## Chapter 528 – 528. The Plum Blossom Swordsman Reincarnated Into The Baek Family
528. The Plum Blossom Swordsman Reincarnated into the Baek Family
“Don’t pretend you don’t know. Now that Kyle is back, you need to make a clear decision. Is it Gent? Kyle? Or me? Who is it?”
I stared straight at Elaine, not moving an inch while still connected to her. The intention behind asking this question on the bed was to force her to choose me. It was so blatant that Elaine must have known it too.
“…I…”
I could feel her discomfort all the way here.
Originally, Elaine had taken a neutral stance on the issue of succession. The fact that she hadn’t done anything about the succession issue until now was proof of that. In fact, even in the original story, she didn’t support her own son, Kyle.
“I have no intention of supporting anyone regarding the succession issue. That’s not an exception, even for you.”
“…Ah. Is that so.”
I openly expressed my disappointment and pulled my cock out of Elaine’s pussy.
“Y-Yujin?”
“Mother. Let’s stop here for today.”
“Why? It hasn’t even been two hours since we started. …Could it be because I don’t support you…?”
“Didn’t you say you would remain neutral, Mother? Then this isn’t right. If our bodies are mixing, how can our hearts not mix? I think it’s better if we refrain from our relationship for now.”
There was also the option of blackmailing her with sex videos. But that was no different from wanting to perish together. And more than anything.
“N-No…!”
There was no need to blackmail Elaine, who was already completely aroused.
“Are you… ending our relationship here? So easily…?”
“Mother. I love you as a woman. But it seems you don’t love me.”
“That’s not true!”
Elaine flared up and raised her upper body. I was momentarily distracted by her swaying E-cup breasts.
“I’m just clearly separating public and private matters. If private feelings get involved in public matters, fairness is broken. Once fairness is broken, everything goes wrong. You know that from living as a lord, don’t you?”
I quietly smiled.
Elaine’s words made sense. Thanks to her, the Prukerus family and the territory were always peaceful. At least on the surface.
“I’ve learned from living as a lord. Fairness isn’t always necessary.”
“Yujin!”
“Mother. A lord is the owner of the territory. If the lord is honest and fair, the territory’s people will be comfortable. But there aren’t many among the territory’s people who know their place. If you give them a little leeway, they try to climb all over you. There have been two rebellions this year.”
“…Rebellions?”
“Yes. Rebellions by the merchant guild and the mercenary group. I tried to treat them fairly, like you, Mother. But it seems the rebels didn’t feel that way. My fairness wasn’t fairness to them.”
It wasn’t a lie.
I treated those bastards unfairly. Other guys offered me bribes, but those bastards dared to act up just because they had some backing.
I had their backer, a Baron, assassinated by Yuria, and I made those bastards kneel before me and tripled their taxes for the next 10 years. Of course, bribes were separate.
“I respect your fairness, Mother. But sometimes your fairness feels like indifference and neglect to me.”
“N-No, how could I not care about you all!”
I hugged Elaine tightly. Elaine liked being hugged. She had never received deep love from Count Prukerus.
“I know. I know how much you care about us. But not Gent and Kyle.”
“If you know, then Gent and Kyle must know too.”
“There’s no need to force it to sound good. Gent openly despises you, Mother. Gent doesn’t acknowledge you as his mother.”
“……”
“Kyle left home without saying a word to you, Mother. If Kyle cared about you, would he have acted that way? Kyle is also indifferent to you.”
“Kyle…”
Elaine’s voice was tearful. I stroked her head and cheeks with my palms as I hugged her.
“I’ve always felt there was a subtle line between you and Kyle, Mother.”
“……”
Kyle was a reincarnator with memories of his past life. He was a terrible actor, so it must have been awkward for him to treat his own mother, Elaine. And Elaine wasn’t the type to be very affectionate either.
Elaine hugged me even tighter. She must have felt it herself.
“Mother. Now is not the time to be fair. Think about it. If Gent becomes the head of the family… you’ll be pushed aside. In the worst case… he might send assassins.”
“Assassins…! Gent and I are family. No matter what, he wouldn’t send assassins.”
“Gent doesn’t think of you as family.”
“……”
“Kyle could be a good head of the family. He has a good personality. But can he be an outstanding head of the family? Kyle left home without a word and has always lived with only his sword. More than anything, Kyle doesn’t have the same cold-heartedness as you, Mother. Without cold-heartedness, can the fairness you pursue be maintained? I don’t think so.”
“…Now I’m curious. What reason do I have to support you?”
“I have experience. As the lord of the Thebra territory, I developed the territory. I’ll make the Prukerus territory grow just as impressively.”
“…There aren’t many good things being said about you in Thebra.”
“That’s because the territory’s people fear me. I’m decisive. But ask the territory’s people directly. Do they want to go back to the way things were? They’ll probably say they absolutely don’t want to. And if I become the head of the family, you can be by my side, Mother.”
“…By your side?”
“Yes. By my side until the day you die. If Father steps down from the position of head of the family, will he give you love? He won’t. He’ll either not leave the battlefield or swing his sword somewhere else. That’s who Father is. Mother. Support me for our future.”
“……”
It was silence.
I didn’t move a finger and waited for Elaine’s answer. After 5 minutes, then 10 minutes, Elaine finally opened her mouth.
“…It seems I’ve come to love you so much that I can’t maintain fairness anymore.”
“Mother!”
“Haa?!”
I pushed Elaine down and climbed on top of her.
“Mother! Let’s be together forever!”
“C-Calm down… Aah!”
I finally got a definite answer.
Elaine had the trust of the employees, nobles, and vassals who worked at the main family. In other words, they would support me!
‘It’s not enough compared to Gent’s support base, but I’m ahead of Kyle!’
***
After lunch, I went to Kyle’s room. Kyle was sitting cross-legged on the floor, focused on meditation.
“Kyle.”
“…Oh? Yujin, you’re here.”
“We live in the same house, but it’s hard to see you these days.”
“Ah. I’ve been having a lot of visitors lately, so I haven’t had much free time.”
Kyle’s gaze turned to my side. I didn’t come alone; I brought Yuria with me. Kyle had feelings for Yuria, so if she was there, he wouldn’t be able to focus on me completely. It was easier to deal with Kyle with Yuria around.
“Yuria, you’re here too.”
“Yes, Young Master Kyle.”
Yuria said with a smile. I, who was focused on Kyle, saw his eyes waver. Just by smiling, the top-tier Aura Expert was shaken. I was impressed by his pure heart. Was it because of pity?
“Yujin. What’s going on?”
“I heard you’re aiming for the position of successor. You weren’t interested in it before. Was your leaving home not just for that reason?”
“It was to travel the world and improve my skills. Thanks to that, I realized I was a frog in a well. The reason I want to become the head of the family… is for my personal goals and for all of us.”
I frowned.
His personal goal must be to establish the Mount Hua Sect. I couldn’t understand the latter part about being for all of us.
“What do you mean by ‘for all of us’?”
“It’s exactly what it sounds like. A big event is coming to the world. I need to step forward for you, and for the people of the territory.”
“……Kyle. It seems like you’re underestimating me too much.”
“Why would I underestimate you? I know your abilities. And I acknowledge them. But this matter is on a different level.”
I glared at Kyle. He didn’t budge.
“……Just because you want to be the head of the family doesn’t mean you’ll become the head of the family.”
“…That’s right.”
Kyle smiled bitterly. That attitude that he could become the head of the family anytime. It pissed me off.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking.”
“Yujin. Can’t you give up on being the head of the family? It’s a position that’s too much for you to handle. Can’t you be satisfied with Thebra?”
“…Kyle. That’s underestimating me. I understand your intentions.”
“Yujin! No, what’s going to happen…!”
“War. You’re worried about war. Right?”
“…You knew?”
“Don’t underestimate me. It seems you thought I couldn’t handle war?”
“A great war where thousands, tens of thousands of people will die will break out. I’ll protect you and Yuria. So…”
“Ha…. No matter what you say, I won’t give up the position of head of the family.”
I didn’t feel the need to talk any longer and turned around.
Kyle had made up his mind. He wouldn’t give up the position of head of the family.
‘It’s very different from the original story.’
It was clear that the offer to support me would be useless.
“Yujin!”
“Kyle. Let’s meet again next time.”
I was annoyed to back down so easily. Even if I had to back down, I had to scratch Kyle’s ego.
“Ugh, uh?!”
I deliberately staggered as if my leg had twisted. I flailed my hands awkwardly in the air and fell towards Yuria. My face landed on the upper part of Yuria’s chest, and my right hand touched Yuria’s breast.
I immediately pulled away from Yuria after confirming that Kyle’s eyes were widening as if they were about to tear. Kyle still didn’t know that Yuria and I were having sex every day.
“S-Sorry. Yuria. My leg suddenly twisted.”
“Don’t worry about it, Master. It was an unavoidable accident. Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I think my ankle hurts a little.”
“I’ll support you.”
Yuria grabbed my body. Her voluptuous breasts subtly touched my body.
“Young Master Kyle. We’ll be going now.”
“O-Oh, okay. Y-Yeah.”
Yuria bowed to Kyle and closed the door.
I could guess how Kyle was feeling right now. He must be burning up inside. Maybe he was even jealous and cursing me.
‘Hah. Things are getting a bit tangled.’
Squish, squish.
I massaged Yuria’s breasts the entire way back to my room.
***
The banquet started three days earlier than scheduled. It was unavoidable because far more nobles than expected had gathered at the Prukerus Count’s estate.
And I saw someone I didn’t want to see.
Gent.
The eldest son of the Prukerus family had returned to the main family faster than Count Prukerus.
‘I guess I can see the atmosphere of the party after attending a few of them.’
It’s said that when a lot of people gather, factions naturally form. It was the same whether they were slaves, commoners, or nobles.
This banquet hall was no exception, and four factions had formed.
Most of the nobles who were aristocratic supremacists and conservatives sought out Gent.
‘Most of them are nobles that Gent has already taken care of.’
The nobles with romantic ideals sought out Kyle. There were also those who approached with other purposes.
‘Kyle is still clumsy. There’s no need to worry about him now.’
Those who gathered around me were those who valued money more than honor or power. There were many nobles who came from merchant backgrounds. And the nobles who owed me money were watching my every move.
‘The ones I need to target are the fourth faction. The neutrals.’
They were either not sure who would become the successor or were not interested in the Prukerus family.
‘Let’s start with a greeting… hmm?’
Gent was approaching this way.
I didn’t like the way he was smiling confidently. Beside him was Bibi Heolis, who had recently become his wife after their wedding. Bibi’s face flushed slightly when our eyes met, and she lowered her gaze.
“It’s been a while, Yujin. I’m glad you look well.”
“I’m glad to see you’re healthy too, Gent. Your wife beside you is beautiful as well.”
“Ah, hello, Young Master.”
Bibi replied awkwardly.
But Gent didn’t pay any attention to Bibi. Did this moron ever imagine that I had taken his wife’s virginity?
