With the heavy gold coins in his pockets, Ren Xiyang felt favourable towards this rich second generation (rich many-generations). “In fact, I’m in the process of creating a new kind of plough. I’ll inform you once it’s made.”

“Oh? Then I will thank you in advance,” Rian said, pleased. “My Imperial Mother, Queen Mira, is contacting distinguished persons from the Angio Kingdom. If all goes well, we’ll have some of their food specialities in Sedaveria in the future. Let me invite you for a meal once we bring an Angio chef to the Capital.”

Ren Xiyang made a noncommittal sound. Cognisant of the guards following them in earshot, he said, “I’m curious about these specialities of Angio Kingdom.”

Rian readily responded: “Angio Kingdom is particularly suited to growing certain crops, so their specialities are mostly variations of those…”

The two of them spent the rest of their walk through the rose gardens conversing about the Angio Kingdom.

At the end of the walk, Ren Xiyang reluctantly took out the very gold coins Rian had given him. “Your Highness, after teaching me about Angio, let me give you these gold coins in appreciation.”

The Royal Guards: “……”

“I’m not poor, though,” Rian said magnanimously. “Keep the coins. If it suits you, you can think of them as an advanced future payment.”

Ren Xiyang nodded and put the coins back in his pocket.

The Royal Guards: “……” It turned out that Master Ayden Rosewood must be truly quite poor?

Once the group re-emerged from the rose gardens, the Junior Investigator Bennett standing at the manor front doors spotted them.

“Master Rosewood, the others are ready to begin the lineage testing. Your Highness, you’re welcome to observe,” Bennett said.

“Lead the way then, Investigator Bennett,” Rian said.

“Follow me, Your Highness, Master Rosewood.”

Investigator Bennett took them to the main hall on the ground floor. At the front of the hall were the two other Investigators along with the Councillor, the two mages, and the Rosewood managers and lawyer. Meanwhile, servants and guards stood quietly at the other end of the hall, eyes round with curiousity and anticipation.

Prince Rian spotted Count Aegean, so he walked over, not a hint of guilt on his face despite Count Aegean’s suspicious look.

Ren Xiyang went to the front.

Imperial Councillor Blewitt cleared his throat slightly. With the entire hall’s attention on him, he began.

“Today, I am here in my capacity as an Imperial Councillor of Sedaveria. Due to the untimely death of Earl Roland Rosewood, we must appoint a new Rosewood Earl. Under Common Law and customary descent, the Rosewood estate and fief will be inherited first by the eldest surviving son of the late Earl Roland Rosewood. If not available, then the daughters will be co-heiresses…”

Imperial Councillor Blewitt explained the order of inheritance: direct descendants took priority, but if not found or suitable, then relatives such as aunts and uncles and nephews and nieces could inherit, and so forth. Not many people wrote wills, since the customary order was ‘obvious’.

After a long spiel, Imperial Councillor Blewitt finally stopped talking for a moment. He raised a hand towards one of the mages. “To determine Ayden Rosewood’s position in the order of inheritance, we will test Ayden Rosewood’s lineage. Mage Munsell, you may begin.”

Mage Munsell was the male mage with golden hair. His white robes with an edging of red denoted him as a light-element healer mage with a speciality in blood spells. He walked towards Ayden Rosewood.

“Ayden Rosewood, hold out your hand.”

Ren Xiyang obeyed.

Mage Munsell chanted a low spell under his breath. A drop of blood passed out of Ren Xiyang’s hand, through his skin. This blood drop floated into a tiny clear glass vial that Mage Munsell took out.

Mage Munsell turned to the others. “Now for the reference samples.”

The Rosewood junior manager, Manager Ashdown, held a tray. The Imperial Councillor placed a small ornate box on the tray, and the Rosewood senior lawyer, Solicitor Carmine placed another small ornate box on the tray.

The late Earl Roland Rosewood had his blood and magical signature kept by the Imperial Council, as he was a member of the Council. The Rosewood family had also kept a sample of the late Lady Rosewood’s blood and magical signature at their house in the Capital, which Solicitor Carmine had brought today.

Using these small vials of blood, Mage Munsell could establish “Ayden Rosewood’s” blood relationship.

Mage Munsell first opened the small box that contained a vial of the late Earl Roland Rosewood’s blood. As he cast his spell, the vial with Ayden Rosewood’s blood and the vial with Roland Rosewood’s blood began to glow.

After a moment, a strong, thick line of light formed between the vials. There was a quiet intake of breath around the room. The servants could guess what it meant, and the senior members in the room knew what it meant, but they all looked towards Mage Munsell.

Mage Munsell carefully analysed the width and strength of the connection. “Earl Roland Rosewood was the father of Ayden Rosewood,” he confirmed.

Bastard child, was the thought on many minds.

Manager Gregory’s eyes slanted towards Ayden Rosewood. A bastard child raised poorly, he thought sourly.

This wasn’t entirely unexpected. Many nobles had illegitimate children.

Ren Xiyang’s expressionlessness didn’t fluctuate.

Mage Munsell ended the spell, and the vial stopped glowing. Then, he opened the second box that contained a vial of the late Lady Marie Rosewood’s blood.

The tension in the hall tightened as he cast the same spell again.

The two vials of blood started to glow.

After a moment, a strong, thick line of light formed between the two vials.

Someone gasped quietly.

The thickness of this line of light was no thinner than the previous one!

Mage Munsell carefully checked, but there was no mistake. “Lady Marie Rosewood was the mother of Ayden Rosewood,” he said.

Manager Gregory’s face twisted in shock, and even Prince Rian was surprised.

Eyes turned to the unperturbed Ayden Rosewood. Of course Ayden Rosewood was unperturbed! He knew! He had clearly long known that he was the child of Lady Marie Rosewood too! He was never an illegitimate child in the first place!

“Mage Alabaster, confirm the results,” Imperial Councillor Blewitt ordered.

“Yes, Councillor.”

Mage Munsell stepped back while the second mage stepped forward.

Mage Alabaster had long white hair and wore a white robe edged with blue. She was a light-element healer mage with a speciality in familial spells.

“Your hand,” she said to Ayden.

She used a small magical knife to make a cut on Ren Xiyang’s hand. The blade absorbed some blood and then magically closed the wound.

Mage Alabaster cast her own spells on the blood-touched knife. A line of red snaked out of the knife. It split in two, connecting onto the two vials containing Roland Rosewood and Marie Rosewood’s blood.

“Imperial Councillor Blewitt, I confirm that Ayden Rosewood is the child of Roland Rosewood and Marie Rosewood,” Mage Alabaster said.

Complicated eyes looked towards Ayden Rosewood.

Ayden Rosewood was the son of Roland Rosewood and Marie Rosewood nee Cordovan.

HOW WAS THIS POSSIBLE?!

The late Earl Roland Rosewood could have had a secret extramarital affair…but how did Lady Marie Rosewood have a secret pregnancy?!

Thinking back to the year when Ayden Rosewood was supposed to be born, there was nothing out of the ordinary with Lady Marie Rosewood! Had Ayden Rosewood been a premature birth? (That would explain how small he was.) Was there something they had missed?

While heads ached at the unreasonableness of Lady Marie Rosewood’s secret pregnancy, Ren Xiyang was starting to feel bored, oblivious—and uncaring—to the world views being broken in the room. Instead, he looked pointedly at the Councillor and the managers.

Imperial Councillor Blewitt straightened, looking down on Ayden and the rest of the hall. “It has been confirmed by Mage Munsell and Mage Alabaster that Ayden Rosewood is the legitimate child of Earl Roland Rosewood and Lady Marie Rosewood nee Cordovan.”

When he didn’t continue, Ren Xiyang opened his mouth. “Thus, under Common Law and customary descent, I, as the eldest surviving son, shall inherit the Rosewood estate and fief.”

Imperial Councillor Blewitt stiffened. He knew that at this very moment, Baron Cordovan and Duke Schauss were preparing their cases to be acting regent for the Rosewood estate and fief. The outcome of today’s lineage test was beyond anyone’s reasonable expectations.

Blewitt retorted in an imperious manner, “However, with your age, it is best to have a mentor. The Rosewood fief is an important part of Sedaveria, and so it is in the best interest of the Imperial Council to ensure its stability.”

The ongoing murder investigations weren’t an excuse. It wasn’t uncommon for royalty and nobles to murder certain family members in order to secure inheritance. Even if Ayden Rosewood had played a part in the murders, he would still inherit first. Age and immaturity were the best counter-reasons to delay Ayden Rosewood’s inheritance.

And in the original history, those reasons had been employed, along with the consideration of Alyssa Rosewood’s instability and heavy injuries. She had only been ten and enjoying her childhood when her family was abruptly taken away from her.

But Ren Xiyang wasn’t Alyssa Rosewood.

“Five hundred years ago, King Rexius Red ascended the throne when he was only thirteen years old,” Ren Xiyang responded coldly.

Imperial Councillor Blewitt narrowed his eyes at the sudden topic change. What was he implying?

Meanwhile, across the hall, Count Aegean stiffened. Why did this sound so familiar? The last person to mention King Rexius Red was…a certain naughty prince. He unwillingly turned his head and saw that Prince Rian had an amused expression.

 

 

 

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Prince Rian: I have good judgement ^_^

Count Aegean: Is this what children are like these days?? ಠ_ಠ

Everyone else: Um, have you forgotten about Lady Marie Rosewood’s so-secret-that-no-one-knew pregnancy????

Ren Xiyang: *indifferent*