Chapter 3

Mother's expression turned downright frosty as she pulled me behind her protectively.

"Isaac, have you lost your mind? What's all this talk about coming back and fakes? If your brothers are fakes despite being able to prove their blood ties with me, then what are you? Jean, take Isaac to his quarters. Do not let him out unless I say so! And get a physician to examine his head!"

"I'm not going!" Isaac yelled. "I'm not sick! Mother, you have to believe me! Please!"

Two servants grabbed Isaac, one on each side. He thrashed wildly, kicking and swinging his fists.

"Jared Reed, I hope you die a horrible death! Just you wait! I won't let you off! I'm the real heir! I'm the—"

Isaac's words revealed a lot. Mother couldn't make heads or tails of it, but I was widely read. I immediately knew what he meant—he had been reborn.

Well, well. A story about real and fake heirs had just turned into a reborn real heir going up against a transmigrated fake heir.

How exciting.

…

After being confined for a few days, Isaac finally learned his lesson.

The day he was released, he went straight to Mother, dropped to his knees with a thud, and burst into tears before he even spoke.

"Mother, I know I was wrong." He buried his face in her lap, sobbing so hard his shoulders shook. "That day… that day, I was just scared after seeing so many brothers all at once. I was… I was afraid that because I came back last, I wouldn't be able to compare to them in anything. I wouldn't be able to win your love…"

He lifted his head, showing her his face, which resembled Father in his youth.

"I never knew that I could actually have such a gentle and beautiful mother… I never knew that I could live a good life where I didn't have to do farm work, chop firewood, or feed the pigs…"

Mother looked at Isaac's thin, drawn face and listened as he described the bitter days he'd suffered. Sure enough, her heart softened.

She let out a sigh and bent down to help him up, saying, "Alright, alright, let's not talk about the past anymore. Now that you're back, you're part of the family. Your brothers are all good young men. You'll see that for yourself once you spend more time with them. As for my love and affection…"

She stroked his head tenderly. "You're all my sons. Of course I love you all."

Isaac obediently lowered his head and held her hand to his cheek, his tone sweet and docile. "I understand, Mother."

But from an angle only I could see, he shot me a provocative look.

A few days later, Father returned to the manor. He stood there, his face stern as he looked at the room full of strapping sons. Then, he closed his eyes as if resigned to his fate.

These days, who in the capital didn't know that the Marquis of Eterna's estate was blessed with an abundance of heirs?

Nine sons, and all of them were his by blood!

The master of the mystic arts had proclaimed this was a great blessing for the family. Even His Majesty had sent over a plaque inscribed with "Flourishing Lineage".

He even went so far as to announce that any son of the Reed family would be allowed to join the imperial family by marrying the princess.

What more could Father say?

"Since everyone is finally here…" Father cleared his throat, his voice booming. "It's time we held a banquet to officially recognize everyone!"

Once the news got out, the entire household became busy in an instant. Some servants were busy making clothes for all nine sons, and some were busy preparing all the accessories and trimmings. Everything had to be the same, down to the last detail.

During this time, Isaac was unusually quiet. Every day, aside from paying his respects to Mother, he stayed put in his own courtyard.

And when a troublemaker was that quiet, it almost certainly meant they were up to no good.

In the original story, it was on the day of the banquet that Isaac framed Jared and the family's only daughter, Kiana Reed, making it look as though they had slept together.

Once people discovered them, Jared's reputation was utterly ruined. Kiana was so ashamed that she'd been ready to end her life.

In the end, the enraged marquis and marchioness disowned Jared and threw him out of the manor.

But Isaac still didn't think that was enough. He secretly had people break Jared's leg and slash his face. Jared died a miserable death on that same rainy night he was driven out.