To ascend, I had no choice but to create games

Chapter 415: Chapter 251 Perfect Plan (First Update)_1

Cameras in Yifate were high-end items, usually requiring two people to operate the cumbersome machinery.

Moreover, they were expensive, with a single photograph costing enough to bankrupt an ordinary citizen, making such luxuries affordable only to nobility.

On the album, I stood straight with a stern look, a young age revealing the demeanor of one in a higher position.

This was also the standard method of taking photographs, since cameras were delicate and not easy to operate, requiring subjects to stand and maintain good posture.

In the album, I even saw my grandmother, but at that time she had already passed away, so her eyes were tightly closed, depicting a somewhat shocking visage.

Clutching the album, I dared not linger in the room any longer and instead carried it outside to continue perusing.

The photographs were arranged from the most recent to the oldest, and as I flipped through one by one, the forgotten memories stirred to life, momentarily making me forget the horrific image I’d just seen and start reminiscing about the past.

However, the album only recorded up until I was five years old; the following pages were all blank, as if someone had extracted the memories of the years before that, leaving nothing behind.

I remembered my father once saying that I had been frail and sickly at birth, so I was taken to a secluded country villa for recuperation for a period of time before returning at the age of five.

Although this story was plausible, I always felt something was amiss.

As I flipped through the album in my hands, I wanted to see if there was anything beyond the last account, but when I turned to a certain page, I indeed found a photograph inside.

It was a full-body picture of a newborn infant, naked as a “Monkey,” his body covered in wrinkles, crying heartbreakingly in front of the camera.

And beneath the photograph were my father’s notes: “Kevin, 9th May, New Era Year 632.”

Looking at this photograph, I gave a slight smile, but the smile quickly faded.

Picking up the photograph, I looked closely at the birthmark on the chest of the child in the picture, then immediately opened my own shirt collar to find that the mark was absent.

Quickly comparing other features, I was shocked to discover that many traits of the child in the photograph didn’t match my own.

An idea formed in my mind, leading me to a terrifying suspicion.

This child was not me!

Covering my mouth, I sat on the stairs, pondering the problems, each thought more frightening than the last.

Wrapped in my thick pajamas, the surroundings felt very cold, an icy chill enveloping me, and my mind reeled with my father’s ghost’s words:

“You should take a look there.”

From the safe’s password, it was clear that my father must have known of Drey’s existence and even used his name as the password, which indicated a deep affection and reluctance to let go of the child.

Jealousy drove me mad, but it was quickly followed by fear.

If Drey was the real “Kevin,” then who was I?

Rising to my feet, I sought out my butler.

Despite the late hour, the diligent butler appeared immediately after hearing my summons, his impeccable butler’s attire without a single wrinkle.

Facing my butler, I said, “Continue investigating Drey for me, look into past nannies, and other relevant personnel. Oh, and have people search separately, with all intelligence coming directly to me. Don’t let anyone know the full picture.”

Even when roused abruptly, the butler showed no complaints and left with my commands.

And his speed was remarkable; by the next day, he had gathered various pieces of information.

Sitting in my bedroom, I went through all the material.

Taken individually, these pieces came across as disordered trivia, with no apparent connection to one another.

But when examined intentionally and from a speculative standpoint, the complex intelligence could be sifted through to reveal the truth of what happened that year.

On 9th May, New Era Year 632, “Kevin” was born.

As a noble progeny, “Kevin” was beloved from birth, though his health was frail.

But this ailment was common among nobility who, in order to preserve their lineage’s purity, often intermarried with cousins, causing everyone to be predisposed to weak constitutions, high mortality rates for children, even with superior medical care.

“Kevin” was no exception, passing away not long after birth.

“Kevin’s” mother was also in poor health, with doctors declaring her incapable of further childbirth and suffering from severe postpartum depression.

To prevent his wife’s condition from worsening, “Kevin’s” father falsely claimed that the child required rest and was being cared for in their own villa.

At the same time, a fatherless servant’s child was born.

This child was born robust as a “Little Bear,” but he too soon died, and the servant’s whereabouts became unknown, rumored to have gone elsewhere to make a living.

Five years later, Kevin returned to health and was brought back to Yifate to live with his parents again.

At the age of eight, he gained a new playmate, though they only spent less than half a year together before they never met again.

Although it’s unclear how “Kevin” survived at the time, perhaps it was a miracle of the Goddess of Mercy; such events had occurred before.

After reading all the information, Kevin’s face remained expressionless, however, his heart pounded fiercely.

Feeling his left hand burning hot and his right hand ice cold, he downed three shots of distilled spirits to calm his nerves.