Exiled to a Foreign Land: Managing a Destitute Estate-Chapter 41: Like Father, Like Son

Part 1

"Perfect?" Philip repeated, blinking slowly as if to dispel the fog of confusion clouding his senses. The Duke couldn't possibly mean Natalia was perfect for him, could he? As a lover?

Duke Gerald Redwood's smile widened enigmatically, clearly savoring the suspense. "Indeed, my dear Philip. Natalia here is a perfect actress." He paused dramatically, watching shock wash over Philip's features before adding with pointed amusement, "She exceeded my highest expectations. She portrayed the role of mistress so convincingly that had I not known better, I would have been thoroughly fooled." The Duke grinned. "But then again, that's precisely the effect I needed."

Philip's lips parted to respond, questions tumbling chaotically through his mind. Before a single word could escape, the Duke raised one graceful hand, signaling silence. A secretive grin spread slowly across his face, as though he relished every moment of Philip's bewilderment. His voice dropped into a theatrical, almost mocking tone. "You didn't really think I was fooled, did you?"

Philip's confusion deepened, his brows furrowing. "So you knew?"

The Duke's eyes sparkled with calculated amusement. "Come now, Philip. Have you forgotten who I am? I am Gerald Redwood—the man whose very name embodies the myth, the legend of social ascension itself. It takes cunning and shrewdness to lift oneself from humble beginnings, an experience that escaped both you and your father."

Philip froze. His mind raced. Did this mean the Duke had recognized Natalia's true nature all along? Philip's eyes reflexively drifted to Natalia, seeking reassurance.

In that instant, Natalia sprang to her feet with the grace of a startled gazelle. She planted herself squarely between Philip and the Duke, arms spread wide in a protective stance that made her look like an adorably fierce kitten defending its beloved owner. Her blue eyes burned with defiance, though uncertainty made her slender frame tremble visibly, causing her golden hair to quiver enchantingly around her shoulders.

Philip stared at Natalia's defensive posture, his heart jolting at her raw protective instinct. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind. Had someone betrayed their secret? If the Duke knew so much about Natalia, could one of Philip's own allies have tipped off his grandfather? Lydia or Albert, perhaps? Was their secret already exposed? A chill crawled up his spine as he mentally reviewed the few people who might know too much. He dared not voice the thought; instead, he remained silent, heart pounding in his ears.

The tense silence stretched painfully until the Duke slowly started to clap his hands, startling Philip from his spiraling thoughts. "Marvelous, absolutely marvelous! Not only a perfect actress, but also a perfect Familiar. She didn't hesitate for even a moment to stand up for you. Not all Familiars are like that," he murmured, the final words softly, as though relieving a burden carried too long.

The Duke's tone shifted suddenly to gentle reassurance. "Relax, both of you. I am, after all, firmly on your side." He met Philip's bewildered gaze with unwavering sincerity. "You are, after all, the heir to the Redwood legacy—the second in line to a fortune destined to endure for 10,000 generations."

The System's mischievous voice quipped in Philip's mind. "That ambitious aspiration brings back memories. During one of my work trips to your old universe, more than two millennia back, some successful guy said the same thing. But their fortune ended up lasting precisely two generations."

Philip blinked, bewildered by the sudden interruption. "Who was that?" he asked mentally.

"Some immortal wannabe workaholic emperor in Asia," the System replied dismissively.

The Duke's sharp eyes narrowed slightly, concern flickering behind their calculating depths. "Your expression troubles me, Philip. Do you truly not recognize what I'm saying? Don't tell me the amnesia has erased even our implicit understanding?"

Philip hesitated, his confusion evident as he shook his head helplessly. "Understanding? I... I genuinely don't understand..."

Gerald Redwood's shoulders relaxed slightly, though his voice carried an edge of patient weariness. "It was unspoken but deliberate, Philip. My public hostility towards you, the apparent estrangement—all of it was meticulously orchestrated. My goal was to provide a protective veil, a cover story convincing enough to shield you from threats. So, I painted the picture of a grandfather estranged from his grandson; this way, there's less reason for them to target you for their animosity towards me. I can protect you from many threats, but not all of them, especially the ones lurking in the shadows. As much power as I have, I can't protect against everything."

Philip's astonishment deepened as he absorbed this unexpected revelation. His initial shock gradually faded into intense curiosity. "So, everything you've done... the coldness, the harsh words, it was all an act?"

"Precisely," the Duke affirmed gently. "I believed you understood, even though we never explicitly discussed it. Perhaps that was my oversight; I overestimated your analytical abilities."

Philip hesitated briefly before proceeding carefully. "Due to my amnesia, I... am still in the process of recovering most of my old memories."

The Duke's eyes sharpened intensely, becoming inquisitive. "So, it's more serious than I thought, then. Tell me, whatever you can still remember, of course, of the circumstances surrounding Natalia's summoning."

Philip recounted carefully whatever he remembered from old Philip's memories, taking care to mask any trace of his lack of knowledge with amnesia. Each detail elicited thoughtful nods from the Duke, whose expression grew increasingly pensive.

When Philip finished, the Duke drew a long, contemplative breath. His voice, when he spoke, carried a strange mix of pride and solemn regret. "So, it appears that you awakened the Redwood Legacy."

"The Redwood Legacy?" Philip asked with curiosity.

"Yes, a dormant trait within our bloodline that only a few could awaken. It's our greatest blessing but is tied to our greatest weakness," the Duke said.

Seeing the confused expressions on both Philip and Natalia's faces, the Duke continued. "We came from a long line of summoners dating back centuries. However, after the original House of Redwood was disbanded, courtesy of some stupid war, our kin had supposedly forever forsworn politics and pursued medicine instead. Our kinsmen could be found throughout nearly every branch of medicine—ranging from village herbalists in Avalondia to neurosurgeons in bustling financial centers of the Far East, and even within the imperial court of Arussia. So our ancestral ability had largely been forgotten. Until..." the Duke explained.

"Until?" Natalia chirped, leaning forward with such eager curiosity that she nearly fell. Her large blue eyes sparkled with childlike wonder, and she quickly clasped her hands over her mouth, blushing furiously at her own interruption. The blush spread adorably across her cheeks as she realized she had spoken out of place, making her look like a curious kitten who had accidentally knocked over a prized vase.

The Duke's stern facade momentarily softened at her endearing reaction. It was clear she had become genuinely captivated by the unfolding tale.

"Until I won the chance to restore the House of Redwood," he continued, his voice warming slightly. "Though the subtle distinctions are lost on most people, a restoration confers different legal rights than a completely new ennoblement. The restoration ensures that our legally recognized ennoblement date is traced to the original House of Redwood, which made us one of the oldest noble families in the upper house. In other words, it meant absolutely nothing in tangible legal privileges, but it meant accessibility to many exclusive clubs whose membership is legally reserved specifically for old nobility. With those memberships came greater access to... human resources, which are the fuel for power. Remember, my boy, wealth without power is nothing. And power without wealth cannot last."

"Right, but what does it have to do with the ancestral abilities?" Philip asked.

"Oh, right, I went on a tangent again. I am really getting old. You've got to step up your game soon, before I go all senile," the Duke chuckled lightheartedly.

His eyes then caught Natalia, who was now perched at the edge of the Duke's feet; her eyes were wide with anticipation, like a child eagerly awaiting the next part of a bedtime story. She was practically vibrating with suppressed excitement.

"So, to apply for the restoration process rather than the usual inception process, I needed to find proof of our bloodline connection to the historical Duchy of Redwood. Oh yes, if I had failed at that, we would have been ennobled as a comital house rather than a ducal house. So, it was critical, and I spent a fortune on it, purchased all these random artifacts from all over the Empire, and funded quite a few archaeological expeditions overseas. I left no stone unturned to find all evidence proving our connection to the historical Redwoods. In the process, I found that summoning book," the Duke explained, an expression of unmistakable pride on his face.

"He forgot to mention that it turned out it was all unnecessary. All the Office of Aristocratic Affairs required was to go to the historical Redwood mausoleum and take a sample and run a genetic test on it, which was a new technology at the time. He was too hubristic to read the mailed instructions until all the other work was already done," the System cheerfully chimed in.

Philip suppressed an urge to slap his forehead in embarrassment.

"Recognizing its potential immediately, I promptly translated it," Gerald continued, his gaze distant, reliving memories of the past. "I sent the original copy far away, hid it under the grounds of some obscure property in the city of Oceangate in the Far East to be preserved for future generations. But the translated version, I arranged for it to be hidden on this enormous property in Yorgoria, accessible to us but far from the scrutiny of the Empire."

"But he didn't realize he mistranslated the texts, and that's exactly why old Philip thought the spells could help him regain Rosetta's love," the System cheerfully filled in the unmentioned details.

Philip suppressed an urge to chuckle. "So that's the book that led to your discovery of our family's forgotten abilities?"

"Yes and no," the Duke replied mysteriously.

Natalia's expression transformed into one of adorable confusion. She tilted her head so far to one side that her golden hair cascaded like a waterfall over her shoulder. Her perfect brows knit together in a perplexed furrow, and she pressed one delicate finger to her plump lower lip.

"Let's just say that the book revealed a long-forgotten fact: the Redwood lineage is one of those rare lineages of natural summoners. In other words, we would be able to summon without going through years of training and performing elaborate rituals and consuming large quantities of mana. All natural summoners have access to hidden reservoirs of mana that could only be unlocked when the right emotional state is triggered. And that emotional state differs from person to person but is relatively similar within lineages. And for our lineage, that emotional state is the state of intense desperation. Specifically, the desperate desire to regain lost loved ones. In other words, our greatest ability only manifests at our time of greatest emotional vulnerability," the Duke sighed.

Philip processed this carefully, understanding dawning in his eyes. He finally understood how Natalia was accidentally summoned by old Philip despite his intention of trying to perform a different type of magical ritual. He was a victim of poor translation and special genetics.

"In other words, for most Redwoods, the ability lay dormant throughout their lives, never to be discovered in their lifetimes. It only got awakened in recent generations as the improved material wellbeing freed them from the hassles of working life and allowed them to commit their undivided attention to their romantic ventures, creating sufficient grounds for severe heartbreaks... such as your own situation."

Philip's brow furrowed. "Recent generations? So there have been others?"

The Duke gave a slow, measured nod. "Even in our branch, you are not the first to summon a Familiar."

Shock rippled visibly through Philip.

"Then who else did?" Philip asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

The Duke's gaze pierced Philip's, and his voice lowered to an almost inaudible level. "Your father."

Part 2

Later that evening, Lydia stepped quietly from Albert's room, gently closing the door behind her. Her dress was slightly askew, her usually immaculate hair loosened at the edges, and a faint flush colored her cheeks. She paused in the darkened hallway, listening to the manor's nighttime silence, before allowing herself a small, satisfied smile.

As she moved through the shadowed corridor, her steps were lighter than the measured pace she typically maintained—almost youthful in their quiet grace. The moonlight filtering through the tall windows caught her profile, momentarily transforming her stern features into something softer, more mysterious.

Entering her private chambers, Lydia secured the door with both lock and an additional magical seal—a small precaution that had become habit. The room was modestly furnished compared to the estate's grander apartments, yet contained several unexpectedly elegant touches: silver hairbrushes arranged on a mahogany vanity, leather-bound volumes of historical treatises, and a collection of antique miniature portrait paintings.

She moved to the vanity mirror, her expression shifting from contentment to thoughtful calculation. "I don't know how much longer I could hide it from Albert," she murmured, voice barely audible above the gentle ticking of the mantel clock.

With practiced precision, she reached up and began removing her elaborate makeup. Layer after meticulous layer disappeared, gradually unveiling the flawless, radiant skin beneath. Her fingers then moved to the delicate edge of her jawline, carefully peeling away a thin, incredibly realistic artificial layer of skin. Inch by inch, the fabricated mask came away, revealing beneath it a youthful face of astonishing beauty and perfection.

She let down her thick, luxurious hair, the silken strands shimmering gently in the candlelight. In mere moments, the stern, matronly governess vanished, replaced by a stunning young woman no older than twenty-five. Her luminous eyes, vibrant and mysterious, stared back at her reflection, troubled yet determined.

"How ironic," she whispered, half-smiling. "Most people use makeup to hide wrinkles and imperfection, yet I spend hours each day crafting them." She ran her fingertips along her porcelain-smooth cheek, sighing softly.

"Albert," she sighed, setting aside another piece of the elaborate disguise. "Why do you have to be such a perceptive man. How long before you notice the way my skin felt different across the various parts of my body? How long before you start questioning my shyness and the need to blindfolded each time..."

Lydia's face colored slightly at the thought. Then, reaching down, she rolled each stocking carefully downward, revealing the carefully crafted skin underneath. The prosthetics were masterpieces of craftsmanship, complete with fabricated veins and age spots that would fool even careful scrutiny. A moment later, with a soft exhale, she peeled away this second false skin as well, revealing legs that were flawless, marble-pale, and strikingly sculpted.

"Albert, if only we were born into a different place and time," Lydia whispered. "Then we could have loved openly and without deceit."