I Reincarnated As the Third Son of a Count’s Family, Only To Find a Series of Funerals

17 – I Truly Became a Duke.

After my mother and great-grandfather calmed down a bit, we were able to hear the whole story of the incident.

“No, those guys weren’t from Westbern?”

“That’s right. The Westbern Duke knew about them attacking you without any reason and was astonished.”

Surprisingly, the Karmusians who attacked us were not from Westbern. Well, to be precise, they were part of Westbern until they betrayed them and came to our territory, which they saw as an easy target, despising how Westbern treated them.

“Then isn’t Westbern just one of the victims?”

Father and my brothers died because of them. They were the ones who first invaded and got killed.

The Karmusians suddenly turned against them and targeted us. Wouldn’t Westbern be somewhat resentful?

Lately, I’ve been living with curses for Westbern; it makes me feel a bit sorry now.

However, I was taken aback by what my great-grandfather said next.

“That reminds me, it’s about those Westberun guys. They met their end.”

“Huh? Why?”

“They tried to deceive the king with a façade of innocence.”

(Façade: Pretending someone else’s child as their own)

Those crazy bastards… They were worth damnation, right? Cancel that apology. I almost became sympathetically viewed as a traitor for saying the wrong thing.

In this country where public speech doesn’t exist, being silenced is a rare occurrence. So I wondered what had happened, and it turns out they tried to deceive the king. Are they out of their minds?

“Gates will undoubtedly be sentenced to death, but what about the rest of his family?”

“That’s the thing…”

Grandfather said that to answer the question, he would first have to explain why he didn’t come immediately when he received the letter from your mother, Laila.

I don’t know the connection between Grandfather coming to help us and the Westberun guys who faced their doom, but for now, I listened without saying anything.

“First of all, as you know, this war between you and Westberun itself was an arbitrary action by your father, Edric.”

“Father! What are you suddenly talking about!”

Mother grew angry at Grandfather’s words. In her situation, she must have felt bad about cursing a dead person.

However, instead of feeling guilty about Mother’s outburst, Grandfather shouted at her even louder.

“Laila! Don’t you really know that you also bear some responsibility for the war between you and Westberun?!”

“Oh, Father…”

“If your husband is planning to start a war with Westberun so recklessly without my permission, then obviously he should have been stopped! If he wouldn’t listen to reason, he should have informed me right away!”

“…”

“If you weren’t my daughter, I would have personally strangled Leon even if that guy were alive! He not only disrespected me as the Lord, but also tarnished my authority and honor! Moreover, that stupid fool took my precious grandchildren with him to die! If it had been prevented or if you had informed me in advance, such a thing wouldn’t have happened!”

“…I’m sorry.”

Under Grandfather’s scolding, Mother lost her energy and became helpless.

At first listen, Grandfather’s words seemed correct. In reality, he wasn’t wrong, but… I could somewhat understand Mother’s perspective.

First of all, considering Father’s personality, there was no way Mother’s words would have been followed.

Father had a volatile temperament and an unnecessary amount of initiative, so once he set his mind on “teaching those Westberun guys a lesson,” no one could stop him.

When his right-hand man, who was practically a commander, opposed the Westberun campaign, Father locked him up in the castle and didn’t let them go. The justification was that they had left the management of their fief to someone else when they weren’t present, but it was just an excuse because Mother could easily take over that role.

If it were a beloved wife trying to stop him, he might hesitate for a moment, but ultimately, he would pursue his own desires. It would actually be fortunate if Mother didn’t get persuaded by Father.

Then why not report to Grandfather?

Didn’t Mother not do it because she didn’t know? There must be a reason for everything.

First of all, does everyone know the saying: “It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission”?

If some subordinate whom one doesn’t care about accidentally causes trouble and asks for forgiveness, they will be killed immediately. But in a loving relationship like between us (especially from Father’s side), that saying holds true.

Mother has always made good use of her position as the daughter of a duke, especially when her husband had sudden outbursts.

Whenever her husband caused an accident, Mother would throw a killer aegyo at Grandfather and say, “Daddy, please forgive him.” In response, Grandfather would reluctantly say, “Well, I can’t help it,” and end up cleaning up Leon’s mess—the world’s most useless bastard…

As an example, there was an incident where Father insulted a subordinate from another duke’s family, saying, “He’s a worthless man who only achieved success by marrying a good wife.” If it had gone wrong, it could have led to a war with the duke’s family. But thanks to Mother’s plea, Grandfather managed to settle it by getting involved in a messy business.

With such incidents repeating constantly, Mother eventually came to think that it was acceptable to handle things that way.

So this time, Mother didn’t even consider the possibility that her husband and sons might die. She didn’t report to Grandfather, thinking something like, “We’ll just seek forgiveness together later.”

Of course, Mother was fully aware of the weight of guilt for her husband engaging in wars without permission. When Father casually started military actions, Mother was initially greatly shocked.

However, in Mother’s position, although she was not yet at a point of no return, she thought it would be less problematic to ask for help from the duke after being involved in an accident together, shedding tears. How many couples in this world possess such resources? It amazes me to think about it now.

So what I want to say is not that Mother did well, but that Grandfather should have taken better care of Mother and Father as a couple.

From the beginning, when Mother and Father acted like that, he should have reprimanded them sharply or made them pay a price. Instead, he was lenient, and now this predicament has arisen.

Well, in Grandfather’s position, he couldn’t ignore his beloved daughter’s plea or apology, I guess…

Even so, Grandfather regretfully spoke while pounding his chest with a clenched fist.

“I ignored your letter… for that reason. It was meant as a lesson. So that you would suffer once. And this time, having learned the lesson, you won’t be able to underestimate your father anymore.”

“Father…”

“But… it shouldn’t have been like this…”

Hayden briefly looked up at the sky, then turned his gaze to Mother and me.

“It pains me too much to think that because this old man ignored the request for salvation, you had to suffer and tremble before those barbarians. I should have taken action and dealt with them first, even if it meant causing a scene!”

“Grandfather, please calm down. How is that Grandfather’s fault? It was just bad luck. Besides, His Majesty called for you to attend to Westburn, making it difficult for you to come.”

“Well, thank you for saying that…”

Moved by my words, Grandfather wiped away tears with his finger and spoke to me.

“Yes… originally, I wanted to ask you about what happened to those Westburn bastards. Let me tell you the conclusion first: Gates’ children are under my protection.”

“What?!”

What’s going on? Why did Grandfather decide to take care of the children of traitors?

“Originally, I hadn’t thought of doing that. What makes those brats think this old man will take care of them? But it turned out that way because I made a deal with that Gates bastard.”

“A deal?”

“Gates told me about how you guys were attacked by those Kamus savages. If he hadn’t informed me, I would have temporarily ruled Westburn according to His Majesty’s orders for a few months. In that case, I wouldn’t have been able to come and help you in time.”

That bastard Gates…

I’m really grateful!!!!!

If that guy hadn’t told Grandfather, we would all have been annihilated, damn it!!!

“So, you decided to take care of the children of the Westburn Viscount…”

“That’s right… It’s bothersome, but compared to my daughter and grandchildren’s lives, it’s a small price to pay. His Majesty will understand as well.”

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Grandfather suddenly came up to me after finishing his words, and he put his hand on my shoulder.

“Eddrick, I am truly impressed and proud of you. It must not have been easy to stand against the savages in such a situation. You’ve gone through a lot.”

“Oh, Grandfather, it’s not…”

Suddenly embarrassed by the compliment… I declined Grandfather’s praise out of embarrassment.

But then Grandfather continued with a serious expression.

“When I see that you successfully defended the castle against the enemies until Lord arrives, and protected our people’s land entirely, I believe without a doubt that you will be a duke who is a hundred times better than your father.”

“Grandfather…” “Father…”

“Eddrick, kneel.”

Upon Grandfather’s words, Mother’s face changed, and she stepped back. And the spirits of Grandfather’s deceased ones who had been listening to our family conversation around, as well as my tutor, approached us.

In an instant, with the change in atmosphere, I felt a slight shiver.

The heartfelt face of Grandfather, who loved his daughter and grandson, disappeared, replaced by the stern and charismatic face of a duke.

Under the weight of Grandfather’s charisma, without realizing it, I involuntarily bent one knee and lowered my head.

“Eddrick, as a Paladin, do you swear to acknowledge my authority and fulfill the duties of a Paladin?”

“Yes, Your Grace. I swear.”

“Have the witnesses also heard Eddrick’s oath?”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

“Good. I declare it here and now. Eddrick has officially succeeded the Silverwood Earldom from Leon Silverwood. I, Duke Lurein, Haydyn, vouch for it!”

“Please do as the Duke wishes!”

“From now on, anyone who disputes Eddrick’s title as the Silverwood Earl will be seen as challenging my authority, Duke Lurein.”

Duke Lurein, Haydyn, unsheathed a sword from his waist and lightly tapped it alternately on both my shoulders. Then he placed something on top of my head.

“It’s a gift, Eddrick.”

I touched what was placed on my head. It was a crown. Unlike the earl’s crown I used to wear, it was a different crown. Judging by the touch of the gemstones in my hand, it seemed quite valuable.

“It was originally prepared to be given to the grandson who would become an earl after your father passed away. I didn’t expect it to be given to you so soon…”

Grandfather lifted me with both hands and hugged me tightly.

“Congratulations on becoming the Earl, Eddrick.”

Through Grandfather’s shoulder, I could see Mother, my tutor, and Aeilen.

Mother wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, while my tutor and Aelen seemed deeply moved by the fact that I became the earl.

And Aelen… her expression was indescribable.

As I heard the resounding applause around me, I closed my eyes.

Finally, I became the Earl.