Chapter 58

"What brings you back from the Academy? Don't you have studies to attend to?" Dani asked, his voice laced with frustration.

"The Academy is on break until next spring. You followed me there, claiming you were doing some pre-enrollment research. Didn't you know that much?" Ulrich replied, his gaze filled with disdain.

Dani's face flushed red with embarrassment. In truth, he had never done any such research. He simply wanted to visit the bustling capital of the Empire and had used it as an excuse. Of course, Ulrich knew that Dani had spent his time idling about, and his words were intended to mock him.

"And look at this, the son of a noble swordsman using a sword so crudely," Ulrich added, eyeing Dani's broken sword.

"I'll use my sword however I please. You don't need to interfere," Dani snapped, turning his head away defiantly.

Ulrich smirked. "You've gotten bold since I last saw you. I suppose that's why you thought you could attempt fratricide."

"That's not true!" Dani burst out, unable to contain his rage. He was already losing his mind from all the gossip behind his back, and now Ulrich was throwing it in his face.

Ulrich shrugged at Dani's outburst. "What isn't true? That the new brother isn't your sibling? Or that you didn't try to have him killed?"

"Neither! You don't know the full story, Ulrich!" Dani shouted, his anger boiling over.

"If you're so aggrieved, then tell me your side. I've been curious to hear it anyway," Ulrich said, crossing his arms. He had only just arrived at the estate and had yet to meet their father, let alone hear the full details of the incident. All he knew were the rumors spreading among the estate's residents.

Finally given the chance to explain himself, Dani launched into a fervent recount of events. He described how it all started as a harmless prank. He had ordered Max to disturb Sylas's sleep, only for it to fail because Sylas slept too deeply. That one unlucky night, things had gone wrong, and suddenly, he was being accused of orchestrating an assassination. Finally, he explained how Max had betrayed him, pinning the blame for the assassination attempt on him.

"It's outrageous! I'm being framed, and it's driving me mad!" Dani finished, his voice filled with frustration.

Ulrich, however, seemed unimpressed. After a moment of silence, he sighed and shook his head. "You left something out of your story, Dani."

"What could I have possibly left out?" Dani demanded.

"You never should have started that foolish prank in the first place. If you hadn't, there wouldn't have been anything to pin on you."

"...!"

Dani's face turned bright red with fury and shame. He was about to shout a retort when Ulrich raised a hand, stopping him.

"There's no need to hear more. It's obvious that all of this is your own fault," Ulrich said, cutting him off.

"I—" Dani tried to argue, but Ulrich didn't give him a chance.

"Let me spell it out for you," Ulrich said, counting off on his fingers. "First, you turned a brother into an enemy when you didn't need to. From what I've heard, he's quite capable, and now you've made a dangerous rival."

"Am I supposed to stand by while some illegitimate brat sits on top of me, acting like he's my superior?" Dani fumed.

"When you hit someone, don't be surprised if they hit back. Can you guarantee you won't become his target now?" Ulrich asked, his voice calm but cutting.

Dani's face went blank. He had never considered the possibility. To him, Sylas had always been just the bastard half-brother with nothing but the count's favor behind him. That was, until the assassination incident, which had completely changed Sylas's position in the household.

'What if he holds a grudge and decides to bring me down?' Dani thought, dread creeping over him. The dynamic of victim and aggressor had been established, and if Sylas decided to act, he could ruin Dani's reputation beyond repair. A chill ran down Dani's spine at the thought.

"Second," Ulrich continued, "you failed to inspire loyalty in your subordinate. You practically showed Max you'd discard him at any moment. Naturally, he sold you out. What did you expect?"

"But… I've given him plenty of food and shelter!" Dani protested weakly.

"In exchange for work, right? Anyone would think you were doing him a favor out of the kindness of your heart," Ulrich shot back.

It was a sharp rebuke. Now that Dani thought about it, he had only ever interacted with Max when he needed something done. He had never shown any real care for the man. To Max, Dani had been nothing more than a client with a higher social status.

"Third, when things went wrong, instead of taking active steps to fix the situation, you set up one flimsy countermeasure and sat back, thinking it would all work out. Do you think life works according to the rules of a chessboard?" Ulrich asked, shaking his head.

"..."

Dani's face flushed with embarrassment. As much as he wanted to argue, he couldn't think of anything to say. This had always been the case—Ulrich could see the bigger picture, while Dani had always struggled with his narrow, short-sighted perspective. Dani had never been able to escape from his brother's shadow.

"I've heard enough from you," Ulrich said dismissively.

"Are you going to see Father now?" Dani asked, desperate to change the subject.

"Yes, and I have some people to introduce to him as well," Ulrich replied, his tone shifting slightly.

"People to introduce?" Dani repeated, confused.

"Master," a voice called out from behind. Dani stiffened and turned around, only to see three strange individuals standing nearby.

One of them was a hunchbacked old man with half of his face scarred and deformed. At first glance, he seemed like a disfigured commoner, but Dani recognized him immediately.

'An assassin?' Dani thought, alarmed. The man's aura, his silent movements—it all reminded Dani of Max, though this man seemed far more dangerous. His footsteps were so quiet that, even walking beside Dani, they were barely audible. Where had Ulrich found such a person?

'And it's not just the old man,' Dani noted. The other two figures were just as unusual. One was a knight with his face hidden beneath a helmet, and the other was a young man with the air of a scholar. The two seemed completely mismatched, yet both radiated an intimidating presence.

"As you requested, we've scouted the estate," the knight said.

"And what did you think of my homeland?" Ulrich asked, a grin spreading across his face.

"It's perfect. The security is tight, the military strong, and the geography ideal. It's a place well-suited for achieving great things," the scholarly young man answered, his soft voice filled with barely contained excitement.

"Hahaha! I'm glad to hear it!" Ulrich laughed, clearly pleased.

"I speak only the truth, Master," the young man said with a slight bow, his loyalty and admiration evident. It was clear that this young scholar was utterly devoted to Ulrich.

Watching the exchange, Dani's hands clenched into fists. In contrast to Max, who had betrayed him, Ulrich had gathered fiercely loyal subordinates. It was infuriating to witness the disparity.