Gara thought Ramun was probably the type who looked fierce and intimidating on the outside, but was actually a soft-hearted person underneath.

He continued asking, "Then what punishment was given to Count Vardhan?"

Karon lowered his voice. "There hasn’t been an official sentence yet. He confessed, but his answers felt... incomplete. More importantly, the poison he used wasn’t an ordinary one. Without backing from someone extremely influential, he would never have been able to obtain it. That’s why he’s still being detained. The case is also being kept from the public."

"What about Countess Vardhan?" Gara asked.

He knew that Countess Vardhan, Diya Eshaan, was Karon and Ramun’s youngest sibling, and their only sister.

"She was deceived all this time as well. For now, she’s holding authority over the county. Once Count Vardhan’s interrogation is fully concluded, the Duke will release a statement and officially take over the county."

Gara was slightly surprised.

Count Vardhan’s territory being absorbed by Duke Eshaan was a big move. But considering the man had attempted to assassinate the Duke, it was only natural.

He simply nodded, not wanting to dig deeper into political matters. He had no intention of falling further into the swamp of kingdom politics.

Not long after, the two of them arrived at a gazebo surrounded by blooming flowers.

Inside sat two women dressed in elegant gowns, their posture just as refined as their appearance. Beside them were three children Gara recognized immediately.

The children were the first to notice Gara’s arrival, their large eyes sparkling with curiosity as they stared at him.

When the two women saw Gara, they immediately stood up and greeted him with noble etiquette.

Gara, who had no idea how noble greetings were supposed to work, responded with an awkward nod and smile.

Karon introduced them. The woman in the blue dress was Lady Bayla, Karon’s wife. They had two children: a ten-year-old daughter named Brielle, and a five-year-old son named Ellyon.

The woman in the yellow dress was Lady Sira, Ramun’s wife. Their daughter, Tasha, was seven years old.

Gara didn’t talk much with the ladies. They seemed reserved, but he could tell there was no hostility in their demeanor.

’I thought Lady Bayla might be upset with me for taking her husband’s position as heir’, Gara thought. ’Unless she knows this is just a gimmick to keep the druids from targeting me.’

In contrast to the women, the three children, despite being told not to speak much, couldn’t hide their curiosity toward the cousin who had suddenly appeared.

So when Karon suggested Gara take a walk around the garden while waiting for the etiquette tutor, Gara asked if the children could accompany him.

The mothers looked anxious, clearly worried their children might say something inappropriate.

"Young Lord, the children might trouble you," Lady Bayla said, addressing Gara as young lord because of his status as heir.

Gara stiffened. "First, please don’t call me that. I’m just your nephew. Call me Gara. Second, I want to get to know my cousins better."

Seeing that Gara wouldn’t change his mind, the ladies reluctantly agreed. They left, but kept turning back to make sure the children weren’t causing trouble.

Karon also excused himself. "If anything happens, call the servants. Once your tutor arrives, they’ll bring you to the study."

After the adults left, Gara turned to the three children. "Hello, Brielle, Ellyon, Tasha. I’m your older cousin. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

The three exchanged glances, clearly hesitant.

Surprisingly, little Ellyon was the first to speak, his childish voice piping up. "Will we also get an older brother like Rowan does?"

Gara blinked, unfamiliar with the name Rowan.

Brielle shyly explained, "Rowan is our cousin. He lives in the city, but he always says he should live in the castle because he has an older brother named Johan."

From Brielle’s explanation, with Tasha and Ellyon occasionally chiming in, Gara slowly came to understand the structure of House Eshaan.

The Duke’s family wasn’t just made up of the current Duke and his direct descendants. It also included the descendants of the Duke’s siblings, uncles, and other branch families.

There were many Eshaans in this duchy.

Rowan and Johan were the grandchildren of the Duke’s sibling.

The children often met each other, and like most kids, they loved comparing things, including who was the oldest in their generation.

Before Gara appeared, Johan was the oldest grandchild at fifteen years old and was set to enter the academy after the semester began.

As the eldest, he was naturally the strongest, since the others were still in the process of awakening their Bloodlines and Talents.

Because of that, Rowan secretly liked boasting about Johan to the Duke’s grandchildren. He even told them not to mention it to their parents. They were only allowed to talk about it among cousins.

The three children had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of their new cousin, especially after hearing that he had immediately taken the position as the second most powerful figure in the duchy, right after their grandfather.

Gara was speechless hearing about conflicts forming among children who hadn’t even reached adulthood yet.

He continued chatting with his young cousins while subtly learning more about the internal dynamics of House Eshaan.

It wasn’t that he was excited to join this family. But as the heir, he had no choice. He had to learn proper etiquette and attend his inauguration banquet as heir.

The banquet had been postponed for quite some time, using academy classes as an excuse. Now that it was the holiday, Gara had no more reasons to delay it.

For the next few days, Gara focused on etiquette training to prepare for the banquet. He could memorize all the rules and procedures easily, but turning them into habits was much harder.

Finally, the day of the banquet arrived.

A ceremony for the heir of Duke Eshaan should have been grand, inviting nobles and leaders of other races alike.

But because everyone was still mourning the death of Asta Elfutih, the event was limited to the extended Eshaan family and human nobles only.

Gara wore a blue uniform based on a knight’s attire, enhanced with golden ornaments. A matching cloak draped over his shoulders and arms. The fitted uniform and neatly styled black hair did nothing to diminish his beauty.

He couldn’t help but wonder why handsomeness stubbornly refused to settle on him.

Gara’s thoughts were interrupted as the Duke began walking ahead.

It was time for them to enter the ballroom.

...