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As promised, Duke Argenta came to find Felix.
As if not wanting to leave Felix alone in an unfamiliar place, he was enthusiastically attentive.
"Are you over your travel fatigue? Not bored, are you? Shall we take a look around the Dukedom?"
There was an uncontainable excitement in the Duke's eyes as he looked at him.
Felix was silent for a moment before asking.
"To go so far just for me... aren't you busy?"
"No, not at all."
Felix had no excuse to refuse the Duke's offer, so he ended up walking down the hallway with him.
The whole situation was awkward for him.
It was because he could feel the gazes of the servants passing by every time he and the Duke moved.
"Do you like the room?"
"Yes, it's more luxurious than I expected... I don't know if I deserve to stay here."
"You are more than qualified."
"Because I'm your disciple? That's too much."
At Felix's words, Duke Argenta stared intently at his face.
"Come with me, there's a place we need to go together."
With those words, Duke Argenta led him down a very long corridor.
Portraits were hung on one wall at regular intervals, and it seemed that they depicted the members of the successive Dukes.
Duke Argenta walked for a long time before stopping in front of a portrait.
Felix looked up and gazed intently at the beautiful woman in the portrait.
"This person is..."
"My dead wife. She suffered an unexpected accident more than a decade ago, and then she died after a long illness."
Felix stared at the portrait without a word.
'This person is... Duchess Argenta? Why is he showing me this portrait?'
At the same time as those questions arose, Felix's heart pounded rapidly.
Looking at the woman's portrait, his heart stirred inexplicably.
He also thought that the woman in the portrait looked somewhat like him.
Long eyes, light green eyes, and even the slightly upturned corners of her lips, even when expressionless.
'Somehow... it feels familiar, not unfamiliar.'
But he knew how impious that was, so he remained silent without saying a word.
But then the Duke suddenly opened his mouth.
"You resemble her."
"Pardon?"
"Looking at the portrait, you resemble her even more. Why didn't I realize it until now?"
It was an incomprehensible remark.
Just as the Duke's eyes, like those of the other servants, were gradually becoming bloodshot as he looked at him.
Behind them, who were quietly facing each other, the butler cautiously approached.
"Your Grace, a guest from the Magic Tower has arrived."
The Duke's face hardened slightly.
He turned back to Felix and said.
"Let's go together. It's a guest we should see together."
Felix followed the Duke, not knowing what was going on.
Soon, Felix reached the central hall and frowned.
It was because the number of people gathered here was more than he had expected.
Even like when he came to greet him earlier, they were all looking only at him.
'Why is everyone gathered here?'
Including the aide Yetien, the butler, the head maid, the valet, and even a number of Kistar Knights.
He felt an overwhelming gaze.
The moment he turned his head in embarrassment, a man in a black robe came into view.
Felix immediately realized what kind of person the man was.
It was because the emblem symbolizing the Mage of the Magic Tower was drawn largely on the man's robe.
'Looking at the shape of the emblem, he seems to be a fairly high-ranking Mage.'
The Mages of the Magic Tower were famous for not going out and only doing research. This tendency was even more pronounced the higher the rank.
And as Felix knew, the Magic Tower and the Argenta Dukedom were quite far apart.
The fact that they had come all the way here meant that there was an important reason.
'Is this the guest who came to see the Duke? He said I should see him together. Why?'
While Felix's mind was in turmoil, the Mage bowed politely to Duke Argenta.
"It's been a while, Your Grace."
"Have you been well?"
"Yes, well, I'm always inside the Magic Tower."
The Mage's gaze went straight to Felix.
"Is that him?"
"That's right."
Felix tilted his head at the Mage's words.
His status was just a commoner, and he was not someone who deserved to be treated with respect by a Mage of the Magic Tower.
'But he's using honorifics to me.'
Something was definitely wrong.
While Felix was deep in thought, the Mage took out a Magical Tool made of silver from his arms.
The Magical Tool was very unique, with a small bowl divided on both sides and a transparent gourd-like object placed in the very center.
And inside the gourd, a blue liquid was sloshing around.
"Please put Your Grace and Felix's hair in here."
Then, Duke Argenta put his hair into the bowl without hesitation.
Felix, who was watching the scene, also put his hair into the bowl on the other side with a bewildered face.
'What is he trying to do with this?'
He was embarrassed, but he didn't want to argue with what the Duke was doing.
And before long, the liquid in the gourd, which had been overflowing with blue, instantly turned silver.
The Mage stared at Felix with surprise in his eyes.
"Congratulations. It's a match."
At that moment.
"Keuh!"
The aide Yetien let out a burst of emotion, as if something was welling up inside him.
The butler, who had been expressionless, and people here and there, burst into emotions they had been holding back.
Some covered their mouths and burst into tears, while others turned their heads and sobbed.
The Kistar Knights, who were said to have blue blood even if stabbed with a knife, were revealing their emotions like that.
The most embarrassed person in this sudden situation was Felix.
Duke Argenta spoke quietly to him.
"I'll explain what's going on, so let's take a walk for a while."
Duke Argenta moved without hesitation, as if he knew that Felix would follow him.
He looked quite calm, in contrast to the others who seemed to be emotionally agitated.
Felix quickly followed him to get out of the chaotic atmosphere.
The place the Duke headed to was the Greenhouse prepared in the Dukedom.
However, weeds were growing profusely, as if it had not been taken care of for a long time.
Felix did not know why Duke Argenta had brought him here.
The Duke, who had been quietly staring into the distance, finally opened his mouth.
"This place is the Greenhouse that my wife used to tend to when she was alive. It was a very precious place. She would be upset even if I accidentally stepped on a flower."
With those words, Duke Argenta smiled faintly.
The Duke's words were calm, but the emotions contained within were not.
Felix quietly stared at his back and opened his mouth.
"Is it okay for you to bring me to such a precious place?"
Duke Argenta slowly shook his head.
"There is no one as suitable as you to come here."
"What does that..."
"You must be wondering what the Mage did just now. He tested whether you and I are related by blood."
Duke Argenta's voice trembled slightly.
At his uncharacteristic appearance, Felix's mind was filled with confusion.
'That means... he used Paternity Test Magic on me? Why?'
He hadn't even heard all the circumstances yet, but his heart ached inexplicably.
"I'm sorry for proceeding with the test without telling you. If you weren't my child, I didn't think I would have the face to see you from an expectant position, so I couldn't bring myself to tell you."
"You thought... I was your son?"
"Yes."
"Why did you think so?"
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