Chapter: 386
I’m scared. This encirclement, this loneliness without anyone to rely on is terrifying.
When my father and mother’s lovers came rushing in after spending too long with the butler, I thought maybe it was just me overreacting. After all, I had come to my in-laws’ house only to find my fiancé playing in some far-off corner. I thought they might come to drag him back. So, I greeted them all with a smile.
But it was a misunderstanding. Instead of dragging him away, they instantly surrounded him and started flinging words like punches.
“I believed everything Carl said, but it was just excuses, wasn’t it?”
“No, Mar, that’s not—”
“I’m just glad that the mage healed you. If it had been a priest, you would have never returned.”
With tears welling up in Mar’s eyes and Beatrix muttering bitterly, I felt like I was losing my mind.
Game over. Amidst all this banter, a truth that should never come to light had surfaced. I never intended to disclose my injuries; I was trying to keep that ugly truth hidden as much as I could, but here we were.
“Oppa… I don’t want you to get hurt, but I hate even more not knowing that you’re injured.”
“Yeah, but you spoke the truth, so it’s our misunderstanding, right? You meant to tell us from the start? Right?”
And now even Louise and Irina were poking at my conscience, leaving me speechless. Honestly, if they were angry, I could have taken it better, but they held onto their faith and affection for me until the very end, which was just driving me nuts.
At least, there was one bit of good news: I was getting pummeled by four instead of six.
“Damn it.”
The moment I caught sight of the two watching from a few steps back, I lost all hope. Elizaveta was grinning like it was a show, while Penelia was flustered and looking everywhere in disbelief.
Farther away, I even saw my father being grilled by my mother. Erich and Sara were surely discussing things, and the butler had run away down the hall.
How hopeless. I had no allies in this hell.
“I was too careless.”
And only after reaching this point did I realize that keeping the truth hidden required a more meticulous plan.
If I had tried to hide things alone, I wouldn’t have had as much to worry about. But this cover-up was a joint operation between my father and me. And considering that I just found out today that my father was caught by my mother, it’s no wonder this disaster occurred.
We were too complacent. Neither my father nor I had much experience collaborating with someone at the same level. When we did, it would be with subordinates who are accustomed to following orders, but this was different. Is this the downside of being in high positions?
“…I’m sorry.”
Eventually, I bowed in surrender amidst the attacks coming from every direction.
I am guilty. I accept the judgment of the ladies…
My declaration of abject surrender led to an impromptu hearing that concluded without a hitch.
The fact that I tried to keep my injuries quiet, while pathetically saying something like, “I wanted to tell you in person,” made things worse. But in the end, I did tell the truth, so while the process was messy, the result was still okay.
Thus, my lovers, with a sigh, retreated back to my mother’s side. If I had stayed silent until I was caught, I might as well have been Carl Krasius himself, but somehow, I came out alive.
“Thank goodness.”
I genuinely felt relieved. Just one wrong choice and I could have been fried by Beatrix’s Thunderbolt.
“I’m sorry.”
And then, my father, who had come up beside me, spoke in a troubled tone.
“It’s alright. I didn’t do anything good myself.”
I shook my head slightly in response to that.
It would be a lie to say I hadn’t felt resentment, even for a moment, but after everything settled, I could understand. Just as I felt like I was being pounced on by my lovers, my father also seemed weak to my mother. I had no thought of blaming him for my future.
Moreover, finding out that my father got caught by my mother was an unexpected turn of events. Who would have thought my mother had such an impressive independent information network? It’s supposed to be military confidential that I was hurt—how on earth did she find out?
“…It’s best not to have anything to hide, but moving forward, I should just say everything.”
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
I readily agreed to this heart-wrenching suggestion. With my mother’s mysterious information network and the convoluted information from my six lovers, there was no way I could keep secrets. If that were possible, I might as well have been the head of the Information Department.
Nodding at my reply, my father took out a communicator from his pocket and began to write something down.
Suddenly, my communicator vibrated briefly.
“Keep this in mind.”
“Yes?”
Not understanding, I pulled out the communicator, but my father was texting. We were right in front of each other—why go through a text?
“What’s this?”
The contents were puzzling. Just a short message with teleportation coordinates.
“It’s a lake near the capital. Good scenery, clear water—perfect for fishing. Only politicians go there, so there’s no need to mind anyone else.”
As if he read my confusion, he quickly added an explanation. Accessible near the capital, a pleasant place for a breather, and since only members of the imperial council visit, there’s no one to be concerned about—sounded great in theory.
In sum, it was a hideout. A place where my father and the council members go to escape if things get dicey.
“Fishing.”
Instinctively, my gaze drifted to my father’s shoes.
Now that I think about it, was it earlier this year that my father was absent when I visited the estate with my lovers because he was off fishing? Even though it was due to work, he got scolded by my mother then, and it seemed like it’s not the first time.
Looks like it’s a hideout with a bit of history and tradition.
“First, I guess I need to learn how to fish.”
“I can teach you, so don’t worry. We’ll go together when the time aligns.”
That was a bit intimidating. Whether my father and I have some peace aligns first, or if we both get kicked out and unexpectedly meet is anyone’s guess.
If it’s the latter, I’d probably shed some tears.
*
The banquet celebrating Billy and Carl’s safe return was held grandly. It was only that we hadn’t sent invitations to other families, but the scale surpassed any other banquet organized by the Krasius family in recent times.
Although the actual attendees were few, that was fine. It was a family banquet, and having just family there sufficed. I also made sure that the loyal servants who dedicated themselves to the Krasius house enjoyed the banquet on rotation.
Of course, no matter how few participants there were, a banquet was still a banquet. As the hostess planning the banquet, I needed to check on and provide for the few attendees, but seeing Billy and Carl whispering to each other from one side made me sigh.
“At least they’re getting along, but…”
A complex mix of feelings swelled inside me. Finally, the father-son duo, who couldn’t be called good at communicating, were showing signs of being ordinary—Billy had stepped closer, or maybe Carl had opened up to us, but either way, it was a positive development.
However, as their relationship improved and they became an ordinary father and son, some peculiar shortcomings started to surface.
“Blood is indeed blood.”
I couldn’t help but let out a wry smile. With black hair and black eyes, Carl had traits that proved he was Billy’s son, like an awkward personality.
And now, it seemed the quirky shortcomings of the rather careless Billy were also showing in Carl.
“That’s something you shouldn’t have to inherit.”
Billy was careless, but so was Carl. If the two were going to conspire to hide something, they ought to do it properly; how was I supposed to handle two contradictory stories?
“They’re too alike.”
Yet, that wry smile soon transformed into a natural grin. Until now, I hadn’t really gotten to know Carl, so I hadn’t realized his personality. Now that I was getting to know it, it felt like I was finally seeing Carl in all his fullness.
Today was indeed a joyful day. Even with a slight ruckus, such feelings were enough to make me overlook it.
“Nia.”
While I was watching the duo bond, Laura approached and whispered softly.
“What are you doing alone? You should chat with the brides.”
“I talked to them plenty earlier. It’s best not to overwhelm them.”
Hearing that, Laura pondered something before cautiously nodding her head.
She probably recalled her own experience when she had just gotten married, wanting to bond with her mother-in-law, but feeling awkward about it, just like the new brides.
“But you haven’t seen Sara in a while either.”
I shot back a question to Laura, “Why aren’t you with your daughter?” causing her to chuckle while directing her gaze elsewhere.
Turning my head to follow her gaze, my smile widened.
“If I join them, it’s obvious I’ll just be resented.”
Nodding at Laura’s words, I chuckled lightly as I looked at Erich and Sara, sharing a simple dessert and laughing together. If Laura slipped into their trio, it would undoubtedly earn her some glares from Sara for a while.
“It’d be nice if Erich could find a partner now.”
“Now that Carl’s finally getting married, we shouldn’t rush it.”
I was about to nod again when I felt something was off, so I turned my gaze back to Laura. Surely, she couldn’t be so relaxed knowing how Sara felt about Erich.
The puzzled look on my face made Laura show a bittersweet smile and shake her head.
“I don’t think Erich knows yet.”
“Oh.”
Sighing at the futility of rushing it, I couldn’t help it.
“What on earth…”
I let out a small sigh. My husband, my firstborn, and even my second son—they were all acting strangely. Though they’re a proud family who could shine anywhere, there was an odd defect somewhere.
“I’m glad they’re at the academy.”
Suddenly, that thought struck me. At least it was good Sara was at the academy. Had their physical distance been any greater, there might have been no hope. Could it be that Sara was aware and pushed herself to enroll in the academy?
What a plausible theory. Initially, I was worried about Sara entering the academy, but now seeing it was a decision for her future, I’m quite proud.
In stark contrast, however, my feelings toward Erich’s obliviousness only deepened.
“What on earth is with the Krasius family…”
Please, may this flaw not carry on to future generations.
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