Chapter: 863
Finally, the day has come.
After nearly 20 years, the day for our siblings to gather in one place has arrived, and here I am, the one who had abandoned the name Krasius, ready to step back into the role of a Krasius once more.
‘At least I’m not going to Tailglehen, so there’s that.’
I let out a small sigh of relief, only to end up with a bitter smile.
Tailglehen is where I was born and raised. It’s no longer my father’s land, and the current lord of Tailglehen is not my brother, but my nephew. So, I no longer need to be afraid of going back there.
Yet, the mind is a strange thing. Logically, I could scream that everything is fine, but my heart still trembles in fear. Even with my bad memories, I’m scared of the place that is my hometown, now ruled by my nephew instead of my father.
‘How shameful.’
To be brutally honest, this is beyond shameful; it’s downright pathetic. The time I’ve spent under the shadow of my father has been overshadowed by the time spent with my wife and children. So why am I feeling like this?
I even tried to be an unembarrassing husband to my wife. Although our marriage wasn’t built on love, since we had nothing, it was easier to fill that void with affection.
I also worked hard to be a proud father. Knowing precisely how things could go wrong, I found it surprisingly easy to be a good dad.
Still, I have failed to be a reliable brother, sibling, or even an oppa. I always told my kids that family should get along, yet I couldn’t even do that myself.
‘It’s time to change.’
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to shake off the fear. Even knowing I shouldn’t feel this way, I couldn’t overcome it while heading to my nephew’s mansion, where my siblings decided to gather.
Nonetheless, I will press on. Even if I’m scared, I won’t give up. I think of my wife, who comforted my shaking hands when I received the invitation.
“Dear. Are you feeling any better now?”
“Yes. Being with you makes it so much easier.”
And I think of my wife, still gently holding my hand.
“Have a good time. Dad might have been awkward with Grandpa, but he didn’t fall out with Uncle or Aunt. Once you meet them, you could easily become close!”
“Please make sure to get along. One of my cousins is a judicial minister, and I never got to brag about that!”
“Haha, having a judicial minister as a cousin means you’ll be successful just by breathing!”
Even as I think of my kids, who each sent encouragement in their own way to help ease this father’s nerves.
Two out of the three seemed to be a bit selfish in their encouragement, but I can understand that level of selfishness. Young kids often want to brag about relatives in high positions and subtly gain advantages from them. It’s a thought process that comes naturally.
Moreover, as long as it remains just a thought, there’s no issue. Our kids never paraded around boasting that their cousin is a judicial minister or that a war hero is a relative. They didn’t show off their familial connections for personal gain. This was just a father’s joke.
“Wife.”
“Yes, dear.”
“…If my nephew carries the name Deastron prominently, wouldn’t it benefit our children?”
At my words, my wife smiled softly.
“Just don’t let it be too obvious. I don’t want our kids to grow up thinking they can’t do anything without connections.”
“I feel the same way. Those who rise by relying on others often find their positions collapsing.”
And my nephew, the judicial minister, does not have the tendency to simply cover for family. Considering how Elin’s husband, Count Narzen, got caught up in major judicial inspections, he’s someone who treats family fairly.
That’s why I trust him more. If someone preferentially treats their family, it can unintentionally alter that relationship into one of subservience. If you flatter them, they’ll shower you with benefits but shift from a horizontal family relation to a vertical lord-vassal dynamic.
On the other hand, treating family equally allows a straightforward relationship as uncle and nephew. I can just meet him on my own merits, and he won’t expect anything from me or be disappointed.
Thinking this, I headed toward the banquet location, my nephew’s mansion, and then—
“Ap-pa! Hurry! Faster!”
“Okay! Faster!”
“Kids… if you go any faster, you might fall…”
I ran into my nephew in the garden, pulling a cart.
‘What the?’
I was at a loss for words at the unexpected sight.
Wait, what on earth is happening? Are those kids on the cart? More than a handful of them!?
Is this really a normal situation? Even the most athletic knight would struggle to pull such a load of kids in a cart. It’s like inviting disaster by trying to transport that many energetic kids at once.
‘…Is this the nephew or a servant?’
Suddenly, I came up with a plausible theory: That young man wasn’t my nephew but rather a coincidental black-haired servant.
Logically speaking, a great lord, an imperial count, the head of an administration, and a knight of the Risiragui would not be traipsing around the garden pulling a cart himself. No matter how much he loves his children, nobility doesn’t do that.
“Oh, are you perhaps Uncle August?”
In an instant, my theory came crashing down.
The young man’s words, having just spotted me and my wife passing through the main gate, solidified his identity as my nephew when he called me “uncle” instead of “guest.”
‘So it really is my nephew.’
Feeling a mix of disbelief and surprise, I turned to my wife next to me. She was wide-eyed, seemingly finding this scene just as hard to believe.
‘An aristocrat pulling a cart for kids.’
What kind of blood runs through our nephew that allows him to act like this? What kind of person raises such a father?
“Wuuung? Uncle?”
“Uncle? Appa, uncle?”
“What does uncle mean?”
“It means family. It’s also a word for our Friedrich!”
“Wow!”
It was absolutely astonishing.
*
The first meeting with my second brother and sister-in-law was a disaster.
Or rather, not quite a disaster, but definitely not a typical initial encounter.
“I’m sorry for showing such an embarrassing sight. The servants were moving some supplies in the cart, and suddenly the kids wanted to ride it. As you both know, once they get fixated on something, it’s impossible to change their minds.”
I tried to excuse myself with a forced smile, attempting to downplay the ridiculousness of the situation.
It’s not like I purposely wanted to pull the cart in the garden. It was purely the children’s desire. Anyone with young kids knows you can’t stop them once they set their minds to something.
Honestly, it was a desperate but real excuse. I wouldn’t be crazy enough to pull such antics on a day meant for reuniting with my siblings after 20 years. Besides, this was my first time welcoming my brothers and sisters, uncles, and aunts. If I were to pull stunts like these, there would definitely be a reason for it.
‘This is a disaster.’
I rambled my desperate explanation, but it seems I’ve already branded myself as the “crazy cart guy” in my uncle and aunt’s minds. No matter what I say, their dazed expressions remain unchanged.
…I actually think I would react the same if I were in their shoes. Here I was, reconnecting with siblings after years apart, breaking out from under the shadow of my deceased father. The first sight they see that day is of me carrying my nephew’s kids in a cart; that’s legendary in many ways.
“Certainly, little kids can change their minds in an instant. Their whims are beyond the governance of adults; I completely understand.”
Fortunately, my second uncle must’ve felt some sympathy for my pathetic excuse as he finally nodded along with me.
Despite that, I felt a pang in my heart as he used honorifics toward my nephew. Is it due to trauma from being a Krasius, or is it because of my “crazy cart guy” reputation?
“…What a unique mansion. It’s amazing that there are mats all over the hallway instead of just certain rooms.”
“Oh, yes. Perhaps blessed by the goddess; there are just so many kids. It’s a challenge to look after them all, so we created an environment where they wouldn’t get hurt.”
“A safe environment. Indeed, it seems the Count has a great love for children.”
Hearing my aunt’s compliment almost brought tears to my eyes.
Yes, that was the original intention. I wanted my uncles and aunts to be surprised by the mats covering the mansion. I intended to explain that the choice to prioritize mats over aesthetics was demarcating a family devoted to the well-being of children.
At the same time, I wanted to illustrate that the current Krasius family starkly contrasts the past, all while enjoying the feast prepared by my mother. This would spotlight my father’s sincere hospitality. That was the original plan.
Except for that blasted cart…
“By the way, nephew, it’s our first time meeting you. How did you recognize us at once?”
“I heard stories about my uncles and aunts from my father. Among them, he told me Uncle August is a robust man, but also possesses a wisdom that my father lacks. He said, just by looking at you, it seemed you were someone who might be found reading books in a library.”
“Ha ha.”
With such pure, unembellished truth coming from him, my aunt let out a small laugh while looking around the hallway.
“Really? That’s what my brother said about him?”
“Yes. He said that if he weren’t born into the Krasius family, he could have made a name for himself in the administration or the judiciary.”
“Is that so?”
At that, my uncle’s expression shifted somewhat mysteriously.
“Seems my brother thinks so. He often scolded me for picking up books instead of using a wooden sword, reminding me how his eldest was being a mess, claiming I was just as chaotic.”
‘What? No way…’
I felt somewhat suffocated by the cloud of disappointment that seemed to hover over his punishing words. Even if you treat a child like a tool, isn’t that a bit too much?
“So I figured my brother would disapprove of my love for books. He implied that I have wisdom he doesn’t…”
“Your father isn’t one to lie.”
“Yes, I understand that. But 20 years spent living under the same roof leaves an impression on you.”
After saying this, my uncle stepped forward with a brighter expression than before.
Despite an incredibly dynamic first meeting, it seems I’ve managed to salvage this situation at least somewhat well.
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.