“Excuse me for interrupting your conversation… but, uh, Father has returned.”
Jared stood up at the words conveyed by Roik, who had arrived.
“Ah, is it that time already? Olivier, shall we go home?”
“Huh? Brother, are you leaving already?”
Roik lowered his eyes, looking more sad than surprised, and a sense of guilt welled up in Jared. He worried that despite being his brother, he could never pay him much attention and that his infrequent visits to this mansion, without any particular reason, made him feel less like a brother than he used to be.
However, the atmosphere in the mansion turned sour whenever he met his father. If his father were to become displeased, it would be awkward for Karina and the others to stay, let alone for Jared to leave. Roik must have known about his father’s strained relationship with him. Perhaps, in his own way, he wanted to mend the father-son relationship—Jared pondered.
“I’ll come again properly next time, I’m sorry.”
“…Brother always says that.”
“Truly, I’m sorry.”
Jared approached his lonely younger brother and gently stroked his head. With a heart full of regret towards his tearful brother, he signaled Olivier with his eyes to go home.
“I don’t have to go home yet, you know. Of course, it depends on Jared.”
Jared was grateful that Olivier seemed to be considerate of Roik and hadn’t explicitly told him to leave. If possible, Jared had wanted a little more time to play with Roik.
“Thank you, Olivier. But let’s go home today. And please, come with me again.”
“Yes, I understand.”
After careful consideration, Jared decided it was best to leave without facing his father. Olivier stood up without further comment. Then,
“Jared—shouldn’t you have a proper conversation with your father at least once?”
“Mother, that…”
“I’m sure he’ll be pleased about the Court Mage matter as well. You’ll be in the same position as Liz herself.”
Was that really true? Jared couldn’t accept his stepmother’s words. From what Jared knew, his father, Johan Daum, did not love his mother, who was a Court Mage. For such a father to say “Well done” to his son, who had become a Court Mage like his mother, especially after he had declared that he would not let him inherit the family headship due to his lack of talent with a sword and had even intended to send him to a facility, was unfortunately unlikely.
“Jared might dislike it, but if possible, I’d like to meet your father as your fiancée.”
“Even you, Olivier, to say such a thing…”
Jared looked troubled at his fiancée, who had changed her opinion.
“But it was your father who spoke to my father that led to you and I becoming engaged. Wouldn’t you want to know the reason why?”
“I was wondering about that too. Why you decided to have Jared and Olivier betrothed, you never told me anything about it.”
“Mother, Olivier, please spare me.”
“Jared, haven’t you ever found it strange?”
Suddenly asked, Jared tilted his head.
“Olivier, what are you trying to say?”
“Johan Daum has publicly stated that he does not favor you, his son. He even said he doesn’t want you to inherit your grandfather’s position—then why arrange the marriage with the Ducal Family? Even if there are rumors about me, wouldn’t it be more inconvenient for your father if you married Jared?”
Thinking about it, it was true. Jared hadn’t considered it much, but it didn’t add up. His father resented him. The reason was unclear. However, ever since that one time he swung a sword when his mother was still alive, his relationship with his father had become strained. Rereading the memory, he couldn’t recall his father’s face when he swung the sword. Nor could he recall his mother’s face. Whether it was a face filled with disappointment or a smile, he had no memory of it, despite being young.
And when his father told the still young Jared, “I won’t let you inherit the family headship”—he couldn’t recall what his father’s face looked like then either. He heard that the reason was his father’s unilateral decision, deeming him untalented with a sword, a tradition of the sword family, to remove him from being the next heir. At the time, just like now, Jared had no interest in being the family head or even in nobility, so he didn’t think much of it. Perhaps it was more accurate to say that, with his mother’s death, he wasn’t in a state to care.
— I know nothing about my father.
Surely his father knew little about him too. Yet, he didn’t even know the reason why his father resented him. He had once wanted to kill him. But seeing his father, who had worried about him when he was missing, he became confused. And then, noticing his father’s visible concern, Jared lost all desire for revenge.
“Let’s ask him directly.”
“W-wait, Olivier!”
“Well, I’ve become curious, and it feels unsettling to leave it as is. Besides—”
“Besides, what?”
“Oh, nothing.”
Olivier stopped himself from saying more, trailing off. In her heart, she wondered if perhaps the relationship between Johan Daum and Jared could improve. Just as she had been able to let go of her own hatred for her father, she thought she might be able to do the same for Jared. It might be none of her business, but with the appearance of Wahash, who called himself Jared’s grandfather, and the incident of Liz Murphy’s death that his father told him about, she couldn’t help but want to lighten Jared’s emotional burden even a little.
Olivier herself hadn’t sorted out her own feelings. Although her father had told her not to mention it to anyone, including Jared, it was also true that she couldn’t act carelessly. Therefore, she had come with Jared today. She had decided that after meeting his family here, at his ancestral home, she would—if she could sort out her feelings—disobey her father’s orders and tell Jared everything. Yes, Olivier had resolved to do so. To achieve that, first, she wanted to meet Johan Daum.
