In the middle of the night, two men entered a large room filled with books. At the end of the room was a large table with several stacks of books and papers on it, while in the middle of the room was a long table and several luxurious sofa chairs. Crystal lamps illuminated the room with soft white light.
The man with neatly combed white blonde hair took off his jacket and hung it on a coat rack next to a bookshelf. His emerald eyes then scanned the pile of papers on the table before approaching it.
"Are these the documents for tomorrow's work?"
"Yes, My Lord. I have prepared the documents for your work tomorrow. There are also some documents that require your immediate attention."
"Huh...there are still many. It seems I will be staying up late again tonight."
Victor combed his hair while frowning at the pile of work papers on the table. Sebastian, as a butler who was good at taking initiative, left the room to get snacks and warm drinks from the kitchen to accompany his master as he worked on the papers.
Seeing his butler leave, Victor immediately approached the large table and sat down to finish the day's work. Shortly after, the old butler returned with a food tray in his hands.
Victor glanced briefly at the snacks Sebastian had brought, then refocused on the file he was working on. Sebastian stood on one of the bookshelves not far from Victor's desk, watching the room like a guard. The atmosphere was calm, with only the sound of paper and pen scratches in the room. A few moments later, someone knocked loudly on the door and immediately entered the room.
"Hey, Victor. Are you there? I'm coming in!"
An old man with dark green hair and sharp yellow eyes entered the room. He looked at Victor and Sebastian, who stared at his face with blank expressions, then smiled and continued walking. Then the man indulged himself by sitting down on one of the luxurious sofa chairs and stretching his body.
"Hahhh...there's nothing better than resting after a full day of work in a luxurious chair like this. Isn't that right, Victor?"
"Master Evan, please mind your manners. Lord Victor is working right now."
"Gah! Sebastian, you're too strict. Besides, what he's doing right now isn't that important, is it? I bet he is working on some noble rambling about how to raise taxes."
Victor looked at Evan with an indifferent expression and sighed. Every day after work, Evan always came to his office without telling anyone, including Sebastian. Although it didn't interfere with his work, he hoped that Evan would at least behave himself a little and uphold the manners of a fellow nobleman.
Although Evan was older than Victor, they spoke as if they were peers, and the atmosphere in the room remained almost unchanged despite the sudden addition of a guest. Evan ate the snacks served calmly and elegantly, Victor scribbled on a piece of paper, and Sebastian returned to his original position.
Time flew by quickly, and Evan finished the snacks that had been served. Sebastian poured warm tea into Victor's cup, and Victor took occasional breaks to drink it.
"Oh yeah, by the way, you already know about the results of your youngest child's appraisal ceremony, right?"
"Hm. I am fully aware of the results."
"So then, how about it? Have you decided on his future?"
Victor put down his cup and stared intently at Evan. Sensing the tension in the air, Evan continued the conversation in a light tone.
"What do you mean?"
"Whoa, whoa. Take it easy, I don't mean any harm. You know what I mean, right? If a noble child is known to be a gray child."
"I'm not a dunce, Evan. He is still my son and part of Emerdine."
"That's what I mean! Even though there is no rule that a gray child must be expelled from the family, those damn nobles will continue to bring it up until he grows up, and even if you want to keep it a secret, it's impossible because our nation's regulations require the results of the appraisal ceremony to be sent to the Imperial Palace. You know exactly what happens to those unfortunate children."
Victor clenched his fist on the table while staring at Evan. Yes, Victor knew that Evan meant no harm regarding his youngest child, who was less fortunate than his two older siblings, but Evan's blunt and sharp way of speaking often led to misunderstandings. Perhaps that was why people often avoided Evan.
Shifting his gaze, Evan then asked Sebastian.
"Hey, Sebastian! What do you think?"
"Pardon me, Master Evan. It is not my place to have a say on someone's well-being, especially if they are member of the Emerdine family."
"Tsk! Yeah, yeah, yeah. You and your loyalty always bore me."
After a while, Victor seemed a little calmer and spoke again to Evan, who was arguing with Sebastian.
"I haven't decided on the next path for Winfred."
"Hm? Ahhh...I see. You should decide quickly before he comes of age."
"I understand that very well."
"My opinion? You could marry him off to another noble family to expand the Emerdine family's connections and influence, or you could give him his own territory far from the political interplay of the nobles. Or, you could give him the freedom to choose his own path in life...though you know very well many of them that choose it end tragically."
"Hmmm...I'll keep your thoughts in mind. Thank you, Evan."
"Hah! It's nothing. Even though you rarely show it, I know you care about your family and your children. That's what makes me willing to work here and puts you far above those damn nobles."
Evan knew that Victor was a man who cared deeply for his family, even though he appeared cold and emotionless. This wasn't the first time he had seen Victor confused about family relationships. Long before he became the head of the Emerdine family, Victor often talked to Evan and asked for advice. Seeing his old friend looking a little more relaxed, Evan finished his business there and getting ready to leave.
"My business here is done. I'm leaving now."
"I see. I didn't think you were the type to care about a little child."
"Heh, just consider it advice from a Master Mage. See you tomorrow, Victor, Sebastian."
"Shall I escort you, Master Evan?"
"No need, Sebastian. Just stay beside that workaholic."
Sebastian opened the door for Evan to leave and bowed to him. After watching his old friend leave, Victor then looked out the window and gazed at the moon in the sky. He knew that sooner or later he would have to decide the fate of his youngest child.
Returning his focus to the file, he continued working in the middle of the night while thinking about the opinion Evan had expressed earlier. For now, he only hoped that all his children would grow up healthy and strong alongside the education and training they were receiving.