Former Fake Becomes Grand Duke of the North

The next several days passed by in a similar manner. In the mornings I trained, often with Knight Commander Bardin. After breakfast, I explored Kaltbrand Castle or the city of Frostheart, familiarizing myself with my home for the next year. In the afternoons, I went through the successor lessons with Lord Wilfried. In the evenings, after eating dinner with Grand Duke Kaltbrand and Knight Commander Bardin, I met with the twins to discuss their findings with me.

In addition to collecting information on the other potential heirs, I decided to have the twins keep an eye on the other servants in the castle, in case any of our enemies had spies within Kaltbrand Castle. Despite their peculiarities, Rosaline and Maria excelled at their work. They could also draw upon the other Blue Shadows for support. While they hadn’t noticed anything among Kaltbrand Castle’s servants, they kept me updated on the potential heirs’ movements.

A few days after the lineage test, House Arbeit, House Gerhard, and House Steuben bustled with activity. That must have been when they heard news of my arrival. However, I didn’t expect them to do anything major until the seasonal meeting with the vassals. Four times a year, House Kaltbrand’s vassals arrived at Kaltbrand Castle in order to meet with the grand duke and report to him in person. These meetings occurred in the middle of each season.

The exception to this was the meeting in winter, which occurred alongside the new year’s party that House Kaltbrand threw each year. It made sense. All the vassals were in attendance anyway. What was the point of making them leave, only to have them come back in a few days?

The next meeting with the vassals would take place in mid-Spring, where Grand Duke Kaltbrand would formally introduce me and announce that I was his heir. He planned on throwing a week-long banquet to celebrate the occasion, before hosting a ball at the end. He also decided to throw a festival in Frostheart during that week, for the benefit of the commoners. I tried to dissuade him, but my pleas fell on deaf ears.

“This is my son’s debut into society,” he told me when I tried to talk him out of it. “It would seem suspicious if I didn’t mark the occasion somehow.”

I reminded him that I wasn’t his actual son, and I would leave the Barrens after our contract expired, but he ignored my words. I even asked Knight Commander Bardin to help me. However, this backfired. When she heard about the grand duke’s plans, she decided to help him with them. As I watched them plan out the banquet and the ball with obvious excitement, it almost felt like I was their actual son. This reminded me of Duke and Duchess Guld, who threw a similar celebration after they adopted me into House Guld.

Rather than waste my time and energy trying to stop them, I decided to help them in the end. Planning a week-long banquet took a lot of work. I did have plenty of experience planning events. Moth-…Duchess Guld lived an active social life and liked to host all sorts of activities, either at Guld Manor or at Guld Mansion, House Guld’s estate within the imperial capital of Haven. Tea parties, soirées, balls, and so on. She liked to have her children help with the planning, myself included, in order to give them first hand experience. Some of my fondest moments involved planning one event or another with Duchess Guld.

During this time, I also met with House Kaltbrand’s exclusive tailor so he could take my measurements. At first, I planned on only having the bare minimum needed to last me through the year. However, Grand Duke Kaltbrand decided that I was being too stingy and decided to order an entire wardrobe. Once again, I protested the grand duke’s excess and once again, he ignored my protests.

While it would take time to create an entire wardrobe’s worth of outfits, the tailor decided to adjust some existing clothing so that I would have something to wear for the time being. The adjusted clothing arrived a week after the lineage test.

Grand Duke Kaltbrand and Knight Commander Bardin insisted that I show off the new clothing to them, making me feel like some kind of dress-up doll that existed for their amusement. I went along with it since Grand Duke Kaltbrand was my client, and his opinion mattered the most. How I dressed reflected on House Kaltbrand.

This all took place in my sitting room, with Rosaline and Maria waiting on the grand duke and the knight commander. Meanwhile, Sir Kane stood guard near the door. The twins struggled to contain their laughter as they witnessed my humiliation, and even Sir Kane’s expression twisted with amusement.

We were in the midst of this when Viscount Holtz arrived with an urgent expression on his face. I was wearing a black and blue outfit tailored to show off my physique. It was made of the finest materials and trimmed with silver.

“Count Wirner has arrived in Frostheart, Your Grace.” Viscount Holtz said after bowing to the grand duke.

A chill ran down my spine. As part of my successor lessons, I learned about the prominent noble houses in the Barrens. House Wirner was the late grand duchess’ family. Count Gero Wirner was her father, Grand Duke Kaltbrand’s former father-in-law, and the former knight commander of the Coldsteel Knights. If he was here, then he must have heard about me. This would not end well. He must be here to voice his protests. After all, I was pretending to be the bastard son of his deceased daughter’s husband.

“Already?” Grand Duke Kaltbrand asked with a frown. “He must have left the moment he received my invitation.”

I stared at him.

“You invited Count Wirner here, Dad?” I asked in disbelief.

The grand duke gave me an odd look.

“Of course.” he said. “Why would I not?”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The grand duke was an odd soul. I knew this from the time I spent with him. However, I never expected him to be this tactless.

“He is your former father-in-law.” I said after I opened my eyes. “I am your illegitimate child.”

Grand Duke Kaltbrand raised an eyebrow at me.

“Yes,” he said in a tone that suggested that I was stating the obvious. “Those are both true.”

Perhaps I needed to make things clearer for him.

“He is going to loathe me.” I said. “My existence is an insult to his daughter’s memory.”

Grand Duke Kaltbrand blinked at me, before turning to Knight Commander Bardin, who sat next to him. She was examining me with a critical eye, her lips pursed.

“You didn’t tell him?” he asked.

“I wanted it to be a surprise.” she said. “I think a half cape would look good with that outfit, Wulfe.”

I narrowed my eyes at her.

“Is this really the time to discuss my clothing, Teacher?” I asked.

“Of course,” she scoffed. “You don’t want to meet your teacher’s teacher in any old outfit, do you?”

I opened my mouth to respond, before shutting it with a click.

“Counter Wirner is your teacher, Teacher?” I asked a moment later.

Knight Commander Bardin chuckled.

“Yes.” she said. “Just as I inspired you to take up the blade, my teacher inspired me.”

Rather than reassure me, her words just made me even more nervous. I admired and respected Knight Commander Bardin above all others. To meet the one who taught her was a great honor. If I hadn’t been pretending to be Grand Duke Kaltbrand’s illegitimate child, I would have been thrilled to meet Count Wirner.

Viscount Holtz cleared his throat.

“Your Grace.” he said in a prodding tone.

Grand Duke Kaltbrand sighed and stood up.

“Very well,” he said. “Let us go greet, Father. Prepare a suitable reception, Erik.”

“Yes, Your Grace.” Viscount Holtz said with a bow.

He left my sitting room.

“Come along, Wulfe.” Grand Duke Kaltbrand said.

I sighed and followed the grand duke.

***

A short time later, Grand Duke Kaltbrand, Knight Commander Bardin, and myself were all standing before the main entrance to Kaltbrand Castle. The grand duke stood at the forefront, while the knight commander and I stood a little behind him. Sir Kane stood behind me. Two rows of servants, headed by Viscount and Viscountess Holtz, lined the pathway leading up to the main entrance.

This sort of reception was only reserved for the most honored of guests. The Reichwald Empire’s one and only grand duke didn’t greet just anyone like this.

Behind the servants stood the majority of the Coldsteel Knights in their uniforms. This wasn’t required by etiquette. Knight Commander Bardin ordered this to honor Count Wirner since he was her teacher and the former knight commander of the Coldsteel Knights.

The sky was clean and clear today, with nary a cloud in sight. However, it was still freezing cold out, so everyone had bundled up. Early spring in the Barrens was equivalent to winter in any other part of the Reichwald Empire. It was still morning, so the sun had yet to reach its zenith.

A carriage came into view a few minutes after Grand Duke Kaltbrand, Knight Commander Bardin, and myself arrived to greet Counter Wirner. The carriage bore the crest of House Wirner: a pair of swords crossed over a shield. Like House Kaltbrand, and many other noble houses in the Barrens, House Wirner was a family of warriors.

The carriage stopped in front of the pathway and the door opened. A man who looked to be in his mid fifties stepped out. I guessed he was closer to his seventies, since he had the mana signature of an Aura Expert. He had pale skin and blue eyes. However, like Viscount Holtz, his hair was gray with age instead of black. Despite his apparent age, the man still looked strong and fit. He had sharp, aristocratic features and a noble bearing. If someone told me that this man was Grand Duke Kaltbrand, I would have believed them.

Wait a moment. Those features looked familiar. Where have I…? I stiffened as a jolt ran down my spine and it took all of my willpower to not glance over at Knight Commander Bardin.

Counter Wirner walked in our direction. As he passed by them, the servants bowed in his direction. The knights standing behind the servants all saluted in unison. Count Wirner nodded to them in acknowledgment, but continued walking. He stopped before us and bowed to Grand Duke Kaltbrand. The grand duke gave him a slight bow. Even though he was higher in status than Count Wirner, the older man was his former father-in-law.

Knight Commander Bardin gave him a deeper bow, and I followed her example. He was her teacher, and my teacher’s teacher.

“Anselm.” Count Wirner said after everyone raised from their bows. He wore an inscrutable expression on his face.

“Father.” Grand Duke Kaltbrand said, smiling despite the cold greeting.

Counter Wirner glanced at me.

“Is this him?” he asked.

“Yes.” Grand Duke Kaltbrand said. He gestured for me to step forward and I obeyed. “This is my son, Wulfe. Wulfe, this is Count Wirner and my former father-in-law.”

“I greet you, Counter Wirner.” I said.

Count Wirner grunted.

“Whoever taught the boy etiquette should be whipped,” he said. “The grand duke’s heir shouldn’t bow to a mere count, unless they have some sort of connection.”

If I hadn’t already guessed that Knight Commander Bardin and Counter Wirner had some sort of familial connection, I would have then. They reacted in similar ways when I bowed to them, though for different reasons.

“But we do have a connection, Counter Wirner.” I said. “You are my teacher’s teacher.”

His eyes widened by a fraction of an inch, before he glanced over at Knight Commander Bardin.

“Sofie?” he asked.

“Yes, Teacher.” she said. “I took Wulfe in as my disciple.”

She put special emphasis on the word “disciple” for some reason. Counter Wirner stared at her for a moment, before shaking his head.

“I see that it has become a family tradition.” he muttered to himself.

What did he mean by that? However, before I could ponder it further, Grand Duke Kaltbrand spoke up and interrupted my thoughts.

“Now then, shall we head inside?” he asked. “This isn’t the place for the discussion I had in mind.”

Count Wirner nodded. The four of us headed inside Kaltbrand Castle, with Sir Kane in tow. The servants and knights who came out to greet Count Wirner all dispersed to continue with their duties. As we walked through the halls of Kaltbrand Castle, Count Wirner glanced over at me.

“Why does your son have a personal knight when you don’t, Anselm?” he asked.

Grand Duke Kaltbrand snorted.

“I don’t need one, Father.” he said. “Besides, I have Sofie here to protect me.”

Knight Commander Bardin rolled her eyes but otherwise didn’t react. Given her words earlier, I expected her relationship with Count Wirner to be warmer than this. However, from what I could tell, the two seemed awkward around one another. They weren’t hostile, but neither were they close. Was it because they were…? Maybe. At least Grand Duke Kaltbrand seemed to have a cordial relationship with his former father-in-law, even going so far as to call him “Father”. Given that I was pretending to be the grand duke’s illegitimate child, I expected worse.

The four of us, and Sir Kane, ended up in one of Kaltbrand Castle’s sitting rooms. We sat down as servants served us hot tea. After standing in the freezing cold outside, I welcomed the tea’s warmth.

“How is Johann?” Grand Duke Kaltbrand asked.

“He is well.” Count Wirner said, sipping his tea. “He and his wife are expecting their second child.”

Lord Johann Wirner was the heir to House Wirner and the late grand duchess’ twin brother.

“And yourself, Father?”

Count Wirner shrugged.

“I’ve been worse.” He glanced over at Knight Commander Bardin. “How have you been, Sofie?”

“I’ve been fine,” she said, sipping her own tea. “Thank you for asking, Teacher.”

An awkward silence fell over us as we drank our tea. It felt suffocating.

“For your son’s sake, I think you should explain why you invited me here.” Count Wirner said, breaking the silence. “He looks like he is expecting a fight to break out.”

I did? I guess I wasn’t as adept at hiding my emotions as I thought.

“Very well, Father.” Grand Duke Kaltbrand said. “Everyone, leave us.” The servants and Sir Kane bowed to him, before leaving the sitting room. Once the four of us were alone, he turned towards me. “Wulfe, I invited Father here so he could pledge his support for you.”

I stared at him. Over the past week, I noticed that the grand duke had a habit of saying the most absurd things in a nonchalant manner, as if he hadn’t said anything strange or shocking.

“Forgive me for asking this, but why?” I asked.

“What do you mean, ‘why?’” the grand duke asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. “Isn’t it obvious? You may be my son, and I’ll support you as much as I can, but that won’t be enough. You need to win over the northern lords. You’re an unknown factor and you’re illegitimate, both of which will work against you going forward.” He nodded towards Count Wirner. “Father’s support will go a long way towards correcting that.”

I shook my head. Building a faction of my own, even one I planned on handing off to the grand duke’s real heir, would take a lot of time and effort on my part. House Wirner was an old family with deep roots, meaning they wielded a significant amount of influence in the Barrens. Count Wirner’s support would save me a lot of trouble. They also hadn’t pledged themselves to any of the other potential heirs.

Not only that, but several families would be reluctant to side with me in order to avoid offending Count Wirner, since the late grand duchess was his daughter. If he supported me, then that wouldn’t be a problem. The question was, why would Counter Wirner want to support me and not one of the other potential heirs?

“I understand all of that.” I said. “What I don’t understand is why you asked Count Wirner, of all people, to pledge his support to me. Considering the circumstances, I’m the last person he would want to support.”

“Because you’re his grandson,” Knight Commander Bardin said, sipping her tea. She wore an indifferent expression, but her voice had an edge to it.

Count Wirner’s eyes widened by a fraction, but he otherwise didn’t react. I guessed this was how he expressed surprise.

“This is the first time you’ve acknowledged our relationship in years.” he said.

“This is all for Wulfe’s sake,” Knight Commander Bardin said, her voice cold. “However, make no mistake. You are my teacher, and only my teacher. Nothing more. You made that clear to me, and I have no intention of changing that. Not anymore.”

I caught a hint of sorrow in Count Wirner’s eyes. It wasn’t difficult to guess that his relationship with Knight Commander Bardin was a complicated one, regardless of whatever blood ties they shared.

I felt guilty for deceiving him, since I wasn’t his actual grandson. When I accepted this job, I hadn’t considered the full implications of it. When this was all over, a lot of people were going to be hurt and angry with us, unless the grand duke had a plan in mind. I would have to talk with him about that.

“I see.” Count Wirner said. A moment of silence passed, before he turned his attention to me. “Your father is right. He invited me to pledge my support for you. However, that isn’t why I am here.”

“What?” Grand Duke Kaltbrand asked. “If you’re not here to pledge support for Wulfe, then why did you accept my invitation?”

Count Wirner looked me up and down.

“To determine whether or not your son is worthy of being the next Grand Duke,” he said. “Regardless of my personal feelings on the matter, my loyalty is to House Kaltbrand first and foremost. If I do not believe he is worthy of becoming its next head, then I will not support him.” His eyes flickered towards Knight Commander Bardin. “However, I will not work against him. That is the best I can do.”