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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: A Father's Umbrella
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The mansion began to burn in earnest, smoke billowing into the air.
We decided to talk later. I grabbed Kivrin's hand and escaped the mansion.
The flames had swallowed nearly half of the estate.
Just as the knight had said, thick raindrops began to soak the ground.
Relieved that I wouldn't have to worry about the forest catching fire, I found a spot a safe distance away with Kivrin and sat down.
Kivrin picked up a large leaf and held it over my head like an umbrella, which made me laugh.
“It's burning well.”
Causing trouble was one thing, but I had completely twisted the original story.
I mumbled, rubbing my rain-soaked cheek.
“I've ruined a ducal mansion. Think I'll get divorced?”
What if they bill me for the repairs?
What if they lock Kivrin up in another mansion?
“Divorced?”
Kivrin's eyes widened.
Kivrin's lips moved as he mumbled something, but his words were drowned out by the rapidly approaching sound of a carriage.
It seemed there were servants watching the mansion from out of my sight, as I could also hear the sound of footsteps.
And then.
“Kivrin!”
It was Winter Nectarian.
“Let go! I'll go in myself!”
Winter shook off the maids holding her back and tried to rush into the mansion.
I gave Kivrin a gentle push on the back.
“Go on.”
Kivrin looked back at me.
I shook my head, meaning he should go alone.
If my parents-in-law were better people than I thought, maybe Kivrin wouldn't grow up to be a patricide.
Of course, my own parents were trash, no matter how you looked at it.
Kivrin will be raised gently, and I'll grow up strong.
Yep, perfect. The path of parricide is best walked alone, after all.
The sound of the rain grew louder as Kivrin walked away.
I thought I might catch a cold before Kivrin did, but a shadow suddenly fell over me.
“...Huh?”
When I lifted my head, I saw the upside-down face of an incredibly handsome man.
The man had the same silver hair as Kivrin.
He looked to be in his late twenties, and the place where his right arm should have been was empty.
He must have been smoking a cigarette, as there was a faint, bitter scent about him.
Ah, I know who this is.
It was Kivrin's biological father, Menelik Nectarian.
He opened his mouth to speak.
“Are you hurt?”
His chillingly deep voice cut through the sound of the rain and reached my ears.
I was nervous and answered a little late.
“...N-No.”
He then held out the umbrella he was carrying.
“You hold it. As you can see, I'm a one-armed cripple.”
I took the umbrella with both hands, taken aback. It was quite heavy.
Then, Menelik scooped me up with his one arm.
Huh?
I hadn't realized he meant for us to share the umbrella. Flustered, my hand slipped.
The umbrella wobbled for a moment and bonked Menelik on the head.
“Ow.”
“Ah, I'm so sorry!”
How could the great Cheria, who's supposed to grow up strong, make a mistake like this!
My face grew hot.
Menelik's eyes were as dull as a dead fish's, making it impossible to tell if he was really in pain or if it was bearable.
His face was perfectly serene, as if he had just woken up.
“It's fine. You woke me up.”
Oh, he's not angry...
I mustered my courage and took a closer look at Menelik.
Menelik's eyes were a pale, golden green.
They were quite different from Kivrin's golden eyes, which had a commanding presence even from a distance.
I didn't know much about Menelik Nectarian.
In , Menelik never made an appearance except for when the Pope insulted Winter's homeland.
Because of this, it was treated as an established fact in high society that Winter was the true master of the ducal house.
On the other hand, there was also speculation that if Menelik hadn't lost his arm, he would have snatched away all the titles the novel's male lead had claimed.
He had been the empire's youngest Sword Master and the de facto ruler of the now-buried Dark City.
“I... I can't go near him...”
At the sound of Winter's tearful voice, both Menelik and I turned our heads.
Menelik approached Winter, still holding me.
Winter, letting the pouring rain soak her completely, took half a step back from Kivrin.
“They said we—no, *I*—would hurt you. It's all my fault. So I...”
“I-I'm okay.”
Winter's face twisted at Kivrin's reply.
She bit her lip hard.
As I thought, closing the distance between them all at once was impossible.
I tugged on Menelik's clothes.
“Please put me down.”
“Hm?”
“I'll share with the Young Lord.”
Menelik set me down.
I ran to Kivrin, holding the umbrella.
“...Right. Well, don't you worry about me.”
Menelik, who was now suddenly getting soaked by the rain, muttered behind me in disbelief.
Knowing my father-in-law would be fine even if he got a little wet, I quickly held the umbrella over Kivrin.
“You'll catch a cold, Young Lord.”
Kivrin blinked.
A raindrop clinging to his silver eyelashes silently rolled down.
“I'm okay.”
Kivrin said, just as he had before.
I gently pressed my forehead against Kivrin's wet one.
“You don't have to say you're okay to me. I have broad shoulders for you to lean on.”
“Wh-Where are they broad...”
“Just pretend they are and lean on me.”
“...”
I felt a tug on my clothes and looked down.
Kivrin's small hand was clutching my hem.
Menelik, who had received an umbrella from a servant, called out to Winter.
“It's time to go back.”
Even as Menelik held the umbrella over her and brought his face close to hers, Winter remained in a daze.
I hesitated for a moment before calling out to Winter.
“Mother?”
A little shock therapy was effective.
This time, she reacted instantly.
“Don't call me that...”
“Why aren't you asking? How the fire started, how we managed to escape.”
Winter clicked her tongue.
“I may have bought you from Count Mayol, who was so desperate to sell off his child, but do not treat me as your equal. I can hear about such things later.”
“...”
“Don't just stand there gawking. Get in the carriage.”
Having come to her senses, Winter gestured with her eyes toward the carriage.
Inside the carriage, it was very warm, a stark contrast to the wind and rain raging outside.
As Kivrin and I were warming ourselves, Menelik entered.
The carriage started moving the moment Menelik closed the door.
Are the three of us going alone?
“What about Mother?”
“She'll come later. The Temple warned that the closer Winter gets to Kivrin, the worse his condition will become.”
“...”
“Of course, it could be a lie. They've always looked down on the ducal house, so it might just be one of their schemes.”
“...”
Menelik, who had habitually reached into his coat for a cigarette, made a small "ah" sound and put it back.
I could guess what Menelik's daily life was like.
With no young children in the ducal estate, he must have smoked cigarettes all day, every day.
Menelik saw my expression and let out a short laugh.
“But what if, by some chance, it's true? What if the Temple's dogs were right for once?”
“...”
“Well, that's how it is. It's hard to gamble with your own child's life. Not that we're good parents, mind you.”
I suddenly turned to look at Kivrin.
Kivrin was staring at Menelik with a doll-like, expressionless face, but he turned his head slightly when he felt my gaze.
Then, as if his blank expression had been a lie, he gave me a bashful smile.
When I turned my head back to Menelik, he was smiling with his eyes.
It seemed like they were both trying to reassure me.
What is this... Do I look scared? There's no way.
There was no mirror in the carriage, so I rubbed my innocent cheek for no reason.
My impression after finally meeting and talking with Menelik Nectarian was, 'I have no idea what kind of person he is.'
Which, in truth, was to be expected.
Both Winter and Menelik were no longer just characters in a novel; they had many different sides to them.
The carriage swiftly made its way off the sloping road. Being the property of the empire's wealthiest family, it didn't even jolt.
Now that I've had a taste of this capital, running away can only be a last resort...
Around the time Kivrin started to doze off, the view outside the window began to brighten.
The scattered lights converged at a single point, revealing the ducal estate, which shone like a city that never sleeps.
It was a massive Gothic-style mansion that looked like it belonged in a fairy-tale illustration.
However, it didn't seem like the kind of place a princess or prince would live.
It had the feel of a place where a beast, cursed to lose everything but his money, would emerge.
It's so tall. It reeks of money.
This is on a whole other level from a townhouse.
Without realizing it, I pressed my nose against the window and stared.
Seeing this, Menelik chuckled.
“So you like that sort of thing.”
