FANSiA Originals and KakaoPage
I Became the Genius Bastard of a Noble Dark Clan
[Author/Original: Yuin]
[TL: Dekor]
[PR: Spades]
Episode 24
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Marian didn't respond.
But her face said it all—a look of shock, too stunned to speak.
No need for words; it was a clear pass.
'Yes!'
Back in his room, Chris let out a silent cheer.
Not only had he won Melin's heart, but he'd also unexpectedly made a strong impression on Marian, a key figure in the main family.
This would surely reach the ears of the old patriarch, leaving a favorable mark—a deeply significant achievement.
'But I can't be satisfied with just this.'
A mere impression?
That wasn't enough.
'I need to make Marian my ally.'
Marian was a powerhouse among the main family's elite.
She was the leader of the Black Shadow Knights, one of the Dark Mana Clan's most renowned knight orders.
Most crucially, she was the old patriarch's favored daughter.
Having her on his side would bring immense benefits.
'It's entirely possible.'
A sly grin crept across Chris's face.
He promptly sought out Count Kazar with a single question.
"Why ask about her preferences?" Kazar inquired.
"I have my reasons," Chris replied.
"Is that so?"
Kazar tilted his head but answered Chris's question.
"As for her tastes…"
Armed with the information, Chris sprang into action.
"Snort, y-young master, why the kitchen? Snort."
"Oh, I want to try something. Mind if I use the kitchen for a bit?"
"Snort, o-of course! As long as you don't burn the place down, snort!"
The head chef hurriedly cleared the space.
Chris stared silently at the chef's face for a moment.
'…The head chef's an orc. A high orc, infamous for ferocity. To think the strawberry cream cakes I've been eating were made by an orc.'
In a world where banshees served as maids, an orc as head chef wasn't unthinkable, but a dessert-making, snout-nosed orc?
It was beyond imagination.
Chris had been particularly impressed by the estate's dessert skills, making this revelation all the more jarring.
'…He didn't mix blood into the strawberry juice, right? No, assuming an orc would be savage is just prejudice, isn't it?'
"Snort, what do you need help with?"
"I'm baking cookies. Can you fetch the ingredients?"
"Snort, cookies?"
"…I have my reasons. Just get the ingredients."
"Snort, snort. Here they are. Though, my cookies are quite the treat, snort. Snort."
"…"
Watching the chef snort repeatedly soured Chris's appetite for future desserts.
Determined not to dwell on it, he shook his head.
"No, this is about the effort of making them myself."
"Snort?"
"And," Chris rolled up his sleeves with a grin, "I'm pretty good at cookies."
It was time to showcase his culinary skills after a long hiatus.
---
Chris had once been part of a hero's party.
But he wasn't a combatant.
Though he'd reached 4-star level through observation, he had no combat ability when he joined.
So, what role did he play?
'Everything except fighting.'
The hero's party, like all legendary hero groups, consisted of top-tier combat specialists.
But, like all such groups, they were hopeless outside of battle.
Chris, with his versatile talents, supported the inept hero's party in every way.
He healed the wounded with medical skills, guided them with navigation, negotiated to prevent scams, used thieving skills to unlock vaults and avoid traps, deciphered codes, and devised strategies as a tactician.
The hero's party's countless victories against the Magic Empire owed much to Chris's unsung efforts.
Without him, they'd have stumbled over endless obstacles.
'There was another key role I played.'
Cooking.
'The hero's party all had atrocious cooking skills, as if it were a curse.'
Chris's culinary prowess was only natural. Why? Because he excelled at everything.
The hero's party always ate his meals with gratitude.
"Chris, you're the irreplaceable light of our group."
"Thanks to you, Chris, I can keep up this filthy hero business."
Perhaps the hero's party cherished him for his cooking.
His culinary skills were that exceptional.
That's why.
Chris was confident his plan to win Marian over had a solid chance.
'This should do it.'
He gazed at his freshly baked cookies with a self-assured expression.
The high orc chef stared at him, entranced.
"Snort, snort, young master. H-how did you make these…? Snort, it's… like my mother's soul is in them…?"
"Hey, who said you could sneak a taste!"
"Snort, I've always been a chef who samples the goods, snort?"
"…"
So, all the desserts he'd eaten had been nibbled on by the chef first?
Chris was bewildered but doubted the orc would listen to complaints. He packed the cookies and left the kitchen.
He vowed that, once he rose to power, he'd replace everyone from maids to chefs with humans.
"Brother?"
He ran into Tern in the hallway.
"Title."
"…Esteemed King Emperor Majesty Brother."
"Where's Marian?"
"She's leaving the estate. Said she's returning to the main house for urgent business."
Already?
He hadn't expected that.
He needed to catch her before she left.
But Tern frowned, speaking in a resolute tone.
"Brother."
"Title."
"…Esteemed King Emperor Majesty Brother, I have something to say. All this time, I've—"
"Sorry, I'm busy."
"B-brother?"
It sounded like a heartfelt confession, but Chris had no time to listen.
Ignoring Tern completely, he rushed to the estate's main gate.
"Marian!"
Marian was mounting her horse.
Her black hair fluttered in the wind, harmonizing elegantly with her large black steed. Only Count Kazar stood nearby.
"Chris?"
Marian's eyes widened slightly.
"What's this about?"
"I heard you were leaving, so I came to see you off."
"It's late, so I meant to leave quietly."
She smiled.
"But I'm grateful you came out. You must be tired from the duel."
Her tone was far warmer than before.
Understandably so.
She'd witnessed something extraordinary.
She'd also confirmed through the estate's staff that Chris had truly changed.
'Good, the mood's perfect.'
Chris thought to himself before speaking.
"I prepared something for you, Marian."
"A gift?"
"Yes."
He handed her a carefully wrapped package from his pocket.
It was the cookies he'd baked earlier.
"What's this?"
"I heard from Father that you like cookies. They're not much, but I baked them myself."
Marian looked surprised.
It was true—she loved cookies.
She was crazy about them.
It was a lifelong passion, so well-known that even her stoic brother, Count Kazar, was aware.
But she hadn't expected such a gift.
"This is… nice."
"No, really. I made them because I was happy to see my aunt after so long. Please accept them gladly."
Her heart stirred at his words.
Come to think of it, he was right.
They were family.
Aunt and nephew.
That realization brought a pang of guilt.
'I was awfully cold to him at first.'
She'd judged him strictly as a superior of the main family.
She'd seen him only as a troublemaker who brought shame to the house, viewing him poorly.
Yet this boy had given her a heartfelt gift as her nephew.
"…Thank you."
A short reply, but heavy with meaning.
Sensing her wavering emotions, Chris smiled faintly to himself.
It was going as planned.
"You made these yourself?"
"Yes. They're humble, but I put my heart into them for you. Try one."
Marian popped a cookie into her mouth without much thought and froze.
It was delicious.
No, that word didn't do it justice.
'Are there cookies like this in the world?'
As a cookie enthusiast, Marian had tasted every kind, especially the famous ones from the southern Magic Kingdom.
Her palate for cookies was discerning, yet these were phenomenal.
Unconsciously, she ate one, then two, then three, before stopping abruptly, feeling undignified.
"You can have more."
"Ahem, no. You've given me a fine gift, so I should return the favor. Is there something you want?"
Her voice softened.
"I'll give you a gift in return."
Chris clenched his fist.
She was almost won over.
'What should I ask for?'
The possibilities were endless.
He could request training in the main family's exclusive swordsmanship or spells. He could ask for a rare treasure or weapon.
Or, as the Black Shadow Knights' leader and the patriarch's most favored daughter, she could wield influence in the succession struggle—perhaps even "overstepping" her authority.
But Chris made an unexpected request.
"Be my aunt from now on."
"Hmm?"
Marian frowned, puzzled.
"You're already my nephew. I'm your aunt."
"No, I mean I want you to be my real aunt."
Chris spoke slowly.
"Like true family."
Marian's expression stiffened.
She understood his meaning.
They were blood relatives.
But were they truly family?
Hardly.
Within the Dark Mana Clan's constraints, their bond was formal—perhaps worse than strangers.
This was typical for noble families built on bloodlines.
Yet Chris was asking her to be his true family.
'No, it's not just some naive sentiment.'
Marian shook her head.
More precisely, he was asking her to be his ally.
In a noble magic family, family meant those you could rely on—the only allies in a house full of enemies.
"Do you realize what you're asking? It's impossible. I can't grant that."
She continued.
"The 'elders' of the main family must remain impartial toward the younger heirs. That's the rule."
A rule no one followed, but she left that unsaid.
Here, "elders" referred to the main family's senior bloodline members who influenced the choice of successor.
The "lords" had to prove their worth to these elders solely through their own merits.
In name, at least. In reality, each lord had elders who secretly favored them.
It was well-known that Marquis Langham, the acting patriarch, openly favored Ashid.
But that violated the rules.
"Sorry, but ask for something else…"
"You misunderstand."
"Hm?"
Chris flashed a bright smile.