"She said my father was a responsible man and that he would definitely come looking for me. Even if hardships awaited, she said he would accept me. But she also told me that it would be a heavy burden for him, and I must reject him."
Sylas paused for a moment and then gave a sad smile.
"If I truly wanted to follow my mother's wishes, I shouldn't have come in the first place. But I couldn't bear to disappoint my father who wanted to see me, and I couldn't resist my own desire to see him."
"Then what do you plan to do now? From what I hear, it seems you've achieved your goal." "Now that I've seen my father, I have no regrets. I plan to return and live a life that suits me."
Helena had to lift her fan to hide the grin spreading across her face. The mother and son pair, who had been such thorns in her side, at least knew their place. Though the boy was born annoyingly, she was willing to let him go peacefully if he left on his own.
"If that's your decision—"
"What nonsense is this?!"
Just as Helena was about to nod, she was startled and looked at the count. Unable to contain his agitation, Count Bill slammed his desk with a loud bang.
"A burden, you say! What kind of father would consider his child a burden? I finally have the chance to fulfill my duty as a father, and you speak of cutting ties!"
'Oh no…!'
Helena's face stiffened at the count's outburst. Come to think of it, it was the count himself who had brought this illegitimate child to fulfill his duty as a father. No matter how much he said it was fine, the count wasn't one to accept things so easily.
And what about this statement just now? The faithful woman who had remained chaste until her death had told her son not to burden his father, putting his welfare above all else. Even her well-behaved son had intended to respect his mother's wishes and not trouble his father.
Given the emotional state the count was in, this only served to pour oil on the fire.
"That's enough! Tomorrow, I will officially add your name to the family lineage, so stop saying unnecessary things!"
"Dear !!"
Helena let out an unintentional scream. There is a vast difference between merely being listed in the noble registry and being added to the family lineage. The former only elevates one's status to that of a noble, without granting any official standing within the family or any rights within the household.
However, the latter was different. It not only recognized all the rights held as a blood relative but also granted succession rights if all legitimate heirs were deceased.
"How can that even be...?"
"No, Father, you mustn't!"
Before Helena could protest, Sylas quickly interrupted her with a loud shout. He immediately dropped to his knees and bowed his head to the floor.
"How could I go against my mother's dying wish and cause trouble for you, Father? Please, take back what you said!"
"How frustrating! Don't you realize that your behavior is the very thing piercing my heart? Or are you just making excuses to escape the family?"
"How could you say such a thing? I would never do that."
"Then why are you being so stubborn?"
Count Bill looked at Sylas with a sorrowful expression, as if chastising him for not understanding his father's feelings.
Before responding, Sylas quickly pinched his thigh and twisted it 90 degrees.
'Awaken, my tear ducts, with the pain!'
With his eyes glistening, Sylas met the Count's gaze. The tear-filled eyes made the Count flinch. Sylas then did his best to tremble his voice naturally.
"How could I not want to be with you, Father? Even the most humble creatures yearn for their parents."
Finally, a single tear rolled down his wet eyes.
"However, I am already an unfilial son who could do nothing for my mother when she passed away. If I were to trouble you by disregarding her last words, how could I face her after death?"
With moist, glistening eyes, a vibration of sorrow, and a poem filled with regret and longing, Sylas's performance seemed to portray a simple filial son. Yet, it was a combination of three techniques expertly woven together!
At this point, Sylas added the final touch to his act.
"And as a commoner, how much gossip would there be about my being by your side? I know that all of it would become your burden. I cannot prioritize my own desires knowing that."
"Gossip? Do you think Bill Corleone would fear the slander of commoners?"
Count Bill bellowed with a mighty roar. He shouted so loudly that even those outside the office were taken aback.
"Fine! If you insist on stubbornness until the end, then I have no choice but to do this!"
Clang!
The Count stepped back and drew the sword hanging nearby. Belverke. A treasured sword passed down through the Corleone family, symbolizing the head of the household. Holding the legendary sword that was said to have slain the black dragon, the Count declared,
"I, Bill Corleone, swear here before our ancestors! Sylas is my son and a member of the Corleone family, and anyone who doubts this shall not be forgiven!"
In the solemnity of the oath, no one dared to speak. After sheathing Belverke, the Count approached Sylas and placed his hands on his shoulders.
"I have sworn an oath that I can never break. You must not refuse to be my son either."
With a calm yet fatherly voice, Sylas trembled.
"Is it truly alright for me? Will it be fine for me to be your son, Father?"
"Who would dare say otherwise? I, your father, have given my permission!"
"Father!"
While the two shared an emotional embrace, Helena could only open her mouth in shock. She could no longer counter their sentiments. Count Bill was a man who upheld his obligations and oaths, and even his wife Helena could not be exempt from such promises.
"Now that it is settled, my dear wife, please take care of Sylas. He is now family."
"..."
Seeing her husband speaking affectionately without understanding her inner thoughts, Helena could only nod reluctantly, unaware of the slight smile that crept onto Sylas's face as he leaned against the Count.
"Ahhh!"
Crash!
Returning to her room, Helena threw anything she could grab in anger. The surrounding servants trembled as they watched her outburst.
"L-Lady, please calm down..."
"Do I look like I can calm down?!"
Helena could not contain her fury, even at the words of the maid who had served her for many years.
"That lowly creature dares to engrave his name into our family? How could such a thing happen!"
Having a name added to the family lineage wasn't a huge deal. If you really want to break it down, it's simply a proper acknowledgment of noble status. While he may gain succession rights, in the case of inheriting the headship of the family, legitimate children take precedence over illegitimate ones.
Unless both legitimate children get struck by lightning, there was no way Sylas would inherit the family.
However, the very idea of that illegitimate child obtaining a title as an "equal member of the family" was an intolerable humiliation for Helena.
"Where is Lord Gaiden?! Didn't he come with you? Why can't I see him?!"
"W-Well… he said he's been feeling unwell lately…"
Even at Helena's call, Gaiden pretended to be sick and did not respond. He had already taken a lot of money from her, and failing the request made it obvious that he didn't want to be a scapegoat for her anger.
Whether he met her or not, their connection was already severed, so there was no reason to face humiliation by coming.
"That incompetent fool until the very end!"
Having no one left to vent her anger on, Helena gritted her teeth. Another piece of pottery in her hand was about to shatter.
A maid outside, having received something, cautiously opened her mouth.
"Lady, a letter has arrived."
"A letter? From whom?"
"It's from Lady Martina."
Helena furrowed her brow. Martina Valente. A widow she met during her visit to the old capital. In the social world, she was quite well-known as a teacher of etiquette for noble youths.
They weren't exactly friends, but whenever Helena had business in the capital, she would meet and converse with her once.
'Why is Lady Martina suddenly sending a letter?'
With that question in mind, Helena took the letter and unfolded it. It stated that she had gone to the capital to pay her respects to a deceased acquaintance and wanted to pass through the Corleone territory on her way back. The letter also had a light tone, suggesting that they catch up after a long time.
Just as Helena sighed and was about to write a reply of agreement, a thought struck her.
'Wait, Lady Martina? Etiquette training?'
Suddenly, Martina's reputation came to mind. The results of her teaching were nothing short of perfect, but to the students, she was an iron-willed woman who was far too harsh.
And it just so happened that there was someone in the Corleone family who desperately needed noble etiquette training.
A sharp smile graced Helena's lips.
The Count of Corleone was bustling with chatter about Sylas. It was already astonishing that Count Bill, a symbol of sincerity, had fathered a child outside of marriage. But now, to bring that illegitimate son into the fold and publicly acknowledge him as his own?
"Oh my, at first I thought it was just a rumor," one servant remarked.
"Indeed, even the lord was not immune to youthful indiscretions," another replied.
Most discussions ended with mere gossip about the count's past romance. However, some among the servants broached a more sensitive topic.
"So does this mean we now have another young master to serve?"
How should they treat Sylas, who was now recognized as a child of the count? The situation was too complicated to simply treat him as the count's new offspring.
"Young master? He's just a half-breed with commoner blood in him," one scoffed.
"I've worked in other noble houses, and the treatment for illegitimate children is always the same," another added.
"It's best to ignore him rather than risk incurring the lady's ire," one concluded.
The consensus among the servants was similar: since Sylas shared commoner heritage, they had no reason to treat him with deference. Unless he could offer them some advantage, it was better to avoid the risk of drawing the countess's wrath.
Moreover, the treatment of illegitimate children in other noble families was not particularly favorable. The conclusion was clear.
"Let's treat him like he doesn't exist," one servant suggested.
"That sounds good. After all, he probably has no authority to punish us anyway," another agreed.
"Honestly, it's annoying to think that a commoner might assume a position of power," someone added.
The servants chuckled lightly, trying to wrap up the conversation. But before they could, an elderly servant clicked his tongue.
"Tsk, tsk. You youngsters are just begging for trouble," he said.
"Why are you suddenly cursing at us, old man?" one servant replied.
"Did you not hear the lord's warning? He said that if anyone disrespected the young master, they would not be forgiven."
"What? Is that really true?"
"It is! You might not know it, but if you act up, your heads might roll!"
"Oh, come on..."
When the elderly servant first spoke, the others found it hard to believe. Would the count really go that far for just an illegitimate child? No matter how esteemed Count Bill was, it seemed excessive. The servants found it more believable that the old man had misunderstood.
Their doubts were dispelled following Gordon's announcement.
"I believe many of you are unsure how to treat the new young master."
"W-well..."
"Listen. The only thing I want to say is to serve him just like any other young master. If you show any disrespect, I won't forgive you."
The servants looked at each other in shock. Did that mean they were really expected to treat him like a legitimate heir?
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