Chapter 81
My gaze lingered on Hecate’s tombstone. It had been two years since I started aging alone, but I still had to wait another three years to be the same age as her. Among the six of us, Hecate was the youngest anyway.
‘I must be the weird one.’
I started my career as a civil servant too early. If I had taken the normal route, starting last year or this year would have already been considered quite early.
I stared at the tombstone for quite a while. I should head back now, but my feet seemed glued to the ground. I usually avoid coming here unless it’s the anniversary, but once I’m here, I end up wanting to stay a little longer. Human emotions are pretty peculiar, aren’t they?
But what would I even do if I stayed longer? They’ve already drunk two bottles by now and would probably be sprawled out drunk regardless of whether I was present or not. Even if they were awake, they’d probably tell me not to bother them and to just go away. It’s so predictable.
‘See you next year.’
Maybe I’ll come back before next year’s anniversary. If I do, I’ll come empty-handed, so don’t get your hopes up.
But wow, I really poured a lot. Even though I was careful, my palm was damp. I think I might smell like alcohol now.
“Are you crying?”
“What? No way!”
Just as I turned around to say my last goodbye, the Minister strolled in unexpectedly. Oof, I almost turned into a psycho, chuckling while paying my respects. But this is just his form of consolation, I guess. Today, even the Minister’s fury seemed to calm down a bit.
After all, while they were my special colleagues, they were also his beloved subordinates.
“Executive Manager, over here!”
“Thanks.”
The first manager darted over and handed me a handkerchief. My wet hands must have gotten her worried.
After wiping my hands, I returned the handkerchief that had turned purple. The first manager pouted her lips at this.
“I gave this to you to wipe your tears! What am I supposed to do if you dye it?”
“I’m not crying!”
Hehe! I couldn’t help but laugh as I tugged at the first manager’s lips. She practically offered them to me on a platter!
“Ugh—!!”
Seriously, why does she insist on acting like this every time, even when it hurts? Meanwhile, the second manager, seemingly satisfied, was touching his lips and nodding. Well, he got what he deserved!
“Let’s get going. You want to show them what an abusive boss you’ve grown up to be?”
Even though the Minister tried to intervene…
“They probably saw that a lot when you were still a manager, didn’t they, Minister?”
“You little punk.”
I managed a quick comeback. It was amusing to see the Minister walk away first, having nothing to retort. If I had turned into an overbearing superior, whose fault would that be?
Then, my gaze unexpectedly landed on the first manager still suffering under my grasp. Sure, I learned a thing or two by observing them.
“Are you going to head back right now?”
“Of course. I have nothing to do in the capital anyway.”
I nodded lightly at the Senior Manager’s observation. I had told the principal I’d be back in the afternoon, so back to the Academy I go!
“Executive Manager, I think the first manager is about to cry.”
“Oh.”
Upon hearing the third manager’s remark, I hastily released the first manager’s lips. I had completely forgotten that I was supposed to let go. They just felt so good to hold!
“Executive Manager, you should cherish and love your subordinates more!”
I ignored the first manager, who was whining with tears glistening in her eyes.
Having no other obligations, I made a swift return to the Academy. Honestly, even if I got back in the morning, it seemed like there wouldn’t be much for me to do. The longer I stayed in the capital, the higher the odds of an unexpected summons. Why risk it unnecessarily?
After killing some time, I quickly got Erich seated as soon as the club members showed up.
“Have you been in touch with home lately?”
“Huh?”
Due to my younger brother not contacting home while he’s living in a faraway boarding school, now I had to convey their worries on his behalf. Talk about embarrassing!
“The patriarch asked how you were doing.”
Erich flinched at the mere mention of “patriarch.” He’s always been a bit anxious around him. Looks like that hasn’t changed.
“What did he say…?”
“He asked if you were doing well.”
“Is that really all?”
Erich looked at me with eyes full of suspicion, like he was thinking, ‘There’s no way he’d only ask that.’ I felt the same way when he asked about Erich, but his reaction seems a bit…
‘Well, I’m not his biological son, after all.’
Of course, biologically, I am his son and share the same bloodline. Yet, what I carry within me couldn’t be more different. Plus, after that whole incident four years ago, it’s not like we’re that close. But still, you’re practically his only child—shouldn’t you be a little more grateful?
“There’s more.”
“As expected.”
“He said that for a warrior, it’s more important to take your time than to hurry.”
Erich tilted his head in confusion at those words. It truly was just a routine greeting with a sprinkle of concern.
In reality, the patriarch didn’t fuss over how Erich or I trained in the mansion; he only cared that we reached our targets. So hearing him express concern like this is bound to feel dissonant.
“Being far away doesn’t mean you can’t stay in touch. Even while I was in the capital, I called at least once a week.”
“You did? Who did you call?”
“The butler.”
His expression was a mix of doubt, as if to ask, “Yeah, right?” To be honest, it felt awkward for me to contact the patriarch or my mother directly.
“It seems like your father is a strict one.”
Once we wrapped up our family chat, the silent members made their approach. The first to break the ice with a light comment was, as always, Rutis.
“He’s not exactly a warm person.”
Erich responded firmly, but that was a generous way to put it. Rather than being ‘strict,’ it would be more accurate to describe the patriarch as distant and indifferent. But the way he acted today at the National Cemetery was quite unusual.
“Advisor, what do you think?”
“I don’t remember. I became independent several years ago.”
“Haha, can’t argue with that!”
Four years ago, it felt more like I escaped than became independent, especially since I never had a close bond with him to begin with.
“I have so many siblings that I can’t imagine what it’s like to get any sort of attention from my father.”
Rutis had at least a couple of older brothers and sisters. Plus, what’s crazier is he even has a horde of younger siblings, making him just one among many.
However, saying it like that can make it sound like the King of Armein is some cold-hearted fiend. The kid is practically endangering his father’s reputation! I should have noticed earlier; he’s a dutiful son with fire heritage!
In reality, the King of Armein is known for having a ton of kids, resulting in none of them getting much attention. Still, he’s actually renowned for loving his children.
“If only your father were even half as good as the King of Armein.”
I recalled the Crown Prince suddenly saying that while downing wine all by his lonesome. In the end, he got smashed, and the Crown Princess was left panicking over how to handle him. To this day, I still wonder why I was called over there.
In any case, compared to the bloodshed and dread that spills over the Livnoman imperial family, the Robens royal family might be a bit more congenial.
“Having a lot of siblings is a good thing, right? It lightens the load for everyone.”
“That’s true, but…”
Rutis seemed caught in a loop trying to respond to Lather, the second son out of three. In an ordinary family, three siblings would barely raise an eyebrow, but in a royal family, it’s precariously variable. The more princes to fill in if the Crown Prince bites the dust, the better!
Of course, depending on the situation, it’s also possible for them to start killing each other off to optimize the numbers. Just look at Ainter who’s being all quiet, a perfect example of such a family!
“Are we just going to talk about family today? I’ve got nothing to contribute, how sad…”
Tannian, who had been observing the two princes quietly, chimed in with a faint smile. It seemed like since the club meeting commenced, the conversation naturally shifted toward these family stories.
“Isn’t your family the most impressive? After all, Enen is your father.”
“Haha, that’s just how it’s preached. I’m an orphan.”
Rutis was caught off guard by Tannian’s self-deprecating joke. Wow… It’s rare to see him rendered speechless!
Rutis’s pupils flickered nervously as they darted my way. Why are you looking at me? I’ve got nothing to add!
I tried to look away, but my eyes met Louise’s gloomy expression, prompting a quick change of heart.
“Let’s wrap up family discussions here. If we keep this up, we might hear some juicy royal secrets and end up chopping off our ears.”
“Oh, right. That makes sense. I was short-sighted there.”
Rutis, perceiving this as an opportunity to swing the topic, eagerly joined in. I wasn’t planning to help out, but what the heck, I’ll do it this time.
“Louise?”
“Ah, yes! Did you call for me?”
Louise’s face still bore a shadow, but she immediately brightened upon my call. Sorry, I’ve been so caught up today that I totally overlooked you.
“The macarons you made last time were delicious. Can you whip up some more today?”
“Yes! I’ll make them quickly!”
“Sure, thanks.”
Just like that, her gloomy expression vanished, replaced by her usual cheerful demeanor. If I didn’t know her past, I might have thought I misjudged her.
‘I should have paid closer attention to her.’
A bittersweet smile crept onto my face out of regret. I’m probably the only one who knows this aside from the Naird family members, and that’s only because I read it in the free part of the webtoon! No matter how much the others adore Louise, they wouldn’t have any idea about her childlike years.
Back then, Louise had suffered immensely compared to Erich, who avoided the patriarch due to lifelong trauma or Ainter, who was ready to throw in the towel after his older brother was killed.
‘Seriously, the author has to be insane.’
I guess I’ll never know the face of that author, but they’ve got to be a little out there. There’s no way one could subject an eight-year-old kid to such horrors otherwise.
Was it really too much to have her only sister resent her and die on top of that?
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.