“What, you were here?”
As Wahash walked away from the mansion, bidding farewell and expressing his gratitude to his grandson’s fiancé who had seen him off, Jared, carrying a paper bag, approached from ahead.
“I felt bad about it, but I ended up speaking with Olivier.”
“I hate to say this, but next time, just give me a heads-up.”
“I considered it, but I thought you’d object.”
“Object… maybe. But if Olivier said they wanted to meet, I don’t think I would have just flat-out refused. Probably.”
“Is that so? Well, if there’s a next time, I’ll do that.”
Despite their relationship as grandfather and grandson, there was a certain wall between them. It was understandable. Jared had only thought his grandfather was on his father’s side, and he had only recently learned of Wahash’s existence, not to mention that he was the leader of the organization that targeted his fiancé.
Wahash, on the other hand, had complex feelings. He knew his runaway daughter had a child, but he never got to meet her while she was alive. He only found out much later that his grandson had been sold to an organization masquerading as Waalthe, and he only met him face-to-face after taking action to avenge his daughter.
It wasn’t awkwardness, so much as neither of them knew how to approach the other. They had even fought once, with Jared attacking seriously and Wahash merely fending him off. While that fight hadn’t lingered, they both knew it wasn’t how a grandfather and grandson should meet.
“Hey.”
As Wahash passed by his grandson, Jared threw an apple at him from behind.
The apple, thrown with force as if to hit, was caught effortlessly without Wahash even turning around or making a sound.
With just this exchange, Jared keenly felt how far above him Wahash was and couldn’t help but click his tongue.
“That was dangerous.”
“Liar. At least turn around.”
“I’ll take this apple as a souvenir. See you.”
“Wait.”
Jared called out to Wahash, who had started walking again.
“What is it?”
This time, Wahash stopped and turned around. Jared, choosing his words carefully, opened his mouth with an awkward expression.
“Uh, well, if you want, how about you stay for a meal?”
Wahash was surprised by his grandson, who scratched his cheek with a finger and looked away while saying that. He had never expected to be invited to a meal.
“Why the surprised look? I mean, we’re not exactly the type to sit at a table and eat together, but we are grandfather and grandson, after all. I thought maybe we could do something like that just once. Besides, Rosa and Pfeil are here. They’d surely be happy.”
Though he didn’t say it aloud, Olivier had also worried about Jared’s strained relationship with his grandfather. He remembered how Hannelore had always wanted to invite him for a meal as usual.
Despite having had her life threatened, he couldn’t help but think of them as a strong mother and daughter. Perhaps he had been influenced by them, he thought with a wry smile.
“It’s a kind offer, but I have to meet someone. Let’s do it another time.”
“Oh. Well, I guess that can’t be helped. Yeah, another time then.”
“Ah, I look forward to it.”
Wahash waved his hand slightly and turned his back again, walking away quietly. Just then, a strong gust of wind blew, and Jared instinctively covered his face with his arm.
“…Why is it that you guys can just disappear so easily?”
In that instant, Wahash, who had been right in front of him, vanished, and Jared exclaimed in a tone of surprise and exasperation.
“Well, at least it’s one step forward.”
Jared muttered this as he confirmed there was no one else around. Although their first meeting hadn’t been ideal, he now thought about trying to bridge the gap little by little.
Even though he couldn’t act on his feelings directly, he intended to narrow the distance over time. With the truth of his mother’s death revealed and the perpetrator dealt with, Jared felt lighter and had more leeway. Spending time with Olivier had taught him the importance of family, and above all, he could now think for the sake of his deceased mother.
“See you later, Wahash.”
He couldn’t call him “Grandfather” yet, but he hoped that day would come.
