HTNSA 84

Chapter 84

It was hard to tell how much time had passed since Felix had calmed himself in the room.

As promised, the Duke of Agenta came to see him.

With an enthusiastic attitude, as if determined not to leave Felix alone in this unfamiliar place.

“Have you recovered from the travel fatigue? Not feeling too bored, I hope? Shall we go have a look around the ducal estate?”

There was a strange excitement in the duke’s eyes as he looked at Felix.

Felix hesitated for a moment before asking,

“All this… just for me? Aren’t you busy?”

“No, not at all.”

Having no reason to refuse the duke’s offer, Felix ended up walking the corridor with him.

Everything about the situation felt awkward to Felix.

Every time they walked together, he could feel the gaze of passing servants.

“Do you like the room?”

“Yes. It’s so luxurious that… I’m not sure I deserve to stay in it.”

“You deserve it.”

“Because I’m your student? Even so, it seems a bit excessive.”

At Felix’s words, the Duke of Agenta stared intently at his face.

“Come with me. There’s a place I want to show you.”

With that, the duke led him down a very long hallway.

One side of the wall was lined with portraits spaced at regular intervals—most likely depictions of past members of the ducal family.

After a long walk, the duke stopped in front of one portrait.

Felix lifted his gaze and looked closely at the beautiful woman depicted.

“This is…”

“My late wife. She passed away after a long illness following an unexpected accident more than a decade ago.”

Felix silently stared at the portrait.

‘So… she’s the Duchess of Agenta? But why is he showing this to me?’

As the question formed, Felix’s heart began to pound loudly.

Something about the portrait stirred an inexplicable feeling in his chest.

He even thought the woman looked somewhat like him.

The shape of her eyes, the light green irises, the slightly upturned corners of her mouth despite her neutral expression…

‘It feels… strangely familiar.’

But knowing how disrespectful such thoughts might be, he kept his silence.

Then suddenly, the duke spoke.

“You resemble her.”

“…Pardon?”

“Looking at the portrait now, you resemble her even more. Why didn’t I notice it before?”

The duke’s words made no sense.

His eyes, fixed on Felix, were gradually becoming bloodshot—just like those of the other servants earlier.

As they stood quietly facing each other, the butler approached them cautiously from behind.

“Your Grace, a guest from the Magic Tower has arrived.”

The duke’s face stiffened slightly.

He turned to Felix and said,

“Come with me. You should meet this guest too.”

Without knowing why, Felix followed the duke once again.

When they reached the central hall, Felix frowned.

There were far more people gathered than he’d expected.

And just like before, they were all looking at him.

‘Why is everyone here?’

His deputy, Yettien, the butler, head maid, attendants, and even several members of the Kystar Knights.

The stares were overwhelming.

Just as Felix turned his head, he noticed a man in a black robe.

Felix immediately recognized what kind of person the man was.

Emblazoned on the robe was the large insignia of the Magic Tower.

‘That symbol… He’s a high-ranking mage.’

The mages of the Magic Tower were famously reclusive, seldom leaving to conduct outside work. The higher their rank, the truer that tendency became.

As far as Felix knew, the Agenta ducal family and the Tower were not particularly close.

So for a mage to have come here meant something important was going on.

‘Is he the guest the duke mentioned? The one I had to meet? But why?’

While Felix was still trying to figure it out, the mage bowed respectfully to the duke.

“It’s been a while, Your Grace.”

“How have you been?”

“Well enough. I hardly leave the Tower anyway.”

Then the mage’s gaze turned directly to Felix.

“Is it him?”

“Yes.”

Felix tilted his head in confusion at their exchange.

He was just a commoner—certainly not someone a mage would speak to so respectfully.

‘Why is he addressing me so formally?’

Something was definitely off.

As Felix continued to ponder, the mage took out a silver magical device from his robe.

It was quite an unusual artifact—two small dishes on either side and a transparent vial-like container standing in the middle, filled with a shimmering blue liquid.

“Please place a hair from both the Duke and Sir Felix into this.”

Without hesitation, the duke placed one of his hairs into the device.

Felix, still dazed, followed suit and placed one of his hairs in the opposite dish.

‘What are they trying to do with this?’

He was confused, but didn’t want to question the duke’s actions.

Moments later, the blue liquid in the vial shimmered and suddenly turned silver.

The mage looked at Felix with surprised eyes.

“Congratulations. You are indeed his biological child.”

At that moment—

“Kh…!”

Yettien, the deputy, let out a choked noise as if overwhelmed with emotion.

The usually expressionless butler and several others burst into tears, unable to contain their emotions.

Some covered their mouths in shock, others turned away and wept quietly.

Even the iron-blooded Kystar Knights, known for their composure, were visibly moved.

But the most bewildered of them all was Felix.

As he stood frozen, the Duke of Agenta quietly spoke to him.

“I’ll explain everything. Come, let’s take a walk.”

The duke moved without hesitation, as if sure Felix would follow.

Unlike the others, who were emotionally stirred, the duke remained calm.

Seeking escape from the chaotic atmosphere, Felix hurried after him.

The duke led him to a greenhouse on the estate.

But it had clearly been neglected—overgrown with weeds.

Felix had no idea why the duke had brought him there.

The duke, staring quietly into the distance, finally spoke.

“This greenhouse… My wife cared for it dearly when she was alive. It was her sanctuary. She’d be upset even if I accidentally stepped on a flower.”

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Though his voice was calm, the emotions behind it were unmistakable.

Felix looked at the duke’s back and asked quietly,

“Is it okay… to bring me somewhere so precious?”

The duke slowly shook his head.

“There is no one more suited to be here than you.”

“What do you mean…?”

“You’re probably wondering what that mage just did. He tested whether you and I are related by blood.”

The duke’s voice trembled slightly.

It was unlike his usual self, and it made Felix’s mind swirl with confusion.

‘So that means… he used a paternity test magic on me? But why?’

Even before hearing the full story, Felix felt a strange ache in his chest.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you in advance. If you weren’t my child… I couldn’t bear the shame of having hoped for it.”

“You… you thought I was your son?”

“Yes.”

“But… why?”