Tom gave a soft snort. "That's because they're afraid of us, so they're willing to talk things through. As for the Gaunts… my uncle may be useless, but he's still a wizard…"
"Isn't that a good thing, Tom? At least they won't hit you with an Avada Kedavra out of nowhere," Wade said with a smile.
"But they might still shoot me instead…"
"Oh? You noticed that, too? Good, good."
"Hmph…" Tom snorted coldly and said nothing more.
His emotions were far too tangled to keep bantering with Wade.
At that moment, the butler came quickly back downstairs and leaned close to Mr. Riddle, whispering something in his ear.
Mr. Riddle's face darkened instantly.
"What kind of nonsense is he saying?! I'll go get him down myself!" Mr. Riddle stood up, then turned to Dumbledore and the others with a hint of apology. "I'm sorry, my son is… well, a bit too frightened right now. I'll speak to him personally."
"If he doesn't want to see me, then forget it… After all, this whole situation was indeed my mother's fault," Tom said as he stood up.
Now that he had fully learned the truth about his background, the knot in his heart had more or less been untied—especially after reclaiming the name of Slytherin's heir from the Gaunt family.
If his father didn't want to meet him, then so be it. Honestly, he didn't particularly want to meet him either.
In Tom's view, no matter who was right or wrong, it was ultimately the previous generation's grudge—it didn't have much to do with him.
In fact, this shift in perspective was a result of how his mindset had changed.
If he were still the same as before—despising Muggles and idolizing pure-blood families—he would surely have chosen to wipe out the Riddle family completely.
Only then could he erase the shame of being a half-blood! How could a descendant of Slytherin possibly be half-blood?
But now, his understanding had shifted. Half-blood or pure-blood—what difference did it make?
As long as he was strong enough, even the purest of pure-bloods would have to kneel before him and lick his boots! Hadn't he already defeated his so-called pure-blood uncle?
In fact, this only made things more challenging—and more interesting.
Yes! That most pure of pure-bloods… is you, Wade!
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Wade asked, puzzled by Tom's strange gaze.
"It's nothing… Mr. Riddle, since he doesn't want to see me, I'll be leaving now. Don't worry, I won't be coming back to cause trouble. I'm not that bored. So, you don't need to live in fear anymore," Tom said coldly. He turned to leave.
But Mr. Riddle quickly stepped forward and blocked his path—moving with an agility that didn't seem at all like that of an old man.
"Please wait a moment… young Tom, if I may call you that," Mr. Riddle said thoughtfully. "Let's put aside all past grievances. If you're willing… this, Riddle Manor, can still be your home."
Tom looked at Mr. Riddle in surprise. He couldn't quite understand why the old man would say something like that.
Shouldn't they be terrified of wizards? Shouldn't they be eager to see him gone, hoping he'd never return?
"I won't pretend to speak in noble platitudes… Let me be honest with you. As you've seen, our estate is vast. And with my son in his current state… I truly can't entrust it to him with peace of mind. If I were to die someday, this entire legacy would inevitably fall into ruin in his hands. Young Tom, from the very first moment I saw you, I knew you were far more capable than your father. So, I would like to—"
"Sorry, I'm not interested," Tom said flatly.
For a fleeting second, he had hoped… But facts were facts—who would truly feel affection for a grandson who appeared out of nowhere?
Mr. Riddle, having lived this long, was no fool. At a glance, he could tell what young Tom was likely thinking.
"Maybe what I said makes you uncomfortable… but I didn't want to lie to you. I'm simply speaking the truth. You can't expect there to be some kind of instant familial bond when we've only just met. Emotions can be nurtured—I just hope you'll give us the chance to try."
At this point, Wade could fully understand Mr. Riddle's reasoning.
It was nothing more than a case of: the main heir was a failure, and now that he'd found an outstanding 'alt account,' of course he wanted to hold on tight.
And what if he was a wizard? After learning so much about the wizarding world from Dumbledore, Mr. Riddle no longer felt that same fear. After all, the loss of his massive fortune to old Tom would be far more terrifying than a bit of magic.
"Really?" Tom's gaze toward Mr. Riddle was sharp. "Don't forget, the way your son turned out is all thanks to my mother!"
"What's done is done—it can't be changed. People must look forward. Clinging stubbornly to past grudges is the most foolish thing of all. Besides… what do those past events have to do with you? Even if I wanted to place blame, it wouldn't be on you."
The once-cloudy eyes of the aging Mr. Riddle now gleamed with wisdom.
For the continuation and prosperity of the family, if you carry its bloodline—so what if you're a wizard?
In fact, before young Tom arrived, Mr. Riddle had already nearly given up hope.
Dumbledore and Wade didn't speak. They simply stood silently, watching Tom.
And Tom had fallen deep into thought.
What he was wondering was… if it were Wade, what would he do?
It was a question he reflexively asked himself whenever he faced difficult choices.
After a moment, he raised his head and asked Mr. Riddle, "You said earlier that you're wealthy, right?"
"I should say—very wealthy!" Mr. Riddle replied with pride.
"Whether you're rich or not doesn't matter. I'm only curious to experience what this 'family affection' really feels like," Tom said expressionlessly.
Tom's response brought joy not only to Mr. Riddle but to Dumbledore as well.
To Dumbledore, familial affection was one of the most precious emotions in the world.
In his view, if Tom could begin to experience what family meant, he would gradually come to understand what love truly was.
And with that, the changes in Tom might surpass even those brought about by staying around Wade.
…
Ten minutes later, Dumbledore was walking happily with Wade and Tom on the road back.
Tom glanced at the pleased look in Dumbledore's eyes, then at the large check in his own hand, and couldn't help but sigh softly.
Then, using the Whispering Charm, he said, "As expected of you… Wade."
"Hm?" Wade, suddenly mentioned again, looked at Tom in confusion and asked using the same charm, "What is it? I haven't said anything this whole time…"
"I just wanted to say, as expected of you… Whenever I run into a tough decision, if I just think the way you would, everything suddenly becomes much simpler."
In Tom's mind, if Wade had been in his place, with his personality, he would've absolutely accepted Mr. Riddle's offer without hesitation.
Wade wouldn't care whether someone was a Muggle or a wizard.
As long as he knew it would maximize his own gain, there was absolutely no way Wade would refuse!
Sure enough, after Tom accepted Mr. Riddle's proposal, the first thing he noticed was that Dumbledore's attitude toward him had changed significantly. At the very least, the look in his eyes was no longer as guarded as before.
Second, as the legitimate heir to the Riddle family, he had received a hefty sum in British pounds.
That amount of money could be exchanged for quite a bit of gold, and then traded at Gringotts for a massive sum in Galleons!
Tom: Heh heh heeeeh~~
Which meant that from now on, he wouldn't have to look at that bastard Wade's face whenever he needed to spend money!
So even though he hadn't seen his father today, Tom's gains were substantial.
However, Tom's comment made Wade sound rather displeased. "What do you mean, thinking like me makes everything easier? Are you saying even that greedy expression of yours just now… was you imitating me?"
"Yes," Tom answered without hesitation.
Wade: "..."
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