Reincarnated as the third son of the Duke-Chapter 130 - Hiding a Pheasant

130 Hiding a Pheasant

"If that is your will, then so be it. A knight’s oath is meaningless if it is forced. A true knight must choose their own lord."

He already knew where her loyalty lay.

And so did the Grand Duke.

’And yet, he is allowing this farce to play out. Does he want them to witness their own failure firsthand?’

A small smirk tugged at Aizen’s lips.

Yes.

Watching those arrogant fools embarrass themselves would be entertaining indeed.

"Well, that’s enough wasted time," Aizen said at last. "There’s still plenty of training to be done before the ceremony."

"Yes, Father."

Just as she was about to resume her drills, a voice interrupted them.

"Sir Aizen, another letter has arrived."

Aizen’s brows furrowed.

Another one?

Who this time?

Suppressing his irritation, he snatched the letter and checked the sender’s name.

"…William?"

Felicia froze.

He had gone to the capital recently. Had he already returned?

Aizen opened the letter, quickly scanning its contents.

And then—

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He laughed.

Felicia blinked in surprise.

"Lord William wrote something amusing?"

"See for yourself."

He handed her the letter with a wide grin.

William’s message was short.

Blunt.

Completely different from the others.

And absolutely hilarious.

Aizen handed the letter to Felicia with an amused chuckle.

It didn’t take long for her to finish reading.

And when she did—she smiled.

William had given a clear warning about the storm he was about to unleash at the knighting ceremony.

The moment William returned, he called for Hugo and entrusted Ian to him.

Keeping a newly arrived alchemist too close would only raise suspicion.

If he wanted to continue producing Nectar without interference, he needed to find a separate location for Ian to work in.

’I’d buy him a proper house if I could, but I spent nearly all my funds on Moonlight Grass. There’s no helping it—Hugo will have to take care of him for now.’

Hugo, upon hearing the situation, grinned confidently.

"That’s no problem at all. I’ll handle it right away."

"If you need anything, let me know. I’ll provide whatever support I can."

"Do you not know who I am, my lord? I’m Hugo—the man who once built a hidden alchemy workshop right under the Grand Duke’s nose! Setting up a small facility for a single alchemist? That’s child’s play."

William smirked at Hugo’s boast and nodded.

It was true—he had done it before. The second time would be easier.

Ian, meanwhile, was overjoyed by the arrangement.

Though he remained passionate about research, it was clear that exploring a large city had been a long-held desire of his.

"I’ll ensure all the necessary materials are provided," William said. "For now, focus on getting used to Kelheim. It won’t take long."

"Yes, my lord! I’ll be ready to start production as soon as you give the order."

Ian responded energetically before leaving with Hugo.

Watching his retreating figure, Hans frowned slightly.

"…My lord," he said hesitantly. "Are you sure he was worth the trip to the capital? You didn’t just bring him back because you had no better options, did you?"

William chuckled.

"It’s the opposite. I was searching for a chicken, but I ended up finding a pheasant instead."

Hans looked unconvinced.

Then, as if suddenly noticing something, his expression changed.

"…My lord, you don’t look well. Have you lost weight?"

William glanced at him critically.

Hans did seem thinner.

"Have you been sick?"

Hans laughed weakly. "Not at all, my lord. It’s just… the butler training has been quite rigorous."

He trailed off mid-sentence, visibly shuddering.

It seemed that simply remembering his lessons was traumatizing enough.

"If it’s too much, take a few days off. I can even talk to them for you," William offered.

Hans immediately shook his head.

"No, my lord. It’s difficult, but… there’s also a sense of accomplishment. And if I want to serve by your side, I can’t afford to complain."

William sighed.

"Stubborn as always."

Still, he couldn’t help but feel pleased by Hans’ attitude.

Like Hugo, he was proving to be a worthy retainer.

Hans seemed to remember something and asked,

"The knighting ceremony is coming up soon. Will you be attending, my lord?"

"If I were still away, I could be excused. But since I’ve returned, of course I’ll be there."

After all, Aizen’s successor was making her debut.

There was no way he was missing that.

And more importantly—

his brothers had set the stage for a spectacle.

As William made his way toward the ceremony hall, he spotted a familiar figure.

"…Joshua?"

Joshua’s head snapped up in surprise.

"Oh. William."

Unlike William, however, Joshua’s reaction was far less enthusiastic.

The moment he saw his brother, he took an instinctive step back, his expression uneasy.

"So you made it back from the capital already."

"Barely," William admitted. "I almost missed the ceremony."

Joshua narrowed his eyes.

"…Tell me you’re not here to try and recruit Aizen’s disciple."

William smirked.

"Why? Am I not allowed to?"

"You’re not seriously considering it, are you?" Joshua scoffed. "Even if you are, you should just give up now."

William raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? And why’s that?"

Joshua crossed his arms.

"Think about it. Why would someone like her choose to serve you? You don’t even have the wealth to properly accommodate a knight of her caliber."

William hummed thoughtfully.

He wasn’t wrong.

Among the three brothers, William was the only one without financial backing from his maternal family.

And any extra funds he’d gained from Jordi had already been spent on Moonlight Grass.

Joshua, seeing William’s lack of protest, took it as an opportunity to educate him.

"A truly valuable person will never sell themselves cheaply," he said. "It’s not about greed—it’s about recognition. A knight’s compensation is a public declaration of their worth."

William remained silent.

Joshua pressed on.

"If they aren’t given what they deserve, it’s the same as admitting they aren’t worth much to begin with."

William’s lips curled upward.

"Hmm."

"Now apply that to Aizen’s heir," Joshua continued. "Why would someone like her waste her time with you? Unless you somehow saved her life in the past, what possible reason would she have to choose a poor lord over more powerful benefactors?"

William laughed.

Joshua frowned.

"What’s so funny?"

William shook his head, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement.

"It’s nothing," he said lightly.

Just that…

his dear brother had completely missed the mark.