Sengo wanted to know, he really wanted to know.
How did the Count of Henituse find someone to fill in the spot of Countess in the time span of six months after the late Countess funeral?
People may thought that he was simply in mourning and found love in the New Countess, but Sengo know better, he was after all besides Cale when it happened. Still... How?
This marriage was not out of love, it was simply business.
Countess Violan and the Count were distant relatives. It was very distant that it could be said blood relation had been cut off. By chance, they met and decided to get married.
This story is the part that they told to the vassal houses.
The real story?
Count Henituse found out that Cale and Sengo had been helping with the paperworks ever since the funeral. And he felt guilty and ashamed of his own inaction. He frantically apologized to his son and thanked Sengo for helping, though the young blacksmith also got a warning that he shouldn't look into the County's matter next time without the Count's permission because Sengo wasn't exactly his people, but the Count will look over it for now since he could trust a Muramasa.
Because of this, the Count went out of the estate for a day without informing anyone and came back saying that he will marry a woman who already had a five year old child.
Later that day, Sengo found out from Charlie that the Count had fell in love at first sight with the unknown woman, who goes by the name Violan Redstone. Her background was that she married a merchant who bought nobility. Her husband died a few years back, leaving her with their son, Basen. And then today, Violan met with the Count and they fell in love at first sight and decided to get married.
The story wasn't adding up and it outrightly came out of a fairytale story. So, he went to a better source of information, Beacrox.
Beacrox didn't care much about Violan and Basen, so Sengo didn't get as much information from him. Though Sengo figured out that he probably knew the reason.
And so, with so little information to make a clear conclusions, Sengo decided to trace back the Count's steps before he suddenly decided to get married like this. And Sengo linked the terrified look when the Count found out his son had been doing the work he should've done, the disappearance,and then coming back with a widow who had one kid.
Now, Sengo was no detective or even someone who gossips. But he was already invested in this, so why not finish it?
He figured that the Count's claim for 'first love' was definitely a made up excuse. The vassals of Henituse wasn't exactly great people, they were greedier than even the Count himself, whose motto was closer to cowardice but Sengo greatly respect the Henituse's motto.
He made himself look like a fool. It was a rather cunning play from the Count. Cale definitely inherited his cunning from him as well.
And so, Sengo ended his investigation.
His conclusion was; Like father, like son.
--
When he heard that Cale threw a tantrum at a vassal noble of Henituse, Sengo couldn't believe it. Why? Because he knew Cale was a kid who would do his father's work and managed to act as if it was his own father who does the work instead of him and Sengo. Someone who was like that, throwing a tantrum.
Well, maybe it is normal, after all Cale is a kid. But he suddenly throw a tantrum out of nowhere when he could've acted that way all these months? Yeah, Sengo sees right through him.
Sengo may be bad at acting, but that doesn't mean he couldn't see through people acting. Especially someone he knew so well.
Besides, he still hadn't heard the full story. Why was Cale throwing a tantrum? Who was with him at the time?
Sengo was tired playing detective, so he decided to leave it at that and just let it be. Cale know what he was doing, and if it went too far, Sengo will stop the kid from hurting himself and more.
And so, Sengo keep on doing his routine while occasionally Charlie told him about what was happening in the estate.
The news keep getting more and more made up and yet Sengo knew it was true. Cale was turning a new leaf, and it wasn't for the better.
One that Sengo didn't really believe but let Charlie keep talking simply because it helped his brother talk to people better. Besides, Cale would never hurt anyone. Physically at least. The kid got quite the mouth whenever someone insulted his family.
And every weekend, Sengo would go to find Cale and they would play together until Cale become exhausted enough to stop playing. It seems like it was the only time he could act like a kid. Which was good in Sengo's book. Kids should be kids.
And so, time passes quietly like that. They didn't even realize five years already went by after the marriage, when a new member was added to the family of Henituse.
Everyone in the Henituse and Muramasa, including his own father, who finally gotten out of his mourning stage and helped Sengo with his smithing, love the child.
Lily Henituse. She was quite the fiery baby, already fighting her nannies and was only calm when surrounded by her brothers, including Sengo.
They all swore to protect her.
And so, time flew by again.
Sengo inherited his father's workshop after his father decided to retire from smithing. In under two months, he had become the most sought smith in the Rain City. Even though his condition to never let anyone know his name was odd, especially to those who commissioned weapons from him.
Nevertheless, people respected his condition and never said a word to the people of his name. Though, that doesn't mean no one know that it was his creation since he has that signature that people could understand were his. But, no one ever said a word.
Cale, however, has become a feared young master. Not because he kill people, but because he got a temper that was infamous in the County. And also because of his drinking habits.
He gained the title Trash of the Count's family. Something Sengo couldn't understand why he was so proud of it. But it was his choice and Sengo won't stop him.
Besides, if anyone dares to lay a hand on him, everyone know who they'll be messing with.
(Sengo was 21 now. He felt it before he knew it, that something was about to change, for the worst or for the better, he doesn't know)