The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 49

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 49
The Ecclesia Ducal House had five siblings.
The eldest, Ron.
The second, Mariam.
The third, Ban.
The fourth, Karl.
And the fifth.
‘All five of them are renowned talents. Except for the third, Ban.’
If one were to name the greatest among them, there was no question who it would be.
Mariam Ecclesia, the second child.
The most outstanding talent among the five siblings of the Ecclesia House.
‘Truth be told, the real greatest is the fifth, but Mariam is formidable too. She was elected as the mayor of the Empire’s greatest free city at such a young age.’
It was an achievement earned purely through her own merit, not by riding on the prestige of the Ecclesia name.
‘Early entrance to the Academy with top marks, graduating top of her class, rapid promotion to the highest rank in her bureaucratic career, and already decorated with honors. It’s no wonder people believe she could become the next heir to the Ecclesia House.’
Despite having Ron, a perfectly respectable eldest son, many speculated that Mariam might become the true successor of the family.
‘The problem is that this remarkable sister is on the worst possible terms with Ban.’
While it’s said that siblings rarely live in peace under the same roof, their relationship was worse than that.
Enemies.
A single word that captured their bond perfectly.
‘There’s no way she’d show me any goodwill.’
In other words, this meeting was a face-off with an enemy.
Thorough preparation was necessary.
“Why do you need files like this?”
“There’s a use for them.”
“Is it because of Sister Mariam?”
“You’ve met her too?”
My former fiancée, Emily, nodded.
Incidentally, she was using the information I’d given her to reestablish her footing in the Rafalte Ducal House.
“Yes, she asked if we’d gotten close again.”
Mariam had always favored Emily, actively supporting her marriage to Ban.
-If someone like you could marry Emily, it would be the greatest achievement of your life.
“Don’t worry. Our relationship is definitely over. No matter what she says, there’s absolutely no possibility we’ll be reunited.”
“…….”
But Emily’s reaction was strange.
She fell silent, saying nothing.
I tilted my head in confusion, but Emily shifted the conversation as if to change the subject.
“I’ll prepare the files you mentioned right away. But be careful. Sister Mariam is sharpening her teeth for you.”
“Sharpening her teeth?”
“…Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten?”
“??”
“At Sister Mariam’s mayoral election celebration, you played a rather nasty prank. You mixed a dog’s excrement into the Chocolate Cake she was about to eat.”
“…….”
I said nothing.
‘…That’s a bit much, isn’t it?’
I had Ban’s character down pat, but I hadn’t known about this.
Like family loyalty runs inward, I do make excuses for the garbage things Ban had done, but this was beyond the pale.
“…I’ll handle it myself. Just prepare the files I asked for.”
I headed straight for City Hall.
“Young Lord Ban, is something the matter?”
Gordon, the guard captain, looked startled when he saw me.
Having earned merit multiple times, Gordon had developed a favorable impression of me.
“I’ve come to see the Mayor.”
“The Mayor? Ah, now that I think about it—you two are siblings? My, the city’s two heroes are brothers! How splendid. I’ll go tell her right away. The Mayor will be delighted!”
Gordon dashed off eagerly, only to return moments later with the life drained from his face.
“Y-Young Lord, the Mayor’s reaction was strange. She’s not usually like that…”
“…I’ll go in myself.”
I entered with guidance from a City Hall attendant.
“Mayor, Young Lord Ban has arrived.”
“Let him in.”
I stepped inside to find a girl sitting rigidly in an obsessively neat office.
Mariam Ecclesia.
She had features that resembled Ban’s, as siblings do.
But there was a difference — where Ban’s expression was sharp, hers was far gentler.
With a deceptively youthful face, she looked like an Academy student despite being in her late twenties, which made her presence at the City Hall desk seem oddly incongruous.
“Thank you for showing me in. Why don’t you go back to your work?”
When Mariam smiled sweetly, the young staff member who had guided me flushed crimson.
“Oh, no! If you need anything at all, please call on me!”
“Yes, thank you. Ban, come over here, won’t you? It’s been so long. Have you been well, my little brother?”
Her voice was gentle and warm, contrary to Emily’s concern.
Judging by the staff member’s reaction just now, anyone who didn’t know better might mistake her for an angel descended to earth.
Of course, I wasn’t fooled.
“You need not stand on ceremony with me, sister.”
……
“We’re not that sort of family, are we?”
The smile vanished from Mariam’s face.
Her expression shifted as if a mask had fallen away.
It turned glacial.
Even I, who as a former business mogul had met all manner of people, felt a chill run through me.
“You’ve really changed, haven’t you? Who are you? You’re not my brother, are you?”
It wasn’t that she’d seen through my identity — it was an expression of genuine surprise.
“Your reputation precedes you. I wanted to see for myself what sort of trouble you might cause next.”
……
“But you’re not quite as bad as I worried. Fine. You can go now. I’ll keep watch on things, so be careful going forward.”
Mariam turned her gaze away as if that concluded our business entirely.
She clearly wanted nothing more than to be rid of Ban’s company.
It was a better attitude than I’d feared, but I didn’t retreat.
“Didn’t you invite me to tea time? Surely you’ll offer some refreshment?”
Mariam stared at me intently.
“You want to have tea with me?”
“Of course. As for refreshment to accompany the tea, I’d like Chocolate Cake. Preferably with a rich mousse filling.”
!!
Mariam’s face turned even colder than before.
She’d caught on to the fact that I’d deliberately brought up the Chocolate Cake.
“You can’t even reflect on what you’ve done….”
“Reflect on what? If anything, I’m the one owed an apology here.”
“…What?”
“That day, didn’t you pin the blame on me without properly investigating the matter?”
“Blame? What nonsense. Witnesses testified that you were the one who did it.”
“And is there no possibility those testimonies were fabricated? Did you investigate those witnesses?”
!!
Mariam’s mouth clamped shut.
‘No matter how much of a wretch Ban is, he wouldn’t be such an idiot as to contaminate his sister’s celebration banquet with filth.’
Though in truth, I didn’t know.
It wasn’t something I had knowledge of.
But if Ban were the one I knew, he wouldn’t have done it.
‘Rather, it’s more likely someone pinned it on Ban — just as others had tried to pin countless other false accusations on him.’
Much of the wrongdoing Ban had been blamed for turned out to be false accusations born of others’ schemes.
He was an easy target for such framing.
“You became mayor at a young age, sister. You must have had many enemies. Using me as a pretext to embarrass you and undermine people’s support — that was their aim.”
“…I can’t believe your words. There’s no evidence, is there?”
“Whether there’s evidence or not — does it matter?”
“…What?”
“As long as you can’t refute my claims, sister, I hold the advantage. Even if my words are nothing but lies. This — the ability to reshape circumstances according to one’s wishes, regardless of truth — isn’t that precisely what Politics is?”
Mariam fell silent.
She’d grasped my intent.
I was showing her that I was no longer the fool she’d known.
“You’ve truly changed.”
“Since you understand, won’t you offer me a cup of tea? There are things I need to discuss with you.”
Mariam’s expression turned bewildered, but she soon rang the bell and had tea brought.
“What is it? I’m busy, so make it brief.”
“Won’t you make a deal with me?”
“What sort of deal?”
“I’m going to cause a bit of trouble, and I’d ask you to clean up afterward.”
“!!”
Recalling the accidents I’d orchestrated in the past, Mariam’s expression hardened into absolute refusal,
“In return, I’ll help you advance into Central Politics.”
“!!”
Central Politics.
The place she’d long yearned for.
Of course, she reacted with bewilderment.
“How on earth would you manage that?”
“Well, for now, all I can ask is that you trust me. But I do hope you understand this won’t be an opportunity that comes again. After I leave this room, I intend to seek out Ron. I’d like to believe your discernment is keen enough to recognize my greatness.”
Mariam’s face went rigid.
Ron.
The Crown Prince of the Ecclesia Family, and the very person who’d driven Mariam from Central Politics into this Free City.
‘I’m far removed from the succession struggle, but the two of them are locked in fierce contention.’
“Are you threatening me?”
“I’d rather call it giving you first chance. You’re the one among my siblings I care for most, after all.”
“…What are you talking about?”
“You pretend otherwise, but I know you care for me. You summoned me today because you were worried, weren’t you?”
“That’s—that’s absurd!”
Mariam sprang to her feet.
So unlike her usual icy, steely demeanor.
‘…Mariam’s actually a brother-complex, after all. Being colder is just her way of hiding her true feelings.’
It was difficult to imagine, but it was the truth.
Mariam, that consummate cold-blooded schemer who viewed even the main characters as mere instruments, had one and only one person she genuinely cherished: me.
She hid it thoroughly until the scenario advanced to my death, when it was revealed for the first time.
‘When we were young, before I became twisted—she was frail then, and he was kind to her. Is that why? I’ve no siblings, so it’s hard for me to fully understand such a feeling.’
In fact, the reason I’d been reluctant to meet Mariam was precisely because of this hidden sentiment of hers.
It was awkward.
“Look, you’re clearly laboring under a grave misunderstanding. Let me be perfectly clear: I despise you.”
“I understand. I’ll remember it that way.”
“…….”
“In any case, what is your answer to my proposal?”
“Before that, I’ll ask: what exactly do you intend to do?”
“There are some people I dislike, so I mean to teach them a lesson.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it? I’m an Ecclesia, after all.”
“…….”
I twisted my lips into a thin smile.
“People often mistake the matter. They think Ecclesia is virtuous and righteous. But you know better than anyone, don’t you? That our Ecclesia is hardly such a noble house.”
The Ecclesia Ducal House.
It possessed the longest history of any family in the Empire.
Its lineage ran deeper even than the current imperial house, which had changed dynasties once.
How could such a house be anything but ruthless?
It was all surface propriety.
“They angered me, an Ecclesia. Should I simply endure it?”
“…No, you needn’t endure it.”
Mariam shook her head.
“But remember this: Ecclesia’s Wrath must be flawless in every respect.”
It was a phrase laden with meaning.
Ecclesia does not anger easily.
But when it does, the opponent must be ground into dust utterly.
So completely that they never dream of rising again.
Moreover, Ecclesia’s Wrath must be just.
Not truly righteous in action, you understand.
Even if the anger is misplaced, you must lay all blame upon your enemy and leave not a speck of doubt.
In truth, there was no house more hypocritical than Ecclesia, that renowned family of politics.
“If you can’t do it properly, abandon the plan. You’re not fit for it.”
Her voice, sharp and cutting.
But deep in her eyes, I caught a glimmer of concern—for me.
Why did that move me?
I felt a laugh rise in my chest.
Without siblings of my own, such feelings were unfamiliar, and yet the sensation was not unwelcome.
A half-forgotten memory surfaced—a child’s envy of older brothers and sisters, long ago.
‘I’m well past the age of such childishness.’
Instead, I needed to be the pillar my sister could lean on.
With that resolve, I lifted the corners of my mouth into a smile.
“Do not worry yourself. They will soon understand why I am of Ecclesia.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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