Chapter 85
“Do you remember the portrait you saw today?”
“Yes.”
“I told you how much you resembled the person in it. There’s a reason for that.”
The duke slowly turned toward him.
Today, his silver hair seemed to shine even more brilliantly, drawing Felix’s gaze.
“Because she was your real mother.”
“……”
Felix clenched his fists and held his breath.
At the same time, the image of the duchess from the portrait floated to the surface of his mind.
Her long, slender eyes, and the slightly upturned corners of her mouth reminded him of himself…
But what stood out the most were the clear, dewy, light green eyes.
As that realization struck, Felix’s heart pounded violently.
Yet, he still found the reality before him hard to believe.
No way. It couldn’t be.
That someone like him—someone so insignificant—could be the son of the Duke of Agenta?
He had spent half his life being mistreated in an orphanage, before running away and scraping by in mercenary groups, doing dirty work to survive.
By sheer luck, he had entered the academy, met Eila, and been fortunate enough to become the duke’s apprentice…
But he’d thought that was the end of his luck.
He had never dared expect anything beyond that.
Yet, despite himself, a small flicker of hope rose in his chest at the duke’s reaction.
Then, the Duke of Agenta said something decisive.
“Most importantly, the last place you were found before entering the orphanage was the same area where my son went missing.”
“……”
“Delphore Street, in the region of Dyrang. Am I right?”
Felix flinched in shock.
The duke knew something he had never told anyone before.
Just as the duke said, even now, Felix could vividly recall the dim alleys of Delphore Street.
It was the earliest place he remembered.
Suddenly, a sharp pain squeezed his chest.
With a trembling voice, he asked,
“That’s correct. But… how could you possibly know that, Your Grace?”
He trailed off, shaking his head.
“No—more importantly, what were the results of the test?”
Instead of answering, the Duke of Agenta strode toward him.
Then he reached out and pulled Felix into a tight embrace. Felix could feel the subtle trembling in the duke’s body.
In that moment, Felix understood the answer.
“It’s true… I really am the duke’s son.”
As the realization hit him with clarity, his expression crumpled.
He had always believed he’d been abandoned by his parents.
But that wasn’t true.
They had existed—parents who had loved him so much, they never stopped searching for him.
It was well known that the Duke of Agenta had lost a son long ago.
After becoming his apprentice, Felix had realized that the duke had never stopped searching.
He had once pitied the duke for that.
Now, tears of joy welled in Felix’s eyes.
“I was never abandoned.”
The Duke of Agenta slowly released Felix, and with a trembling voice said,
“You are my son. You are the rightful heir to the House of Agenta.”
The duke’s face was also twisted with emotion.
He was unable to control his feelings, and his eyes glistened with tears.
“That’s why I brought you to this greenhouse.”
His wife had always been frail, and after their son disappeared, she fell into a slow, sorrowful decline.
She was overwhelmed by guilt for not being able to protect their child.
“Your mother’s name was Liliana. She… worried about you until her dying breath. I wanted to show her that you had returned safely.”
After Felix’s disappearance, Liliana had become half-unhinged.
She never left the greenhouse, constantly murmuring their son’s name.
And to her final moment, she mourned for the son she’d lost.
To her, the duke had vowed that he would find their child and bring him home.
And now, that vow had finally been fulfilled.
The duke’s eyes glistened with deep joy as he looked at Felix and murmured with resolve,
“I’ll return everything to you now. All the honors you should have received as the heir to House Agenta—I’ll make sure you have them.”
Moved by the solemn promise, Felix was overcome with indescribable emotion.
The Duke of Agenta looked at Felix and took a deep breath.
How many years had he waited for this moment?
To see the face that had grown hazy in memory now so vividly before him was overwhelming.
The duke cupped Felix’s cheek and whispered softly,
“My son.”
He pulled Felix into another tight embrace.
All the mistakes of youth, the wounds, and lost time flashed through his mind.
But in the end, after all those years, he had found his true family again.
And just that one fact melted away the burden that had built up in his heart like snow.
They spent the rest of that evening together, sharing a meaningful time.
The Duke of Agenta had many questions for Felix.
How he had lived all this time, whether he had faced hardships, what he liked and disliked.
With so many years lost, they had much to talk about.
When the duke heard about the harsh experiences of Felix’s childhood, a flash of murderous rage even appeared on his face.
“So many dared to treat you so poorly? How could they…”
But Felix spoke with a calm expression.
“It’s all in the past now. Too much time has passed to dwell on it.”
“……”
“And because of that, only good things have come to me now.”
“Felix…”
“I’m truly okay. I don’t think those times were wasted.”
He believed that the hardships he faced as a child had made him stronger.
He had to grow strong to protect himself.
Thanks to that, he had honed his swordsmanship, caught the attention of the Duke of Agenta, and now discovered that he was part of the family he had long lost.
And so, Felix could now let go of his past completely.
But hearing those words only made the duke look at his son with even more sorrow.
With a tender voice, he said,
“You’ve grown into someone admirable.”
Seeing the mixture of worry and pride in the duke’s eyes, Felix smiled awkwardly.
It was strange to receive such unconditional affection from someone.
So strange, in fact, that he still couldn’t quite believe it.
“I spent my whole life thinking I had no family.”
Felix scratched his cheek with a sheepish look.
“Wait… does this mean I have to start calling the duke ‘Father’ now…?”
But he just couldn’t bring himself to say it.
He had been alone since birth and had come to accept that as part of his identity.
Someone left alone in the world.
Someone who didn’t belong to anyone or anywhere.
And now, to be told he had a father?
And not just anyone—but the man admired by all knights?
The truth was so overwhelming that it would take time to accept.
The Duke of Agenta didn’t pressure him. He understood what Felix must be feeling, suddenly reunited with a lost family.
“By the way, that friend of yours, Eila—she seems to care about you quite a lot.”
“Huh? Eila?”
Felix jolted at the mention of her name.
Noticing how his son’s cheeks turned red, the duke let out a hearty laugh.
“Ha! So, you do like her?”
“…Why are you suddenly bringing up Eila?”
Felix tried to change the subject, flustered, but the duke answered with a knowing smile.
“I met her at the ball. She talked about you. Hearing her, I started to suspect that you might be my son.”
“I see…”
Felix’s mouth dropped open in surprise as he understood the situation.
“How could I ever repay Eila for this…”
Cute.