🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 12
“How old are you now? About my age, right? You’re not a child anymore, so you should graduate from acting out whenever things don’t go your way. How long are you going to behave so immaturely? Other people aren’t trash bins for your feelings.”
Sometimes there were people like that—those who, instead of making a legitimate complaint, acted like they were going to dump all their long-suppressed anger on someone else.
‘If you want to use someone as an emotional trash can, at least pay them well.’
Then at least they could get counseling or have antidepressants prescribed.
The thought brought a cynical smile to Adelaide’s face.
“Apologize. For acting out, for breaking the toy—everything.”
But Felix still refused to relent.
“I… I can just pay for this cheap toy! Hey! How much is it?”
“It… my grandfather… made it… sniff…”
“……”
The air around them froze in an instant.
Felix was stunned at the unexpected answer, his lips moving but no words coming out.
“I-I’ll… I’ll pay ten times! A better one! A brand-new toy! Will that do?”
—Smack!
Adelaide couldn’t hold back any longer and swung her hand.
Felix jumped up from the pain that spread across his back.
“What are you doing?!”
“How much are you worth?”
“What?”
—Smack!
“That hurts!”
“How much is your back worth? Ten francs? A hundred? Doesn’t matter. I’ll pay whatever it costs.”
“This… Are you insane? How can you buy a person with money?”
“Then can you buy someone else’s precious possession?”
Sometimes, when people get angry, they become even calmer.
This was exactly one of those moments.
Adelaide continued, composed.
“Monsieur Hedebot is a respected and outstanding merchant. You agree, don’t you?”
At the mention of his father, Felix gave her a suspicious, wary look.
“Do you think that’s because he’s strong? Or rich? Or old?”
“……”
Felix had no answer.
“If, when you inherit your family business, you still act like this, do you think people will respect you? No, if you wanted to enforce respect through force, you should have become a knight. Oh, right. A scrawny little brat like you, who’s fussing after getting a few smacks? You’ll never be a knight. Just take your allowance and live as you are. That suits you perfectly.”
“Is that everything you have to say?”
“No. If I said more, I think you’d cry.”
“Hey!”
No matter how much he stomped and shook his fists, I wasn’t scared. He was pitiful instead.
Adelaide’s cold gaze said it all.
“Hmph. Still a child, huh.”
She emphasized the word “child,” and the reaction was worth watching.
“W-who’s a child? I’m the oldest here! I’m not a child!”
“And yet you act so immaturely? Why even eat birthday cake if you can’t even digest it?”
Felix’s eyes welled up with tears at her biting remarks.
So sensitive to being called a child… he really is just a kid. Adelaide felt a pang of conscience.
But she decided to correct this awful habit for good.
“These people here might be heirs you’ll do business with one day. If it were me, I’d never deal with a violent, childish brat like you who destroys things just because they don’t like it.”
The boy, ready to scream at any second, finally calmed down at the mention of the future.
“Apologize.”
“Grr…”
Adelaide’s sharp gaze urged him, and Felix hesitated, turning toward the child who had been sobbing over the broken toy.
“…I’m… sorry.”
“I can’t hear you. Maybe your voice is too small because you’re still little.”
“…I said sorry.”
“Again.”
“I’m sorry!”
“Hmm. That’s how you apologize? Maybe you really are still young.”
“I-I’m not little! I already said I’m sorry!”
Ah, this.
Felix finally burst into tears.
“Crying? Right now? And for what? The one who really wants to cry is the kid whose toy got broken! And you’re crying just because you got scolded? As I suspected, you really are just a child.”
“I’m not crying! It’s not that! Something got in my eye, that’s all!”
Yet the way he whined and drew out his words was obviously a temper-tantrum crying fit.
Instead of scolding him further, Adelaide shrugged.
“Miss… Adelaide…”
“Yes?”
“I’m fine… He apologized… so…”
“You’re more mature than Felix.”
Adelaide chuckled and patted the child’s head.
“Since he apologized, I’ll take back calling him little. You’re not little or childish; it’s just that your body grew faster than your mind.”
The other children, sensing the hidden meaning, bit their lips to suppress their laughter.
Luckily, Felix didn’t understand.
Then:
“Oh? Adelaide, Felix? What’s this? Felix, are you crying?”
The adults, having finished the meeting, returned.
“It’s nothing serious. Felix accidentally broke a toy and seemed surprised himself.”
“…Really?”
I preempted him, and Felix looked at me with bewilderment.
Why, what… surely he wouldn’t be snitching cowardly?
As soon as our eyes met, he quickly averted his gaze. Tail tucked already…
“Is the meeting over?”
“Yes. We’ve been… playing nicely today?”
“Yes. Felix brought a Go board, so we were playing with that.”
Felix looked even more shocked.
“Oh my! That’s a bit advanced for you kids, isn’t it? Hmm, what to do…”
I thought they’d be pleased we were playing well—but apparently not.
Uncle Guillaume shrugged in an exaggerated tone.
“I brought a puzzle so you wouldn’t get bored.”
“A puzzle?”
“I even thought of giving a prize—something you want from the East on this voyage.”
“From the East?”
“Since you were having fun… maybe next time…”
“I want to! Let me do it!”
He’s going to get something he wants from the East? No way we’re missing this chance.
Felix, and even usually calm Ipholitte and Antoine, brightened with excitement.
“Antoine, is there something you want?”
No need to ask. Antoine’s favorite toy recently was a shield-shaped kite from the East.
Although it had been ruined recently after getting caught in a tree.
“I want the kite. What about you, sis?”
“Me… some medicine from Mom.”
“Medicine?”
“Yes. I’d like rare herbs only found there.”
If I could get that in advance, a kite would be nothing. Antoine could hang on and fly with it no problem.
Uncle Guillaume reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and handed each child a gold coin—ten francs each.
What are we supposed to do with this?
Amid the children’s confusion, he shouted:
“Go, use this to fill the room with whatever you want!”
