NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9 - Heir
My mother passed away when I was eight years old.
The cause of death was complications from a cold.
It wasn’t surprising.
She had poor health after childbirth, and she often fell ill afterward.
Originally, she wasn’t very robust.
When she was pregnant with me, the doctor even declared that having a child might not be advisable.
My mother’s death forced me to think about my future.
Even if someone was to take care of me, inquiries needed to be made to my mother’s homeland.
My mother didn’t speak much about her family, but as a child, I somehow knew that she didn’t have a good relationship with them.
She had two older brothers and one older sister, and being born as the youngest, there was minimal interaction between us.
She was close to her second brother, it seemed.
That’s really all there was to it.
It’s hard to rely on those who didn’t even show up at my mother’s funeral.
In the end, my fate was decided by my stepfather’s legitimate wife.
“Migue-samal’s biological father belongs to a collateral branch of the ducal family. Moreover, he has a mother who is a countess from a neighboring country. The actions of the count’s family are already considered extremely cruel. To exile a young child who has lost his mother would tarnish both the reputation of the ducal family and the Senia Kingdom, regardless of the reasons. It is inevitable that the nobles of neighboring countries will harshly criticize the ducal family for casting aside the countess. Furthermore, as a parent myself, I see no objection to making Miguel-sama the heir of the ducal family.”
It was a clear decision.
No one could ignore the voice of the stepmother, who held the highest authority in the ducal family.
Why does the stepmother, as a “wife,” have such power?
Well, to begin with, the legitimate heir of the ducal family is the stepmother herself.
She was born as the only daughter of the ducal family and married the duke.
This is because only “males” are recognized for inheriting titles.
The duke is active as the prime minister.
Perhaps because of this, the real power of the ducal family remains with the stepmother.
However, considering that the previous duke allowed the marriage with this condition, one could say that the former duke had foresight.
The stepmother governs the duchy, while the stepfather works as the prime minister in the royal palace, maintaining connections with the capital.
In essence, the Pezzalot ducal family is in a position of sole dominance.
In society, it’s common for the child born of an affair to be mistreated by the legal wife.
Or, they may have strained relationships with their stepsons. Well, there are various situations.
But in my case, it was completely different.
My stepmother and stepfather had a typical political marriage, neither particularly good nor bad.
However, since those serving the ducal family moved under the command of my stepmother, my stepfather seemed uncomfortable.
At first, I thought my presence might be the issue, but now I understand that’s not the case.
It’s because my stepmother and the household staff often show concern for me.
For example—
“Miguel, how are you feeling?”
After breakfast, my stepmother would ask with a worried expression.
For example—
“Take this with you.”
After finishing lunch, when I tried to go for a walk, my stepmother would stop me and hand me a basket of fruit.
I’ve noticed that I’m being taken care of in small ways as well.
Vague memories remind me that this happened last time too.
But back then, I was preoccupied with myself. I feel like I didn’t give proper responses.
Looking back, I realize I was a rude child. Anyway, it’s certain that I’m being treated affectionately.
Being called “cute” at this age feels a bit awkward, but it’s definitely better than being disliked.
Not that it’s a reason, but I feel more comfortable with my stepmother than last time.
The same goes for my step-sister.
Even though she’s only nine, she treats me like a little brother.
Normally, someone the same age would dislike having a younger sibling, especially one who’s the child of a mistress.
Oh, come to think of it, did my step-sister know about that?
Hmm… I’m not sure.
Last time, it wasn’t something I felt the need to mention, and most people around us somehow assumed that my step-sister and I were full siblings.
Well, maybe it’s my fault for not correcting them, but it wasn’t something worth bringing up.
So, which one of us is the immature step-sibling?
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