Aizen had never been assigned any particular duties within House Hern.
At his age, it was expected—his accomplishments in his youth had already surpassed those of most knights by hundreds of times.
He had lived as an honored elder, stepping in only when commanded by the lord of the house.
Still, as a knight, he had not allowed himself to live in idleness.
He had made his home in the gardens behind the training grounds, spending his days there.
After adopting Felicia as his foster daughter, he had found great joy in training a worthy successor.
But now, she too had left with William.
With no reason to remain engaged, Aizen had intended to pass the time leisurely until their return.
Yet today, the air within the estate was far too unsettling for him to enjoy his tea.
"…This is bad."
Aizen narrowed his eyes, gazing beyond the training grounds.
The usual stillness had been replaced by an overwhelming sense of bloodlust.
Sure enough, the moment he set his teacup down, distant screams erupted.
"Stand down! We are merely here to root out hidden rebels!"
"You're the ones staging a rebellion, and you dare spout such nonsense?!"
"The Second Prince is merely exercising his rightful authority! How could that be treason?!"
Jordi had made his move.
Aizen was not surprised—he had already predicted this would happen.
Joshua lacked the nerve to stage a coup, and the other two princes were away.
Jordi had been the only one capable of seizing power.
Aizen closed his eyes, shutting out the growing commotion.
What should I do?
If the chaos had spread this far, then the major battles were already over.
Even if he acted now, there was nothing left for him to change.
By now, the Fourth Prince and the other wives of the Grand Duke had surely been captured.
It was impossible to tell who was an ally and who was an enemy.
How pathetic.
Just yesterday, we were all serving House Hern together. And now we're divided into sides.
"Sir Aizen, pardon the intrusion."
A polite voice called out from behind the training grounds.
It seemed the battle had ended while he was lost in thought.
Soon after, the door connecting the garden and the training grounds swung open, and a group of men entered.
Aizen glanced at the one leading them and muttered,
"…Sir Hendrik."
"It has been some time, Sir Aizen. I had hoped to avoid troubling you, but the rebels have forced my hand."
Aizen sighed.
"I see. I think I already understand what this is about. Spare me the unnecessary words and get to the point."
Hendrik flinched at Aizen's cold tone.
Clenching his teeth, he forced himself to speak.
"If you would remain here for a few days, we would greatly appreciate it. Whatever you need, we will provide."
"…Hah."
Aizen let out a dry chuckle.
"You want me to sit still and make it look like I support the coup. Jordi is as cunning as ever."
"Watch your words, Sir Aizen. Even you cannot be so disrespectful toward the next Grand Duke."
"The next Grand Duke?"
A heavy silence fell.
Hendrik, momentarily at a loss for words, clamped his mouth shut.
The killing intent pressing down on him was suffocating, an invisible force tightening around his entire body.
One more word, and he was certain a sword would slice through his skull before he could even react.
"The right to name an heir belongs to the Grand Duke, not you, boy."
Aizen's voice was cold, his words laced with barely restrained fury.
"If you don't watch your mouth, I'll be hanging your severed head from the castle walls."
Sweat trickled down Hendrik's temples.
The knights behind him instinctively stepped back, intimidated by the sheer presence of a single man.
And then—
"My father has passed, Sir Aizen."
Jordi stepped forward from behind the knights, his expression unreadable.
Aizen blinked, his face momentarily blank with shock.
"…That's unlike you, Second Prince."
"What do you mean?"
"Why tell a lie that will be exposed so easily?"
"You think I'm lying?"
"Of course. If this were a grand-scale war, perhaps. But to die in a simple rebellion suppression? That's absurd. His Highness was never one to shy away from the frontlines, but he always knew when to advance and when to retreat."
"…And yet, unforeseen events happen all the time."
Jordi's voice remained calm, but there was an eerie stillness beneath his words.
"The cowards we fought yesterday broke the Grand Accord. They had no honor. They set a trap—and my father fell to it."
"...Yesterday?"
Aizen frowned.
The battlefield was a considerable distance away.
Yet, Jordi spoke of events that had happened just a day prior.
It didn't add up.
"Still don't believe me? The Empire possesses artifacts capable of teleporting across vast distances in an instant. Their knights can tear through entire armies with their charges. Do you really think there isn't a single artifact that allows for long-range communication?"
"You're saying you've obtained such an artifact?"
"Not quite. Let's just say… I made a new friend."
Aizen's gaze sharpened.
Whoever this "friend" was, they had provided Jordi with information even before it had reached the family estate.
And yet—
"What, exactly, did this friend of yours tell you?"
"Oh, many things. Important things."
Jordi's lips curled into a thin smile.
"For example, how my father died without leaving a will. And how the Emperor intends to forge one in order to install Tristan as the next head of House Hern."
Aizen silently observed him.
Was he speaking the truth?
Or was this nothing more than self-serving delusion?
Jordi caught the look in Aizen's eyes and let out a soft laugh.
"Tell me, Sir Aizen—why do you think I did this? Do you think I would have staged a coup if I thought my father was returning? If he had come back, his wrath would have ended everything."
"..."
"It's time to stop clinging to denial. My father is gone. He died on the battlefield. And he left no successor."
His voice rose into a near shout.
His composure was slipping, and in that moment, Aizen knew—
This was the truth.
Jordi wasn't lying.
The weight of Grand Duke Siegmund's death struck Aizen like a hammer.
His fingers curled into a fist.
"Second Prince."