episode_0185

The downfall of the family.

What a long-awaited and long-awaited event. I just thought of it as something like the race between Achilles and the tortoise, in the distant future, and forever unattainable.

Look. This is how I caught up with the turtle. Instead of catching up with the turtle by killing it, he snatched it alive and held it in his hands.

Rather than owning a completely collapsed family, he held in his hands a string that could be destroyed at any time. My family and my fate became one.

“… … .”

But it’s not time yet. My plan isn’t finished yet. So for now… … . It is time to rebuild the failing family.

A family crest is still needed. Not yet.

“Shall we go.”

After thinking, I quietly left the room and headed towards my room.

The head maid must have seemed anxious about me, so she walked close behind me or glanced at me, pretending not to be, but showing a restless appearance.

If you think about it, it’s not that strange to be so anxious. Yes, everyone will feel anxious.

Being falsely accused of killing my parents, I was locked in a dungeon and passed out. When I opened my eyes, everyone was dead. There was no way anyone could remain sane after seeing that.

The head maid probably thinks that I am out of my mind and in a very unstable state of mind by now. That’s probably why he looks so anxious.

“… … Miss.”

The maid eventually couldn’t control her anxiety and opened her mouth, and I immediately stopped and blocked the words that came out of the maid’s mouth.

“Stop.”

“But… … .”

” I know very well that there is a mountain of things I want to say. But now… … . For now, stop. I also need time to think. No, I need it… … .”

After saying that, I kept my mouth shut, and the maid responded to my words by quietly lowering her head.

After looking at that for a moment, I turned my back and headed back to my room. Unlike before, the head maid followed behind me at a little distance.

When I arrived in front of my room, only two knights remained guarding the door, as everyone had left to go to work while I was briefly visiting the head of the house.

“Are you back, lady? No, duke.”

He raised his hand to tell the knights who were trying to greet him politely, telling them to stop, and then went straight into the room.

Normally, this would be extremely rude behavior in the same situation, but they didn’t say anything. It’s probably because everyone knows what happened in the mansion.

When I returned to the room, I touched my forehead, thinking about the future and not knowing where to start. It wasn’t that it was difficult because I couldn’t see the path. On the contrary, there were too many paths and it was difficult.

“Phew… … .”

I let out a long sigh, closed my eyes, and slowly pictured what would happen next.

What if it were like this? How about starting from here? Is there a better option? How will it fit together like this? What should I do――

As I continued to think while pounding on the desk, tap, tap, tap, I concluded that it was the best I could do and opened my eyes.

“… … .”

Only about an hour had passed. I thought so hard that my head was pounding, but only an hour had passed.

When I was with Hermel, I felt that each day was too short. Looking at it like this, the day is really long.

“Ha.”

With a bitter smile as if I was lamenting, I quietly got up from my seat and rang the bell again.

All mental preparations are complete. I also decided what to do next.

Now all I have to do is walk the path I have chosen.

smart–

“Please come in.”

Naturally, it was the head maid who came in with a light knock.

“Did you call me? Duke.”

When she entered the room, she lowered her head and spoke, and as I looked at her, I opened my mouth.

“Bring conquest. I will hold a funeral for my father and mother.”

“――Are you okay?”

As she asked me carefully as if she was concerned about me, I answered while looking out the window where it was still raining.

“It’s okay. No, it should be fine. When I say I am shaken right now, it means that the Rochelle family is shaken. Only then will my father and mother, who died unjustly, be able to sleep peacefully. So, I’m fine.”

“Duke… … .”

“And one more thing. Don’t call me Duke just yet. Until my father’s fate became known and the funeral was over. The head of the Rochelle family is my father.”

It doesn’t shake. It doesn’t break. It has to be that way. Straight, I walk my path.

When I looked at the head maid with such determination, the maid who had been silent lowered her head in tears.

“As instructed… … . I will follow. Charlotte… … .”

After speaking, she went straight out of the room, and I looked out the window and closed my eyes.

Damp, cold air covered me.

* * *

A month has passed since then.

I’ve had a really busy day so far.

Living in uniform, he sent messages to all the noble families with ties to the family with letters containing the death of the duke and duchess and information about holding their funerals.

Then, a date was set, a funeral was held, and a succession ceremony was held to officially inherit the position of head of the family… … . He begins to take charge of the family head’s affairs. also… … .

“Phew… … .”

If I were to list down every single thing that happened during this month, I would say that each day was endlessly busy.

Thanks to such a busy month, I was finally able to straighten out my family, which was shaken internally and externally.

“This is the end of today’s paperwork… … .”

Of course, the reason I worked so hard to rebuild my shaky family was not for the family, but for myself.

I rebuilt it because it was absolutely necessary for my plan, and there was a reason why it had to be done.

After signing the last document, I put the quill in the inkwell, got up, and walked over to the window.

“A month later… … .”

The world, which was now in full summer, was decorating itself with fresh green.

Next week, the first semester of the academy ends and summer vacation begins. okay. One week until summer vacation. You can do a lot of things in a week.

for example… … . Something like holding a banquet to which all the academy students are invited.

I slowly blinked and looked out the window, sat down again, took out a piece of paper, put it down, and rang the bell I had placed in the corner of my desk.

Tinkle tinkle――

The bell rang in the room, and for a moment, light footsteps were heard outside, and then someone knocked on the door.

smart–

“Please come in.”

“Excuse me.”

The person who opened the door and came in at my call was the head maid, Riev, who had been assisting me with all her might for a month.

She slightly bowed her head in respect and came to the front of the desk, and I took the quill I had left in my desk and slowly wrote a letter.

“Did you call me, Duke?”

“You probably know that the academy’s spring semester ends next week.”

“Yes, I understand.”

After lightly wiping off the excess ink on the tip of the quill, I raised my head and looked at Riev and said.

“We would like to hold a small banquet at an appropriate time for the summer vacation. Can you prepare it in a few days?”

Riev seemed to think about my words for a moment, then lowered his head and answered.

“If you start preparing today, you can prepare everything within 2 weeks.”

“2 weeks… … . It seems like the time is right. Please proceed. Please submit the paid expenses in a report… … . No, I will leave it to you and trust that it will take care of itself.”

“We will do our best to live up to the Duke’s expectations.”

I nodded at Liev’s words and continued writing the letter.

Riev, who I thought would leave while I was writing the letter, didn’t move from his spot for some reason.

I raised my head to check his face to see what was going on, and I was able to roughly guess why Liev was standing there like a stone.

“――”

Riev was worried now. It’s only been a month since a terrible and unfortunate event occurred in which direct and collateral blood relatives, including the previous head of the family, died or went crazy.

It’s a good thing that the shaken family was straightened out in just one month, but isn’t it too early to hold a banquet? I guess that’s what you’re worried about.

“I can see what you are worried about. Do you think it is too early to hold a banquet?”

“… … yes. The family is said to have found its center again, but only a month has passed since that day. But if the banquet has already been held――”

“It doesn’t matter.”

With those words, I dismissed Liev’s words. Of course, I knew that this alone would not be enough to convince me, so I put down my pen for a moment and said,

“I am holding a banquet this time not for me but for my family. This is to show that the Rochelle family is alive and well, and the head of the family is also alive and well.”

“Duke… … .”

“So proceed. Even if people say behind my back that I am an unfilial son without blood or tears, I don’t care.”

Because later you will hear something worse than that.

I swallowed my words and picked up the pen again.

“I will follow your instructions. Duke.”

Liev gave a similar answer as a month ago and walked away.