Noble Survival Rule One: Interests Above All

In the early morning, gentle sunlight streamed into the ancient castle, filtering through the window and falling across the bed.

Rubbing his weary eyes, Hudson stretched with a long yawn.

Yes, he had decided to go out for a walk. After lying in bed for two days, Hudson was practically growing mold.

No phone, no computer, no entertainment of any kind. Being cooped up in bed was downright hellish torture.

If he had not been worried about giving himself away and being treated as a demon thrown onto a bonfire, he would not have bothered pretending to be sick.

Over the past two days, every important figure in the castle had come to visit him. With his exceptional memory, Hudson could guarantee that he would not mistake anyone for somebody else.

That was enough. In this strictly hierarchical noble world, he only needed to manage his relationships with those at the top.

A large cup of beast milk, a piece of bread, a tomato-like fruit, several sauces, butter, and a piece of roasted meat made up Hudson's breakfast.

Without question, such lavish treatment was not something an ordinary baron's son could enjoy every day.

Pastor Quinn's words had probably done their job. After such excessive energy consumption, he naturally needed to replenish himself properly.

The moment he stepped out of his room, he ran into the Baroness approaching from the other direction. Someone had clearly tipped her off.

There was no need to look too deeply into it. As the mistress of the castle, it was far too easy for her to buy the loyalty of a few confidants.

"Hudson, you're all right. That's wonderful! The great Lord of Dawn has blessed you. Do you know how worried I have been these past few days..."

Hudson believed half of what the Baroness said. She really had been worried these past few days, just not about the original owner's health. She had been worried about her biological son, who was hanging from a pillar.

Though he had spent the past two days in bed, Hudson was not entirely ignorant of what had happened in the castle.

According to the maids, Baron Redman had flown into a rage on the day of the incident and beaten Lesur mercilessly. Even the Baroness, who had gone to plead for him, had been whipped once.

Perhaps he still had not vented enough anger, or perhaps he wanted to give everyone an explanation. He had ordered Lesur tied to a pillar as well.

If Hudson had not taken over this body and replaced the original owner, Lesur would probably have been finished this time too.

"Switching the Life Essence." Put mildly, it was a prank. Put harshly, it was attempted murder of an elder brother.

Awakening a Life Seed had always been extremely dangerous. In ancient times, fewer than one in ten survived, until Kaimboi, the greatest alchemist on the Aslant Continent, invented Life Essence and changed everything.

Not only did the success rate rise to half, but even if the awakening failed, one could still keep one's life. It was no longer success or death, as it had been in ancient times.

It was precisely because of Life Essence that the success rate of awakening Life Seeds rose dramatically, and knights blessed by the gods gradually became the continent's mainstream.

Of course, whether they were truly "blessed by the gods" still required further verification. At any rate, that was how the history books recorded it.

But knights who awakened Life Seeds really did gain benefits. Their physical abilities improved, and their affinity with beasts increased greatly.

Nearly every knight had a mount of his own. When fighting alone, that advantage might not be too obvious. But when they appeared on the battlefield in organized formations, it became an utterly crushing force.

Noble children matured early, and Lesur was nearly fifteen. There was no way he did not understand the danger of awakening without Life Essence. Calling it a prank was definitely not enough to explain it away.

"Respected Lady Tassie, everyone must take responsibility for their actions. If one does wrong, one must pay the price. That is a rule every noble should follow."

Hudson mocked her without the slightest restraint.

Frankly, he had not wanted to clash head-on with the Baroness at this time. But he had no choice. The original owner had always had a terrible relationship with her.

Now that something like this had happened, if he still remained pleasant and cordial, it would be hard not to attract attention.

"Hudson, don't say that. Lesur is your younger brother. He's still only a child..."

Before the Baroness could finish, Hudson interrupted with feigned anger. "That's right, he is still a child.

But that does not stop him from following the rules of the game, unless the Baroness believes Lesur is not a noble!"

Mockery. Naked, undisguised mockery. Her origins had always been the Baroness's greatest sore spot, the reason she could never fit into noble circles.

Normally, if anyone dared bring that up, she would have flown into a rage on the spot. But not now. Her precious son was still hanging from that pillar, and she could not afford to be forceful.

Watching the Baroness become so furious that she could not speak, Hudson sighed inwardly. The hint had been so obvious, yet she still had not caught the meaning behind his words. His little performance had been for nothing.

Sure enough, this kind of sophisticated approach was not suitable for everyone.

Then again, it made sense. If the Baroness had truly been that capable, this would never have happened, and he and his brothers probably would not have grown up safely either.

Perhaps that was also why she had been able to become the Baroness. Someone too clever was clearly not suited to being a stepmother.

After a pause, Hudson said helplessly, "Fine, Baroness. For your sake, I can let Lesur off this once, but I will need compensation."

The sudden turn caught the Baroness off guard. Perhaps it was an innate talent, but the moment she heard the word "compensation," her expression visibly changed.

"What do you want?"

The instant the words left her mouth, the Baroness realized she had misspoken. She was already at a disadvantage, and rushing to make an offer so eagerly clearly went against the principles of bargaining.

Hudson frowned. Talking directly about the price was far too vulgar and completely at odds with his noble bearing. But when he thought of his empty purse, he lost the confidence to keep up his lofty airs.

"Five hundred gold coins!"

It was not that he did not want anything else. The true master of the castle was still his father, and aside from some money, the Baroness had no authority over anything else.

"Why don't you just rob me?"

The words burst out almost instinctively. Clearly, the number Hudson considered reasonable far exceeded the Baroness's expectations.

"Baroness, please show some restraint!"

"According to the customary conventions of the Continental War, the ransom for a noble knight is five hundred gold coins. My demand is entirely in accordance with the rules. Please follow them."

Hudson spoke expressionlessly.

Once anything involved rules, it became serious. Matching his worth to the ransom of a prisoner of war was somewhat absurd, but it was not entirely without basis.

Although the Baroness knew Lesur would not die, as long as Hudson refused to relent, the matter was not over.

If they did not settle this before the news spread, once other members of the Coslo Family intervened, things would not be so simple.