Ch.212I’ll Give You My Last Name (2)

Rheinland opened Seti’s door with a bang. Seti, who had been playing with stock charts like she was kneading dough, fell backward in shock.

“Ouch… Mother? What’s the matter?”

“Seti, let’s leave this place right now.”

“Why so suddenly?”

“We need to escape. Before Eidel locks you up in prison too!”

Ah, Seti immediately understood.

So Mother is making a completely absurd misunderstanding!

She could understand why, since her mother was born and raised in the Adelbein family. They actually did imprison their own relatives there.

But the Rheinlands never do that.

A harmonious family. A happy family.

No matter how much they might dislike each other, they’re blood relatives, so they don’t cross certain lines. It’s been their family tradition not to exile anyone unless they commit a serious crime.

For this reason, Seti spoke with confidence.

“Mother, it’s fine. Nothing will happen to us.”

“You can’t think so carelessly. Didn’t you see the first son get arrested?”

“Brian ended up that way because he tried to steal the family head position from my brother. We haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Whether we’ve done wrong or not, we’re Adelbeins! The world has labeled us as relatives of criminals, and what if Eidel uses that as an excuse to send us to some frontier planet?”

“Brother isn’t that kind of person.”

Seti cut her words short.

“I don’t know about the first and second sons, but Eidel is my brother. We shouldn’t carelessly suspect family members.”

“But Brian!”

“As I said, he tried to steal the family head position. If he were an Adelbein, wouldn’t he be dead by now? How merciful must my brother be to stop at just imprisonment?”

Seti stood up. She grabbed a handful of corn kernels from her desk and placed them in her mother’s hand.

“Even if that happens, we can escape then. Do I look like someone who would starve to death out there?”

“Well, no…”

“Then trust me and my brother.”

Seti confidently squared her shoulders.

Even so, the suspicion didn’t completely disappear.

Rheinland, not knowing the details, rubbed her chest anxiously. It was frustrating. She felt like she couldn’t digest properly.

In truth, if she wanted to escape, she could flee alone even now.

But she couldn’t leave without Seti.

Even though the child was born between people who didn’t particularly like each other, she was still her own flesh and blood.

Given how things had developed, she believed they should face whatever came together, whether life or death.

“Mother, I have a meeting with company people now.”

“…Alright. Let’s talk more later.”

Rheinland, her shoulders slumped, left the room.

When she entered the living room, she soon froze like plaster.

Eidel was coiled up there.

***

I had briefly stopped by the main ship after finishing my schedule.

My mother, who was said to be several times harder to see than my busy father, was just coming out to the living room.

“Mother!”

I raised my voice in delight upon seeing her.

But something was strange.

Her face turned pale the moment she saw me?

She looked as if she’d seen a ghost.

“Mother, it’s been a while. What have you been up to lately?”

“Huh? I’ve been…”

“Are you feeling unwell?”

I asked with concern.

If Seti’s mother was sick, Seti would suffer too. For the smooth supply of funds… no, I should fulfill my filial duties on behalf of my busy sister.

“You look very tired?”

“Do I? Work has been difficult lately…”

“Please wait a moment.”

I seated Rheinland in a chair and brewed some tea. It was chamomile tea, her favorite. Rheinland reluctantly accepted the cup.

She stared blankly at the tea leaves swirling in the heat.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it just looks darker than usual…”

“I switched to better leaves. The flavor will steep more deeply.”

“…Is that so?”

When the tea had cooled, Rheinland cautiously brought it to her lips. I’m not good with hot drinks, so I waited for mine to cool a bit more.

As soon as she took a sip, something suddenly occurred to me.

“Come to think of it, these tea leaves were a gift from my fiancée.”

“F-fiancée…? Who…?”

“Zernya.”

After I collapsed, Zernya became concerned about my health and started looking into various things, eventually giving me this expensive gift.

“They’re from the Adelbein territory. They say the intense and addictive aroma unique to the northern Ronol planetary system is exquisite…”

Pfft!

At that moment, Rheinland choked.

She spat out the tea leaves like blood and started coughing. I stood up in surprise.

“Cough, cough!”

“Are you alright? Here’s a tissue!”

“Ugh.”

Why is she acting like this? She spat it out too forcefully for it to be just a simple case of choking.

“Does it taste strange?”

“Ah, well…”

Just to be sure, I took a small sip.

It was fragrant and sweet.

Chamomile contains a component called apigenin, which is very effective for calming the mind and relaxing tension. Being good tea, I could feel its effects immediately.

[— Your Fron level has decreased by 10 due to the calming effect of premium tea.]

Shit tea.

No, that’s not right. These are expensive tea leaves Zernya gave me… thinking like this would make me garbage.

[— The calming effect is persistent. Your Fron level will decrease by 10 every hour for a total of 30 over 3 hours.]

Damn it.

Watch me never drink chamomile again.

The tea had cooled enough. I downed it in one go. Since I’d already experienced the effect, I figured I might as well finish it this time.

Seeing me do this, Rheinland also gradually sipped her tea more smoothly. She let out a deep sigh.

“How is it? Is it good?”

“Yes, it’s good. It’s good. Really good.”

“If you like it, I’ll get you more. Keep it at work and drink it whenever you’re tired.”

“No, that’s alright!”

Rheinland shook her head.

“It must be expensive. Since it’s a gift from your fiancée, the family head should drink it all. Won’t she be upset if you give it to me?”

Indeed, she’s a considerate mother.

I think she’ll take good care of Zernya when she becomes her daughter-in-law.

To begin with, they’re both of Adelbein blood, and they both intensely dislike the Adelbeins, so they should get along well.

Come to think of it, have they formally met before?

After thinking about it carefully, I realized they hadn’t had a formal introduction.

Coincidentally, my parents’ wedding anniversary was this month.

“Mother.”

“Yes, yes?”

“Your wedding anniversary is coming up soon. Should we gather as a family for a meal?”

“…As a family?”

“Yes.”

Of course, I knew that my father and mother weren’t on good terms.

But that’s because they’re both devoted to their first loves.

My father was devoted to my mother, Leica Rheinland, and Rheinland also had a man she cared for, though this fact isn’t well-known.

It’s only natural that they don’t get along when their hearts belong to different people.

But what can they do?

The people they each loved are already gone, Seti was born, the family is stable, and there’s no reason to divorce.

They just have to live as they are.

If that’s the case, even if they don’t love each other, shouldn’t they at least not dislike each other?

“…I’ve never celebrated an anniversary with that man. You’re busy as the family head, so there’s no need to bother.”

“Still. We should use that as an occasion for the family to see each other’s faces.”

“Ah, alright.”

Rheinland rose unsteadily.

“Then I’ll set up an appointment for next week.”

“Yes…”

“Will you be visiting the main ship often in the future?”

“I probably will. At least tomorrow, I’ll be here.”

Oh no. I wanted to talk with her tomorrow too, but it seems that won’t be possible.

“I won’t be able to come home tomorrow. I have something important to do… I’ll send some refreshments through Seti.”

“Yes. Thank you for your consideration.”

The next day, I bought premium cookies. After writing a gift message, I sent them home and headed to Callisto Academy.

I wouldn’t be seeing Brian for a while.

It was time to gradually gauge the intentions of Katrick, his co-conspirator.

***

When Eidel fed her the tea he received from Zernya, all sorts of thoughts ran through Rheinland’s mind.

Why did he specifically mention Zernya?

Could there be poison in the tea?

Or was he threatening her to leave by giving her a hint?

She couldn’t understand his intentions at all.

Rheinland sat blankly on the sofa, thinking.

It seemed that Eidel had made Seti the vice family head and given her economic control simply to make her let her guard down. After all, the rights of a vice family head could be revoked at any time.

He eliminated the formidable Brian first, and next would be Rheinland and Seti.

If that was the case, it was a serious problem.

But there was nothing she could do yet, because Seti was so stubbornly resistant.

Additionally, Eidel had suggested gathering as a family next week under the pretext of a wedding anniversary. She needed to understand Eidel’s intentions before then at the very least.

– I’ll send some refreshments through Seti.

It didn’t seem like Eidel had said that for no reason.

For now, she felt she might learn something if she waited until tomorrow. Rheinland pressed her aching head and went to work at the hospital early the next morning.

And that afternoon, a small box arrived for Seti, who was working from home.

“What’s this?”

It was a set of fancy cookies in an elegant box. When she opened the packaging, there was a short message written in small, cute print.

[To Mother. Thank you always. Please enjoy these with Seti.]

Seti felt touched.

Wow! That’s my brother for you! Not only does he care for me, but for Mother too. He’s really become a proper family head!

Would such a brother drive her and her mother away? That was nonsense.

Seti opened the packaging with a big smile.

“Wow.”

Not only were they delicate, but they were as abundant as her father’s hair.

Just looking at them made her mouth water; she couldn’t even imagine what they would taste like.

He clearly said to eat them with Mom, right?

Then I can eat them too.

Seti had been lacking sugar in her brain after spending all day in meetings, coding, and analyzing charts in front of the computer. She picked up a tart and put it in her mouth.

“Wow…”

It melted like a tactical drink.

Her body trembled with the overwhelming happiness.

This is what I should invest in. Seti nodded and checked the brand name first.

“Philopon Snack?”

Literally drug snacks.

Eidel, how on earth did that guy know about this brand?

While purchasing stocks in the brand, Seti kept picking at the snacks whenever she thought of them.

She hadn’t eaten anything since morning because she’d been working. Her hand moved mindlessly.

“Wow.”

They’re really delicious…

I should have just one more.

She thought as she reached out, but she couldn’t touch anything.

They were all gone.

“Huh?”

Seti sensed she was in trouble.

Eidel had bought these for her to eat with her mother, but they were so delicious that she had eaten them all by herself.

But it was okay.

Even though the snacks were extremely expensive, she could easily afford to buy more at this price.

After tidying up the box, Seti went online to order a new product right away.

Just then, Rheinland barged in.

Startled, Seti slipped from her chair without even being able to scream. She could feel her heart rate skyrocketing like the stocks she had purchased.

“M-Mother? I thought you said you’d be home late today…”

“I finished early because I was worried about you.”

“I see. I-I’m fine. Nothing happened.”

Rheinland’s head dropped. Her gaze fell on the snack box on the desk.

“So these are the refreshments Eidel said he would send through you yesterday.”