I Am Not The Duke's Evil Son
Chapter 46: Orin

Chapter 46: Orin

Fifteen minutes later, Octavia returned with the documents Arthur had requested. Since he’d been paying extra attention to Orin, he noticed the boy was staring at the papers with a mysterious gaze.

’He’s definitely noticed something,’ Arthur thought with a sarcastic tone. Yet at the same time, a sliver of concern crept into his mind. He wasn’t afraid of someone like Orin—he posed no real threat. Still, the idea of killing him did cross his mind. Arthur quickly dismissed it. He wasn’t a heartless killer who erased every nuisance. In fact, he was trying to leave killing as a last resort.

He took the document containing the census questions and another sheet with a simplified map of the Barony divided into twenty-five regions. He returned the rest of the papers to Octavia and instructed her to take them back to his room.

He said nothing further, waiting for Brock to return with more blank papers so he could replicate the forms for the literate individuals before him—or more precisely, the census officers.

Time passed quietly. After about half an hour, Brock returned with all the paper he could gather. Following Arthur’s instructions, he distributed them to the census officers and handed each one a small ink bottle for recording the information they would collect.

Without further effort, Arthur gave them the forms and ordered them to copy them. He then randomly assigned them to the twenty-five districts. But when it came time for the poor, ragged man, he sent him to the farthest region of the Barony. As for Orin, he placed him in the region closest to the castle.

In total, there were twenty-eight literate individuals, leaving three without districts to survey. But Arthur had other plans. He ordered them to conduct a census of the agricultural and semi-agricultural lands, so he could compare the data later. He also ordered Isolda and Leopold to assist them to speed up the process.

"Listen carefully. Begin the census tomorrow morning. I don’t want delays or laziness. In three days, I want everything organized—or you’ll be punished."

Once everything was arranged, he dismissed them. "Leave now."

Arthur watched the literate recruits as they exited, but his eyes remained fixed on Orin’s back until he vanished from view. Only then did he let out a long sigh.

’I need to figure out what kind of person he is. I don’t know if he suspects I’m a fake, but he’s clearly up to something. Maybe I should just kill him and rid myself of the nuisance... No. Someone like him is a rare talent. If I can make use of him, I could run the Barony more efficiently. Let’s see how things unfold... then I’ll decide what position to give him.’

’Maybe I should surprise him with something...’ A faint smirk appeared on Arthur’s face as he called out to one of the recruits.

...

At the same time, in front of the castle gate, Orin was walking home. He held the papers Arthur had given him and read them for the third time with intense focus. He also reviewed the detailed map of the Barony and the administrative divisions they’d be using.

He was genuinely impressed by the nature of the questions and instantly recognized their importance. His mind also drifted back to what had happened earlier inside the castle.

After a short, distracted walk, he reached his home—a relatively large house near the castle. He stopped at the door and sighed.

’My worries were pointless. That man isn’t the heartless tyrant people claimed he was.’ Though he thought this, his expression remained cold, and with frosty eyes, he reflected:

’He’s different. Beneath that cold mask is a cunning genius—possibly even more powerful than the rumors suggest. He noticed it. I didn’t expect anyone to dispel my skill so easily. "Enchanting Words" isn’t a joke. And worse, he looked at me like what I did was worthless.’

Orin’s body tensed with anger as he recalled Arthur’s expression. He couldn’t ignore it. This was the first time in his life he encountered a wall more cunning than him—so much so that the skill he’d always prided himself on, the one that fooled even Duncan, proved completely ineffective.

Worse still, he felt powerless. The information he had was too limited. He’d planned to use the encounter to gather more intel on Arthur, but instead, he came away with even more questions. Some of the things he’d assumed turned out to be wrong, skewing his judgment and distorting the facts. And on top of it all, he felt challenged.

"Just wait. I don’t care whether you’re Arvan or an imposter... but you can be sure I’ll crush that ego of yours."

Despite his lowly status, Orin was full of pride—convinced that his intellect made him superior. He’d been set to inherit his father’s position in a few years, but he had different ambitions. In fact, although he hadn’t told his parents, he had sent several letters to the capital, requesting the opportunity to take the Instructor Evaluation at the Lustrous Pearl Academy.

The Lustrous Pearl Academy was the most prestigious educational institution in the kingdom. It was where the children of prominent noble families and foreign diplomats studied. Even someone like Duncan had never had a chance to step inside its halls due to his low standing. Unlike the lesser nobility, the instructors at the Academy wielded significant political influence. Becoming one was every learned man’s dream.

"Who’s this person you’re planning to crush?"

A quiet voice behind him made Orin flinch. He quickly turned and stared at the woman in her fifties standing behind him.

With a gentle gaze, he teased her. "Nothing, mother. I was just reciting some poetry."

"You’re just like your father—always talking to yourself," she sighed. "I hope the lord releases him soon. He’s getting old, and staying in prison for too long will make him sick."

"Don’t worry, mother. The lord is kind. He’ll release him soon."

Despite his reassuring words, Orin’s eyes were ice-cold, and in his heart, he vowed:

’I’ll make him release him.’

But his firm, hardened expression suddenly changed. His jaw dropped slightly, and he nearly cried out in shock.

"What’s wrong?" his mother asked, noticing his reaction. She turned to look where he was staring, and her eyes widened too.

There he was—her husband. Frail, dressed in ragged clothes, walking toward them. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her body froze for a brief moment before she rushed toward him and hugged him with joy. "You’re free!"

"I’m sorry for worrying you all this time," the former secretary said with a warm smile.

"But how? How were you released?" Orin asked, stunned.

"I don’t know the reason," his father replied. "But Lord Arvan pardoned me and a few others. He also offered me a new position—on the condition that I serve him and swear loyalty."

Orin’s brows furrowed, and a wave of displeasure washed over him. He was happy to see his father free—but couldn’t understand why. His mind raced to connect the dots, forming a conspiracy theory where Arthur was weaving a trap just for him.

’That bastard... does he know what I’m thinking?’

The thought struck him like lightning, freezing him in place. For the first time, fear stirred within him, but so did a deeper challenge. He had longed for his father’s release, and now that it had come, he couldn’t even feel true happiness or satisfaction.