"Edmund!"

"Do you realize what you’ve done?!" Julian shouted, still refusing to accept it.

Edmund remained silent for a moment. He gently removed Clara’s grip from his body before turning back to face his father once again.

"Yes. Father has returned now. The Aschwin Family, Archester City, and the Archie Territory already have a competent leader," Edmund answered.

"You abandoned your noble title because of that woman? Have you gone insane?!" Oleander shouted, furious at Edmund’s decision.

"No. That’s not my reason."

"I disappointed all of you. As a form of responsibility, I’m giving up my noble title and choosing to live as a commoner," Edmund explained.

"Maybe that way, I can see another side of people’s lives and help them. In the end, I’ll still protect Archester."

"Besides, it feels quite freeing not to be tied down by noble status anymore. I won’t need to deal with administration, documents, and city affairs."

"That means I’ll have much more time to improve my abilities."

Edmund turned toward Clara. He raised his hand and gently stroked the girl’s hair with a broad smile on his face.

"You’re a smart and kind girl. Take good care of yourself while you’re at Livden Academy," Edmund said softly.

"Brother?" Clara whispered.

The two of them embraced each other. Oleander disliked seeing how close they still were.

The woman stepped forward and pulled Clara away from Edmund.

"Lord Edmund," Sebastian called out.

Edmund nodded in understanding and stood straight, "Thank you, but just call me by my name, Sebastian."

"I understand."

With firm and confident steps, Edmund and Sebastian walked away from the front courtyard of the Aschwin Mansion.

Julian remained frozen in shock, his hand tightly gripping Edmund’s noble pin.

"EDMUND?!" Julian shouted.

However, the man no longer turned around or looked back.

Julian’s hands and legs trembled with panic as his heart pounded wildly, realizing his son had truly left the Aschwin Mansion.

He did not know when Edmund would return. Yet Julian feared that if Edmund never came back, the Aschwin Family would lose its ideal successor.

Oleander saw the sadness clearly written across Julian’s face. The woman stepped closer and tried to comfort him.

"Don’t worry. I’ll stay here and help you, dear. I’ll even bring Lara from the Siegfried Family to assist us. She’s competent enough to manage a large city."

Marcus stepped closer to Julian and gently patted his shoulder, sympathizing with the tragedy that had struck the Aschwin Family.

"The Siegfried Family and I will help you through these difficult times. There’s no need to worry, Julian, my friend," Marcus declared firmly.

Julian looked at them. His sadness slowly faded, replaced by renewed confidence in himself.

Even though Edmund had been the ideal ruler for the city, now that he was gone, Julian had no choice but to handle all city affairs together with them.

"Thank you. I’m certain... Edmund will return," Julian answered.

He, Oleander, and Marcus stared ahead, watching Edmund’s back disappear into the crowd.

The incident became the peak of the Aschwin Family’s internal conflict, a headline that would spread throughout the Archie Territory.

The son of a Marquess abandoning his noble title after a family conflict.

Edmund’s only concern was whether people would twist the story and claim Leonor was the reason he abandoned his status.

Some city residents disagreed with Edmund’s decision, especially those who had benefited greatly from his leadership. However, many others agreed with it.

To them, Edmund was selfish and greedy, hiding his true nature behind the wise mask of a nobleman.

Edmund himself showed no sadness or worry. He had already expected the Aschwin Family’s internal conflict would eventually become public knowledge.

However, his thoughts were focused elsewhere, on something far more dangerous than his selfish decision to abandon his noble title.

Sebastian glanced toward him, "What’s your next plan, Edmund?"

"We’re going to Nisya’s house."

"Understood."

The two of them headed toward the western district of the city and arrived at the house Edmund had once purchased for Nisya and Leonor to live in. Now, only Nisya lived there.

When Edmund and Sebastian opened the gate, the front door opened as well, revealing Nisya stepping outside in a T-shirt and shorts.

"Lord Edmund?" Nisya greeted sadly.

"From now on... just call me Edmund."

"I’m sorry for what happened to you," Nisya said.

"It’s alright. I made this decision of my own free will," Edmund replied.

Nisya invited Edmund and Sebastian into the house.

Since Edmund no longer had a home to stay in, she offered him an empty room on the second floor.

However, something shocking came directly from Edmund himself.

"I can’t stay in Archester."

"Why?" Sebastian and Nisya asked in shock.

Edmund sat down on a single-seat sofa while Sebastian and Nisya sat together on the long sofa nearby.

Edmund narrowed his eyes sharply as he stared ahead, like someone deep in thought.

There were countless possible futures involving the Aschwin Family, the Siegfried Family, Archester City, and the Archie Territory.

His focus narrowed further now that Julian had officially become a Marquess.

Many Counts from other noble families would inevitably bow before Julian, desperate to gain his favor and influence.

Among all the noble Count families in the Archie Territory, the most likely ally would naturally be the Siegfried Family.

Edmund remained silent for a long time, thinking carefully. Neither Sebastian nor Nisya dared interrupt him.

Half an hour passed before Edmund finally turned toward them, his mind having processed every possibility.

"I want your loyalty," Edmund said firmly.

"If I ever discover that either of you betrays me, I will personally kill you in ways more horrific than you could ever imagine."

Sebastian and Nisya were clearly shocked. They exchanged glances before their expressions turned serious as they looked back at Edmund.

"We’ll remain loyal to you. We swear it with our lives," they answered one after another.

Edmund stayed silent for a moment before nodding. He leaned forward, clasped his hands together, and stared sharply at them.

The man began explaining every possible outcome that could happen because of the current situation.

Nisya and Sebastian listened carefully, nodding as he spoke.

They talked nonstop from afternoon until night, still seated on the sofas while Sebastian and Nisya wrote down important notes.

Several of Edmund’s points shocked them deeply.

They had never considered possibilities like those, but Edmund’s noble mind could detect hidden schemes within larger plans.

They kept writing notes while shaking their heads in disbelief at Edmund’s analysis.

Several times, Edmund admitted he hoped those possibilities would never happen.

However, his instincts told him otherwise, and his instincts were always right.

"Wow..."

"I don’t even know what to say."

"My father only understands war, battle strategy, and nobility. That’s why he’s so harsh," Edmund explained.

"While Father was away, he entrusted the city’s affairs to Mother and me. Now that I’m gone, Mother has free rein."

"You and Nisya stay in the city and monitor every development and change. If things begin unfolding exactly as I predicted, then it means my suspicions were correct."

"Give me paper and a pen," Edmund requested. Sebastian immediately handed them over.

Edmund began writing a message. To convince his father the handwriting was truly his, he included a small secret that only he and Julian knew.

"Sebastian."

"Yes, Edmund?" Sebastian asked. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Edmund folded the letter and handed it over to Sebastian.

He instructed Sebastian to keep it safe and deliver it directly to Julian once the major changes in the city unfolded exactly as Edmund predicted.

Sebastian obediently nodded. To some people, it might seem as though Edmund no longer cared.

However, what he revealed today inside Nisya’s house proved the opposite.

He still cared deeply. In fact, he was willing to sacrifice even more to protect Archester City.

To them, Edmund was the only person capable of saving the city from destruction.

"I’ll go to Ulrich and remain hidden there. When the time comes, I’ll return to Archester, reclaim everything, and destroy their plans."

"Understood, Edmund," Sebastian replied. "Take care of yourself. I won’t disappoint you."