Chapter 16
Mehen, the hook collector extraordinaire, explained briefly.
“That’s how it happened.”
Of course, the nursery group was not convinced.
“What happened? There’s no explanation at all.”
“We still don’t understand anything, none of it, none of it.”
“How could Lady Arellin’s mother be Mehen?”
“How is Mehen her mum?”
“That, indeed, is the child of the forbidden love between Mehen and the Duke…”
“Wasn’t that the most discredited rumor ever?”
“But from what I’ve heard, you and Mehen look a bit alike?”
“That’s right. Do we have a certain aura or even a slight resemblance?”
Mehen pressed his temples together.
“Enough of this nonsense, everyone.”
They must have sensed something in his chilling smile, because they paused, their mouths shut.
“The young lady has found her mother.”
“Oh!”
Realizing something, Lena tried to reason.
“You mean to tell us that you, Mehen, will take her mother’s place, so that you can enter the manor of Halbern and steal the fortune… town!”
“Did you forget that I control all the property I’m going to steal?”
“I’m … sorry.”
It was all in jest. They laughed in earnest, but then they realised that Mehen had no chance to make fun of them.
Mehen swept them all with a cold glance and sighed deeply.
“Please be careful not to do this in the future.”
“We’ll make amends.”
“I will be careful.”
“I will endeavour.”
Suddenly, with a sound of reflection echoing through the room, Yuni sprang to his feet.
“But only Sir Mehen is reconciled, and we are left behind! We want to get to know her, too!”
The shouting match reopened.
“You’re keeping us away!”
“You don’t know our professionalism!”
“Blah blah blah.”
These people, come on.
Mehen was slightly perplexed.
Were they always like this?
“Well, that’s none of my business, but you shouldn’t make trouble for the people who are you supposed to be looking after, right?”
“…”
Everyone was silent.
Then came the familiar tears.
“Sir Mehen has already reconciled, hasn’t he?!”
“The one who has everything is making fun of us!”
“I want to be friends with her too!”
“I could be a good mum too!”
“Arelli-ii-ii-n!”
The parenting group was united by jealousy and envy.
***
Once Arellin had recovered, the first thing Mehen did with the breath of fresh air was to check on her.
Only after checking her over and over again, in the safest and most trustworthy places possible, and with the most trustworthy people, did the pent-up emotions burst forth.
Was it all his fault?
No, it wasn’t.
It was all the fault of his master, who had given him a hasty homework assignment.
So, on a half-impulse, he sent a message.
“You are rubbish father.”
The reply came back surprisingly quickly.
“You want to be fired, boy.”
Jaren had kept his word, in name and honour. He doesn’t know if he kept it with his life and safety.
Mehen smirked at the uncharacteristically quick reply from Archduke Halbern.
“You may dismiss me, but I will retire.”
It was uncharacteristically disloyal and rude.
“I will not fire you. You will pay for your disloyalty with your body.”
“Huh.”
He replied.
“This man?”
***
Northern Frontline.
“Blackness. Mehen.”
Jaren rubbed at his face with a precious egg, his face bruised and reddened by the name and honor he’d so futilely claimed.
It was a mercy wound, inflicted by the Archduke of Halbern, who had traveled south to repair the damaged lines.
“So why do you speak to the Archduke?”
“It’s your fault that the Archduke pays a thousand a day to fight those ignorant monsters!”
“It’s all because of Jaren’s cubic crystal~”
The knights of the Knights of Saren with the Archduke of Halbern began to mock Jaren with excitement, claiming that they had killed many of them.
Jaren was furious.
“I’m not being naughty because I want to be naughty!”
It’s all Mehen’s fault!
“If only it wasn’t for Mehen!”
But local opinion sided with Mehen.
“Then why didn’t you tell me what Mehen said?”
“Why did you have to tell him?”
“But I put my name and honor on the line!”
The bastards clicked their tongues and mocked Jaren for selling his honor to the Jidō knight.
“Tsk tsk. This is why you can’t have Mubisk.”
“This is why it’s called Mubisk.”
“This is why…”
“You bastards, are you making fun of me?”
“No, how do you know?!”
“Take my side, take my side!”
The knights heard Jaren’s words and realised something.
“I feel sorry for Mehen.”
“We’re field hands and he’s stuck here, learning the ropes.”
“And Mehen is all alone and struggling over there?”
“I feel sorry for Mehen.”
“…”
Whose side are you on?
“By the way, Jaren.”
“Is that it? Is that it?”
The knights of the Knights of Saren approached Jaren, their eyes glittering. Jaren felt his life threatened.
“Give it to me quickly, if you don’t want to die.”
He tremblingly handed over the video recorder. A meticulous record of Arellin’s growth that Mehen was handing over to the Archduke of Halbern.
“Awww! Cute!”
“Adorable!”
“Look at those cheeks!”
“She’s grown up so much-!”
“I want to see it with my own eyes-!”
Thanks to this, the Knights of Saren were enjoying an abundance of remote virtues on the barren northern frontline.
***
“Hmph~”
Pession swung his legs happily.
The crown prince’s ungracious behavior had caused the palace’s senior servants to glare at him sharply, but right now, Pession didn’t care.
“Why is he smiling so naughty?”
“I don’t know.”
Therion waved off Shirua’s words.
It was lunchtime now. He was too busy eating to pay attention to his brother.
“…”
Shirua glared at Pession.
‘What’s wrong with him?’
The current Emperor Edward and Empress Ageni had three children.
The first was their son, Crown Prince Pession.
The second was their daughter, Princess Shirua.
Prince Therion, their third son.
The relationship between the three was not bad. On the contrary, they were on good terms. But, as children of their age are wont to do, they were prone to bickering.
“Do you want this?”
“Mmm.”
Pession offered Therion a large sausage. This would not normally happen. Shirua interrupted.
“I want one too.”
The human, whose eyes would normally light up and say, “Eat yours,” smiled.
“Yes, eat it!”
“Eat it!
He actually handed over the sausage.
“…”
Shirua became serious.
“…Did you hurt your head?”
Doesn’t he bump into something in training?
Pession just smirked, oblivious to Shirua’s confusion.
“I wish it was afternoon already!”
***
The Collecting Society.
Formally known as the Crown Prince’s Little Friends.
Today was the day, and Graham had already given up on Pession’s high tension, resigned and accepted it.
It’s easier to give up.
And so, today, Pession was the first to arrive at the meeting place, faster than anyone else, and seated unlike anyone else.
“I’m first today… What, me, Your Highness?”
“What’s wrong, ah, ah, Your Highness!”
“Why is His Highness Sion here?”
“Are we late?”
The children were bewildered by the unusual situation. Pession skilfully greeted them and explained the situation.
“Hello everyone! No, I came quickly today, don’t worry, come and sit down.”
“Thank goodness, we’re not late.”
“Your Highness, why are you early today?”
“That’s right, what day is it?”
“You seem to be in a good mood.”
“Something good?”
The room became noisy. Pession just smiles and welcomes them in.
Everyone relaxed, then froze at the sight of Pesion arriving before them, then relaxed again as he explained the situation.
Pession’s expression darkened slightly.
“You’re not going to come back today, are you?”
No way. No way. No.
Anxiety creeped up on him, as it had before
‘No, but I’m pretty sure Graham said she was coming today.’
He was also told that he shouldn’t visit her often, so he was resisting the urge to visit her every day.
‘If she doesn’t come this time, I’ll write to …’
He vowed that he would visit her every day, no matter what.
“Your Highness, what’s wrong?”
“Does anyone know anything?”
“I don’t know.”
The room opened to a mixture of confusion and questions, and a child walked in.
Pale cheeks, pale platinum hair flowing in fine waves. Rosy eyes, soft pink, like cherry blossoms, set in the centre of a cherry tree. A pretty girl who smelled like sweet honey.
“Arellin!”
“…?”
Pession jumped up as if he’d been waiting. The children all stopped talking, as if something had broken.
In the midst of strange silence.
“Arellin, you’re here!”
Arellin was puzzled.
‘What’s wrong with him?’
