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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Chapter 7 Twisted Relationship (1)
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“What exactly happened yesterday?”
“What?”
“What happened to those men who dragged them away?”
The next morning, as soon as Kanto woke up, he began asking Sei-an about what had happened the previous day.
He had intended to ask immediately after returning to the academy yesterday, but when he entered his room, Sei-an was nowhere to be seen.
So he waited for Sei-an's return, but as the sun set and night fell, Sei-an still hadn't come back, and Kanto ended up falling asleep.
“And where did you go yesterday that kept you out so late?”
“…”
At Kanto's questions, Sei-an recalled the events of yesterday.
It was fine that he had parted ways with Arisa and entered the academy first. But this time, too, he had started to get lost on his way to his room.
He wanted to ask someone for directions, but most of the students had gone out into the town, making it difficult to find anyone noticeable within the academy.
In the end, after wandering around lost for a long time, he finally spotted people returning to the academy as night fell and heading towards their residences. He followed them and was able to find his way back to his own room.
“Just answer me.”
However, Kanto, completely unaware of the situation, stared at him with a gaze full of questions, urging him to answer.
“I just had some errands to run. And isn't it enough that they’re safe?”
“That’s true, but…”
But Sei-an didn't give a precise answer, which only made Kanto look at him with an even more puzzled expression.
“There’s something I’m curious about as well.”
“Hmm?”
Sei-an, too, had something he was curious about and began to ask Kanto.
“It’s about my younger sibling.”
“Your younger sibling?”
“Yes.”
It felt strange to ask him about his own family, but he figured Kanto would know more about Arisa, who was at the academy, than he did.
Recalling that Kanto had told him yesterday that she was his younger sister, he posed the question to gain even a small piece of information.
“Why are Arisa and Crove—”
“Crove?”
“…You really have completely lost your memories of your family.”
“Yes.”
“Crove is your younger sibling too, you know.”
“Is that child also attending this place?”
“Yes.”
And just as Sei-an had expected, he heard the name of another younger sibling from Kanto, one he hadn't known about besides Arisa.
“Did I dislike those children?”
“…”
Kanto showed a slightly troubled expression at Sei-an's follow-up question. Then, he let out a short sigh and continued speaking.
“I heard rumors that they were half-siblings, from a different mother.”
“That rumor is correct.”
“Right.”
Kanto knew more about Sei-an than Sei-an had anticipated.
That was because when it became known that Sei-an was the younger brother of Lucian, who had graduated from here with excellent grades, interest in him among the students was immense.
Along with that, rumors about his family relations spread, and Kanto, who had to share a room with him, also unintentionally heard many rumors about him.
“Perhaps because of that, you didn’t particularly care for those two children.”
“It seems so.”
Sei-an recalled Arisa's gaze from yesterday, how she seemed burdened by him and disliked him, and this answer was somewhat what he had expected.
“Then, were the two children on good terms with each other?”
Then Sei-an posed another question to him. Something about Arisa's tone and appearance had bothered him.
It was an expression he had often seen while dealing with humans for a long time... the look and tone that came from someone who profoundly felt their own solitude. He had seen it in her.
Even if it wasn't him, she had a mother and another older brother, so he couldn't understand why she felt such profound loneliness.
“No.”
“…”
“Arisa and Crove didn’t seem to be on good terms either.”
“Hmm.”
“Perhaps it’s because they also have different mothers.”
“…! What?”
Sei-an looked at Kanto with a slightly surprised expression, having heard something unexpected from him.
The two children had different mothers? Did that mean Crisna, who was currently at Count Shurayton’s estate, wasn’t their mother?
“Honestly… why do I have to be the one telling you your family history?”
Kanto couldn't help but let out an exasperated smile, looking at Sei-an's puzzled expression.
Sei-an asking a stranger about his own family history was amusing.
But understanding that Sei-an had lost his memories, Kanto told him everything he had heard and learned.
“I heard that the current Countess at Count Shurayton’s estate is Crove’s biological mother.”
“Yes.”
“But I heard Arisa was born from another woman.”
“…”
“I’m not entirely sure myself, but they say Crove and Arisa also have different mothers.”
Sei-an listened to Kanto’s words, subtly furrowing his brow.
‘This man, my father… why are his relationships with women so complicated?’
How many women did he have to get involved with to have so many half-siblings?
Despite his dignified appearance, Sei-an couldn't help but make an incredulous face at the fact that he had two half-siblings.
So, Lucian and he were born from one mother, and after his mother died giving birth to him, Crisna came in as the mistress of the count's estate and gave birth to Crove.
And Arisa was born from yet another woman.
“…”
Having roughly understood the situation, Sei-an finally grasped why Arisa had worn such a lonely expression yesterday.
Remembering her, burdened by such profound loneliness that he had instinctively reached out to her, Sei-an let out a short sigh inwardly.
‘This is going to be a hassle.’
Sei-an’s sigh deepened as he felt an unwanted, troublesome human relationship seemed likely to grow.
***
*Thud!*
“Hey!”
“…”
Is shouting in the dining hall their hobby? Why do these people always come and bother him during meals?
“Yes, speak your mind.”
Sei-an, who was having breakfast in the dining hall, inwardly clicked his tongue at the sight of Rubin and his companions, who, as always, slammed the table hard and shouted as if to pressure him.
“Do our words sound laughable to you right now?!”
“Not laughable, no, but they certainly sound loud.”
“What?!”
“I mean, I can hear you just fine even if you speak quietly.”
“…!”
“It’s a nuisance to others, isn’t it? Please recognize that this isn’t a space just for you.”
Rubin, who had been shouting loudly, subtly turned his head at Sei-an’s calm tone and looked around.
Then, his expression stiffened slightly under the disapproving gazes of many people watching him.
“So, what business do you have with me?”
“You, why didn’t you come last time?!”
“Huh?”
“Last time, Lord Illnis told you to come to the club because he was looking for you!”
