The Inauspicious Route to my Happy Ending

Adrien, who bore a strong resemblance to Teressa, was a boy who did not share a drop of his blood. It was a secret he never told the boys, nor did he inform his wife that he knew. It was hard for him not to know. The blue of his hair and eyes were of a lighter shade and his mana signature was slightly different.

Most people wouldn't be able to differentiate between mana signatures at will, but because the Count knew his own mana signature and was around the boys a lot, it was easy for him to read the subtle waves between each surge of mana when the boys performed magic. And because of this, he could feel that Adrien did not receive his elemental ability from the Count, but from someone else.

The Count had no idea who the boy's father was, but that did not matter. He was born from Teressa, so he had decided to continue raising the boy as his own.

It had grown harder for him to do so in recent years. Not because he hated the boy, but because the boy didn't even try to amount to anything. He would rather spend his time locked away in his room doing frivolous activities such as reading far-fetched romance novels, drawing and painting, or playing one of the many instruments the Count had bought for his wife because of her love for music.

As the third son, Adrien was last in line to inherit anything. The Count was harsher on Adrien to try and set the boy on a course that will help him succeed in life.

Painting and indulging in music were not things that could help Adrien succeed.

But something surprising that the Count had not seen coming had happened. That old, stubborn man had decided to take Adrien as his heir. It was something the Count had not seen coming since his father-in-law was still holding out for the return of his eldest, Savion.

Savion was Teressa's older brother and the reason why Arnold Ratcliff had poured all of his money into purchasing a title. Seventeen years ago, Savion had disappeared while the commoner girl that he was seeing had mysteriously passed away.

So, why would the Count of Vespa, his stickler of a father-in-law, give one of Teressa's sons a chance to inherit the title? Had the old man finally given up on his long lost son, or was there a reason why the man needed an heir?

* * * *

"I'll run this back to the kitchen," Nadeline informed him, holding up the picnic basket to indicate what 'it' she was referring to.

"'Kay. I'll head back to my room." Now that he had plenty of time to relax, it was time to get back to his studies. There was still a lot that he needed to learn before heading to Tris.

He was making his way up the stairs when he passed by the twins. They were both garbed in their training clothes and had their swords strapped to their waists.

Brayden's blue eyes darkened and his lips puckered down into a frown. He was a lot like a character from a fantasy novel; simple, idiotic, mean, and super easy to read.

Oh, wait, this is a fantasy novel. I almost forgot.

Brayden's hand clenched into a fist at his side. His lips twitched as if he wanted to say something.

The twins had been behaving themselves lately because the Countess had decided to stay at the manor until the boys returned to school. She had also been forcing them into having tea with her, where the boys were not allowed to fight, bicker, or complain. It was her way of forcing them to get along.

The Countess was a really good mother, but because she was always absent, she was unaware and sometimes uncaring about things that happened while she was away. The only time she seemed to intervene was when one of the boys were hurt or if they were fighting with each other.

Adrien wasn't trying to diss his new mother, the Original Adrien had a lot of fond memories of his mother that endeared themselves to the current Adrien. But he did find the way that nobles cared for their children a bit lacking. They certainly weren't helicopter-parents.

Adrien passed by the twins without incident. He made it to his room without passing by the Head Butler or the Count, much to his delight.

He pulled out the chair to the writing desk and sat down. It had been a few days since he last wrote a journal entry for his sisters. He pulled out the diary and wrote down the date for the day. After that, he sat back as he thought about what to write.

'It's been a peaceful week so far, and I seem to be adjusting relatively well. You'll be pleased to find out that I've been painting again. Nadeline, she's a maid that works here, suggested that I start selling my paintings. I hope I make a lot of money. Anyways, I've been good. What about you and Seo-ah, oh, and Ha-joon and little A-rin?

A-rin was Seo-yeon's daughter. She was a little-fluff-of-a-thing with puffy cheeks. Adrien had loved visiting his sister just so he could tease his little niece.

Nadeline returned just then. Her face was flushed red, especially around her ears.

"Are you feeling alright, Nadeline?" Adrien asked, concerned that the girl, who was the closest thing to a friend that he had in this world, was coming down with a cold.

"I'm fine," her voice was light and airy, sounding as if she was having an excellent day.

Adrien placed the ink pen down and turned fully face Nadeline. "You ran into someone you like?" Adrien guessed, having heard a similar tone of voice from his sister Seo-ah everything she saw someone she thought was attractive.

Nadeline jumped, startled by Adrien's accurate guess. "I-I ran into Mr. Walter. He was leaving as I was coming up," Nadeline answered truthfully.

Conrad? An image of the man appeared in Adrien's mind. He was someone that Adrien had met recently and had a good impression of.

"Not a bad choice," Adrien answered with a nod. "Is he married?" Adrien scanned through all of the Original's memories but couldn't find anything about Conrad's personal life.

"I don't think so? But even if he wasn't, I don't stand a chance."

Adrien shook his head, completely disagreeing with the girl. "You won't know if you don't give it a try. Maybe I can help you?" Being the son of the man Conrad worked for, Adrien could probably figure out a way to get those two close, maybe send them out on an errand or something?

"Pl-please don't!" Nadeline stuttered, her face turning an even brighter shade of red.

"Fine, I won't." But that doesn't mean that I won't watch. And if I watch, I might find a way to bring them naturally closer. But first, I need to figure out if Conrad is married or currently seeing someone.

Adrien dropped the subject after that. Making sure the diary was placed back in the drawer, he made his way over the small sitting area and plopped down onto the couch. A stack of books that covered an array of subjects sat in front of him.

"Young Master, wouldn't reading the newspaper and gossip magazines help?" Nadeline suggested, trying to help the Young Master retain any memories that still alluded him.

Adrien paused in his reading, looking up at Nadeline with wide eyes. Why didn't he think of that! The books he were studying could only help him gain knowledge of the past while newspapers could help him with current, up-to-date information, helping him understand the happenings of the kingdom. "Please do."

Nadeline rushed out of the room, quickly returning with a stack of this week's newspapers and various gossip magazines. "I borrowed them from Countess Mallorne. The Madam said to throw them out when you are done since they are no longer of use to her."

Adrien took the stack from her. He grabbed the top newspaper and gently laid it out on his lap.

Didn't the Countess have any questions about my strange behavior or why I suddenly grew interested in the current news and rising trends? Did the head injury really help me find the perfect excuse for my new and erratic behavior? Hmm. . .it probably helps that my behavior, likes, and dislikes are similar to the Original's.

"There was a condition, though," Nadeline continued. "The Countess wishes for you to come to tea-time tomorrow at noon, Young Master."

Adrien barely suppressed a groan at the news. That wasn't a condition, that was torture!