Seo-jun didn't overreact. He only asked about Ernest's condition, purely to ease his own guilt.
"Are you all right, Your Highness? Does anything hurt?"
Ernest nodded slowly, one hand gripping the back of his neck.
"Yeah… my neck hurts a bit. It really stings when I move it,"
he replied with a slight grimace.
Guilt washed over Seo-jun. Just as he was about to apologize again, Ernest suddenly pulled him into a tight hug.
"Thank you, Adrian Hanwick," Ernest said quietly.
"For the first time in a long while, I slept without reliving everything I've been through. All of it."
The sincerity in his voice left Seo-jun awkwardly frozen.
"Y–you're welcome, Your Highness,"
Seo-jun replied, still stumbling whenever he spoke to someone of such high status.
By midday, Sir Benedict promptly escorted Ernest back to the royal palace to resume his education as heir.
The moment Ernest stepped into the carriage, his expression shifted—back to that foolish, incompetent persona. Sir Benedict nearly lost his patience dealing with him and ended up borrowing one of the Sebastian Hanwick family's carriages just to make the return trip manageable.
Once Ernest was gone, Rowan immediately dragged Adrian Hanwick to his study. Investors were pressing hard for answers, and contracts needed to be finalized.
Nearly three hours passed with Seo-jun seated at Adrian Hanwick's lavish desk—crafted from high-quality wood, as were the matching chair and furnishings. Everything about it screamed luxury.
And boredom.
Just as Seo-jun was mentally exhausted, Lucien burst into the study without knocking, as usual.
"What is it?"
Seo-jun snapped, fatigue seeping into his voice.
Lucien, completely unfazed by his brother's sharp tone, walked in with a wide grin. In his hands was a painting—a waterfall.
The very waterfall Seo-jun often visited to bathe.
Seo-jun froze for a moment, then took the painting to examine it closely. The details were vivid, almost lifelike—just as beautiful as the real scenery.
"This is incredible," Seo-jun said honestly.
"How did you paint something like this? You're insanely talented, Lucien."
Lucien beamed. It was the first time his second brother had praised him like that.
"I've made lots more," Lucien said eagerly.
"Do you want them? Or… is there someone you'd like me to paint?"
The question stirred memories from Seo-jun's past life.
He fell silent, eyes lowering.
I miss Mom. Dad. Everyone back there… especially the money I worked so hard to save. Dad's company I was supposed to take over… They must have been devastated when I disappeared so suddenly.
Seeing his brother stare blankly without blinking, Lucien clapped his hands right in front of his face.
Seo-jun snapped back to reality and smiled.
"No, this one's enough. I really like it. Thank you," he said warmly.
"So—what do you want in return for such an amazing piece?"
Lucien's smile turned painfully awkward. He tried to speak, but laughter kept bubbling out instead.
Seo-jun sighed, shook his head, and returned to his paperwork while listening patiently as Lucien struggled to form his words.
After a long moment, Lucien finally gathered his courage.
"Can I… invite Sora as my partner?" he asked shyly.
"For Her Highness Princess Victoria Aurelion's birthday party?"
Seo-jun stopped writing. He leaned on his left hand and looked directly at Lucien, who waited nervously.
"Hm… sure," Seo-jun said with a broad smile.
"Go for it. Good luck."
Lucien's face instantly fell.
"Y–yeah, but…" he muttered.
"Big Brother Adrian has to ask her for me."
"What? You should ask her yourself," Seo-jun said, already returning to work.
"If you can't be honest about your feelings, how do you expect Sora to like you? She likes men who are confident and direct."
Lucien lowered his head.
He shuffled over to the sofa in Seo-jun's study and collapsed onto it, staring up at the ceiling—lost in thought, rehearsing what he might say to Sora, the woman he'd fallen for at first sight.
As Seo-jun continued working, Rowan—who also had a habit of entering without permission—stopped in his tracks and shot Lucien a suspicious look.
"What's wrong with him?" Rowan asked, pointing at Lucien, who was still staring at the ceiling like his soul had left his body.
Seo-jun removed his glasses and leaned back into his work chair—the one Rowan had recently upgraded to an absurd level of comfort.
"He's trying to figure out how to ask Sora to be his partner for the party," Seo-jun said. "But I don't think it'll work. Sora's still being hunted by the monastery. There's no way she'd accept Lucien's invitation kindly."
Rowan immediately understood. Seo-jun had already told him about Sora's origins.
Uncomfortable watching his younger brother sink deeper into thought, Rowan walked over to Lucien and explained the situation as clearly as possible. Lucien, who had never fully known the truth about Sora, fell silent the moment he heard it—that the church was relentlessly pressuring for her elimination, claiming her death was necessary to prevent the plague disaster prophesied by the Archbishop as a sacrifice to God.
When Rowan finished, Lucien slowly stood up and walked away, leaving Rowan sitting there.
"Do you think he understands Sora's position now?" Rowan asked flatly.
"I don't know," Seo-jun replied without hesitation. "But I know he's smart. And careful."
Before long, it was time for dinner.
Seo-jun prepared himself to dine with the family, where Alaric had returned to the Sebastian Hanwick residence after the earlier incident.
Rowan looked visibly stiff sitting beside Alaric. Noticing it, Seo-jun casually steered the conversation toward business—the ventures he and Rowan were managing together. Edmund welcomed the topic, and soon they were deep in discussion, expanding into broader matters of the world with excessive enthusiasm.
Alaric, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke.
"How long will this family remain slaves to the mortal world, Father?" he said coldly. "You've filled their minds with nothing but worldly matters. No wonder they look lost whenever religion is discussed—you rarely introduce them to it. Repent, Father, while you are still alive."
The moment Alaric uttered those final words, Seo-jun shook his head and looked away.
Then it happened.
Edmund Hanwick hurled his wine glass straight at Alaric. It struck his forehead, and blood immediately began to run down his face.
Rowan, seated beside him, was caught in the shattering glass. He raised his hand instinctively to shield himself, but fragments sliced into his skin, drawing blood.
Lucien, instead of panicking, began sketching—capturing the chaos, especially the image of their mother wailing in uncontrollable sobs.
After the explosive scene, Alaric did not apologize. Instead, he slapped away the hand of a maid who tried to tend to his wound.
"Take your hands off me! They are not meant to touch a man who isn't your husband!"
The maid flushed with humiliation and quickly retreated.
Edmund, already pushed beyond his limit, continued shouting at his eldest son. His chest tightened as though crushed under an unbearable weight.
His body weakened.
His breathing faltered.
Seo-jun saw it immediately and lunged forward, catching Edmund before he could collapse onto the floor.
Margaret screamed for help.
Alaric—who normally healed his congregation—stood there looking confused, which only deepened Seo-jun's fury.
"What are you waiting for, idiot? Move! Get to Father's room!"
Alaric nodded and began reciting scripture as they hurried down the corridor toward their parents' chamber in the main building.
By the time they arrived, everyone had gathered—including the Sebastian Hanwick family's private physician.
Upon seeing Alaric, the doctor rushed to him.
"Please pray immediately," he urged. "Ask God for Lord Edmund's recovery."
Alaric nodded and began praying nonstop, Margaret's sobbing echoing through the room, giving Seo-jun a pounding headache from the suffocating tension.
Moments later, the doctor approached Adrian, Lucien, and Rowan.
In a hushed voice, careful not to distress Margaret further or interrupt Alaric's prayer, he spoke:
"Lord Edmund Hanwick has suffered a heart attack due to prolonged stress. For now, his condition is stable and not critical. However, it could worsen at any time—even lead to sudden death—if left unmanaged. I strongly advise you not to provoke him with anything that may aggravate his emotions."
The weight of those words settled heavily over the room.