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With that thought in mind, Eclipse lifted his gaze and looked directly at his father, a faint smile forming on his lips.
"So, you've known for a long time that the Marchioness has been acting as a spy—and a traitor. Yet what I fail to understand is... why have you done nothing about it… Marquis Chevalier?"
As the words left his lips, the smile on Eclipse's face remained, but it did not reach his eyes. Instead, his cyan-colored gaze had turned cold and lifeless, devoid of warmth, as he deliberately addressed the man before him by his noble title rather than any familial term.
The Marquis, Augustus, clearly noticed the shift in his youngest son's demeanor. A heavy silence settled between them for a brief moment. Then, unexpectedly, a low chuckle escaped him, followed by a quiet murmur.
"…Just like your mother, Aryna. So headstrong, yet so perceptive…"
Eclipse's brow twitched slightly as he caught those words.
However, he chose not to dwell on them. His expression returned to indifference, the faint smile on his lips rigid and clearly forced.
"Marquis Chevalier," he began again, his tone restrained but firm, "I do not mean to show disrespect, but I do not have the time to indulge in recollections of the past. So kindly refrain from mentioning my mother's name in front of me."
His voice rose slightly despite his effort to maintain composure. The mere mention of his mother by that man's lips stirred a deep, nauseating discomfort within him.
'Although the Marquis provided us with everything we could possibly need… our lives within this household were far from a sanctuary. If anything, it was more akin to a living hell…'
The memories surged forward unbidden—remnants of a life filled with suffocation and silent despair. He abruptly severed the train of thought, unwilling to relive the misery he had once endured as Ezekiel.
Eclipse ignored the subtle tension that flickered across the Marquis's face after being addressed in such a manner. For a fleeting second, he almost sneered, but he restrained himself once more.
After clearing his throat, he straightened his posture and met the Marquis's gaze without flinching.
"Instead of exposing the Marchioness as a spy or traitor," he said slowly, choosing his words with deliberate precision, "how about revealing her… unsavory reputation during her youth?"
The suggestion hung heavily in the air.
Eclipse did not bother to veil his intent in pleasantries. He preferred straightforward action rather than circling around the matter. Whatever consequences might arise, he intended to face them head-on.
'I told myself I wouldn't push things too far… but then again… I am no longer that weak, compliant child who could only follow orders. It is better to settle this now…'
As expected, the Marquis's expression darkened the moment those words were spoken. There was no doubt that he was already aware of his wife's past.
An oppressive presence suddenly filled the room, pressing in from all sides like an invisible weight. It saturated the very air, making the space feel suffocating. For any ordinary child—especially the frail boy Eclipse had once been in his previous life—such pressure would have been overwhelming.
But he was no longer that child.
He was no longer merely Ezekiel Zephyr Chevalier.
He is Eclipse—a Platinum-ranked dimensional traveler of the Main House System, and one of the selected successors for a future leadership position.
Time seemed to stretch as the oppressive force lingered.
Then, just as abruptly as it had appeared, it dissipated.
Eclipse remained unmoved throughout, his gaze still locked onto the Marquis. For several moments, neither of them spoke, each silently assessing the other as though engaged in an unspoken contest of resolve.
Then, without warning, the Marquis let out a low, chilling laugh.
Eclipse's brow rose slightly.
'Has he lost his sanity?'
He continued to observe his father with a blank, unchanging expression, waiting patiently for the man to regain control.
"Do as you wish," the Marquis finally said, his tone calm but edged with something unreadable. "Whatever methods you employ, I will support you. Proceed, little three."
The words caused Eclipse to pause.
Not just because of the permission granted—but because of the nickname.
"Little three…"
The term echoed faintly in his mind, carrying with it a sense of familiarity that felt strangely distant.
'Where have I heard that before…?'
For a moment, he lingered on the thought. Then, with a faint shake of his head, he pushed it aside and refocused. Such trivial matters were not worth his attention right now.
Instead, he studied the Marquis carefully.
Earlier, the man had remained either stoic or indifferent, revealing nothing of his inner thoughts. But now… there was a glimmer of something else within his gaze.
Amusement.
'Has he truly lost his mind…?'
Eclipse cleared his throat once more, his expression tightening slightly.
"Are you certain about this, Marquis Chevalier?" he pressed. "There is a possibility that the name and honor of this household will be dragged through the mud depending on the method I choose."
His words were deliberate.
He wanted to measure the Marquis's intentions—to see whether this permission was given out of reason, indifference, or something far more dangerous.
In truth, Eclipse himself held no attachment to the Chevalier name. The identity of Ezekiel Zephyr Chevalier had already been discarded the moment his first life ended.
Now, he merely wore it temporarily, like a garment he would soon cast aside.
Even so, he had no intention of recklessly abusing the authority granted to him.
"Are you truly certain?" he repeated, his voice low but steady. "You may come to regret this, Marquis Chevalier."
He had intentionally avoided calling him "father" from the very beginning. The word felt foreign—suffocating, even.
'…Please, spare me from that…'
Even the mere thought of it sent a wave of nausea through him.
As Eclipse observed him, he noticed a subtle shift in the Marquis's demeanor once again. Instinctively, his guard rose. His senses sharpened in preparation for whatever might follow.
Yet the response he received was not what he anticipated.
"Regret?" the Marquis echoed, his voice suddenly turning cold—sharp enough to cut through the air. "My only regret… was allowing that wretched woman to enter my life! She forced her way in, all for the sake of becoming the Marchioness of this household."
The weight of his words settled heavily between them.
"Do not hold back," he continued, his tone unwavering. "Do what you must. I will question you afterward—once everything has been set into motion."
The room fell silent once more.
[END OF FLASHBACK]
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