Confused by the sudden announcement of the gift, Xion accepted the sheets.
His first thought was that they might be ownership papers for some land.
You know, like the cliché gesture where a rich boss gifts land to a trusted assistant? Yeah, that one. He even had a pun ready in his mind.
After all, jesting was better than dwelling on the mess inside his head.
But as his eyes skimmed through the first few lines, the joke died in his throat. And so did his barely-there smile.
His lips parted soundlessly as he read, each word sinking him deeper into disbelief.
It was a legal decree. A contract stamped with the seal of the Archduke himself.
It stated, in clear, inarguable terms, that as the illegitimate child of Marquis Vaelis, Xion held no right to inherit the marquisate.
Xion never cared about that in the first place, so he ignored it and read on.
