Eventide Marauder (Moriarty the Patriot Fanfic)

Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The useless advisor

     On Bernard's 10th birthday, Hubert D'Andresy held a party celebration for his son. He has invited a lot of nobles and renowned people to their country. With his 10th birthday, Hubert plans to officially introduce his son to society. It was a way for his son to meet new people other than what Bernard has called 'friends' which was composed of people that he approved his son to mingle and hold conversations with. Those friends of his are sons and daughters of nobles and renowned bourgeoisie in their country. Specifically, those nobles and bourgeoisie that have been confirmed to have a good reputation and no possible incriminations that can be accused to them.

On those people that Hubert has invited, a few haven't attended the birthday celebration of his son and brought their sons and daughters with them. They probably thought that there's no use in their children associating with their son. Hubert should be feeling angered for their disrespect. Yet he knows the reality of his position. He also knows that by associating with him, there's nothing worthy that they can gain from him. It was the opposite of him wanting his son to associate with their children so that his son could have useful connections and benefits.

Benefits and Usefulness. It was one of the cold hard truths of this world. And among those people at the very top of the special people among them, Hubert was at the bottom of the special society.

Hubert was surprised that his cousin who was different from him attended the 10th birthday celebration of his son. It's been a few years since he has seen. All of the things that he knows about him recently were from rumors and newspapers. It's been known by people from their special society that Duke Dreux-Soubize was perhaps one of the most important and useless people in their country. He was known as the advisor of their country. It was an inherited title that he inherited from his father. Nowadays, this position and title that the great grandfather of Duke Dreux-Soubize has gained from his time are useless. It doesn't mean anything at all since the revolution of 1789 happened and the tune of this country has changed.

When the Second Emperor started his reign and he doesn't still proclaim himself as the second emperor, everyone was surprised when he took interest in the current advisor. The Duke Dreux-Soubize. But since the emperor proclaimed himself as the second emperor, it was the start of how the advisor fell out of favor. An advisor whose opinions and voice don't matter. The second emperor wouldn't listen to him and so does everyone in the highest circles. The advisor's voice in politics doesn't matter. But despite that, no one would still recklessly offend Duke Dreux-Soubize. Even if the second emperor wouldn't listen to any of his advice anymore, somehow, he still had the second emperor's protection.

The emperor still places importance on the current Duke Dreux-Soubize despite being a mere figurehead nowadays. Yet, recently Hubert has heard that Duke Dreux-Soubize has been doing strange actions. Charity events, donations to orphanages, establishing small primary schools in some places in their country, and scholarships in universities.

From the day that he met his cousin, Hubert doesn't take Duke Dreux-Soubize to be a very generous fellow and charitable man. When he met him when they were still children, Duke Dreux-Soubize has made a long-lasting impression on him as someone who was possessive for his things and someone who doesn't like losing. He was the person who does like being in control and doesn't seem above manipulating to get what he wanted.

It was strange how his opinion of him when he met as a child and how the people of the public nowadays differ from each other. In the public eyes, he was a useless decorative. Just a simple and amiable social butterfly who wasn't treated by anyone but the commoners. The last time that he have seen the man was a few years ago, Hubert saw him drinking wine a few times at the party held by the second emperor for his son. Ignored by everyone and out of the spotlight. Nobles and the bourgeoisie were talking behind his back and mocking how he was drunk and held back by his wife from drinking more wine.

And on his son's 10th birthday party celebration, last time he knows that one of the common rumors was that the Duke Dreux-Soubize was known for the opposite of the world virile. If there is one of the things that everyone wants to talk about behind the back of the useless advisor, it was making fun of his ability as a man and being able to provide for his wife.

Yet, Duke Dreux-Soubize recently introduced his son to the world. He has chosen Bernard's birthday to make fool of everyone's misconceptions and misgivings about his manliness. Hubert can't deny the resemblance between Duke Dreux-Soubize and his son. The composed attitude. Elegance and maturity that was better than his little Bernard.

Looking at the little Dreux-Soubize, it was like staring at his cousin when he was a child. The spotlight has fallen to the child instead of Bernard that day. Hubert can only comfort his son and send some reassurance to his hurt pride and being ignored by his friends, but it seems that he was wrong in his assumptions. Instead of being left out, Bernard only felt relief when the attention of everyone doesn't fall on him. It would take a long time for his son to act like a proper noble like him. He has still a long way to go.

After the 10th birthday celebration of his son and the accident of their family heirloom is stolen and the son of Duke Dreux-Soubize to be kidnapped by the infamous recently rising mysterious thief since Duke Dreux-Soubize ruined his son's birthday celebration with his son stealing the spotlight from Bernard, Hubert decided to use the opportunity to forge more connections for Bernard and himself.

For the past few months, Hubert has requested his cousin to have Bernard and Duke Dreux-Soubize's son have some correspondence with each other. Playing, talking to friends, no matter what his son called it what was important was that he gained a connection that would benefit Bernard. It was fine, even the current Dreux-Soubize's current status was wallpaper in the politics of this country. His title as the advisor has still some use for someone of his stature. And it wasn't also bad that Bernard could learn a one or two from the Duke Dreux-Soubize's unusually strange yet intelligent child.