🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 31
Late in the evening, when darkness had already fallen, the Brante family and the Diern family gathered in the dining hall.
Me, Father, Brother, Darius, the Duchess, and Kyle.
All six of us sitting together like this… My heart was pounding.
“Thank you for coming all this way. We sincerely appreciate you visiting our territory despite your busy schedule. We will do our best to make your stay comfortable.”
As the head of the family, Father welcomed them with a bright smile.
“We should be the thankful ones for the invitation. The scenery of Brante Territory is so beautiful. The journey here was very pleasant.”
“Haha, you flatter us. It’s just countryside—there’s nothing much to see except nature.”
After the Duchess replied warmly, everyone exchanged simple greetings. Since Father and Kyle were meeting for the first time, they shook hands awkwardly. Then the families split into two groups of three and sat across from each other at the table.
Servants quietly brought dish after dish, filling the long table with a grand feast.
“Please, eat as much as you like. I hope it suits your taste.”
Father raised his wine glass first. Everyone followed, lightly lifting their glasses before beginning the meal.
For a while, only the sound of utensils filled the room. Just as I was about to say something, Father laughed and spoke first.
“I worry that our Riez may be troubling your household by visiting so often. She can be stubborn and a little strange at times.”
Ah, the classic tradition of parents teasing their own children.
I gave a small awkward smile, but the Duchess defended me instead.
“What are you saying? It’s quite the opposite. Thanks to Lady Riez, we’ve been very happy lately.”
“I didn’t know my mother was such a chatterbox. She should’ve been born my daughter.”
“Darius!”
When Darius joked, the stiff atmosphere softened immediately.
As expected of our Darius. He’s good at everything. Even though he must be tired from the long journey, how does he still shine like that?
After that, Father and the Duchess continued praising each other’s children.
“You’ve truly raised your son and daughter well. They are both so upright and admirable.”
“I should say the same. Your children are both outstanding. I heard Darius took first place this semester!”
“That’s thanks to Sir Simon’s influence.”
The Duchess waved her hand modestly, but the proud affection in her eyes as she glanced at Darius was obvious.
“That’s right. Without Simon’s help, I would’ve been suspended several times by now.”
Everyone laughed, thinking Darius was joking.
But I knew the truth from the original story. My brother really did cover for Darius when he skipped class. One of the few useful things about my so-called registry mate.
Eventually, because of the Duchess’s passion for education, the conversation focused mostly on academics.
Kyle sat quietly across from me, eating without saying a word. It was like he had lowered his presence to thirty percent.
Since greeting everyone earlier, he hadn’t spoken once. Seeing that made my mood sink.
I gave a small wave to get his attention.
“Kyle, you must’ve had a hard trip.”
“……”
“How’s the food? Does it suit your taste?”
“…Yeah.”
I left the adults to their conversation and kept whispering to Kyle.
“I asked them to make this. You like chicken, right?”
I pointed my fork at the roasted chicken covered in sweet and salty sauce. I remembered how much he liked chicken dishes the last time we ate together, so I had asked the chef in advance.
“It’s… fine.”
His answer was blunt, as usual.
Still, seeing him unable to join the family conversation made me uncomfortable. Was it always like this for him?
“Father! Tomorrow I’m going to Lake Lagria with Kyle!”
I raised my voice when the adults paused in their conversation.
Only then did all four of them suddenly look at Kyle, as if they had just remembered he was there.
After a moment, Father nodded.
“Come to think of it, you haven’t gone to the lake yet because you said you’d go with the Diern children. Simon, take the children to the lakeside tomorrow afternoon.”
Ah, Father, we don’t need your son!
Brother looked annoyed, but in front of the Duchess, he quickly acted polite.
“…Yes, I will.”
“Lake Lagria looked very beautiful even from afar. I’m looking forward to it.”
Darius naturally joined the plan.
I’m so excited!
After that, the conversation returned to ordinary daily topics. No matter how short Kyle’s answers were, I kept quietly talking to him.
When the long dinner finally ended, we all said good night and returned to our rooms.
After preparing for bed, I sat on my bed and glanced out the window. Then I suddenly stood up.
“I don’t want the first day to end like this.”
I quickly put a robe over my nightdress, grabbed a candle lantern, and quietly slipped out of my room.
The guest rooms were on the west side of the inner building.
I carefully avoided the knights guarding the castle and ran through the corridors. Soon, I reached the hallway where the guest rooms were lined up.
Among the three rooms with faint lights on, I knocked on the smallest room at the very end.
There was no answer. I knocked again and waited. After a moment, the door clicked open slightly.
The owner of the room peeked out.
I knew it.
“Kyle, come out.”
Kyle tilted his head, a towel resting on his damp hair.
***
Just before Riez showed up, Kyleus had finished washing and changed his clothes. Feeling heavy like a soaked sponge, he lay down on the bed.
A deep sigh escaped him.
“I shouldn’t have agreed to come.”
Riez had strictly kept her promise to meet him only once a month. In the past two months, she had visited him exactly twice. She was the type to keep her promises perfectly.
She had always been the one clinging to him. But now the situation had reversed, and Kyleus didn’t like it.
Maybe that was why, when he heard Darius was going, he joined the summer trip out of impulse. Of course, the fact that his mother was coming also played a part.
But even on the way here, and after arriving, he felt nothing but regret.
He hated himself for floating like an impurity between the two warm families. He also hated that only Riez was trying so hard to include him.
He should have stayed in the capital and focused on training alone.
As he shut his eyes tightly, wondering how he would endure the next week, someone knocked on the door twice.
When he opened it, he froze.
Riez stood there in her nightdress and robe.
“Kyle, come out.”
Come out? At this hour?
Was she going to say she felt sorry for dragging him here and wasting his time? It didn’t seem like that.
Her cheeks were slightly red, like a child about to show something exciting.
“…Why.”
“I’ll show you something good. Follow me.”
“What is it?”
“Shh. It’ll only take thirty minutes.”
She grabbed his wrist firmly.
He was exhausted and wanted to collapse into bed, but somehow his feet followed her.
Riez walked through the dark corridor, lighting the way with her lantern. She carefully chose empty paths, looking around to avoid guards and servants.
It was annoying, yet he was curious.
Step by step, they climbed higher. Her breathing grew heavier.
What was she trying to show him at this hour?
When they reached a dead end, Riez stopped and blew out the lantern.
Everything went dark.
A sudden uneasiness gripped him.
“She doesn’t have some strange hidden intention… right?”
He remembered other children who had suddenly changed their attitudes and revealed selfish motives.
What if everything she had shown until now was fake?
“…What are you trying to show me? Tell me now.”
His voice came out rough.
Ignoring his anxiety, Riez let out a small laugh.
“Are you ready to be surprised?”
