Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 434

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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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Kale, Lily, and Basen. None of the three dared to speak hastily.

Kale was mortified at having spouted such nonsense to Lily out of nowhere, Basen was troubled by what Kale had said, and Lily was left in stunned silence by her own bewildered utterance of “What is this?”

But that silence soon shattered, and Lily was the first to break it.

“I’m going to be a Knight, not a Lord!”

I had no idea why such an abrupt question was suddenly directed at me, but she conveyed her determination to me as earnestly as she could. Her two fists clenched tightly of their own accord.
Of course, Kale faltered when Lily suddenly raised both hands and clenched her fists, but she didn’t notice his reaction.

“I want to become a very strong Knight who protects the Territory and the Kingdom!”
“Yes. You will.”
“Pardon?”

Lily, about to declare her aspirations, was caught off guard by Kale’s immediate affirmation. Regardless, Kale casually continued with what he had to say.

“Work hard. But don’t work too hard. You should play while you’re young.”

She’s not even a teenager yet, so she should play. Isn’t that right?
Kale nodded in agreement with his own words. Then he met the gaze of someone staring intently at him.
Basen was looking at Kale with his lips pressed firmly shut, his eyes filled with worry more than ever before.

At that complicated look in his eyes, Kale scratched his head.

‘This kind of atmosphere really doesn’t suit me.’

After a moment’s thought, Kale opened his mouth.

“Basen, do you have something you want to do separately, like Lily?”

Basen’s eyes wavered.
What he wanted to do was to work under Kale once he became Lord, managing and improving the internal administration and finances of the Territory. This was because Kale was a person so renowned that his name had spread across the entire Continent, far beyond the Kingdom, and he had so much to do. While Kale was busy with external activities, Basen wanted to help keep the Territory as stable and prosperous as possible.
Since Kale would be occupied with matters beyond the Territory, Basen wished to support him by ensuring the fiefdom remained secure and continued to develop.

“You’re quite interested in managing and developing the Territory, aren’t you?”

He was right.
Basen’s brother was correct, yet Basen offered no response. There was nothing defiant in his demeanor—rather, he appeared lost in anguish, uncertain what words could possibly suffice.

“Hmm.”

Kale Heniatus fell silent once more, wrestling with his thoughts before finally speaking.

“You are still young, yet clever enough. And since you are my brother, I will tell you the truth.”

My brother. Those words sent a tremor through Basen’s shoulders. In that moment, he met Kale’s steady, unwavering gaze.
The memory surfaced of his younger brother—gruff in speech, yet pitying in expression, his eyes eternally calm and composed.

“I do not wish to become a lord.”

Kale decided to speak with complete honesty.
Perhaps he would appear an irresponsible eldest son, but had he ever truly been a proper heir rather than a reckless fool?

“Truthfully, once I finish what I am doing now, I wish to rest.”

Basen’s eyes widened.

“I want to go to Harris Village and live peacefully, quietly.”

Ah.
Basen exhaled softly, scratching his cheek, unable to conjure any response to his brother’s awkwardly uttered words.

‘Yes, the things my brother has been doing—’

For two years, ever since Kale had suddenly become active, his deeds had been nothing but news that shook the kingdom to its core.
With each accomplishment, the renown of House Heniatus and its territory had risen, reaching its zenith during the battle between the Indomitable Alliance and Heniatus Territory.
Since then, Kale had continued to distinguish himself across the kingdom and the Western Continent, and his already towering reputation had climbed ever higher, step by step.

As a result, the cadet branches that had once championed Basen as heir had fallen silent, and now an unspoken consensus dominated—Kale was the presumptive successor.

But here was the thing.

‘How much has my brother suffered all this time?’

The reason Basen’s words had caught in his throat upon hearing Kale speak of wanting rest was the sudden realization that while the family’s renown and Kale’s own had soared, Kale himself had been forced to stake his life in battle.

Growing pale, coughing up blood, collapsing.
A person who lived like that now speaks of wanting to rest once this is all over.

Moreover, Basen had hesitated whether to tell his younger brother, but ultimately decided to speak his true feelings since they were family.
That sincerity was evident to anyone who saw it.
However, the older brother who calls Basen young is now twenty years old. He started fighting two years ago, when he was eighteen.
His older brother was still young too.

Basen’s heart felt so turbulent it seemed ready to burst. Various emotions and thoughts swirled within him. Then, Kale’s voice reached his ears.

“Of course, if you don’t want to do it, then don’t. There’s no need to do something you don’t want to do, right?”

Kale watched Basen’s lips, which had been pressed tightly shut for a long while, finally open.

“Older brother.”

A surprisingly calm voice flowed from Basen. Kale saw the pupils of Basen’s eyes as he gazed at me.

“Then, are you doing what you want to do right now?”

Kale answered that question without hesitation.

“Hmm, half and half?”

The things I had tried to do to avoid getting beaten up by Choi Han somehow spiraled into this troublesome mess.

“Well, anyway, right now it is something I want to do.”

Dealing with the White Star.
It seemed like only I and my allies were capable of doing it properly, so I was doing it, but now I wanted to strike the back of that bastard’s head as quickly as possible.
And once the world becomes quiet, I want to become unemployed and enjoy myself.

“I see.”

Basen barely managed a smile and nodded.

‘The half and half that older brother spoke of must surely be the truth.’

Something I want to do and something I don’t want to do all at once.
Who would genuinely wish to bleed and struggle through such grueling work? It was natural to despise it. Yet despite that, the sincerity in his words when he said he wanted to do it.

Basen recalled what he himself wanted to do.
The Dark Elf of House Heniatus lacked the natural talent that humans possessed. He was only slightly above average, so he had merely undergone basic sword training.
Instead, he had chosen a different path.

A path where he could help the Territory, the Family, the people of the fiefdom, and his family members.
Administration, finance, politics. He had studied many subjects.

Because that was what he wanted to do.

“Brother.”
“Yes.”
“…Do you think I’ll be able to do it well?”

Basen watched Kale Heniatus tilt his head to one side with a puzzled expression at his own question.

“Lily.”

And he called out to his youngest sibling, Lily.

“Yes!”

Lily, who had been listening intently to the conversation between her two older brothers with bated breath, answered spiritedly, while Kale still wore his puzzled expression as he asked.

“Isn’t Basen smart?”
“Very smart!”
“Right?”
“Yes!”
“Hasn’t he received praise in administration and finance?”
“He receives tons of it!”

Basen stared blankly at Lily and Kale Heniatus. To him in that state, Kale spoke as if the words were flowing naturally.

“Who’s good at something from the very beginning? Things work out one way or another as you keep at it. More than anything, what matters is whether you want to do it, doesn’t it? Lily, if you can’t wield a sword, you won’t become a Knight?”
“No! Even if I can’t wield a sword, I’ll become a Knight, and I’ll keep at it until I can wield one well!”

Lily responded to Kale with the same fervor she would show her master.
Basen stared blankly at her, and Kale scratched his cheek while observing Basen’s expression before speaking.

“Well, if you find it too burdensome…”

Kale pondered for a moment, then spoke to help Basen—who wanted to take on the role of lord but worried whether he could do it well.

“Look, I’ll handle matters concerning the Crown Prince and the kingdom. As for nobility and diplomatic issues, that’s on you.”

After all, once I deal with the White Star, who in the kingdom would dare touch House Heniatus?
Kale spoke, thinking there would be almost no diplomatic matters requiring his intervention, and Lily interjected in response.

“I will lead the Knights Order and our forces! I’m also learning tactics and mercenary strategies from my master!”

Basen quietly observed Lily stepping forward with confidence as if to say he should trust her with the military forces, and Kale giving her a thumbs up with genuine admiration on his face.

‘…That’s right. I don’t have to do everything alone.’

He had already thought that since Kale would likely be away frequently, he should handle the internal affairs of the territory.

‘Me, my brother, and Lily.’

Wouldn’t the three of us become the three pillars of Heniatus Territory?
If the three of us shared the burden, wouldn’t it lighten my brother’s load?

Though it was a distant future—Father and Mother were still in their prime and healthy—Basen could envision a future led by the three siblings.

He felt excited.
His heart raced.

My brother outside the territory, me within it, and my sister guarding the walls that protect it.
A smile naturally bloomed on Basen’s lips.

“Brother.”
“What?”
“Don’t you need a title?”
“Ah, since I’m being honest anyway, let me tell you everything. I have no interest in titles or positions.”

Seeing the genuine sincerity in his expression, Basen couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Ha-ha, ha-ha—”

Why was that?
Strangely, my heart felt at ease. I turned to Kale with a slight smile playing at the corners of my mouth.

“Brother.”
“What?”
“I’ll give some thought to the position of Territory Heir.”
“Huh?”

…What was that?
Basen had clearly said he would think about it, but something felt off.
Kale found himself reminded of someone familiar in that faint smile of Basen’s.

-Human! Good Basen is smiling like cunning Crown Prince Alberu! This is strange! It’s not that gentle smile like the Crown Prince’s! But something feels similar! This is bad! Basen can’t grow up like the Crown Prince! Human, this is a crisis!

No way.
Could this straightforward fellow really resemble the Crown Prince? That made no sense.
Kale dismissed the ridiculous thought from his mind. Yet Basen continued speaking with a playful expression.

“After I think it over, I’ll do it if I want to.”

Right, that’s how it should be.
One should only pursue what they truly wish to do.
Kale nodded at Basen’s words, though an odd sensation lingered in his chest.
Regardless, Basen took a step toward the Underground Training Ground’s exit before pausing briefly.

“Oh, and—”

He then spoke while looking at Kale and Lily. His voice was light yet carried a certain brightness.

“Of course, the position of Territory Heir can’t be decided without Father and Mother’s consent. There’s no point in us discussing it among ourselves without their approval. Well then, I’ll head back up first.”

Tap, tap, tap.
With light footsteps, Basen disappeared from the Underground Training Ground. Kale remained silent for a moment before turning to Lily with a question.

“Is Basen always like that?”
“No, he’s not.”
“…He seems to be in a good mood, doesn’t he?”
“Yes, it seems he wanted to be a lord.”

Is that so?
Kale sensed that Lily’s words weren’t quite the full truth, but since he couldn’t quite understand why Basen’s mood had improved, he simply nodded and spoke gently to Lily.

“I support your dream of becoming a knight who protects the territory.”
“Yes!”

Watching Lily break into a radiant smile, Kale laughed as well.

‘Hmm, if Basen takes care of being lord and Lily handles the territorial forces, then I can just visit the Crown Prince occasionally and come and go as needed.’

It was a future that satisfied all three of them.

-Hmm. Human, it seems all three of you are under some kind of misunderstanding!

Because of that, I let Raon’s chatter flow past me pleasantly enough.

But soon, my pleasant smile faded, and my expression crumpled into something far less agreeable.

“Then I’ll head up and rest.”
“Yes.”

I excused myself from Count Derth and Countess Viollan, then rose from the dining table.
Countess Viollan’s sharp eyes assessed my meal consumption, and Count Derth, noticing my thinner wrists compared to before, subtly gestured something to the Capital Mansion’s butler. Unaware of this exchange, I felt a leisurely sense of fullness for the first time in a while and decided to head to my bedroom first.

“We’ll discuss the details tomorrow. You must be tired, so go rest.”
“Yes, Mother.”

Originally, we had planned to have tea time together after the meal, but since I was exhausted and my family understood, they urged me to go rest. I gladly accepted and made my way leisurely to my room.
Kale Heniatus readily accepted this and shuffled into his room.

It was a truly wonderful experience.
It was a very excellent process.

“Huh?”

As I walked through the corridor, I happened to lock eyes with two employees passing by.
They appeared to be new hires I had never seen before, and the moment they spotted me, they flinched in surprise, quickly bowed their heads, and hurried past.

‘…That brings back memories.’

I recalled the employees who used to avoid me when I first opened my eyes as Kale Heniatus.
However, I paid little attention to such matters, and despite the two whispering as they passed, I continued toward my bedroom with a pleasant smile, satisfied from the meal.

“…Silver-haired….”
“Just as the rumors say… a hero….”

Their conversation didn’t reach my ears.
Instead, as I walked a bit further and stood before my bedroom door in the empty corridor.

-Human, you’re back?

Raon’s voice reached my mind from inside the bedroom.
But something felt off.

-Human, cough! Human, wait just a moment, hack!

What’s going on?
Raon had been waiting in the bedroom without eating dinner, eager to sneak out to the bustling streets of the Capital with me to buy delicious skewers and snacks.
That’s why I had deliberately ensured no one could approach my bedroom or its vicinity, allowing Raon to release his invisibility and rest comfortably.
Yet now, Raon’s voice from inside the bedroom sounded strange.
It was certainly a voice transmitted through magic.

-Human! Just, just wait a moment, cough!

Raon’s cry, muffled and urgent all at once.
My pupils trembled. My hand shot toward the doorknob.

-Battle stance.

At the same time, Jjangdol sensed my mental state, and the Ancient Powers shifted into combat readiness.
A silent surge of Ancient Powers rushed through my body. Uuuung.
And I forcefully threw the door open.

Crash!

The door burst open with a loud bang.

“Ra—”

Kale’s expression crumpled the moment he was about to call out Raon’s name.

“Cough, cough!”

Raon, unable to wipe away the breadcrumbs and chocolate cream smeared around his mouth, was desperately trying to chew and swallow a mouthful of fluffy cake.

“My, take your time, won’t you?”

There was someone patting Raon’s back and gently wiping the chocolate cream from around his mouth with a handkerchief.
That person looked toward Kale and removed the hood they had been wearing. Then that person—no, that quarter Dark Elf—offered a radiant smile.

“Hello?”

Whether Raon had opened it or not, the terrace outside was now open, and the smile suited the black night sky perfectly.
The table where Raon was perched was piled high with cakes and cookies—far more magnificent than what we had eaten when visiting the Royal Palace last time.

“Hah.”

Kale let out a sigh.

“Human!”

Raon spoke urgently while wiping his mouth clean.

“I wasn’t trying to eat all the cake by myself! I was planning to eat it together with you! But I ended up eating it all while eating! But I still have room in my stomach to eat skewers with you! I really want to eat chicken skewers! If I’ve eaten this, I can’t skip eating those!”

Then he tapped the empty cake platter with his front paw toward the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince responded with a radiant smile and spoke.

“Kale, would you like some?”

A cookie was held in his hand.

‘What is this?’

Why did that man sneak in here?
And in the form of a Dark Elf, no less?
The more Kale’s face contorted, the louder the crunching sound of Alberu eating cookies echoed through the room.

“It’s delicious.”

Alberu offered his assessment with a radiant smile, and Kale shut the door.

Slam!
The door closed forcefully, and Kale approached Alberu with an expression overflowing with irreverence, though his posture remained quite courteous.

“Why have you come?”

Smirk.
Mischief gleamed in the quarter Dark Elf’s eyes.

“Lend me you and Choi Han for a bit.”

What kind of nonsense is this?

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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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