Translator: Nox

Chapter 28

I Will Save My Father

I Will Save My Father, Episode 29

Episode 29

“I took the maid to the Moonflower Inn.”

There was no need for a leading interrogation.

Theon immediately told me what happened when I asked him what errand he had run for my father yesterday.

He said Anne burst into tears when she saw that Jeffrey had recovered. The innkeeper told her, ‘Master Raytan saved your brother,’ and it seemed my father had become Anne’s savior from that moment on.

‘So Dad intended to help Anne from the very beginning?’

Jeffrey was definitely the reason. Dad has a soft spot for children my age being sick.

‘My dad is just too soft-hearted for his own good~’

Anyway, Theon was so forthcoming that I was actually starting to worry about him.

Dad must have told Theon it was a secret errand. Theon had even used the excuse of going to training yesterday to slip away.

“Is it okay for you to just tell me everything like this?”

“No.”

“Then why are you telling me?”

Theon fell silent for a moment at my question. We were holding hands on our way to the Education Hall; he planned to drop me off and head back to training.

Training upon waking, training after breakfast, training after lunch. Sometimes even training after dinner.

Since becoming Dad’s apprentice, most of Theon’s day was consumed by training.

I guess one doesn’t become a Grand Master just by wishing for it.

‘Crown Prince Theon awakened as a Sword Master at twenty-two, didn’t he?’

A Holy Sword without a master is kept at the Grand Temple.

The Sword Masters of the Heysel Empire were obligated to try wielding any masterless Holy Sword at least once, and Crown Prince Theon was no exception.

Windis chose Crown Prince Theon as its next master.

That happened three years after my father died.

‘Sorry, Theon. In this life, you might have to wait until Dad re-retires.’

Actually, it might be impossible. Once he becomes the Emperor, he’ll be exempt from the duty of the Holy Sword.

…Wait, am I crushing Theon’s dreams?!

At that sudden thought, I was mentally apologizing to him about ten times when Theon spoke up.

“I don’t know.”

“Huh? I didn’t quite hear you.”

I turned my head and met eyes with Theon, who was looking at me.

I don’t know if it’s right to compare people to animals, but Theon’s pitch-black eyes sometimes looked like a puppy’s.

“I shouldn’t tell you, but I wonder why I did?”

“……I don’t know either.”

Is this a riddle?

“I bet you know the answer, Theon. Tell me when you figure it out.”

“Okay.”

Theon fell silent again at my words, a contemplative look on his face.

In any case, Dad was involved in Anne’s escape, right?

The fact that Anne was cleared of the false charges and then fired meant Grandma Priscilla had helped with Dad’s plan.

It wasn’t likely Grandma did it out of kindness toward Dad, so it was safe to assume some kind of deal had been struck.

‘I wonder how much Dad paid her for Grandma Priscilla to exert enough influence to leave Aunt Marian powerless.’

I felt I knew enough about the adults’ affairs for now.

I couldn’t fully trust Anne yet, but she didn’t seem to harbor any ill will toward Dad.

‘More importantly…….’

The children had their own affairs too.

The words the twins said last night while writing their pledge of loyalty were still vivid in my mind.

“……I’m done writing.”

“Ugh. Do I really have to write something like this?”

“I’m so happy you two are my subordinates now. I look forward to working with you!”

“Don’t give me that. And you, don’t ever do that again.”

“Do what?”

“Catching frogs and leaving them in front of our house a few days ago—it was you! The sack was hopping all over the front porch! The servant said there were dozens of bullfrogs inside……. The croaking sound was—”

“Eek! Mati! Stop talking. It’s gross…!”

Mati looked like he was about to cry as he spoke, and Hati covered her ears, shaking her head.

So the reason the twins were so terrified when they saw me at the Education Hall was because they had witnessed a sack full of dozens of bullfrogs.

A large, jumping sack filled with the collective croaking of bullfrogs…….

‘Ugh. Just imagining it gives me the creeps.’

I wondered who did it, but only one person came to mind.

Theon.

Because only Theon and I knew that the twins had tried to throw a bullfrog at me.

‘Why did he do it?’

I was curious, but I didn’t ask him. It seemed better if I was the only one who knew the identity of the Emerald House frog terrorist.

‘Was he taking my side?’

I felt inexplicably good. Is this what it feels like to have a brother~?

Hehe. I swung Theon’s hand, which I was still holding. Theon asked, looking puzzled.

“Do you have something to say?”

“No, I’m just happy~”

“About what?”

“About you, Theon!”

At those words, Theon fell silent again, looking lost in thought.

---

Whoosh.

I took a deep breath as I looked at the closed classroom door. To maintain my image as the bottom of the ranks, I usually arrived five minutes before class started.

So, all my cousins would be inside right now. Especially Calips.

‘Aunt Marian must have made a huge scene. Calips probably knows too.’

Ugh. Something might actually fall on my head today.

I turned the doorknob, opened the door slightly, then stepped back and pushed it with my foot. I intended to push it gently, but my shoe slipped, and my leg shot forward.

I-I’m going to split in half……!

“Ugh, ah, ah!”

Thud!

I almost ended up in a full split, but my superior survival instincts kicked in, and I managed to bend my knee and plant my foot on the floor.

Calming my racing heart, I looked down to see the doorframe right beneath me. If something had fallen from the top of the door, it would have hit me directly. Though nothing did fall.

“Ahem.”

I cleared my throat awkwardly, but the room was silent.

When the door opened, I had caught a glimpse of my cousins sitting in their seats.

‘The air is heavy.’

When I looked up, my cousins were all staring at me.

Every single one of them had a stiff expression. Even the usually kind Ciel was expressionless.

Is this the aftermath of yesterday? It’s cold, so cold.

Normally, I would have quietly slunk to my seat while reading their moods, but—.

Grin.

“Sisters, brothers. Good morning!”

That was the old me.

I waved with a bright smile. Especially toward the two sitting behind my seat!

“Uh…. Good morning.”

“……Hi.”

When my subordinates accepted my greeting, Ciel looked a bit surprised, and Calips kicked his desk loudly.

“Hati, Mati. What are you doing?”

They had probably agreed to ignore me together when I walked in.

“……She’s saying hello.”

“Mom told us we must always return a greeting.”

Calips gnashed his teeth at the twins’ excuses.

Regardless, Madam Phrea would be arriving soon. I went to my seat and sat down.

I could see the blue sky through the window. The weather is nice.

‘I want to visit the Grand Temple. I heard it’s like a completely different world inside.’

The symbolic color of the Aubaut Church was white. Because of that, all the visible materials used to build the Grand Temple were white, supposedly making one feel as if they were walking through a dream.

However, the Grand Temple was a place where no one could enter except for authorized personnel and their companions.

In my memories, Dad said he would take me to the Grand Temple when I was older, but in the end, he couldn’t keep that promise.

But since I have Theon now, maybe the future will be different!

Bam—!

“Whoa!”

I was lost in thought while looking out the window when it happened.

A strong gust of wind blew right past my face. What a startle. I instinctively closed my eyes, then opened them and turned my head to see someone standing there, leaning one hand on my desk.

“Hey.”

Like his slightly messy brown hair, his sharp dark brown eyes were glaring at me.

It was Calips.

There was a newspaper under the hand resting on the desk; the wind seemed to have been caused by Calips slamming the paper down.

As I looked at him with my bangs blown back, Calips twisted his lips and sneered at me.

“What are you smirking about?”

“I wasn’t smirking.”

I really wasn’t. Calips frowned, perhaps not expecting me to talk back.

“You don’t even go to pay your morning respects, do you? Do you know what Grandmother said this morning?”

How would I know what Grandma said this morning? I wasn’t even there.

When I shook my head to indicate I didn’t know, Calips continued.

“She told us to be nice to you.”

“Oh.”

At this point, I’m getting even more curious about the deal between Dad and Grandma.

How much did she receive to say something like that?

“Do you know why Grandmother took your side? Do you know why she told us not to mess with someone like you?”

“No……?”

“It’s because she pities you.”

“Stop it, Calips.”

Ciel, seemingly unable to watch any longer, stood up to stop him.

However, at Calips’s next words, Ciel stopped in her tracks.

“Because you’re a moron who can’t even read.”

Oh my god.

An incredulous gasp escaped the twins sitting behind me.