soon, there was a knock on his room's door, and a male servant with short black hair entered, carrying a few books. He said, "The Duchess sent these."
Liam's expression brightened as he looked at the books.
Later, as the man left the room, Maid recalled a few words that the Duchess had said to him. "As much as I don't like him, I should take care of him to maintain his loyalty. Besides, as she said, if, by some small chance, a conversation turns to him, my dear son, although he would be very talented for the position of Duke, it could turn into a matter of disgrace. So, hand over the books to him."
Initially, he had questioned why the Duchess had given these books to the illegitimate child. However, after understanding his lady's thoughts, he executed her order without hesitation, even choosing the ones that would be easier for Liam to comprehend.
Liam's eyes sparkled as he looked at the books. Each book had a different color, but the common feature was the gold embellishments. Liam caressed the cover of the book and positioned himself comfortably on his pillow before starting to read.
Close to sunset, there was a knock on his door. Liam, raising his head from the book, looked at the elderly servant who had entered the room and said, "Dinner is approaching. Please be in the dining hall soon."
The servant spoke robotically and promptly left without even glancing at Liam. Liam sighed, note down the page he was on, and changed into a blue suit from the wardrobe before leaving the room. His mind was still on the book as he left.
"The country I'm currently in is Eldian. Eldian is a country squeezed between two others, serving as a buffer between them. Moreover, it occupies an essential position along major trade routes, making it the greedy of the eye for the neighboring countries, Fetqian and Oelle.
It has average-sized mineral deposits. Interestingly, in this era, magic seems to be nothing more than myths, mere nonsense mentioned in books. But if this is the world I played in, then magic must undoubtedly exist here. How else could there be magic and necromancer characters in the game?
For the past two years, Oelle and Fetqian had harbored ill intentions towards each other. An Oelle representative had was assassination in the central region of Fetqian. Oelle's increasing population had led to resource shortages, prompting them to resort to any means necessary to create unrest in Fetqian.
As Liam arrived at the dining area, he noticed a lot of servants rushing around. Marry was sitting next to a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy who appeared to be two or three years older than Liam.
Liam, unfazed by the chaos around him, respectfully greeted them, "Mother, Brother, how are you?"
While Marry smiled, Liam's brother displayed no facial expression. He merely looked at Liam for a few seconds before turning his gaze elsewhere.
"Please, have a seat, Liam."
Marry gestured towards an empty chair next to her, inviting Liam to sit. Inside, Liam couldn't help but mock, "So, you want to show how close I am to your new rival, the illegitimate child."
"Mother, I still don't feel quite well. I wouldn't want to make you sick, especially after seeing you this morning..."
Liam sighed, clenched his fist, and adopted a worried expression. The servants bustling around heard Liam's words and looked at Marry with pityingly. After all, the once strong and unshakable woman was no longer in her prime. The Duke had brought a new concubine.
The truth was, the Duchess was aging, and it was natural for the Duke to bring someone new. As the Duke and the woman with chestnut hair and green eyes descended, they giggled, chatted affectionately, and seemed to be in love. The Duke's face was radiant with happiness. Seeing this, Marry's face soured, and she shot icy glares at the chestnut-haired woman, not bothering to hide her animosity.
She gritted his teeth. The Duke and the woman sat side by side at the head of the table. As the Duke took his seat, all the servants had already arranged the dishes on the table.
The Duke spoke with a smile, "Allow me to introduce you to Eve, uh, I expect the same respect you have for your mother to be shown to Eve as well. Furthermore, any disrespect shown to Eve will be considered disrespect to me."
The Duke's gaze initially fell on Marry, then on Liam's brother, and finally on Liam himself. "Understood?"
He looked at Liam's brother again. "Yes, Father," he replied. When the Duke turned his attention to Liam, he asked once more, "Understood?"
"Yes Father."
Liam adopted a sweet, childlike expression as he spoke. Eve had been disappointed for some reason when she looked at Liam's brother earlier, and now she turned her gaze to Liam.Liam could feel something staring into his soul, and he gave to Eve somewhat intimidating look.
While neither the Duke nor the others noticed this glance, Eve flinched. She then giggled and whispered something into the Duke's ear that no one at the table could hear. The Duke looked at Liam in surprise and then shifted his gaze to Liam's brother. He whispered something to Eve, who nodded in waved no.
As Eve flashed a seductive smile, a sweet smile appeared on the Duke's face. Liam had noticed the disappointment in the Duke's eyes earlier and wondered what had transpired. Breaking the silence, the Duke finally spoke.
"You may start your meal."
As everyone began eating their meals, Liam's brother and Marry were both looking at Liam. Uncomfortable with their stares, Liam asked, "Mom, brother, is there something wrong?"
"No," Marry replied.
While Liam's brother remained silent, he continued to eat his meal but gave Liam a cold stare. Liam responded by lowering his head and wearing a sweet smile, clearly displaying the love and admiration he had for his brother.
Later, Marry couldn't take it anymore and threw her plate to the ground, shouting, "How could you betray us and bring a whore into our home? Didn't we promise each other?"
Tears welled up in Marry's eyes as she looked at the Duke. The Duke, in anger, slammed his fist on the table. "Are you calling the woman I brought here a whore?"
Marry realized her mistake and, with tears in her eyes, left the table. After a while, Liam's brother finished his meal and asked, "Father, may I leave the table to continue my training?"
"Yes, Paul."
As Paul left the table, he cast another cold glance at Liam without even turning around. Liam responded with a sweet smile, saying, "Don't push yourself too hard, big brother."
Now, only the Duke, Eve, and Liam remained at the table. Liam continued to enjoy his meal. After all, he needed to eat well to maintain his health, especially as an eight-year-old child who required plenty of nutrition.
While Liam was eating, both Eve and the Duke were watching him. Eve had a big smile on her face, while the Duke raised one eyebrow, looking at Liam with curiosity. An awkward silence filled the air. Liam finally broke the silence.
"Is there something on my face, Father?"
"N-no, nothing."
The Duke stuttered in response. Liam raised an eyebrow, wondering why the Duke was acting this way. His memories didn't indicate any previous behavior like this. Wanting to avoid Eve's gaze, Liam tried to finish his meal quickly.
Eve's stares felt as if they were peering into the depths of his soul, making him feel exposed. After finishing his meal swiftly but satisfactorily, Liam wiped his mouth and turned to the Duke, asking, "Father, I still haven't fully recovered. May I be excused from the table?"
"Yes, of course..."
The Duke's gaze seemed like he had more to say, and Liam noticed it. With a smile, he asked the Duke, "Father, is there something on your mind?"
"No, why do you ask?"
"Your face looks worried... Please try not to worry too much. And try to understand Mother a bit more; she's very upset."
"I'm not worried at all. I believe Marry will come to understand this situation in time; she's a clever woman, after all."
"If you're not going to say anything else, I'm going."
The Duke nodded and looked at Eve. Liam left the dining room and headed towards his room. He was feeling tired and unwell again, so he decided to take a nap instead of reading books.
Once in his room, Liam changed his clothes and lay down on his bed, closing his eyes. He just wanted to rest without thinking about anything. He felt exhausted from going down the stairs earlier when he was still unwell.
"At some point, I should work on increasing my stamina."
As Liam drifted off to sleep, the Duke and Eve had already retired to their respective rooms. They sat across from each other. The Duke wore a serious expression as he asked, "Are you sure?"
Eve tossed her hair and replied confidently, "Don't you know how talented I am? I'm sure that child is extremely gifted, and he's aware of it. I'd even call him a genius. If you could see his potential, you'd be amazed."
"But he's sick..."
"Yes, but it's not an unsolvable problem, is it? With the necessary resources, he can easily recover. You know we need to train talented geniuses like him for the future war. That's why I'm here..."
The Duke massaged his forehead with his thumb and sighed, lowering his head. "I know. You were appointed by the king to find talented individuals among the nobles."
Eve smiled and said, "Michael, you worry too much. That child is truly exceptional. Even now, he could potentially wipe out the entire Duchy."
Michael raised his head, wearing a thoughtful expression as he said, "I didn't realize a child who could die at any moment could be so gifted..."
"Well, it's normal. After all, you don't have eyes that can read talents," Eve replied mockingly. Then, as if remembering something dreadful, she wrapped her arms around herself.
"But his gaze was truly frightening. How can an eight-year-old child give such a deadly look?"
Michael took a sip of his drink at the table and sighed. "Indeed. If he were to be enlisted in the army, could he change the course of the war?"
"Yes, and in unimaginable ways..."
In an area filled with various weapons, a child with blond hair was practicing swordsmanship, beads of sweat rolling down his face. After a final swing of the wooden sword, it fell to the ground.
He bit his lip and thought to himself, "Why can't I progress further? Why do I feel stuck despite training for over eight hours every day? Could it be that this is the limit of my abilities?"
Since his childhood, Paul had received theoretical and practical lessons in sword techniques, and he had been hailed as a prodigy for his rapid progress. However, lately, he had hit a plateau and couldn't understand why. He didn't know why he was stuck in his current situation.
Paul was currently at the Intermediate stage of Inner Energy Manipulation, having already advanced to the stage of Elemental Connection. However, he couldn't seem to progress beyond this stage.
The stages were divided into four: Beginner's stage with Basic Inner Energy Awakening, Intermediate stage with Inner Energy Manipulation, which was where Paul was, Advanced stage with Elemental Connection, and the completion of the Beginner's stage, Energy Condensation.
While his peers hadn't even reached Basic Inner Energy Awakening, Paul had not only passed that stage but also advanced toward the Advanced stage. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling of being trapped at this stage. He despised it. He was intelligent and had all the opportunities. Why couldn't he break through this stage?
Paul then thought of the new concubine his father had brought in. The fire of ambition began to burn within him. To protect his mother, he needed to grow stronger.
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