In the leftmost corner of the living room, the children of each of the older core members gathered as soon as the interim head signaled for the welcome party to begin.
The eight children spread out around the massive table and began enjoying the delicacies set out for them. Anytime two or more of them made eye contact, they only gave a brief nod in acknowledgment. Perhaps it was their form of greeting, or who exhibited the least pride, but it didn't take long before three of them broke the silence and gathered together.
"Cousin Krone, what do you think of him?"
Libra, one of the triplets of Dune Mercer, held a fizzing flute of drink as she approached a black-haired woman with heavy makeup, red lipstick, black sunglasses, and a diamond-colored hand fan.
"Hmm?" Krone, who had been by herself, reacted to the presence of her cousin and pulled down her sunglasses, revealing a deep frown.
"I hate it." She said it simply.
Her voice was a bit loud, so those around the food table raised their heads at her words.
"Cousin?" Libra moved closer, speaking in a low tone, trying to tell her that others had heard it. However, Krone simply snorted at the gesture.
She had said it, and would say it again if demanded.
As the oldest of the cousins, Krone didn't seem to mind whether her other cousins heard whatever she said.
And as it turned out, she wasn't the only one who hated the situation. Another young man dressed in flashy vacation wear and sunglasses also approached with a plate of food.
"That guy, Jul, or whatever they call him. How can he be accepted after everything he has done to this family?"
"Hey, keep your voice down." Libra flashed him a glare. "And didn't the chairman say it? You can't blame a child for being missing."
Merak scoffed at her words. "Then how did he escape, and why now?"
He pointed out. "I'm not even going to sugarcoat it, but you all know it is coming closer, right?"
"Hmm..."
"…"
Krone mused while Libra went silent.
Nobody needed to tell them what was going to happen.
A new chairman was going to be chosen.
"You know what I think?" Merak leaned in, and the two ladies shifted closer to hear his conclusion. "I think whoever kidnapped him sent him here for a purpose, and it is related to that time."
In truth, that was the conclusion almost all of them had come to. The timing was too much of a coincidence for it to simply be random.
"Hmph! I know that, but it's useless." Krone snorted at his words.
Libra curiously asked, "Why do you think so?"
"Why do you think this compulsory welcome party was called?"
Libra and Merak's eyes shifted. Was there a true purpose? They didn't know that.
"The true purpose isn't just to welcome him, but for us to watch him and signal any strange behaviors he might display against the chairman or the family."
Their eyes shone with understanding.
Then, Libra asked again, "But what if he doesn't show any strange behaviors? Does that mean he gets to stay?"
Silence reigned between the three, leaving them with their own thoughts.
'If he doesn't show any strange behaviors, huh?' Merak took a long sip of wine, lost in thought for a moment.
"Oh, look! He is moving over to your father!" Libra called out to Krone, who looked up.
It was at that moment that Jul arrived before Eddard Junior Mercer. Simultaneously, the other children stopped minding their business and looked over.
Merak also looked up for a moment, staring at Jul. Then, a dark thought bloomed in his mind.
'Then, I will just have to make him display the strange behavior.' He chuckled darkly, thinking of how the situation would unfold.
…
Arriving before Eddard, Jada immediately greeted him.
"Uncle Eddard."
"Jada."
The first heir responded with a nod, though his gaze remained on the man in the wheelchair.
Jul didn't take his eyes away from the man before him either.
'So this is how it feels to stand before the future leader of such a family.
'From what I know of him, he has always been something like the perfect child. Getting the highest grades in school, becoming one of the youngest doctors in the family's history, and maintaining a perfect medical record.
'Just standing before him, I can see why he is called the perfect successor. Even down to his hairstyle, he leaves no room for mistakes.
'But that's also the issue with perfect children like this. They are so predictable. Everything they do is still within the scope of perfection. They are too scared to make mistakes because they feel making one is considered a total failure on their path.
'And because he acts within that perfect and predictable circle, he lacks the gait needed to lead.' Jul thought.
When he sat before the interim head, Jul had felt a bit of threat coming from her. After years of imitating a figure of a ruler—possibly her husband—she commanded meetings and rooms alike with a certain pressure that made one feel the need to listen and comply.
However, with the first child, he only saw someone trying to be perfect.
'Well, he would be great for the family's ongoing long-term stability, but not as much for its growth. But still, not bad, though.'
"Nice to meet you. I am Jul."
Jul gave a slight smile and nodded.
Eddard's brow furrowed slightly for only a split second before returning to normal.
"Yes. Welcome to the family. Sorry about what happened to you; I hope you get well soon. And I look forward to your contributions to our family."
"Yes, I will do my best." Jul smiled and nodded. Then tapped the armrest.
It was the cue to leave.
"Huh? Y-yeah..." Jada, momentarily stunned by the intense, wordless standoff, quickly bowed and moved away from Eddard before approaching the next older core member.