Chapter 53: Dual Abilities: The Mind Reader

Lester came to a halt, his gaze fixed on Richard's retreating figure, filled with affection. "But Richard, you're the one with the Royal Violet Eyes…"

The Royal Violet Eyes were a unique symbol of the Morris family's lineage, reserved only for its rulers.

Even among the direct descendants of the Morris family, not everyone possessed the Royal Violet Eyes. If a pure-blooded member of the family had even one Royal Violet Eye, they were considered a potential heir to the dukedom.

Historically, most heirs, like Lester, had heterochromatic eyes—one Royal Violet Eye and another of a different color. For example, their father, Jonathan Morris, the 46th Duke of the Morris family, had silver hair and one golden and one violet eye.

When Lester was born, everyone assumed he would inevitably inherit the dukedom. Raised under such expectations, Lester did not disappoint, demonstrating remarkable talents from a young age.

Then, five years later…

His younger brother Richard was born. When the infant opened his eyes, a pair of Royal Violet Eyes stunned the entire family. It had been many, many years since the Morris family had seen such deep violet eyes. According to ancient tradition, regardless of whether they were of direct lineage, anyone who possessed such eyes would inherit the title and become the next head of the family.

Richard turned to face his brother, his expression utterly serious. "Lester, my brother. You know I've never liked these eyes."

Lester was taken aback by the sincerity in his tone, his gentle expression faltering.

After a long silence, Lester finally spoke. "I've suspected as much, but… I didn't know the reason."

Richard raised his right hand, lightly touching his right eyelid, his voice dry. "The Royal Violet Eyes, said to bring glory to the Morris family. Ha. Eyes that brought death the moment they opened—what kind of glory is that?"

"Richard, how could you think like that? Our mother was a pure-blooded vampire. It was already difficult for her to conceive," Lester's voice grew heavy. He hadn't realized their mother's death had affected Richard so deeply.

Richard's violet eyes were inscrutable, his tone indifferent. "Lester, stop hiding it from me. You know I'm not talking about that."

The so-called sin—it couldn't possibly be that simple.

"That figure sleeping in the coffin… he probably had eyes like these too, didn't he?" Richard said with bitter self-mockery.

Lester's heart sank, his composed expression crumbling. He asked in surprise, "Richard, how did you know?"

"Initially, it was just a guess. But now I'm certain," Richard replied with a faint smile.

Lester felt a pang of bitterness. His brother was indeed exceptionally clever, extracting the truth from him with just a few words. He couldn't even tell when Richard had first become suspicious.

"Richard, I didn't mean to keep it from you. I just didn't think it was necessary. I only found out by chance when I was young, overhearing something from Father. He never knew I had glimpsed into his mind. Father's willpower was incredibly strong—I could only catch a few fragments."

Lester was a rare dual-ability user. From a young age, he had discovered he possessed the power of telepathy. However, as a child, his control over this ability was unrefined. If it hadn't been for Richard's birth, which led to their mother's death and stunned everyone present with his Royal Violet Eyes, Lester would never have seen those fleeting fragments in their father's mind…