1. The Mad Dog and the Peanut of House Valliart
Perhaps the most peaceful country on the continent right now—the Worfod Empire.
Before the previous emperor secured his place, Worfod was called the land soaked with blood and bones, having gone through countless wars like the Continental War and the Ancient Relic War.
Now, in the peace that was so hard to achieve, the four ducal houses shared almost as much power as the Sun of the Empire, Celledore, and held up Worfod like pillars.
Valliart, Cardier, Deslin, and Notium.
Among them, Valliart—my bloodline—was the youngest of the four.
Yet despite its short history, the family had accumulated a remarkable number of honors and titles.
That’s because my grandfather was the key figure who helped the previous emperor ascend the throne and kept the current emperor firmly in place.
And we were also known for being the family that amassed the greatest wealth in the shortest time.
Excluding the family’s own lands and those belonging to the Imperial Household, over one-third of the capital belonged to Valliart—no exaggeration.
There were two more reasons why Valliart was so famous: one, my mom, the most powerful person in the empire, and the other—my uncle.
…Mom’s the best!
But I’ll save Mom’s story for later, because it’s precious.
My uncle was the empire’s strongest swordsman, a man so skilled that people called him a weapon in human form.
But since all his stats seemed to have been poured into his appearance and swordsmanship, people also said a big chunk of his personality had collapsed somewhere along the way.
Because of that broken personality, he was infamous for being so difficult that even the emperor had to work hard to appease him.
In fact, the countless rumors about House Valliart were probably mostly about my uncle.
At least, that’s what Mom told me.
Then why, you ask, am I being so reckless in front of that kind of uncle?
“Samchonn! Don’t!”
“Let go.”
Grit. That teeth-grinding sound again.
“I said nooo! Don’t gooo!”
I clung to my uncle’s long legs like a cicada—arms wrapped around, legs wrapped around.
He won’t be able to walk if I’m stuck like this, right?
Maybe one of his legs will even shatter.
Sorry, Uncle, but it’s better than you dying.
Going there now is basically walking into death, you idiot uncle!
“Wh-what?”
But this monster just started walking as if I weighed nothing at all.
Startled by the motion, I bit into his pants to keep from falling off.
“Dmm nn gmm! (Don’t go!)”
Uncle stopped in his tracks.
Then, from above my head, I heard a sigh so heavy it could’ve caved in the ground.
Flinch.
That sigh had the power to suck the air out of the room.
To freeze you to the bone.
‘Well, I’ve got a lot to say too.’
But a secret—once made—must be kept, no matter how frustrating it gets. That was Mom’s teaching.
And above all, it was a precious secret with Mom.
She was no longer in this world, but I didn’t want to break that promise.
I wouldn’t get to make new secrets with her ever again.
This was our last secret promise.
“Hey, Peanut.”
At the sound of Uncle’s voice, I let go of his pants and lifted my head.
My arms were sore, and my mouth was wet with drool.
“I’m not a peanut!”
Had to correct that nickname first.
“Get down.”
“No. If I get down, you’ll go out.”
Time to push back a little.
Still clinging to him, I slyly wiped the drool from my mouth on his pants.
Ha! Now your pants are dirty—you can’t go out like that, right?
Uncle frowned when he saw the wet spot.
“You know what to do. Get down.”
“…If I don’t, are you going to throw me?”
Cue the pitiful look.
“Ugh, you’re driving me nuts. Why are you always picking fights? I told you not to draw attention.”
Picking fights? I’m doing this to save you!
If you weren’t Mom’s blood, I wouldn’t care!
I felt wronged, but he wasn’t the kind of person who’d believe me anyway, so I just swallowed it down again.
“……”
The twisted scowl on his face faded, like he half gave up.
“Just like your mom. Stubborn as hell.”
“Mom wasn’t stubborn!”
“You never back down, not a word.”
“Uncle.”
“What.”
Well, at least he answers.
Though his eyes still looked like they’d chew me alive.
“Uncle, I’ll give you all my snacks. Don’t go. Please?”
Uncle looked genuinely baffled.
“Wow, seriously. Did that old man put you up to this?”
“Put me up? What does that mean?”
“Get down before I throw you.”
The way he enunciated every word made me shrink back without realizing.
But I couldn’t give up now.
I gripped his leg tighter, refusing to let go.
My fingers felt like they were burning from the strain.
If Uncle kept being like this, I’d have to use that method.
If I didn’t stop him today, he’d run into someone from House Hendel—one of Valliart’s enemy houses.
“……”
“I said get down.”
More precisely, he’d run into the heir of House Hendel.
Then that idiot heir would pick a fight with Uncle.
Uncle would get pissed and hit him.
And then?
The situation would spiral, and Uncle would turn House Hendel into a bloodbath.
“Uncle, just once. Just this once! It’s Aika’s wish!”
“Get. Down. Now.”
“…Hmph.”
House Hendel had never liked the fact that Valliart produced the Chancellor.
They always picked fights at every meeting for no good reason.
To Uncle, they were a thorn in his side.
And if that happened, House Valliart would end up losing a lot of territory in another house war.
Uncle was already picking off people who’d opposed us.
Because Grandpa had found out that Mom’s carriage accident wasn’t an accident—it was an ambush—and told Uncle to find the culprit.
Uncle thought I didn’t know, but I heard everything when I was half-asleep at the funeral.
I wanted to help figure it out too, but I hit my head in the accident and lost most of my memories.
Still, if things kept going this way, Uncle wouldn’t make it out alive.
This is the spark I can stop.
‘In my dream, House Hendel weren’t the ones who killed Mom.’
So I had to stop him, no matter what.
“Uncle… I miss Mom…”
I couldn’t hold on any longer. My hands let go as I clung to his leg.
With a thump, my butt hit the floor.
The moment “Mom” came out of my mouth, Uncle went completely silent—like magic.
Then—
“Ehk?”
My collar was suddenly grabbed from behind.
Well, technically, my clothes were yanked—violently.
I was lifted like a doll and forced to look into those terrifying golden eyes.
“Then go look in a mirror.”
His eyes were less angry now, but I shook my head.
“I don’t look much like Mom. Uncle looks way more like her! You’re just like her!”
I smiled brightly.
And my hair wasn’t red like Uncle or Mom’s either!
People said my golden eyes were exactly like Mom’s, but my hair was jet black.
Mom used to say it was as pretty as a night sky untouched by starlight.
“Argh, damn it!”
Uncle suddenly clutched his head with his free hand, like he was about to rip his own hair out.
Then he stormed off somewhere with me still dangling in his grip.
I shut my mouth tightly and hung there quietly, afraid he’d actually throw me out a window or something.
Thankfully, he brought me to my room.
He threw me onto the bed like a sack and sat down roughly, glaring at me like he could kill me.
Ugh, doesn’t he get cold walking around half-naked?
Afraid he might bolt again, I quickly crawled across the bed and grabbed his pants.
“Hey, Peanut.”
