Chapter 11
1085 Words
“I am quite honored Father. Truly I am. But I do not wish to be named the heir,” Baron Hiroki Matsuda replied.
It was one of the occasional visits that the younger Matsuda son pays in order to inquire after his father’s health. More than just a matter of etiquette, it was an event he generally looks forward to because it was a time of pleasant conversations on a wide variety of topics and appreciation of the arts that always uplifted the spirits of both father and son.
However, it wasn’t one of those visits.
The young nobleman set down his cup on the wooden table after drinking a mouth full of tea. The ivory-white ceramic cup made a soft click as it met the table’s surface, like the click of a lock on a latch as it was closed. It was somehow a reflection of sorts of his polite but determined decision. His mind was made up and he will not budge from it.
Lord Matsuda smiled fondly at his second son. “So you have shown yourself to be a mind reader, eh?”
“Far from it, Father. I just happen to be more observant than the average man,” Baron Hiroki smiled, but ruefully. While his elder brother Shingo was in his mid-thirties, Hiroki was twenty-seven. They were both sons by Lord Matsuda’s wife, Lady O-haru. There was also their half-sister, ten-year old Akiko, by Lady Yui, Lord Matsuda’s concubine.
But even though they share the same parents, Shingo and Hiroki could not be any more different in terms of appearance and personality.
The elder Matsuda son was mustachioed and had a face that could be compared to a mountain made of granite. His eyes often looked at times, shifty, suspicious, angered or lustful, depending on his moods, which were usually changeable. He also had a burly physique and a growly voice. In keeping with his appearance, Shingo was infamously known for his compulsiveness and brash temper.
Hiroki, on the other hand, had a generally calm and quiet personality. He was known far and wide to be a distinguished scholar and well-versed and well-read in many topics of study, from the arts to the sciences. He is fair-complexioned and clean-cut. His facial features are evenly formed and much softer, making him look boyishly handsome and much younger than his actual age. Having a great fondness for reading and study, he has a tendency to be bookish and contemplative. When it comes to making decisions, he would rather take his time and weigh all facts first.
It is no wonder that Lord Takeo Matsuda much preferred the company of his second son. It is also no wonder that he much preferred to make Baron Hiroki his heir.
It was not unheard of among aristocratic Yashima families to bypass an eldest son when it comes to passing on a title to a younger, much worthier son. In less common cases, a title can even be passed on to a nephew or even a son who was adopted for that very purpose.
But convincing Hiroki to take up the Matsuda title will most likely require a minor miracle of sorts. And Lord Takeo Matsuda has the devil’s own work ahead of him. But he still persisted.
“I am well along in years, my son. And while I have been fortunate enough not to be afflicted with the many ailments that come with age, no man lives forever,” the aged aristocrat sighed.
Baron Hiroki gazed at his sire sadly. “But Shingo will not take it lying down, Father. You and Mother, of all people, know that.”
Lord Matsuda sighed once more. “Even if that is the case, there is no one else more fitting to continue the Matsuda family line. I am probably the only lord in all of Yashima who has not publicly announced the official heir to the title. I may as well be a laughingstock of sorts among our class since I have kept on putting off this inheritance business for an inappropriately long time.”
“And as a result, my brother has been loudly hinting all these years to anyone who cares to listen to him that he will be the next Lord Matsuda, and that it will be handed to him on a silver platter.”
The aged aristocrat closed his eyes in exasperation. “Confound it all! I have spoiled him too much! Your mother had a risky pregnancy and nearly died giving birth to him. We were worried we will never be blessed with another son so that was why he was raised that way. And that was also why it took nearly ten years before we had you. He has become a thorn on my side and a disgrace to the Matsuda name!”
“But Father,” put in Baron Hiroki, “things have regrettably turned out that way. Brother Shingo has become a tyrant and is nearly uncontrollable. And with him having his own household, he has made himself look like he is worthy of inheriting the title.”
“If only you had asserted yourself more, Hiroki.”
“But I do that, I would be more like him. You know I am not that sort of man, Father.”
“It doesn’t have to be like that, my son. There are many ways a man can make his mark on the world, many ways he can lead.”
“I am afraid I am not cut out for that, Father.”
“Oh? How sure are you about that since you haven’t made any attempt at a position of leadership and responsibility?”
“Now, Father. That sounds like you resent me for the choices I’ve made in my life. In the path I have chosen.”
“I don’t begrudge you in whatever you have decided for yourself, Hiroki. But at the same time, you have been used to living a quiet and unassuming lifestyle. You should learn how to descend from your scholarly ivory tower. Come out from your shell, son. Step out from the shadow and embrace the spotlight. Wear the mantle of leadership, a mantle that will suit you very well.”
Baron Hiroki sighed this time. It looks like this visit will last much longer than I would like …
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