“Have you been able to speak with Duke Alway since then?”
Olivier made a sour face at Jared’s question. Duke Alway had been worried about Hannelore and Olivier, and had moved them to a separate residence to keep them away from danger. However, if he were to explain this, there was a possibility that the information would reach the Consort who was targeting Hannelore. For this reason, the Duke had distanced himself, prepared to be resented by his family.
Naturally, Olivier, who didn’t know the circumstances, had come to believe that her mother was neglected and had come to dislike her Father. But now that the misunderstanding had been cleared up, Jared wanted them to reconcile.
“I spoke with him briefly when I came to visit you. But given everything that’s happened, neither of us knew what to say…”
It must have been incredibly awkward for both of them.
“Weren’t you with Hannelore?”
“I wanted to be, but Mother, wanting to reconcile me and Father, went out of her way to be thoughtful. But that thoughtfulness was painful…”
Hannelore’s actions, though well-intentioned, might have been unnecessary consideration for the awkward father and daughter. One couldn’t help but wonder if things might have turned out differently if Hannelore had mediated.
“But you’ll have another chance. Duke Alway surely wants to do more father-and-daughter things with you too, so please don’t give up.”
“I won’t give up, not that I need to be told. Thanks to you, I know Father loves me and Mother, so I’ll definitely reconcile.”
“That’s the spirit.”
Jared believed it was only a matter of time as long as Olivier intended to bridge the gap. He felt as happy as if it were his own accomplishment when he imagined the day they could both smile together.
However, with the Consort watching, any visible reconciliation would have to wait until the mastermind targeting Hannelore was exposed. Even so, just knowing her father was on her side must be a great comfort. He also intended to help for the sake of Olivier and her family.
“By the way, I’m very happy that you’re so concerned about me, but what about you?”
“What do you mean?”
“You and your Father aren’t getting along well, are you?”
“Both the Alway Ducal Family and the Daum Barony have difficult family circumstances.”
Olivier wasn’t surprised that Jared knew about his strained relationship with his father. However, unlike Olivier and Duke Alway, Jared’s relationship with his father was bad. There was no chance of reconciliation.
“Don’t evade the question.”
Olivier’s attempt to change the subject was unsuccessful. With a sigh, Jared spoke as if resigned.
“My relationship with my Father will not change from its current state. You know some of the situation, don’t you?”
“Yes, I’ve investigated you thoroughly, so I know.”
“Then you don’t need to ask–”
“I want to hear it from your mouth.”
Unable to resist Olivier’s gaze, which seemed to be concerned for him rather than merely curious, Jared began to talk about his relationship with his father.
“To put it simply – my father is, in a word, a failure. He has a natural talent for the sword, but my grandfather intended to pass down the family headship to my uncle, his younger brother, not my father. However, he was lucky and managed to survive the battlefield with just his sword, and gained his baronetcy within a few years. Looking only at that, he might seem capable, but as a person, he’s a failure.”
Olivier’s cheek twitched at his harsh words about her father.
“You’re quite blunt, aren’t you?”
“I have reason to be. There seemed to be affection between him and my Mother, but I also know he married her to gain his aristocratic title. Furthermore, even when my mother was alive, he found me, who inherits only half the blood of a noble and lacks swordsmanship talent, bothersome. If I had even a little talent as a swordsman, things might have been different… but it’s impossible to view such a man favorably.”
“That might be true, but it’s surprising. You’re so considerate and kind to me and Father…”
Jared had no particular feelings about his father. He had no memory of his father doing anything fatherly, only being ordered to hold a sword a few times when he was young. However, his mother passed away without him ever being taught swordsmanship, and he was left to fend for himself. His grandfather took him in when he saw his plight, but even then, he was subjected to experiences he preferred not to recall, caused by his father. It wasn’t that his parents lacked all affection, but as far as Jared knew, his father had taken advantage of his mother’s position. As a man himself, he could not think favorably of a father who used a woman. Their conversations had been almost nonexistent, the last one being when he was informed he wouldn’t inherit the family headship some time ago. His father also used to become jealous and lash out or even interfere whenever his grandfather did something for Jared. Before he knew it, Jared stopped seeing him as a father.
“You said you lacked talent with a sword, but you used a sword to fight the other day. Is there a reason you used a sword, which you claim to have no talent for?”
“I don’t have the principles of a swordsman or anything like chivalry. To me, a sword is just a convenient weapon, unlike magic. My father, who has nothing but his sword skills, probably didn’t like that way of thinking either.”
“Say, Jared, where exactly did you learn swordsmanship, and from whom?”
“That… it’s a long story, so let’s save it for another time.”
It was a part of Jared’s past that even Olivier didn’t know, and he had no intention of revealing it. It wasn’t a pleasant story, and involved many youthful indiscretions, so he would rather not talk about it if possible.
“I want to know now.”
“It’s almost time for dinner, let’s do it next time.”
Of course, Olivier didn’t hide her dissatisfaction and demanded he speak, but Jared didn’t say anything more about his father or swordsmanship.
More than dissatisfied, Olivier became worried. She had investigated and knew that the reason for the poor father-son relationship and that Jared couldn’t inherit the family headship was decided solely by his father’s will. However, she couldn’t investigate the depths of Jared’s father’s heart. It was the same with Jared. The things Olivier had investigated didn’t encompass Jared’s entire life. In fact, there was a blank period of over a year where she couldn’t figure out what he had been doing. Until recently, she hadn’t paid much attention to it, but now, as she was starting to let her guard down with Jared, she found herself wanting to know. She knew it was selfish, but it was difficult to dismiss a question once it arose. Where and when had Jared learned magic and acquired the skills to be selected as a Court Mage Candidate? Where had he learned swordsmanship, which he claimed to have no talent for and neither his father nor grandfather had taught him? There were too many unknowns. Feeling a slight pang of loneliness about it, Olivier decided to stop pressing, believing that Jared would eventually tell her.
