As the boat slowly passed through the gate of Wall Sina, Lock turned to look at the long-haired maid standing quietly beside him.
For some reason, he thought she would look rather cute with cat ears.
"Elise."
"Yes, Young Master?"
"What year is it?"
"According to the calendar issued by His Majesty, it is the year 846."
That answer did not help much. Lock did not remember the specific dates tied to events. When watching a show, who paid attention to the exact years?
He scratched his head and asked cautiously, "Has Wall Maria been reclaimed yet?"
Elise looked at him with faint suspicion, as if wondering whether something had struck his head during the kidnapping.
"The operation to reclaim Wall Maria has been ongoing for more than eight months. Most of the refugees displaced into Wall Rose have already perished. The Lord has said that by the end of the year, the food crisis within Wall Rose should largely be resolved."
Lock understood immediately.
So this was that period.
Eren and the others had not yet joined the Cadet Corps. They should still be among the refugee population inside Wall Rose, struggling to survive.
Hearing the calmness in Elise's cold tone, Lock opened his mouth slightly, then chose silence instead.
That unwinnable operation launched by the Royal Government—within the story, it had only been mentioned briefly, reduced to a single line and a number.
But behind that number were countless bodies.
He could imagine the devastation.
Yet he could change nothing.
He was not yet the head of the Leon household. Even if he were to distribute the estate's grain and coin in relief, how much would truly reach the refugees?
And even if one meal was saved, what about the next? And the one after that?
The land within the Walls could only sustain so many.
In the end, it would only enrich the corrupt, disgust him, and change nothing.
"Young Master, we are about to dock. Please prepare to disembark."
"The carriage from the estate is waiting."
"Alright."
…
The Leon Estate was one of the largest vineyards within the Walls.
Rolling fields stretched outward in neat lines—vineyards, wheat fields, woodland, a winery, and a horse ranch. Most of the grapes produced here were used exclusively for winemaking.
Leon wine was among the most renowned wines inside the Walls.
Even the thugs in the Underground beneath Mitras had heard of it.
Lock watched everything through the carriage window, feeling strangely detached.
He had not fully adjusted to this identity.
His sense of belonging had not yet settled into place.
Seeing servants still working in the fading light stirred an unfamiliar discomfort in him.
Before long, the carriage stopped before the largest villa on the estate.
Lock straightened his clothes and stepped out before Elise could open the door for him.
There was no grand reception of maids lined up in perfect rows.
Only a neatly dressed young male servant stood at the steps, smiling politely.
Tristan.
Nineteen years old. Elise's colleague. Assigned by his father to attend to him.
It was Tristan who had privately informed the original Lock about his father's illegitimate son in the Underground.
The kidnapping itself was largely due to the former Lock's impulsiveness.
But Tristan had known his temperament well after serving him for three years—and still chose to reveal the matter in private.
To the current Lock, that felt deliberate.
Lock valued directness.
So he smiled back and stepped forward.
Then he drove his elbow sharply into Tristan's upper abdomen.
The servant doubled over in pain.
Lock gripped his shoulder and whispered coldly into his ear, "You dare set me up?"
Tristan's face twisted, but he forced out the words, "It was the Lord's order for me to tell you, Young Master. I would never dare scheme against you."
"So obedient," Lock replied flatly.
He released him and walked up the steps, leaving Tristan collapsed on the ground.
Elise did not spare her fallen colleague a glance as she followed Lock inside.
Relying on memory, Lock passed through the sitting room and hallway into the first-floor dining room.
His father, Ash Leon, sat at the head of the long table.
He looked much as he did in memory—but diminished.
His blond hair had thinned. His cheeks were hollow. His eyes were sunken.
He looked like a lion ravaged by illness.
Beside him sat a beautiful blonde woman in an elegant, noble gown, calmly feeding him porridge spoon by spoon. From time to time, she wiped his mouth with a napkin tucked beneath his chin.
When Lock entered, Ash slowly raised his trembling hand.
The woman immediately set down the bowl.
She clapped softly.
Servants who had been waiting outside filed in with exquisite dishes, placing them one after another upon the long table.
"Enough," Lock said after the fifth dish. "Can we even finish all this?"
The servants froze mid-motion, instinctively looking to Ash.
Ash waved a weak hand. They withdrew.
"Have her leave as well," Lock added bluntly.
The original Lock had despised this woman. His tone now did not seem out of place.
She shot him a sharp glare, but at Ash's slight gesture, she rose and left the room, shutting the door behind her with restrained force.
Ash watched his son eat in silence.
Something felt different today.
"I heard you were kidnapped," he said slowly.
Lock continued cutting his steak.
"How did you escape?"
"The men you arranged were too weak," Lock replied casually. "I handled them in a few moves."
Ash gave a faint smile, apparently satisfied.
"No wonder you dared go alone. I thought your foolishness had flared up again."
Annoyance flickered through Lock, but he did not argue.
Silence settled over the table.
After a moment, Ash sighed. "I do not have many years left. In the future—"
"I will join the Cadet Corps next year," Lock interrupted.
Ash stiffened. "What did you say?"
Lock met his father's eyes.
"I will enlist in the 104th Cadet Corps."
Anger flashed across Ash's face, but before he could erupt, Lock continued.
"The Reiss family has one daughter remaining. She will be going as well."
Ash was visibly shaken.
Almost no one knew that the Reiss family had nearly been wiped out the previous year. Even the high-ranking council members were still uncertain.
Ash had believed he alone knew the full truth.
He had already told his son that the Reiss familywase the true royal line. With death approaching, there had been no point in keeping secrets.
"How do you know this?" Ash demanded.
Lock did not answer directly.
"You can barely leave the house now, Father. How could you possibly know more than I do?"
Ash fell silent, weighing the implications.
After a long pause, he said, "During your three years in the Cadet Corps, you may represent the Leon family and show closeness to her. But after three years, you will return."
"Lord Reiss will personally reclaim his daughter. Do not interfere."
As if recalling some childish declaration his son once made, Ash added sternly, "And do not even think about the Survey Corps."
"I'm not that reckless."
"I hope not."
Ash exhaled heavily, fatigue overtaking him.
"Shali," he called toward the door.
The blonde woman returned at once.
"Take me back to my room."
She moved behind him and pushed his wheelchair out of the dining room.
She did not look at Lock once.
Lock kept his head lowered, continuing to eat, without sparing her a glance either.
---
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