“And just as that emperor had hoped, our ancestor did return—after vanishing for exactly twenty years. And when he came back, he brought with him a young boy.”

  “A boy? Could it be that......”

  “Precisely. That boy was the second head of the Heyerar household, and our ancestor as well. At least, that is what Olubert told everyone when he brought the boy back to his fiefdom—he claimed the child was his son......”

  “After that...... our ancestor vanished once more. He left the young second head of the Heyerar family behind, as if the only reason he had returned was to ensure his lineage would continue. And from that day on, he never appeared in this world again. We do not even know where he was laid to rest in the end......”

  “......Fortunately, that emperor took great care of the Heyerar family in those days. Thanks to his protection, the second head grew up safely and inherited our first ancestor’s title and fiefdom......”

  Once again, a heavy silence descended over the drawing room. Even Colette, who would normally have tried to lighten the mood, was at a loss for words—if anything, she was the one most shaken by this revelation.

  Knock knock!

  A soft knock on the door broke the quiet.

  “Master, I have brought the item you requested.”

  The arrival of Laurent, the steward, shattered the tense atmosphere.

  “Good, come in!” Rezelian replied, then turned to Colette with a gentle smile. “Please do not dwell too much on what I just told you, Ms. Colette. It is hardly a story the Heyerar family is proud of, after all. And if no one could unravel the mystery of our ancestor’s actions back then, it is even more impossible to do so three hundred years later.”

  “Ah, right...... I apologize for my unseemly reaction, Mr. Rezelian. And rest assured—I will never breathe a word of what we discussed today to anyone outside this house!”

  Colette forced a smile, making a solemn promise.

  Rezelian nodded in approval, clearly pleased by her discretion.

  “Master, here is the chest.”

  Laurent carefully placed the box on the table.

  “Thank you, Laurent. You may step down.”

  With that, Rezelian rose from his seat, pulled a key from his breast pocket, and walked over to the chest. He inserted the key into the lock.

  Click!

  With a soft snick, the lock sprang open. Rezelian lifted the lid slowly.

  “Behold, Ms. Colette—this is the family heirloom left behind by our ancestor Olubert, the Lone Sword. It is the very blade that once drank the blood of thousands of rebels.”

  Everyone’s eyes fell on the contents of the chest.

  There, lying within, was a sword that still glinted with a cold, sharp light even after hundreds of years had passed. It was the ancestral sword of the Heyerar family—the blade that had never left Olubert’s side.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Colette leaned closer, her gaze transfixed by the sword. She reached out a hand, longing to touch its blade—but before her fingers could make contact, a wave of bloodcurdling killing intent surged into her mind.

  Snap!

  Rezelian slammed the chest shut in an instant.

  “Please be careful, Ms. Colette! This is no ordinary sword! It was stained with so much blood in its time that it now radiates a powerful malevolent aura. Anyone who is not of the Heyerar bloodline, or who lacks an unyielding will, will suffer a backlash if they touch it!”

  “Oh! I am so sorry—I could not control myself just now!”

  Colette snapped back to her senses, apologizing profusely.

  Rezelian let out a sigh of relief. “It is quite all right, Ms. Colette. I am just glad you are unharmed. It would have been my greatest failure as a host if you had been injured under my roof. From now on, please observe the sword from a safe distance—this is for your own protection.”

  With that, he carefully lifted the lid of the chest once more.

  “Understood. Thank you!”

  Colette thanked him, taking a few steps back to admire the sword from afar.

  “Mr. Rezelian—was this sword left behind by Lord Olubert when he returned with the second head of your family?”

  After examining the ancestral blade closely, Colette voiced another question.

  “No, that is not the case.”

  To her surprise, Rezelian shook his head in denial.

  “In truth, our ancestor left this sword behind the first time he vanished—he entrusted it to the emperor at the time.”

  “Hmm......” Colette frowned, deep in thought, then her face cleared as she realized the truth. “Come to think of it, there are rumors that this sword was originally a gift from the imperial family to Lord Olubert. If he had already planned to leave the empire back then, it would make sense for him to return the sword to its rightful owners.”

  “Exactly. That is the story passed down through our family. The reason it eventually returned to the Heyerar household is that the emperor believed the sword had become a symbol of our family the moment our ancestor wielded it to save the empire from collapse. Thus, when the second head inherited everything, the emperor bestowed the sword upon him as a gift.”

  “I see...... That makes perfect sense now.”

  After a long and engaging conversation, Colette’s home visit finally came to an end.

  ......

  “Mr. Rezelian, Mrs. Heyerar—thank you both so much for sparing your time today and indulging my whims!”

  At the gate of the Heyerar Estate, Colette bowed deeply in gratitude.

  “It was our pleasure!”

  Rezelian replied with a warm smile.

  “We only hope your visit was not a disappointment.”

  “Disappointment? Not at all! On the contrary, I gained far more than I ever could have hoped for. Thank you all for being so generous with your knowledge. Now, if you will excuse me, I shall take my leave.”

  Rezelian nodded.

  “Farewell, Ms. Colette. Do take care on your journey home.”

  Lilia added with a kind smile, “You are always welcome at the Heyerar Estate, Ms. Colette.”

  “Goodbye, Ms. Colette!”

  Hulim waved goodbye.

  Colette departed.

  As the gates of the Heyerar Estate closed slowly behind her, Rezelian and his family turned and headed back inside.

  On the way, Hulim stared at her father, her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but hesitated.

  “What is it, my little Hulim? Is there something on your mind?”

  Rezelian noticed his daughter’s odd behavior, and chuckled as he prompted her to speak.

  Hulim came to a halt, still hesitant—but after a few seconds of indecision, she finally summoned the courage to ask the question weighing on her heart.

  “......Father...... are we really the descendants of Olubert?”

  Rezelian froze for a moment at her words, then burst into laughter.

  “You know, I asked your grandfather the exact same question when I was your age. Do you want to know what he told me?”

  “Huh?”

  Hulim shook her head, her curiosity piqued.

  Rezelian looked at her, his expression turning serious as he recited the words he had heard so many years ago.

  “Your grandfather told me that before our ancestor Olubert, the Lone Sword, left the second head of our family behind, he said this to him—

  ‘I have failed. Child who bears my blood, let this bloodline flow on. And one day...... the one this bloodline has been waiting for shall finally appear.’”