Chapter 194: The Bitterness of a Single Dog

"Sirius Black, my dear brother, I've prepared a family dinner for you tomorrow. I hope you'll dress formally and leave a good impression on the ladies attending."

Regulus Black pushed a clothes rack into Sirius's room. Though covered with a dust cloth, the rack was clean, clearly not something dug out from an old corner of the ancestral home. Regulus lifted the cloth to reveal ten complete sets of formal attire—ranging from elegant and noble to opulent and regal, from simple and sharp to alluring and stylish. Each outfit highlighted a different aspect of masculinity.

Who said men can't be beautiful? Achieving a striking appearance takes effort and grooming—for both men and women alike.

"These outfits all come from renowned and long-established tailors. The boxes below contain various accessories. I hope Azkaban hasn't dulled your sense of style."

Sirius held up each outfit in turn and sized it against himself. It was obvious these suits were tailored to his measurements.

There were more than twenty boxes beneath the rack. When spread out on the bed and opened, they revealed ties, leather shoes, socks, belts, watches, rings, bracelets, brooches—every accessory a man might need, with at least three styles to choose from for each.

"And this is just the beginning. Your personal items will soon fill your wardrobe. By then, you'll have to rely on the Undetectable Extension Charm to store them all."

Regulus Black, unusually, cracked a smile. That rare expression instantly transformed his normally gloomy demeanor into something more youthful and radiant.

Yet as Sirius examined everything, his face didn't brighten. Instead, he looked at Regulus with confusion.

"Why do I have to do all this? This isn't the life I want. I've never fit into this family of Dark wizards."

Sirius looked at the gifts, fully aware that his brother Regulus had put a great deal of thought into all of this. And precisely because of that, he couldn't understand it. As the rebel of the family, he couldn't figure out what Regulus was after. The more effort Regulus put in, the more wary Sirius became.

"This is just a little gesture from your own brother. Are you really so guarded that you can't accept it?"

Regulus replied gently, showing no hostility despite Sirius having been disowned by the family.

"Maybe I should never have returned to this old house. You broke me out of Azkaban, but I'm not grateful."

Sirius shoved the gift boxes off the bed and slumped to the floor, sitting at its edge. He sank into self-pity, missing the long-dead Potters. Tears streamed down his face. He felt as though he'd failed his friends, never once wondering if he had failed his family, too.

Regulus couldn't help but think—perhaps maliciously—that if this kind of lavish gift were for a woman, she'd fall for him on the spot. Even for a man, most recipients would gladly offer up their own… flower.

Yet giving it to Sirius Black, all he wanted was a simple expression of familial gratitude—and even that seemed so difficult.

Even as brothers, this man clearly held no affection for their family.

Regulus stood before Sirius, looking down at him. His gaze was calm, perhaps tinged with helplessness. His expression was hard to read, like he had a thousand things to say but couldn't utter a single word.

There's no method more effective than threatening someone's life—but Regulus didn't need to resort to that with his own brother.

This moment alone was enough to achieve the effect Regulus wanted.

As expected, Sirius, who had been staring at his own feet, couldn't endure the silence any longer. Having Regulus stand silently in front of him, cloaked in his brooding aura, was more unbearable than even Voldemort standing there.

Sirius finally looked up—and was startled by Regulus's expression.

That ominous aura suddenly turned violent. Regulus reached out, grabbed Sirius by the collar, and with one hand lifted him up so they were face to face.

"In the newspapers I showed you, there's quite a bit written about me as the new head of the Black family, isn't there?"

Regulus's fist pressed against Sirius's chest, causing him pain. Especially with only his toes barely touching the floor, Sirius felt even more uncomfortable.

"I'm not interested in your tabloid scandals."

Sirius batted at Regulus's arm, signaling for him to let go.

When it came to the Daily Prophet's tabloid section, Regulus Black was always the top headline.

Attending another banquet today! Tomorrow, there will be rumors about him falling in love with the daughter of some noble family! And the day after, they'll say he's seduced a wealthy widow.

In short, there were countless rumors, some true, some false. Regulus Black didn't bother to correct any of them because most of them were, in fact, true—only lacking details that the Daily Prophet couldn't get its hands on, so they had to speculate based on where he was seen.

"The gossip columns in the Daily Prophet are accurate, but have you ever heard of me fathering a child?"

Regulus Black swung his arm and knocked his clenched fist—gripping Sirius by the collar—against Sirius's chest.

"I'm not interested in hearing about the experiences of a womanizer like you."

At this moment, Sirius Black was thinking about how Regulus had been romantically involved with many people yet always took precautions.

A total disgrace among men—the kind that made single men everywhere green with envy.

"Then how much do you know about my physical condition? Did you read the reports about me being arrested by the Aurors and tried in the Wizengamot?"

Regulus Black had already given enough hints. Sirius wasn't actually stupid—he just lost IQ points when he got emotional. Once calm, his intelligence returned to normal.

"Your body is that of a shadowed corpse. Are you still one now? What does that have to do with your womanizing? No children... could it be because of your constitution?"

Since Sirius had already said it, Regulus let go of him.

"For three years, I've lived like a normal person. Eating, drinking, sleeping, feeling joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness—nothing unusual at all."

Regulus Black sat down on the edge of the bed. The previously intense energy had settled. Sirius also sat down, though his chest still hurt from the punches—those had not been gentle.

"The only issue is offspring. I've conducted thorough examinations of my body, and there's nothing wrong with the male reproductive source. That leaves just one last possibility: you and I are now two different species. I am a newly emerged being known as a 'shadowed corpse'—a humanoid lifeform identical to humans in every way but with reproductive isolation. Maybe the Ministry of Magic can issue a special decree for my case."

Regulus ended with a hint of self-mockery.

"You… you've already… tried?"

Sirius Black found the question incredibly awkward. Asking Regulus something so personal might get him punched.

"I've tried everything! Girls from pure-blood wizard families, girls from half-blood families, girls from Muggle-born families… Maybe next, I should expand my range to humanoid creatures—female vampires, female werewolves, veela… they seem pretty good."

Regulus looked as though he had just been reminded of a new source of hope, leaving Sirius both amused and bewildered. What kind of situation was this?

If this had happened in the past, Regulus would've definitely been disowned and kicked out of the house before Sirius ever was.

"Hahaha! Only now do I feel like you're truly my brother—definitely my blood brother."

Sirius Black burst into laughter. His little brother was truly something else—he was even better at stirring things up than Sirius had been back in the day.

"Yeah, laugh all you want! You'll be crying soon enough. I want you married and with a child within a year. Your kid will become the next head of the Black family."

Regulus looked at the dumbfounded expression on Sirius's face, then got up and left the room.

"Starting tomorrow, I'll be holding regular family dinners and balls. You'll have to choose a bride from among the guests. If you dare disobey, I'll make you wish you never left Azkaban."

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