Chapter: 864
I wandered around inside the banquet hall, waiting for my siblings.
In the meantime, I checked the decorations with my wife, and together with Elin, I ensured that there were enough refreshments.
To be honest, even if I looked around now, I wouldn’t discover anything I missed or anything that needed fixing. My wife and the daughters-in-law had prepared the banquet flawlessly. Elin and I had wracked our brains, trying to cater to our siblings’ tastes as much as possible.
I just thought that moving around like this might settle my nerves. I wanted to see my siblings with at least a somewhat composed mindset.
“Father.”
While I was lost in thought for a while, I heard Carl’s voice from the entrance.
“Uncle August and Aunt Christine have arrived!”
The news that one of my long-awaited siblings had come made my heart skip. The occasion for this gathering was none other than August’s arrival.
I took a deep breath and turned my body toward the direction Carl’s voice had come from. Towards where August and his spouse were.
‘Ah.’
As soon as August came into view, I almost let out a sigh.
My younger brother, August. Being the second of our seven siblings, he was the one who got scolded by our father whenever I embarrassed myself.
If I, as the eldest, didn’t satisfy Father’s expectations, then August, as the next heir, had to bear the consequences, suffering every time I slipped up.
I apologize to all my siblings, but if I had to choose the most painful finger, it would have to be August. He went through hardships he shouldn’t have had to endure if I had been a better brother.
“Long time—”
“Then I’ll be on my way again.”
Just as I was about to respond, August and Carl suddenly withdrew.
For a brief moment, I felt a flicker of resentment toward Carl. Here I was, finally mustering the courage to greet them, and it was all cut short because of my son.
But my resentment faded quickly. I understood very well why Carl was acting in such a hurry. No matter how composed he is, there are trials that a father can’t avoid. As a father myself, I ought to understand.
“It’s been a while. How have you been?”
After a moment of silence in greetings, I resumed the conversation. Thankfully, it was surprisingly easy to find that courage again.
“…Yes, brother. I’ve been well enough.”
“That’s good to hear. And I’m relieved to see that my sister-in-law is doing well too.”
I shifted my focus from August to his spouse, giving her the attention she deserved.
This banquet wasn’t just for the siblings; spouses were invited too. My sister-in-law was not only a gracious guest but also someone who comforted my brother in his struggles. It was only right to treat her with proper respect.
“Please speak comfortably, brother. I feel awkward being addressed so formally.”
It was a bit awkward, considering that the one supposed to receive the respect asked for informal speech.
Of course, as the older brother and given I’m older than my sister-in-law, casual language is common. But surely my sister-in-law provided emotional support to August far better than I could. I thought that she would be more beneficial for him than a hundred of me.
How could I speak informally to such a person? Even if I couldn’t manage formality with my younger siblings, the least I could do was treat my sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law with respect.
“I’ll try to speak comfortably until the banquet is over.”
Still, it wouldn’t do to reject her request right in front of her. I navigated around her request as vaguely as I could. That should suffice for her.
“I look forward to it, especially since we’re still at the banquet.”
As expected, my sister-in-law didn’t seem intent on continuing this line of conversation and nodded contently.
“Elin. Where’s your husband? Is it just you here?”
“He just left the mansion, so he should arrive soon.”
In the meantime, after greeting my wife, August turned to Elin with a puzzled expression.
With both me and my wife, alongside August and his sister-in-law, it struck him as odd that Elin was standing alone in the banquet hall.
“Wait, why didn’t you come with us from the start?”
“I came early yesterday. My husband felt it was better to give it some thought, so he claimed he would arrive before anyone else today. I didn’t expect my second brother to arrive first, though.”
“Is that so?”
August, who wore a complex expression earlier, soon nodded as if he understood.
The youngest brother, while family, was still under scrutiny from the family. Although he had received the Count title, it wasn’t for positive reasons. Hence, even though he had a legitimate invitation, he still felt visible pressure.
No matter how bold one might be, it wouldn’t feel comfortable in front of someone who once held their fate and family’s legacy in their hands. Until the shock wore off, he’d want to see as little of that individual as possible.
“It seems like an unfounded worry. Judging by our little nephew, it doesn’t look like he’ll be uncomfortable.”
At those words, everyone’s gaze in the banquet hall turned to August.
“Today’s the first time meeting our nephew, and you’ve already figured him out?”
With a bright smile, my sister-in-law lightly nudged August on the shoulder.
That was likely a question on all our minds. August was encountering Carl for the first time, and Carl’s reputation wasn’t something to be taken lightly. As the Minister of Inspection and a war hero, he had a rather fearsome legacy.
Still, August was evaluating Carl less than an hour after their introduction—with a surprisingly gentle conclusion that contradicted public perception.
“What was there to figure out? He’s a father pulling a cart for his kids. Even the most clueless person would see that he’s got a gentle nature. Even if he were cold, he’d still be warm to his family.”
After saying that, August turned his gaze back to me.
“Brother.”
“Speak.”
“It seems you’ve been a good father.”
His brief comment struck me as more beautiful than any other words could convey.
I understood what August felt when he said that.
—
Once upon a time, the home of the most esteemed marquis in the Empire, the Ethelons’ estate, even dared to challenge the majesty of the Emperor and the royal family.
Though the original owner of this estate deserved their fate, the grandeur was undeniably formidable. The estate built by the Ethelons, in comparison to our Krasius mansion, was nothing short of magnificent and opulent.
Because of this, the banquet hall was splendid enough to outshine any noble’s banquet hall. I firmly believed only the imperial palace or the duke’s residence could boast such superiority.
Despite being such an extravagant setting, only 14 people were gathered there. Just me, my siblings, and their spouses—a mere 14.
‘Maybe I should have let more people in from the beginning.’
With only the servants required to run the banquet present, the hall felt emptier and quieter than I had anticipated and I felt a twinge of regret.
If I had known this, I would have asked Carl and the daughters-in-law to fill the seats. I had initially wanted my siblings to speak freely, and once they got comfortable, they could introduce themselves, letting the daughters-in-law step aside.
But it was too late to regret now. Besides, I understood perfectly well the reason the daughters-in-law had made that choice.
‘This is an issue we must overcome.’
If we simply summon more guests to remedy the awkwardness, then we’d forever lean on the help of outsiders. Our family, who should be the closest to one another, wouldn’t feel at ease unless we relied on someone else to mediate.
That would be a horrifying state of affairs. Certainly, thinking back to how little we’d seen each other in the past makes this a monumental improvement. But I didn’t set up this gathering for such modest goals.
Thus, as I had greeted August, I was about to gather the courage to do so again as the eldest brother when—
“Elder brother.”
“W-what is it?”
I stumbled over my words at the call from Joseppina, the eldest sister among us.
The courage I had just mustered quickly shrank back, and feelings of embarrassment and awkwardness began to gnaw at my chest.
I was meant to present a confident front as the eldest. But in front of them, I always felt like a novice and inadequate eldest sibling, whether our father was alive or after 20 years apart.
“This gift… did you prepare it, elder brother?”
“Elin and I prepared it. After all, who better to choose a gift for a woman than another woman?”
At least I retained enough wits about me to answer Joseppina instinctively.
The box Joseppina had cradled throughout the banquet was a gift that Elin had primarily prepared.
“While you were busy looking elsewhere earlier, I snooped and checked inside. It was light, and guess what? Egg tarts!”
“That snack you adored when you were little? Or was that just my imagination…?”
“No, that’s right. It was like a little treat during tea time.”
I let out a sigh of relief internally at Joseppina’s words, which bore a faint smile.
Sure enough, when we combined our ideas, a solid outcome resulted. I was uneasy about our memories being compromised, but our collective memory helped prevent any disaster.
“Honestly, it’s not exactly a pleasant recollection. I adored egg tarts, but whenever I see them, it feels like I’m pulled back to that time. Ever since I got married, I’ve eaten egg tarts so rarely.”
‘Ah.’
My mind went blank.
Of course. That’s true. The trauma from the Tailglehen Count territory made my siblings avoid it like the plague. Considering the extent of that trauma, it’s no surprise that their childhood treats affected them.
How foolish of me. To have been so caught up in preparing a gift, I forgot such an obvious detail.
“But here’s what’s strange. These are the exact same egg tarts. Nothing about them has changed… yet they feel different now.”
Before I realized it, Joseppina had opened the box and held up an egg tart, taking a bite.
“They’ve not changed at all. It’s odd. Things from the past never change, yet… it’s such a strange feeling.”
“Joseppina.”
“Shall we all take a look inside our boxes? I don’t plan on being the only one to open a present in front of our host.”
“Oh, right. We should open them.”
“I was actually curious about what’s inside.”
At Joseppina’s words, the other siblings began to open their boxes too.
Out came cognac, salami, gin, cheesecake, and cheese cookies.
Finally, there was the whiskey that my wife had quietly handed over.
“Seeing it like this, there’s indeed a lack of theme.”
“It’s funny; I never thought about it back then, but everyone has such strong personalities. When our father was around, there were just rules to follow.”
I gazed vacantly at the gifts as my younger siblings spoke.
“Elder brother! Now that we have some snacks, why don’t we share them all together? Since they’re gifts, it doesn’t matter how we use them.”
“Uh, well….”
“Let’s even call over the nephews and nieces outside.”
“That sounds good. I was so surprised meeting them in the garden earlier. I was out of it at the time, but now I want to chat with them.”
I looked at my younger siblings, who were showing such courage for the incompetent eldest.
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