Ch.524Episode 19 – HELLDIVERS

# Happiness is temporary, regret is eternal.

I sighed repeatedly as I filled my empty stomach with cigarette smoke.

“……”

No one could guarantee how far this situation would affect things.

Francesca had declared a gentle eviction. Nothing problematic had happened immediately, but if she were to hold a grudge and unleash her anger fully, everything would fall into the abyss.

For now, Veronica had taken the lead in damage control, but even she didn’t have any clever solutions at hand.

Is this why seniors always warned to be careful around women?

When I was a rookie, I wondered why people would throw away their careers over women. Now here I am. Me, of all people.

“…Good grief.”

Suddenly, I thought as I stubbed out my half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray.

My footsteps feel particularly heavy today.

I shove my hands into my pockets and trudge back home.

## Episode 19 – HELLDIVERS

Since the incident had already occurred, I decided not to make excuses or explanations. They wouldn’t work anyway.

I chose to face the approaching storm head-on.

Eyes wide open, head held high. As if I’d done nothing wrong, as if asking what the problem was. With a confident and dignified attitude.

With my whole body radiating “I’ve done nothing wrong” – having tossed my conscience into the Han River estuary – Adela began with a look of someone staring at something pathetic:

“How dare you act so confident after staying out all night without permission?”

The diplomatic officer of Abas muttered while pausing from washing the car parked in front of the embassy. His tone suggested he’d seen quite the absurd sight.

“Staying out isn’t a crime.”

“Is it innocent to promise you’ll come home early and then crawl back around noon? That deserves a life sentence.”

Despite her curt tone, I refused to back down.

It was absolutely not a desperate attempt to preserve my meager pride.

Probably.

“My, my. Saying I made empty promises when I was up all night handling important matters. That’s quite the accusation.”

“What a bumper crop of nonsense.”

Adela squeezed the cleaning tool tightly while crouching, as if my words weren’t worth listening to. I tried to jump up and refute her, but she flatly dismissed me.

“How many times did I tell you it was a rare day off with the whole family together, and you forget and stay out all night? Good grief…”

“I told you I had business.”

“Sure, of course you did. Anyway, go inside and check if that brat Aila is awake.”

“What about Jerry?”

“He’ll be in soon. Just after I finish cleaning this.”

Tossing the rag into the basket, Adela waved her hand dismissively. It meant I should go now.

After seeing her reaction, I breathed a deep sigh of relief inside.

Thank goodness. I thought I’d get scolded for staying out, but it seems I won’t have to worry about that.

“Are Mother and Father inside?”

“Don’t know. They weren’t there when I checked this morning. Seems they went out.”

Excellent.

I ran into the embassy with a big grin, silently celebrating my victory. Meanwhile, Adela continued absentmindedly wiping the windows with her back turned.

And shortly after…

“…What do you mean they’re not here? Adela, you bit—”

“Fred! Get over here right now!”

“Aaaaargh…!”

As a terrifying scream shook the embassy, a cheerful humming emerged from Adela as she leisurely wiped away the soap bubbles.

*

After the little lamb (not deserving of pity) who walked into hell of his own accord was thoroughly dismantled by the great demon (or “mother” in common parlance), peace finally returned to the household.

The son who had caused a crisis comparable to the oil shock (the three daughters-in-law incident) – the culprit behind family breakdown and discord – received his due punishment in his mother’s grasp.

“Where on earth is your mind wandering that you keep causing trouble abroad?”

“No, no! There are circumstances—!”

“What circumstances? Bringing home three potential daughters-in-law when even your brother hasn’t brought one? Starting a coup in a foreign country? Or staying out all night? Where’s the justification!”

Each time her fierce hand struck my back, sparks flew before my eyes and tears welled up.

The crime of bringing three daughters-in-law simultaneously, the crime of inciting a coup abroad, the crime of abandoning a family event to stay out all night, and so on. Grace Nostrim had chosen the perfect day to punish the ungrateful son who had driven multiple nails into his parents’ hearts.

“Chosen the perfect day” was truly fitting. I was literally beaten like a dog on a hot summer day.

“Will you cause more trouble or not!”

“I’ll live quie— Ow!”

“Don’t live quietly, live properly!”

Finally, only after repeatedly swearing a promise to “never cause trouble again,” could I escape this hell.

While there was no greater comedy (especially for siblings) than watching a grown adult getting spanked by his mother, for the son receiving the beating, there could be no greater humiliation.

Getting spanked at my age.

I’ve wasted my life.

“Urgh…”

“Does it hurt?”

“…Yes.”

Both my body and heart hurt.

Brother Jerry shook his head in a “what can you do” manner as I kept nodding. Adela, who had fed me false information, cackled at the sight.

This sin, that sin, and so on.

After fiercely striking the back of her son who had ruined family peace in various colorful ways, Madam Grace clicked her tongue at her childish children.

“Do you two enjoy watching your younger brother get punished as his older siblings?”

“Mom, I was just sitting quietly…”

“Be quiet, dear.”

“Yes.”

Brother Jerry, his tongue instantly sealed, crumpled into a corner.

Aila, who must have woken up from the commotion, let out a long yawn as soon as she opened her door.

A mouth stretched so wide a fly could enter unnoticed, a hand scratching around her neck. The youngest trudged her tired body to the refrigerator and, while drinking cold water, looked around with a half-asleep expression.

“…What’s everyone doing here?”

“Your brother’s back.”

“He just got here? I thought he’d run away.”

The casual remark from the youngest seemed to irritate Madam Grace, as sparks flew from her eyes.

Under that laser-like gaze, I pressed my sore back against the sofa and shot Aila a resentful look.

Whether she cared or not, Aila approached the sofa with a tired expression after putting down her water glass. Then, collapsing onto it, she blurted out:

“I’m going to sleep for 30 minutes… Wake me up later.”

Just as I was preparing to flick the forehead of my cockroach-like sister who had invaded the sofa, Grace Nostrim delivered a crisp smack to her daughter’s behind.

“…Ow!”

“Do you think it makes sense to sleep again when the sun is high? Your brother’s here too. Get up and eat something.”

“What does his arrival have to do with me…?”

Aila spoke as if it were no big deal.

That one sentence really got under my skin.

Just as Jesus made the lame walk and the blind see, I kicked the sofa to forcibly wake Aila up, making her eyes snap open.

And naturally…

I immediately got my back smacked for the crime of using violence against my sister.

*

Society is not a sterile room.

No matter how careful you are, accidents happen somewhere.

In this endless, infinite cycle, there’s little humans can do. Similarly, there wasn’t much I could do right now.

The best option was to soothe Francesca so she wouldn’t get angry.

After being scolded by my mother for hitting Aila, I tried everything to change her mind, but Francesca ultimately refused all contact.

I reached out to Lucia to discuss this issue.

-‘It would be best not to contact her for a while. Miss Francesca needs time to organize her thoughts.’

“Is that so?”

-‘Yes… That would certainly be the case.’

Despite Lucia and Veronica’s active involvement, Francesca was avoiding all contact. Though I was no mind reader, I could clearly tell she was deliberately avoiding communication with us.

Is time really a healer, as they say? Old sayings are never wrong, they say, so I hope this one proves true too.

I left a message asking her to reply when she had time and returned to daily life with my family.

Strictly speaking, it was more like a break than daily life, but with my troubled mind, proper rest was impossible.

I grumbled with a displeased expression while buttoning up my fall coat.

“Why do we need to go out just to have lunch?”

As I shivered in the chilly late autumn wind, my father, Charles Nostrim, adjusted his rimless glasses and joked with a good-natured smile.

“When everyone’s gathered together, shouldn’t we eat somewhere nice?”

“Living abroad, I’ve eaten out so much…”

“It’s not comparable to those restaurants. I’ve made reservations at a famous restaurant your mother and I used to frequent, so you can look forward to it.”

The restaurant where he used to date his wife was one of Abas’s renowned establishments.

It was a former residence of a queen who entered the palace hundreds of years ago, purchased by a businessman who remodeled it into a restaurant. The restaurant was as faithful to basics as the building was to its history.

The food, which captivated foreign palates, was praised by renowned critics for its fantastic taste. The cellar housed thousands of bottles of wine, earning acclaim from wine enthusiasts searching for varieties from different regions.

Perfect for couples’ dates and tourists’ itineraries alike.

Located in the heart of the quaint old downtown, it maintained a long tradition and reputation.

“Wow.”

As the evening sun set in the western sky, Jerry and Adela exclaimed in awe when we arrived at the restaurant after passing through a forest of classic buildings standing shoulder to shoulder.

The natural scenery and picturesque garden on the gentle hill delighted the eyes, while delicious aromas stimulated the salivary glands – there couldn’t be a better sight.

While our parents conversed with the staff, we children were absorbed in taking in the surroundings, captivated by the beauty of the scenery.

“Luna en el mar, Château rêve vintage 1984, Quinta da espaço….”

Jerry, examining the wines, looked like he might get sucked into the display case.

When I nudged his shoulder, he nearly lost his footing.

“Get a grip, you alcoholic.”

“I’m not an addict… Oh, they have corkage-free service here.”

I wondered what he meant, but apparently it was a restaurant where you could bring your own wine. Not for free, of course.

To claim this person wasn’t an alcoholic was truly absurd.

“…So this is it. How fascinating.”

Adela wandered around with her magic camera, taking in the surroundings.

She had brought the camera saying she’d take family photos, but instead was photographing scenery she liked rather than people.

“Haven’t you been here before?”

“No. But I’ve heard a lot about it. My colleagues come here often.”

She meant that officials who had partners or missed local food from their diplomatic postings often visited this place.

“Is that so?”

I trailed off with an ambiguous expression.

My vague mumbling must have seemed odd, as Adela raised an eyebrow and looked at me, as if asking if I had something to say.

“What? Does the man who brought home three daughters-in-law feel sorry for his sister who can’t date and can’t come to places like this?”

“Ugh… What nonsense are you suddenly spouting? That’s not it…”

I threw her words right back at her.

“You said diplomats come here often? That this place recreates foreign foods most authentically?”

“And?”

“Then wouldn’t foreign diplomats come here too?”

I was suggesting that foreign officials assigned to embassies must visit too.

Though I spoke indirectly, Adela wasn’t so obtuse as to miss my meaning. Euphemism is the hallmark of the Foreign Ministry, and the Foreign Ministry and intelligence agencies are closely related.

Adela naturally scanned the surroundings before lowering her voice.

“There are no foreigners on today’s reservation list. At least not during our time slot.”

She meant that with the place packed with locals, a minimum level of security was guaranteed.

I quickly started thinking.

Even if intelligence officers don’t enter the restaurant directly, there are many ways to monitor the interior. They could set up surveillance equipment in surrounding buildings, bribe the staff, or wait until we leave the restaurant to secretly follow us.

I had already assessed whether we were being followed on our way here, but the surest method was for me to move alone.

Moving with family might make it difficult for followers to approach closely.

So I made an excuse about smoking and briefly went out to circle the area, but fortunately or unfortunately, I didn’t encounter even a stray cat despite circling the corners multiple times.

“…Tsk.”

I put out the cigarette I’d been smoking and returned to the restaurant.

Jerry and Adela were waiting, and their expressions were quite serious, suggesting they’d been discussing something.

“Relax your face. I just went for a smoke.”

“Are you sure everything’s okay?”

“Yep.”

Jerry sighed in relief when I nodded. Adela leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, staring into the distance.

“What kind of trouble is this during vacation… You said you moved to the embassy for work? How do you normally live?”

“Well.”

“Well, my ass.”

As Adela continued complaining about my cigarette smell and telling me to keep my distance, a waiter opened the door, saying “Everything is ready” and inviting us inside.

Following his guidance, we were led to a private room within the restaurant. Our parents were already waiting, smiling brightly.

“Everyone’s here. Please sit down.”

“Ah, I’m hungry.”

“Adela, didn’t you eat a sandwich before we left? You’re eating again?”

“Shut up, Jerry.”

“Children, don’t fight.”

As Jerry and Adela bickered while entering, I looked for a good seat.

Where would be best?

“Hmm…”

Even though the room was completely separated like a sealed chamber, out of habit, I was looking for a safe seat.

As I scanned the room, one good spot caught my eye. It had a wall to the right, was near both a window and the exit, and as soon as you left the corridor, paths leading outside the building opened up.

There couldn’t be a better spot.

“Look at this. Aila brought gifts from her business trip.”

“Gifts? This is herbal liquor only sold in the Latuan Principality? Wow, when did she buy this?”

“Did Aila go to Latuan on a business trip?”

“Yes, I heard she visited several countries. She must have been very busy.”

While the family was chattering about the souvenirs the youngest had brought, I headed toward my prime spot.

But then.

“…Huh?”

When I reached the spot I’d been eyeing, what was this? A bag was occupying the seat.

“Whose is this?”

“Mine.”

As I was muttering while shaking the bag, Aila entered the room and answered.

She snatched the bag, quickly hung it on the backrest, and plopped down. As if this was her seat.

Having suddenly lost my prime spot (not really) before my eyes, I was dumbfounded, but looking closer, I realized Aila’s seat was right next to our Madam Grace.

Damn. Still sticking to mom’s side at that age.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“…No reason.”

The older brother looked disdainfully at his sister who wasn’t acting her age. Regardless, the sister happily stuck close to her mother and flipped through the menu.

As I shook my head in disgust and was about to look for another seat, it happened.

As soon as Aila pulled her chair, the precariously hanging bag fell, and its contents spilled out everywhere.

“Ah!”

Startled, Aila screamed and tried to grab her cosmetics, wallet, water bottle, and other items, but it was futile. Humans have only two hands, and there were far more items.

Eventually, all her belongings ended up on the floor.

“Good grief, you troublemaker.”

I crouched down and started picking up Aila’s scattered items. Aila also quickly bent her knees, ready to sit on the floor, and gathered her belongings with concern that they might be damaged.

And so the siblings began picking up items together.

“Ah, my powder…”

While most items were fine, some were in such bad shape they were barely touchable. The cosmetics were especially so.

As the sister made a sad face holding her broken cosmetics, the older sister laughed out loud, and the brother diligently helped gather the youngest’s belongings. Of course, he offered comfort too.

“Don’t worry, Aila. We’ll go to the department store later and look together.”

“I bought it overseas. I barely got to use it…”

“Ah, um… that’s…”

Jerry’s voice trailed off with a troubled expression. While imported items might be available, items only distributed overseas would be difficult to find.

To make matters worse, even Adela, a diplomat, chimed in saying she’d never heard of the product. It was the worst.

Seeing Aila acting as if the sky had fallen, Jerry awkwardly asked his brother for help, wondering if there was a solution.

“Fred, can you help get some items that aren’t imported?”

“……”

“Fred?”

Jerry looked at his brother with a puzzled face.

But his brother’s gaze was directed elsewhere.

While gathering the fallen belongings, he couldn’t take his eyes off one item on the messy floor. He was staring at it as if transfixed.

“……”

Frederick carefully picked up the item and looked around. Then, opening his tightly closed lips, he said:

“Hey, Aila.”

He added briefly:

“Let’s talk for a moment.”