The Villainous Noble’s Father - Chapter 4

My name is Leonard.

Leonard Johnston von Finster-Heréol. I’m the eldest son of the most powerful duke in the kingdom.

My family name, Finster-Heréol, combines the House of Finster, my father’s family, and the House of Heréol, my mother’s. Together, they rule over the largest territory in the country.

After the last great war, known as the Demonic War, our kingdom was in ruins.

The Heréol Duchy, my mother’s land and one of the main battlefields, was devastated. Almost all of her relatives died in the war, she was the only one left.

The Heréol territory is massive, with countless people living in it. But at the time, my mother was still a student. There was no way she could govern it alone.

Normally, she would’ve married someone suitable to help, but most of the major noble families were also hit hard by the war. None of them had the resources to take on such a task.

Very few people had the experience or skills to manage such a vast domain. And among those few was my father.

He was extraordinary.

A prodigy who officially began managing territory by the age of ten. Even back then, he was inventing new systems and proposing innovative ideas.

He reformed weights and measures, standardizing units and simplifying accounting. By eliminating waste and confusion across the land, he achieved something that, to me, feels like a miracle.

And in the war, he didn’t just lead, he saved the entire kingdom. He’s a true, undisputed hero.

The Demonic War.

It began 20 years ago, when my father was just 15. A massive, continent-wide war involving every nation. A brutal struggle between humans and demons. My father was still a student then, but he fulfilled his noble duty by joining the war and spent the next six years fighting battle after battle until it ended.

Defense of Fort Elranza, invasion at Gween Pass, retreat across the Goln Plains, recapture of the fortress city of Audis and the final, decisive siege of Dies Irae, the demon capital at the time.

In every one of those battles, he proved his brilliance through sheer strength, tactics, and strategy. Now, he’s recognized as the greatest noble since the kingdom’s founding, Duke Finster-Heréol.

Because of all that, I grew up without any memories of spending time with my parents. People often assume that I must be sad. But for me, it was just normal, and honestly, I was proud.

After all, my parents weren’t just nobles. They were leaders of the entire nation. As their heir, I grew up with that pride, dedicating myself fully to my studies. But the more I learned, the more I realized how far below them I really was.

For example, I could do ten-digit math by age six but my father, at the same age, was already debating unsolved math problems with scholars.

I wrote a paper analyzing the economy’s response to national policies at age ten, which was accepted by an academic society, but my father, at ten, was already advising the government.

I cast my first high-level magic spell at twelve, my father was begged by court mages to become their apprentice at that age.

I won a mock battle against the captain of the ducal knights at thirteen, but at thirteen, my father had formed his own knightly order, gathering underdog warriors and adventurers from across the land.

No matter how hard I worked, giving up sleep, food, everything, I could never reach him.

Once, my mother told me kindly not to push myself too hard, that I was my own person. She’s always been gentle. I know she meant it from the heart.

But still…  I am his son. The son of Robert Maxwell von Finster-Heréol, the Great Hero.

All I wanted was something, just one thing to be proud of, to stand alongside even one of my father’s achievements.

Driven by that thought, I buried myself in study.

But then, one day, I heard a rumor. They said my father didn’t avoid me because he was busy, but because I was worthless. I didn’t know who started it. But… it sank into my heart like a stone.

I believed it.

And if I was truly that useless, then the least I could do was uphold my noble image, pretend to be the perfect heir.

After that, I couldn’t focus anymore. The drive I once had just faded away. My spirit had completely broken. And from that point on, all I could do was spout excuses and pretend to be something I wasn’t.

“…I’m sorry.”

And then… my father, the hero himself, apologized to me.

“P-please stop! Y-you don’t have to apologize for anything, Father!”

I understood what he meant. He was sorry for shattering my illusion. Maybe even for ignoring me all these years. But none of that was his fault.

I was the one who had failed.

“I couldn’t live up to your expectations… It’s just that I… I was… useless…”

Before I knew it, tears were falling.

“Maybe… maybe you never even expected anything from me in the first place…”

I couldn’t get the words out properly. I was overwhelmed. How pathetic I was…

“To be born like this… so useless, from the start…”

“That’s not true!”

My father suddenly stood, furious.

“Leonard. You spoke your first words before you were even one. You were walking by the time you turned one. By three, you were reading books.”

As he spoke, he knelt in front of me to meet my eyes.

“Every time I heard about your progress, I had to fight back the urge to shout with joy. Look at my son! My son is more brilliant than anyone! That’s what I wanted to scream.”

I felt the warmth of his large hand as he held mine.

“F-Father…”

“You are my pride and joy, Leonard.”

The moment he said those words, I couldn’t speak anymore. All that came out were sobs. As if a knot deep in my chest finally started to unravel, the tears poured out.

Ah… I really am a hopeless fool. All this time, all I ever wanted… was for my father to be proud of me. And only now, at last, did I realize it.