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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: Awkward Attempts
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Because Kivrin is the heir to the duchy?
Or because he has extraordinary abilities, like being able to talk to animals or having excellent hearing?
I grabbed the railing Menelik was leaning against.
After standing on my tiptoes and struggling a few times, I managed to get into a precarious position, looking like I might tumble over the railing at any moment.
“What about me, then? You’re not worried even if I do this—whoa!”
A sudden gust of wind from over the sea was more than enough to sway someone my size.
Menelik swiftly lifted me up as I staggered.
“You’ll fall in.”
With my legs dangling in the air, I asked Menelik,
“Are you worried about me?”
Menelik, finally realizing why I was acting this way, let out a dry laugh.
“Cheria, unlike you, Kivrin doesn’t need help from me or Winter.”
“What? No way!”
Kivrin is still just a child!
“It’s true. Sometimes I think Kivrin’s mental age is higher than mine.”
But Menelik seemed to genuinely believe it.
Menelik slowly set me down.
I wiggled my toes as they touched the deck.
Of course, Kivrin did have many extraordinary qualities.
Now that he had even recalled some memories from his past life, there were times he’d look at the world with bored eyes, as if most of it held no interest for him.
But that didn’t mean he didn’t need Winter and Menelik’s help.
Kivrin still smiled when he looked at Winter, and he still held a grudge against Menelik for trying to harm him.
If he truly didn’t need them and didn’t care, he wouldn’t have gotten so angry at Menelik.
“I’m sure of it. I can confidently say that you’re wrong, Father.”
When I retorted without hesitation, Menelik gave me a curious look.
“Confident, are you?”
“Yes. So please worry about Kivrin, too.”
“Hmm…”
Moved by my words, Menelik rushed into the cabin where Kivrin was.
And less than five minutes later, he was kicked out.
He just made things worse!
My eyes trembled as I stared at Menelik.
He had a look on his face that said he had no idea what the problem was.
“He said if I talk to him one more time, he’ll jump off the ship. Says he’d rather swim.”
“…”
This was as much as I could do.
N-Now, my only hope is Mother!
* * *
I ate the strange plant Kivrin had brought me and had my last dinner at the villa.
Winter, who had once again taken the seat next to me, expressed her disdain for the Pope’s plan.
“Those Temple fools claim to hate snakes, yet they’re more obsessed with them than anyone. In any case, if what the Saintess said is true, the Pope won’t die a peaceful death. We have plenty of places to go besides the Empire, but if the Pope is abandoned by the gods, it’s truly over for him.”
Winter murmured these cryptic words as she pushed the ice cream toward me.
As if she had no intention of discussing the Pope and my sister any further, she turned her concern to me.
“Cheria, are you sure you don’t need to postpone our plans? I’m worried about you.”
We were scheduled to return to the duchy tomorrow.
But because I’d had a nosebleed, Winter hoped we would either postpone the trip or avoid warping.
However, thanks to the plant Kivrin gave me, I felt fine for the moment.
“Of course. I won’t overdo it. I’ll tell you right away if I feel sick!”
Winter smiled at my words.
“Of course you will.”
After dinner, Winter went out for a light stroll.
I quickly followed her.
Once we were far enough from the villa and out of Kivrin’s earshot, Winter spoke gently.
“Now, are you going to tell me how much fun you had with Menelik?”
“Yes!”
I told her everything that had happened on our outing.
Winter’s eyebrows furrowed.
“He drew his sword in front of you? He’s lost his mind.”
Winter cracked her knuckles as if she were about to go beat Menelik up right that second.
The way she even rolled her wrists looked very serious.
“B-But the jelly necklace was delicious!”
“And he fed you such unhygienic food.”
“We also got to see the auction house…”
“So while you were alone in a basement warehouse infested with mice, he was listening to the auction house owner flatter him?”
Haha…
It seemed the more I talked, the more danger Menelik was in.
I broke into a cold sweat and changed the subject.
“Do you think the day will come when Father and Kivrin can have a proper conversation?”
Winter sighed. “Haaah.”
“To be honest, both Rick and Kivrin have improved a lot compared to before. They used to not even acknowledge each other.”
“…”
“When Rick became a Sword Master, the previous duke planned to kill him. Before he became a monster, that is. But Rick survived. And as time passed, when his own son was called a monster by the Temple, he almost made the same choice as the previous duke.”
I could feel Winter struggling to swallow the words hanging in her mouth.
A shadow fell over Winter’s eyes.
It made me wonder if Menelik and Kivrin would ever know what a normal family relationship was like.
If I still had all my memories from my second life, I might have been able to help.
But now, only the memories of being an outcast in the Mayol household were clear, so I had no idea what to do either.
Winter’s gentle hand touched my head and then pulled away.
“I have something important to discuss with Rick, so you should head inside now.”
But I wanted to enjoy the scenery a little longer.
Instead of going into the coral villa, I lingered by the doorway.
Suddenly, I noticed crabs scurrying busily across the sandy ground, which glittered as if sprinkled with sugar.
The crabs were smaller than my palm and had a pinkish hue that suited the beach.
“Did you guys come to see Kivrin, too?”
I crouched down and watched the crabs.
They were quite cute, all huddled together.
“Are you guys a family, too? I’m jealous. What’s the secret to getting along so well?”
Naturally, I received no answer.
I shrugged and stood up.
I was about to head into the villa when I realized my parents-in-law and Kivrin were standing behind me, staring.
“…”
Ugh, aaah! How embarrassing!
I can understand Mother, but how long have Father and Kivrin been watching!
I felt like smoke was coming out of my face.
“I-I’m sleepy, so I’m going to head in now!”
I scurried away.
* * *
Perhaps because I’d tossed and turned all night, unable to bear the embarrassment, I woke up early the next day.
Early in the morning, Albert and Eugenie arrived with a bounty of the territory’s specialties.
When they said the gifts were for me, not the ducal family, my parents-in-law accepted them without a second thought.
On top of that, the antiques and jewels I’d bought at the auction with the blank check also arrived.
I broke into a cold sweat when five whole carriages arrived, but Winter just tilted her head.
“Is that all you bought with a blank check? Our Cheria is still quite frugal.”
“Ahaha…”
I’d better keep it a secret that I had originally only planned to buy a single old sword that wasn’t even supposed to be up for auction…
In any case, my coral villa became much more lavish.
I said my goodbyes to the elderly couple, asking them to take good care of the villa, and climbed into the carriage.
We traveled in a single carriage on our way to the warp location.
This meant a long ride with Menelik, but surprisingly, Kivrin didn’t show any signs of displeasure.
That wasn’t the only strange thing.
For some reason, Menelik wore an awkward smile and tried to force a conversation with me.
“The weather’s nice today, isn’t it?”
…But there are dark clouds outside.
The forecast even said it would rain here.
Even though I stared at him, utterly baffled, Menelik continued.
“Just like the harmonious future of our family…”
Just then, a dry peal of thunder rumbled across the sky.
“…Utterly unhelpful.”
Menelik rubbed his face with his hands.
Why is he suddenly acting like this?
Could it be because he saw me talking to that crab family?
It was hard to tell if Menelik was teasing me or if he was genuinely concerned.
In any case, the weather was not on Menelik’s side today.
Eventually, it started pouring before we even reached the warp location, which made even Winter, who had been tut-tutting at Menelik, look puzzled.
“The rain wasn’t supposed to come until evening.”
Menelik muttered in a gloomy voice,
“The crab family cursed me.”
There’s no way!
I was about to say he was blaming them for no reason when I met Kivrin’s gaze.
Kivrin was straining his brow, trying his best not to look at Menelik as if he were pathetic.
“…”
Menelik placed a hand on my head and whispered,
“Don’t you think Kivrin looks sick?”
Anyone can see it’s because of you, Father…
