PT | Chapter 2.4

From beyond the door, Aubrey heard the butler sigh, almost like a resigned exhale. Of course. Dalton was known in the mansion for being diligent and good at his job. But in reality, he was the spy of the first son, Gray. He had been providing Gray with information about his father’s important business.

It wouldn’t be hard to expose that Dalton had been leaking information, but now wasn’t the time. It would be better to deal with both Dalton and Gray together later when it would be less troublesome.

The butler was someone who was absolutely loyal to the Marquis.

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He would never disobey the Marquis’ orders.

Placing a hand on the top of the door, Aubrey exhaled deeply with his head lowered.

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“Fine. I’ll stay quiet for now. Just go get me some food and water.”

For now, he’d focus on filling his stomach and think about how to handle the situation later.

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Although this life was a repetitive one, there were some events that happened regularly, and then there were others that shifted based on Aubrey’s actions and choices. He knew, due to his father’s personality, that he would have to maintain his engagement to Madeleine if he wanted to leave this place. But he didn’t want to comply willingly.

Deep down, he was sure it was hopeless, and he was starting to wonder why the butler hadn’t responded yet.

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“Did you not hear me? Or have you already left?”

“……The master has ordered that you refrain from eating and drinking until he gives permission.”

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“What is that supposed to mean? Is he trying to starve me to death?”

“Just bear with it for today. Tomorrow, I’ll speak to the master on your behalf. Then, I’ll go greet the guests. Apologies, young master.”

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The butler quickly finished his words and walked away, his footsteps fading.

Still in a daze, Aubrey muttered to himself.

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“I didn’t even have breakfast…”

With the sudden call from his father, nothing had passed down his throat. He’d just had a quick sip of water, and that had been a mistake. After all, he wouldn’t have been able to drink even a single drop comfortably with all the people he despised gathered there. He regretted not having a proper breakfast at the academy and turned his body away.

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He could smash the door and storm out like a madman, telling everyone to get lost. But if he really did that, his father wouldn’t just sit idly by. Next time, the punishment wouldn’t stop at a slap to the face.

Going to the side table next to the bed, Aubrey picked up the kettle, only to find it empty.

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“……This is useless.”

He couldn’t exactly keep filling the kettle for a master who might not return anytime soon.

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Aubrey hated staying at home and preferred to roam outside. Since his early years at the academy, he’d stayed in the dormitory, and he only spent a few nights in this room each year. Maybe he thought he’d just show his face and leave again this time. Aubrey sat on the bed.

The dark, quiet atmosphere of the room was slowly dampening his mood. If he stayed here like this, it felt like he’d have a breakdown. This was inevitable. After experiencing this repetitive life so many times, anyone would end up as sensitive and emotional as he was, Aubrey thought, as he stood up.

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Standing by the window and looking outside, he saw a carriage approaching the front gate.

“……There are still so many people coming.”

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Of course. Thanks to his great father, the Wiidin Marquis family’s reputation was soaring. Though it had been built on illegal means, that reputation was still undeniable.

At that moment, the streetlights surrounding the mansion flickered before suddenly shining brightly. Even though it was night, the surroundings were as bright as day, thanks to the power of the batteries. Batteries generated all the electrical energy. They were used to power trains and even airships.

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Once more precious than gold, now they were available in every household. But using them to brightly light up the surroundings like that was simply wasteful. With guests arriving, it was clear the Marquis wanted to show off his wealth. Aubrey muttered bitterly.

“Well, it’ll all be burned up in a few years.”

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The moment the great sin awakens, everything on this land will disappear.

Having realized that the end was already decided no matter what he did, Aubrey’s dreams and hopes faded away. He understood that struggling with all his might was pointless, and he no longer wanted to suffer. He just wanted to live comfortably until the last moment.

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“……Don’t make me laugh.”

Even though he wanted to act like someone who had given up on everything, his anger kept bubbling up.

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Out of all the people, why was it him?

Could it be that someone else was living a life like this, a life of endless repetition? If not, he couldn’t imagine how anyone could stand it. Clenching his teeth in frustration, Aubrey’s stomach growled.

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He was hungry.

As much as he wanted to continue his serious thoughts, hunger and thirst won over.

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It was infuriating enough to live like this, but now his stomach was growling too. Aubrey glanced at the door. If he was going to open the locked door from the outside, it would make a lot of noise. Knowing the butler’s personality, there was probably someone watching him. In that case…

Aubrey opened the window and poked his head out.

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While the front gate was busy with guests, this side of the house was quieter. Aubrey sat on the window sill and lowered one of his legs outside. He then stepped on the groove under the window and slowly moved sideways.

***

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Aubrey, who had repeated his regressions countless times, often found himself in moments of utter confusion.

Just the day before, he had been a perfectly fine and somewhat proud son, but suddenly, when he grabbed his head and screamed while crying, any parent would be taken aback. However, the Marquis wasn’t an ordinary parent, so instead of worrying about his son’s strange behavior, he focused on making sure the rumors about Aubrey didn’t leak out.

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Had he never been locked in his room during his 24 regresses? No, it had happened many times. That’s why Aubrey could escape his room with his eyes closed now. Since his room was on the third floor, falling was a risk, but even then, it would only break a bone or two. He had died in a fire before, so breaking a bone wasn’t scary in comparison.

Crawling across the wall to the opposite room, Aubrey quietly opened the door. As expected, a servant was guarding the door but looked exhausted and tired. Seizing the moment when the young servant yawned widely, Aubrey dashed outside.

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He deliberately used the servants’ stairs to go down to the first floor.

The kitchen was bustling, possibly due to the number of invited guests. After confirming that the maids were running around in a hurry, Aubrey slipped in through the back door of the kitchen. The moment he entered the adjacent storage room, he bumped into a young maid.

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“Ugh, young mas-.”

“Shh.”

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Aubrey placed a finger on his lips, and the maid immediately covered her mouth with both hands.

Her wide eyes were filled with confusion. Aubrey, approaching the maid, bent slightly and spoke softly.

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“Go outside and bring me some water, bread, and a piece of meat. You can do that, right?”

“……”

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The fourth son of the Marquis, Aubrey, was known among the staff as a quirky and cold person. The first thing employees learned when starting work here was not to upset Aubrey’s temper.

It didn’t matter why Aubrey had come down here to give such a task. Following his instructions and avoiding upsetting him was the priority. The maid nodded in understanding and hurried out. Aubrey, watching her leave, opened a small door at the back of the storage room.

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Inside, there was a spacious table that could seat around ten people for meals. Aubrey knew that this place was rarely used unless it was mealtime, so he sat at the table. After a while, the maid returned, her face filled with confusion, and she peeked inside.

“… I thought you’d gone upstairs since you weren’t here.”

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Aubrey looked at her disinterestedly.

The maid, swallowing nervously, placed a plate and a milk bottle on the table with trembling hands.

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“To get water, I’d have to go near the chef, and since I’m getting food, I thought you might get mad…”

“It’s fine. Go back to your work now.”

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“…Won’t you go back to your room to eat? And… is this really okay for you?”

Although Aubrey had ordered it, the food on the plate wasn’t anything fit for the Marquis’ son to eat. Nobles were accustomed to better food, and eating something like this could cause a stomach upset. If that happened, Aubrey could be kicked out of here, which was a serious concern.

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“It’s enough. Now, close the door and leave.”

“… I’ll leave.”

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The maid bowed her head and took a step back. Nervous, she tripped on her own feet, glancing up at Aubrey with a flustered face before quickly turning bright red. She quickly shut the door behind her, and Aubrey picked up the milk bottle and drank it all at once.

He was still thirsty, but the immediate thirst was quenched.

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Putting down the empty milk bottle, Aubrey picked up the bread, tore it in half, and stuffed a chunk of meat in, eating it all. The cold bread was dry, and the meat had a slight odor. It was probably the food brought for the servants. “You eat what you can,” Aubrey thought, but still managed to eat it without much complaint. By the time he was finished, his face was focused on chewing the bread, and he licked his fingers clean.

One wasn’t enough, though.

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Wondering if the maid from earlier was still outside, Aubrey walked to the door. At that moment, he heard a loud sigh from outside.

“Sigh, really chaotic today. I feel so tired.”

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“Of course. It’s a rare occasion with all the guests and young masters here for dinner.”

“And the Marquis seems to be in a worse mood than usual. I was so nervous, I didn’t know what to do.”

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“I know. If we mess up now, we’ll be thrown out immediately.”

“Let’s take a short break here and head back up soon.”

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Aubrey heard the maids’ conversation as they grew louder, and he leaned back against the wall, making himself as quiet as possible.

It was no surprise that people always talked behind others’ backs, and the servants were no different. They were gossiping about him, but Aubrey didn’t care much about that.

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“… But still, he’s the Marquis’ real son. There’s no way he’d act like that. He’ll probably inherit one of the Marquis’ businesses in the capital.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Is today just any regular gathering? It’s a meeting with all the important people who run the Marquis’ businesses, and the fifth young master is seated in the middle, not the fourth. That says it all.”

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“Right… But, don’t you think Lennock is getting more handsome every time you see him?”

“Don’t even talk about it. I was shaking just being near him. And he smelled amazing. How can someone smell like flowers?”

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“Plus, he was sitting right next to the Marquis. That’s it, it’s settled. The Marquis is definitely supporting Lennock now.”

“That’s why everyone else looked so upset, especially Gray. He was furious.”

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“Oh, don’t even start. When the second and third young masters found out Lennock was coming back from the academy, they were so angry they couldn’t hide it.”

“Right. You were cleaning Gray’s room, weren’t you? You must have had a tough time.”

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Aubrey heard the maids gossiping, and his expression changed.

What do they think of me? As he frowned and turned to look, the immediate denial came back quickly.

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“When Lennock had a dangerous fever when he was ten, Aubrey was the one who brought him medicine. Even when Gray broke his arm during practice, Aubrey stayed by him and helped him eat, pretending nothing had happened. Aubrey always took care of him, you know?”

“What? Is that really true? I find it hard to believe.”

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“It’s weird, but I’ve seen it several times. I thought Lennock followed Aubrey to the academy because of that. Do you remember when Count Egon was disappointed when Lennock left?”

As Lennock grew older, his appearance became more striking, and his intellect matched. Count Egon, who recognized his talent early on, had offered to personally tutor him, but Lennock politely declined and enrolled in the academy instead. Although the academy offered good education, it couldn’t compare to Count Egon’s knowledge.

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Had Aubrey acted kindly toward Lennock before? Aubrey, still unsure of his feelings, muttered under his breath.

“… Whatever, I don’t care.”

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Tired of overthinking, Aubrey stood up. He was about to leave but froze when he heard the sounds of someone moving things outside.

“Why are these dishes out here? They’re just in the way.”

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“I’ll leave them here and clean up once the guests are gone.”

“I’ll find out who brought them out. Now we have more work to do.”

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As the maids grumbled and left, Aubrey remained seated, waiting for the right moment to leave. However, someone else entered to get some ingredients, forcing Aubrey to sit back down.

It looked like he wouldn’t be able to leave today after all.

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Frustrated by the situation, Aubrey crossed his arms. But he didn’t have anything important to do, and no matter how anxious he felt, it wasn’t like it would change anything. If he waited patiently, he would eventually find a way out.

Thinking this, Aubrey relaxed his body, tilted his head back, and closed his eyes while staring at the old wooden ceiling.

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