Chapter 20.2: The Offer (1)

But what reason would that guy have for doing something like this?

It wasn't unusual for someone to have taken a keepsake from their dead companion to commemorate him and stored it in their treasury. Vermouth hadn't seemed to be the type for such frivolities, but then again, Eugene had never expected that Vermouth would take more than ten wives after returning from the Devildom either. That was proof, if anything, that time changes people.

'But if they really wanted to commemorate me, they should have just killed all the Demon Kings.'

If they couldn't do that, then at the very least, they should have properly registered the necklace into the treasure vault. While feeling a complex mix of dissatisfaction and doubt, Eugene nodded his head to show he understood.

"…Then is it okay for me to take this necklace?"

"The necklace is completely worthless. Are you sure you still want it?"

"For some reason, it just calls to me."

"Hm. Well, I suppose that there are times when items do that."

Children were often atturacted to strange things. Even Gilead used to collect old coins when he was a child.

"Have you always liked such antiquities?" Gilead asked curiously.

Eugene prevaricated, "I don't hate them, but I just find this necklace strangely fascinating."

"Well, if you really want it, you may keep it."

"Thank you very much."

With a grin, Eugene immediately hung the necklace around his neck before looking back up at Gilead. When Gilead was caught staring at Eugene, he gave a low cough and got up from his seat.

"…Eugene. I called you here to give you the necklace, but… there was one more reason as well."

"What reason would that be, sir?"

Instead of replying immediately, Gilead walked over and took a seat in the chair across from Eugene. Then he picked up a teacup and started fidgeting with it as if trying to sort out his thoughts.

"…This might seem sudden, but I have an offer for you. It's nothing unpleasant, and in fact, this offer is for the sake of your future."

'No way,' Eugene thought, his eyebrows twitching in frustration at the halting pace of Gilead's words.

An offer concerning his future? In such situations, for an offer to be worded like that, there were only a few options of what that offer might be.

"Eugene, are you—"

"Sir Patriarch," Eugene interrupted him.

Gilead stopped mid-sentence and tilted his head in curiosity, "Hm?"

Eugene continued, "Ciel is kind and cute, but I don't want to start thinking about marriage so soon."

Eugene was sure that this was about engaging him to Ciel. If he thought about it, things had seemed a little strange from the very beginning. Even after Eugene had left her twin brother in such a state, Ciel had still come looking for him the very next day with a smile on her face; and ever since then, she had been clinging to his side like an annoying tick.

Also, before the Bloodline Continuation Ceremony, Ciel had been acting so overtly friendly to Eugene that it felt off-putting. And she kept blabbing some nonsense about how he should call her 'big sis,' just because she was a few months older than him.

'I wondered why she kept going on about that, so she's already trying to put me in my place as her future consort.'[1]

That was definitely it. And what was with her behavior in the labyrinth? She had actually giggled as she watched her brother get beaten up by the minotaur.

'She was sitting beside me then as well.'

It felt like there had also been times where Ciel subtly kept Dezra from getting close to him.

Recalling all the times he had met with Ciel since arriving at the main estate, Eugene felt increasingly sure of his suspicions. It may not have been planned that way from the start, but after the twins had walked over to pick a fight, they must have decided to trap him in an arranged marriage upon seeing the result of their duel.

'No wonder. So that's why he was willing to give me a weapon from their treasure vault. They intend to tie me to the main family by engaging me to Ciel.'

How could they have come up with such a terrible scheme while still outwardly treating him with so much courtesy? If it was to achieve their purpose, were they even willing to sacrifice their daughter's future? To be able to hide their evil intentions to such an extent, just as expected from the descendants of Vermouth.

'No, even Vermouth wouldn't stoop this low.'

Inside Eugene's head, Gilead's image underwent a rapid transformation.

Eugene continued trying to excuse himself, "After all, I'm too young to even be thinking about marriage. I need to get my father's permission as well— And even if my father does allow it, I don't want to get married to Ciel—"

"Hold on," Gilead, who had been listening to Eugene's speech in shock, suddenly raised his hand. "Eugene, I think you may be misunderstanding something."

"Huh?"

"I didn't call you here with the intention of engaging you to Ciel. That's… hmm… well, that's something for Ciel to decide. But of course, your opinion is important as well."

In fact, he actually thought that it was quite a good idea, but Gilead didn't have the slightest intention of forcing either of them into such an arrangement.

"…Is that… so?" Eugene choked out these words as he felt his face burn red-hot in embarrassment.

It looked like he really had put his foot in his mouth this time.

"I called you here because I wanted to offer to adopt you."

"…Huh?"

Eugene thought he had been surprised before, but Gilead's follow-up was even more shocking.

'So they had that method available to them.'

Eugene got their reasoning for their offer of adoption, but at the same time, he wanted to leap out of the window in embarrassment. He wanted to tear off his own mouth for admitting that he didn't want to marry a thirteen-year-old kid. No, more than that, he wanted to smash his own head for thinking that he was about to be engaged to a thirteen-year-old chick in the first place.

'I must have been crazy.'

After having to act like a child, it seemed that his mind had somehow become like a child's.

"…An adoption… uh… this is all too sudden…," Eugene mumbled distractedly.

"But not as sudden as an engagement, right?" Gilead teased with a grin.

"I'm sorry for getting the wrong idea."

"But do you really hate the idea of getting married to Ciel? From the way you speak of her, it doesn't seem like you're completely against the idea…."

"No, I hate it."

"Hm…." Gilead put on a disappointed expression, but he soon let it fall and continued speaking. "…Setting this talk of engagement aside, what do you think about being adopted?"

Eugene hesitated, "But… my father is waiting for me in Gidol."

"If you wish, I'll invite Gerhard to stay at the main estate as well."

"So then I'll have two fathers?"

"That's right. But your biological father is, and always will be, Gerhard."

"Then I'm not sure what's the point of me getting adopted."

"There's no need to think about it too much," Gilead smiled faintly as he picked up his teacup. "It's just to bring your family into the same fold as the main family. Although nominally, I'll be your adoptive father, that doesn't mean you need to treat me as your real father. Of course, that's only if you agree to the adoption."

"I feel like this would trouble my father greatly," admitted Eugene.

"I'll probably have a lot of things that I need to go over with Gerhard, but Eugene, I too am a father of three children. I am not trying to steal Gerhard's son away from him."

"…Hm…."

"Although I've never met Gerhard, I promise to respect him as if he were my older brother."

Eugene frowned, "Does that mean that, if I refuse, the Patriarch won't show my father respect?"

"There's no way," Gilead burst into laughter at such a bold question. "Although I'm embarrassed to even say this out loud, I'm not such a childish person. So, if you refuse… I'll just… feel a little regret. That's all. I will, of course, respect your choice and wish you the best of luck with your future. However… I really do hope to allow your future to shine as part of the main family."

"…I don't think this is an issue that I should decide by myself," for now, Eugene decided to postpone making a decision.

While in the end, it would be up to Eugene to decide whether or not to accept the proposal, he still wanted to hear his father's, Gerhard's, opinion.

"If that's the case, then let's leave it until after the banquet," Gilead decided.

The banquet originally meant to celebrate the end of the Bloodline Continuation Ceremony was scheduled for the following evening.

"I'll send messengers to Gidol and tell them to respectfully escort your father over," Gilead said.

"I am grateful for the Patriarch's consideration, but I also feel a little guilty for the inconvenience," Eugene confessed.

"Don't say that. You don't owe me anything. You've proven yourself the most outstanding child in this year's Bloodline Continuation Ceremony. It would be a sad affair if your father could not be with his son during your moment of celebration and glory."

"Thank you so much."

Without showing any further hesitation, Eugene bowed his head in thanks. By doing so, he was also hiding his joy. Truthfully, he was interested in the offer to join the main family through adoption.

If Gerhard's personality was just as terrible as his sword skills, then he would have accepted being adopted by Gilead without any hesitation. However, Gerhard was in fact a truly caring father. Unfortunately, due to the memories of his past life, Eugene had never really been able to accept Gerhard as his father, but even still, he liked and respected the man.

"…Earlier, you said that this would be good for my future as well," Eugene focussed, putting down the teacup he'd been sipping from. "What exactly did you mean by that?"

"If you're fostered with the main family, there are a lot of benefits you can enjoy," Gilead enticed Eugene; he was glad that Eugene was showing interest in his offer. "For example… that's right, didn't you say that there weren't any knights you could go to for instruction back in Gidol? But at our main estate, you won't need to worry about that. After all, we have a lot of excellent knights here."

"If I'm going to learn from anyone, I want to learn from the best," Eugen demanded, as he tried to smile as innocently as possible. Then looking straight at Gilead, he continued speaking, "If I'm adopted by you, Patriarch, will I be able to learn from you as well?"

Eugene was curious to see just how strong the Lionheart clan's Patriarch truly was.

1. The Korean word used here was 데릴사위 which basically means a son-in-law who marries into his wife's family, rather than a daughter-in-law marrying into her husband's family, and has a lower status because of this. Part of the reason why it's considered shameful is that by marrying into his wife's family, the husband is giving up the responsibility and duty of passing down his family name, as his children will inherit his wife's surname instead. Although that doesn't apply in this case, as both Eugene and Ciel have the same surname, it still implies that Eugene will have a lower standing than his wife.