*The Ryan family... was truly finished...*
Looking at the Duke, whose neck was bandaged and who couldn't even sit up, merely leaning against the hospital bed, the surrounding nobles couldn't help but harbor similar thoughts.
Having lost over two hundred family members overnight, with its core strength nearly wiped out, the only one capable of turning the tide, the Duke, had his neck's blood vessels severed, leading to excessive blood loss and heart failure. *It seemed he was barely breathing anymore.*
It could be said that the collapse of the Ryan family was completely in its final countdown. Apart from the shell of a Duke and a seat of the Vice Speaker in the Upper House, everything else would soon be divided among those present.
At this thought, the representatives sent by various noble factions for "witnessing" or "mourning" couldn't help but exchange glances, revealing knowing expressions to one another.
As one of the kingdom's twin pillars, the Ryan family's "legacy" was incredibly rich. Even though everyone had some familial ties after hundreds of years, compared to that vast "legacy," such feelings were truly insignificant.
As soon as the Duke handed over his title and breathed his last, countless mouths with sharp teeth would immediately come forward to gnaw away all of the Ryan family's bounty, leaving not even a bare bone behind!
*Damn these jackals! I'd rather feed the benefits to dogs than give them to you!*
The Duke knew precisely the style of these "familial" families. Looking at those seemingly respectful but actually malicious eyes, his murky eyeballs couldn't help but exhibit a deep venomous hatred. He then took what little air remained in his lungs and let out a heavy grunt.
"You speak! I'm listening!"
Upon hearing the grunt, the steward hurriedly bent down, bringing his ear close to the Duke's mouth. The nobles instinctively held their breath, and a sudden silence fell in the ward.
After a few gasps, the Duke finally managed to utter a few words with great effort.
"First... who is... the first in line? Why still... haven't... ah..."
The old steward naturally understood that the first in line didn't refer to the deceased Bobby Layne but to the new first in line after the Ryan Blood Night.
After quickly conversing with someone responsible, the steward adeptly adjusted the Duke's pillow, allowing him to breathe more easily, and then reported:
"He is almost here, the first in line is the closest, just in the building next door to this hospital. He will be here soon."
"Next... next to us?"
"Yes... next door..."
After hesitating slightly, the old steward still truthfully explained:
"The current first in line was originally third in line. Eight years ago, he had some conflicts with your brother... with Bobby Layne and was hit on the back of the head with a stick. Although he didn't die, he became paralyzed, with no sensation below the collarbone, so he can only..."
Whether because of the situation of the first in line or upon hearing the name of the one who caused him to end up , the Duke couldn't help but fly into a rage, surprisingly managing to shout a disjointed command.
"Let him... the first... get out! Second! Second!"
Upon hearing this, the old steward gritted his teeth, then leaned in again to whisper:
"The second... is in an asylum. Back then, he was competing with Bobby... for the control of the arms company, and somehow, he went mad..."
Hearing that name again, the Duke's heart rate, which had dropped to nearly forty, suddenly spiked to over eighty, a flush of color appearing on his pale, aging skin.
*Damn it! Why were you in such a hurry? If you had just waited a bit longer! Just a few more years, the Ryan family would have been yours! You damned...*
*Thinking of his clever yet detestable brother, the Duke's eyes welled up with deep sorrow. After losing the ability to father children due to an injury when young, he had practically raised this brother as his son. Bobby Laien lived up to expectations, using tactics the Duke couldn't fully comprehend to ruin rival families, successfully elevating him to the Duke's position. So, the brothers' relationship had always been good.*
*But... but why were you so impatient?*
*I knew you longed for my position, but couldn't you wait even two years? Everything would have been yours after my death!*
*Recalling his brother's betrayal, the Duke's weakened heart throbbed with pain as he weakly said,* "Three! Four! Five! Any of them... normal?"
"These three may be normal as individuals, but none are suitable. You might want to call in the next ones as well..."
The old steward sighed as he explained:
"The third and fourth in line are twins, not even two years old. The younger one can't even speak, and the fifth..."
"Here they come! The fifth in line is here!"
*Another one impaired?*
Upon seeing the wheelchair outside the door and the bandaged Leon seated in it, the Duke, slightly recovered, couldn't help but bulge his eyes, raising his hand to point and shout at the old steward:
"Didn't you say, three, four, five... all..."
"His skin is just injured, with some infection at the wound. But he is sound-minded."
*The Duke's muddled eyes moved up and down, assessing Leon's condition, and he nodded slightly.*
*Though another patient, he appeared to be a capable adult, certainly better than the previous four!*
Feeling he was nearing his limit, the Duke firmly decided on the successor. He then instructed:
"Have him... come here! I need to tell him how to handle those... eyeing the Ryan family... coy..."
"Well... maybe you should consider some others?"
Slight hesitation marked the old steward's voice as he suggested:
"He has black hair, not golden. Plus, there are others eligible for inheritance after the first five..."
The old steward's hesitation and expression of wanting to speak but hesitating illuminated the fact that something was being concealed from him, leading the Duke to cast a stern gaze.
"You... hiding something... speak!"
Although worried about the Duke's capacity to handle the truth, being pressured to this point, the old steward could only lean in, reluctantly whispering:
"Your brother was killed by him."
*Countless overwhelming emotions, like a bursting flood, surged into the Duke's heart upon hearing the old steward's words.*
*Gazing at the person who'd killed his only brother, yet avenged him at the same time, the Duke's heartbeat doubled and then doubled again, skyrocketing to a hundred and sixty. In a final effort, he sat up from the bed, pointing at the bewildered Leon, shouting:*
"You! You! You! ... Ugh!"
Duke of Lionheart, deceased.
[In the presence of all witnesses, the Duke of Lionheart nominated you three times to inherit the Duke's title. You have obtained the Silver Level Identity Badge "Duke of Lionheart."]
[Duke of Lionheart, one of the kingdom's twin pillars and the twenty-ninth Duke of the Lane family]
[Wearing effect: You naturally gain some favors when dealing with those who recognize noble status, else you face their intense hostility.]
[Advancement Route: None]
[Hidden Traits (Need not be worn): While you only nominally belong to the Ryan family, not by true bloodline, should this fact be revealed, this badge will undergo an unknown transformation.]