Viscount Calderon was on the verge of fainting, but he was no ordinary viscount. He was an exceptionally clever and cunning man, someone who would never lose himself to anger, no matter what. He knew that, for now, there was nothing he could do against Neonidas. After all, when the judges of the High Court arrived and examined the minds of those present, they would see that it was his own son who had attacked first. Moreover, his son had attacked a duke, one of the highest-ranking individuals after the emperor and his family.
In fact, there was nothing he could do at the moment. If Neonidas wanted, he could easily wipe out his entire household without lifting a finger. The only reason Neonidas was making him an offer was that the High Court was about to confiscate Calderon's lands, which would then be reassigned by the emperor to a duke. However, those lands might not end up in Neonidas's possession. Though Viscount Calderon's lands currently lay within Neonidas's duchy, this changed nothing. That was why Neonidas had made an offer.
It could even be said that he had offered to spare the lives of the viscount and his son in exchange for his lands and wealth. Viscount Calderon stood up, looking down with red eyes at his helpless son lying on the ground. He then took a deep breath, and his muffled words echoed in the room.
"I accept the offer, but I have only one request from you. Instead of sparing my son, just give me a hundred gold coins. You can kill him if you wish, or make him your slave. For I no longer have a son like him!"
His words even surprised Neonidas.
Edwin began to squirm and sob uncontrollably. "FATHER, WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? Aren't I your beloved son...?"
But as soon as Neonidas's response was heard in the room, Edwin was about to wet himself. "I accept. Make the changes in the contract," Neonidas said to his guard.
The guard nodded and prepared a new contract paper. At that moment, a woman watching the entire scene stepped forward, looking at Neonidas with an expression of disbelief. She had long white hair and strikingly beautiful blue eyes that could put the ocean to shame. Her skin was as fair as milk, and saying her face was flawless would be an understatement. Her figure was not overly exaggerated, but it was so symmetrical, as if crafted by a divine sculptor. Her chest was above average, her slim waist added to her allure, and her sturdy legs supported her slender stomach, but seemed necessary for her full hips.
"S-Soren?!" she said upon seeing her white-haired brother standing behind Neonidas.
"SOLARA!" Soren was about to rush toward his twin sister with a shout, but suddenly stopped and looked at Neonidas.
"Why are you looking at me? Do you have a problem?" Neonidas asked, completely focused on the viscount and the agreement.
"Sir, my sister is here. May I embrace her?"
Neonidas frowned, squinting his eyes. "... Yes, you may embrace her. You didn't need my permission for that."
"Forgive me, my lord... With your permission."
Soren passed respectfully by Neonidas and ran to his twin sister with quick steps, hugging her tightly. Solara, who was watching all of this, was a bit shocked but prioritized reuniting with her brother for now.
Meanwhile, the new terms of the contract were finally prepared, and Neonidas placed the contract paper before the viscount. With trembling hands, the viscount signed it, tears streaming down his face as he handed it back to Neonidas. Neonidas signed his part as well, then gave the document to his most trusted guard. Since he held the original Neonidas' memories, he knew very well whom to trust.
"Kill that worthless piece of trash and leave his body in the woods. And as for you, pathetic wretch," he said, pointing at the former viscount, "give him a hundred gold coins and make sure he's out of my house."
At Neonidas's command, the guards dragged the viscount away, but just then, the viscount's wife and daughters entered the room. According to the contract, they now belonged to Neonidas as slaves. There was indeed such a peculiar clause in imperial law: in war or any situation where someone had been defeated, the defeated party's wife and children could be taken as hostages to prevent any future attempt at revenge.
But the interesting part, and what surprised Neonidas, was that no such law had ever been mentioned in the novel written by his girlfriend. Yet the original Neonidas's memories were filled with instances involving this law. In fact, there were many things in the original Neonidas' memories that were not in the novel. This unsettled the current Neonidas, forcing him to consider theories about this strange discrepancy.
But for now, he put this issue aside and looked at the former viscount, who was standing with his head bowed in anger in front of his wife and daughters.
"... What happened? What happened, Calderon?" cried the viscountess.
"Ask your son, woman! Ah, right, you no longer have a son to question!"
Neonidas watched this scene with an involuntary smile. The viscount pulled his—or rather, his former—wife's hand away and left without a backward glance, as if she were to blame for his son's foolishness. The former viscountess and her two daughters looked at Neonidas with fear. They still did not fully understand what had happened, but the former viscountess quickly recognized Neonidas.
"Your Excellency... May I ask what happened? Did our household wrong you in some way?" asked the viscountess as she approached Neonidas.
"Oh, yes. Your son attacked me, and I just took all of your family's assets and lands by threatening your husband. Also, from now on, you and your daughters belong to me, but don't worry—I'll treat you well. As long as you don't do anything foolish... Now, I'm quite hungry, so go prepare a meal," Neonidas said, taking the seat at the head of the table.
He then turned to the twin siblings, Solara and Soren. "You two, sit down as well."
The viscountess tried to hide her tears as she walked towards the kitchen with her daughters and servants. Although she could not fully comprehend the events, she understood what Neonidas expected from them. Lost in helpless thoughts, she quickly set to work preparing a feast. Meanwhile the guards were forcing Edwin out as he struggled and tried to escape.
The twin siblings, Solara and Soren, obeyed Neonidas's command and sat on either side of the table. The bond between them was visible to everyone in the room, but in Neonidas's presence, they quietly supported each other. Watching them, Neonidas's face showed an unreadable expression. For the first time, he looked at Solara properly, finding himself captivated by her beauty.
"I have fulfilled my part of the agreement, Soren. Now, you must fulfill yours. You got it? You need to grow stronger. You need to awaken your full potential."
Soren listened carefully to Neonidas's words and replied with a respectful nod, "Yes, my Lord, I promise. I will unlock my full potential. I will not waste this opportunity you have granted me."
Neonidas nodded, satisfied with Soren's determination. Then he turned his gaze back to Solara. Her beauty exuded an impressive elegance, yet Neonidas sensed something deeper beyond her physical appearance. There was a feeling, a hunch about her hidden strength, that made him think Solara was much more than an ordinary slave. After all, she was the twin of a man with exceptional abilities. Even if it wasn't mentioned in the novel, it was possible that Solara might be powerful as well.
"I didn't know your sister was this beautiful, Soren. A woman this lovely should learn to defend herself. Therefore, I will purchase a teacher to guide both of you. Finally, you will stay in this estate and train to grow stronger. I may be away for a few weeks, but when I return, I will bring gifts that will especially aid you in becoming stronger. So, the only thing you need to focus on is growing. But remember, I am one of the twelve Dukes of the empire, and if you betray me, I will take my revenge."
Soren felt the weight of Neonidas' words, took a deep breath, and nodded in agreement. "Betrayal is out of the question, my Lord. I will prove my loyalty to you," he said, his voice full of determination and dedication.
Solara, on the other hand, looked at Neonidas in astonishment. Far from contemplating betrayal, she was just beginning to grasp how extraordinary her current situation truly was. Neonidas's words made him seem not only like a master or Lord but also like a guide for their survival. And for the joy of being reunited with her brother alone, she would never even consider betraying Neonidas.
Seeing the determination in the twins' eyes, Neonidas was pleased. "Good..." He could sense that his odds of survival were steadily increasing. With these two, he felt he had a slight chance, however slim, to stand up against his fiancée, who possessed immense potential in this world.
As the servants set the plates on the table, Neonidas was thinking about his next destination. His next stop was the Imperial Academy, where he was to visit his sister. He had two important reasons to go there. The first was to retrieve the powerful ring, a legacy of the duchy, from his sister. The second was to see the novel's main character with his own eyes...