Arthur arrived at the dining hall first and sat at the head of the table. Soon after, Baldric arrived and sat opposite him, starting the conversation.
"You've grown quite a bit, haven't you?"
Arthur took a bite of the tender meat from his plate with quiet elegance, without glancing at the Baron.
'Hah! He had been silent all this time in front of the officers, and now that they're gone, he's finally showing his true colors.'
Arthur then lifted his gaze and grabbed the glass placed beside him. Shortly after, the servant approached the table, took the bottle of liquor, and poured the wine into the glass.
"Yes, I have. But it appears you haven't changed a bit and are still stuck in the past."
His hand swirled the crystal glass of old wine and brought it to his lips as he savored the slightly sour taste.
'You still have those same habits, don't you? Trying to be overly friendly. If I didn't know better, I'd have trusted you blindly, thinking you were such a gentle-natured uncle.'
But Arthur knew all too well that it was nothing more than a facade.
The Baron's expression showed signs of embarrassment, but he soon regained his composure.
"Haha! You sure know how to joke around, don't you? Anyway, why don't you ask Father to appoint me as the head? Not for too long, of course. Just until you gain some experience. Once you're all ready, I'll hand everything over to you. What do you say?"
Arthur could clearly see the greed behind his words.
Baron Baldric Westwood.
The second son of Demetrius Ashbourne and the only brother of the previous Earl, Frederick Ashbourne. He was an ambitious man who had always coveted the head position for himself. Demetrius and Frederick were both well aware of his greed.
And thus, they never gave him the chance to prove himself. Frederick, out of pity, handed him a parcel of land belonging to the Ashbourne household, along with the title of Baron.
But now, Arthur could clearly see that it wasn't enough for him. That he had come all the way here only to claim the head position, something Demetrius must've warned him never to eye, let alone speak of.
He didn't even show the slightest grief over the disappearance of his only brother and cared only for wealth and power.
Arthur placed the fork down on the table and spoke up.
"It seems my father showed you enough mercy that you now feel emboldened to come here uninvited. But rest assured, I am nothing like him. Believe me, it won't be easy to take the head position from me."
His face turned red, truly trying to suppress his anger before bursting out:
"What?! How dare you speak to me in such a way?! Don't you know who I am?!!"
Arthur took the napkin from the table and wiped his lips elegantly with it. After he was done, he placed it back on the dinner table and responded in a calm voice:
"Let me repeat your question: Do you know exactly who I am?"
The Baron stood up as he slammed his hand onto the table and shouted:
"What nonsense are you spouting now?!"
Arthur stood up as well and walked toward the Baron, his steps slow as he spoke:
"Baron Baldric, I'm the acting head until my official appointment as the head of House Ashbourne. However, you do know, don't you, that I already have enough power to have you arrested on charges of attempted murder."
"What are you talking about?! Say it clearly so I can at least understand!"
Arthur's fingers tapped on the table as he walked alongside it, before reaching the Baron.
"Ah. You must be having trouble following along, don't you? Let me rephrase it: have you made contact with the servant you secretly sent into my manor since last night?"
The Baron stammered.
"Wh-what?"
"I know you're smart enough to understand the meaning behind my words. Surely, you're not trying to feign ignorance, are you?"
Arthur lifted two of his fingers as he gestured to Alfred to bring the spy. And so Alfred left the dining hall to bring the injured man.
"Do you know where you went wrong?"
The Baron stood there silently as Arthur continued:
"You made the mistake of thinking that I was weak compared to my father. Were you not aware that I was trained by the same person whom people referred to as the Monster?"
After a brief silence, the Baron spoke up.
"I..."
But before he could finish speaking, Alfred brought the wounded man.
"Young master, I have brought the spy."
Arthur nodded slightly.
The Baron, who saw him, was shocked to see the man on the verge of dying.
"Wh-what have you done to him?!"
The man was having trouble breathing, and his wound seemed to have opened again too.
"Nothing much. But he tried to harm me, so of course my bodyguard acted in defense."
The Baron swung down his hand in anger and hit the glass of wine placed on the edge of the table.
Crash!
"What in the world are you talking about? I never told him to attack you! He was just supposed to keep an eye on you!"
Arthur's eyes looked at the spilled red liquid on the floor along with the broken pieces of crystal glass and spoke up continuing the conversation.
"Of course, he was ordered to only spy on me... but who would believe that?"
"What?!"
Arthur placed his hand on the Baron's shoulder, his expression sly.
"Let me explain to you what happened... or should I say what will be published on the front page of tomorrow morning's newspaper. 'A sudden attack on the heir of House Ashbourne, right before the day of his appointment as de facto head. The suspect? None other than his blood-related uncle!'"
The Baron had a confused expression as he listened to Arthur.
"Amusing, isn't it?"
Arthur looked at the Baron as if he was looking at something utterly insignificant.
"B-but it never happened."
Arthur nodded as he crossed both of his arms.
"Of course, it didn't. But who will be the witness, huh?"
Arthur lifted two fingers and reached for his chin, covering it as if pretending to think.
"Ah, right! Edmund, you were there, weren't you? Tell the Baron what happened."
Edmund, who stood at a distance, bowed and spoke up.
"The assassin, disguised as a servant, suddenly pulled a gun out of his pocket and shot at the young master. Fortunately, his bodyguard saved him, though the bullet nearly grazed the bodyguard's arm."
The Baron looked at Edmund, the anger visible in his green eyes.
"Do you think my servant can't say the same? He could claim that the bodyguard attacked first, and then he acted in defense!"
Arthur intervened.
"Ah. Let me answer that question."
The Baron's gaze fell upon Arthur.
"How would this sound if we have the doctor as a witness too? 'Even after what the criminal did, despite all of that, Lord Arthur asked the doctor to treat him... but unfortunately, the criminal could not be saved.'"
"How could you do this?!"
"How...? Isn't it our family's specialty? Manipulating things? Be it people, evidence, or witnesses?"
Arthur hadn't known that he would resort to manipulation like this.
He was a rather upright detective in his previous life, so it came as quite a shock to find himself now acting like one of those chaebol bastards who loved to twist facts.
Then again, he had also never imagined that he'd be betrayed by a friend or grow up in a family as notorious as this.
"Are you crazy, Arthur?!"
"Crazy? Shouldn't you be well aware of that by now, Baron? After all, as you might already know, all Ashbourne masters were never truly in their right minds."
The Baron sat back down on the chair, giving up entirely.
"Ha! It feels like I'm talking to a wall. So what is it that you want from me, huh?"
"It's something that you already possess."
"What do you mean?"
Arthur moved closer to the Baron, his sharp gaze fixed on him as he placed both hands on the each handle of the chair.
"Where is the letter that Grandfather sent for me, Uncle?"
"W-what?"
Arthur tightened his grip on the handles as he spoke again.
"Have you really taken me for a fool who wouldn't know how you managed to convince Grandfather to let you come here?"
"Th-that... sigh..."
He reached into his pocket, took the letter from inside his coat, and placed it onto the table.
"Here... I believe you don't have anything else to say, right?"
Arthur reached for the letter, taking it in his hand, he said.
"Yes. I have no further need for you, dear Uncle. You may take your leave now."
The Baron stood up and left together with Edmund, and so did Alfred, who took the man with him.