A/n: The name of Augusto-san's father was confused with the dog owned by the king's mother, so it has been replaced with another name.
Please understand, and I apologize for that.¹
After exchanging a promise with Augusto-san's mother as Clifford to meet again in the dining room for dinner, I left the study.
After I heard the door close behind me, I looked at the old butler.
"... I'm sorry, I've thought of reporting to you many times, but I just couldn't help myself…"
When the old butler replied with a slurred and somewhat depressed tone, I almost let out a sigh.
"...... So, mother is already…"
Instead of a sigh, such words overflowed, as if muttering.
Clifford Werstein.
This is the name of the previous head of the Verstein family, Augusto-san's father.
If I retrace my memory, what reverberated in my head was a voice so cold that I couldn't believe it was directed at his own young son.
'You are unworthy of the Wersteins.'
'Are you really my son?'
'Can't you even understand that?'
'Don't touch me, you filth.'
Augusto-san's father, a strict, cold and cruel man who had given the little Augusto-san a spartan education in order to make him a person worthy of the Wersteins.
'Daddy, I'll be a good boy, so...'
He was indifferent and refused to even touch him.
Augusto-san's father was an absolute presence in his childhood, as he was not allowed to be spoiled by his mother and was surrounded by strict tutors prepared by his father.
‘It’s fine even if you hate me.'
Perhaps Auguste looks so much like him now that I could mistake him for such a person, but I don't like it.
The wrinkles between my eyebrows naturally deepened at the sound of Augusto-san's sad voice echoing in my head.
From what I remembered, Augusto-san certainly looked like his father.
He was about the same age as Augusto-san was now when he died.
But who could have imagined that his own mother would think that he was her husband?
Perhaps it was because Augusto-san had been separated from his mother until he was old enough to go to school, but he couldn't really remember how his parents got along.
But I think mother, Augusto-san's mother, loved that man, her husband.
I glanced at the butler-san and saw that he looked pale.
By the looks of it, he must have known too.
Well, I guess neither of us thought it would come to this.
Maybe he couldn't say anything because he thought Augusto-san would be shocked.
Well, that's true.
If Augusto-san knew that his own mother was in this kind of trouble, he might have broken down again, even if he was still worried about Julia-san.
Augusto-san's father didn't love him, but he was loved by that person, his mother, and Augusto-san loved her as well.
I'm not sure if it's true or not, and I can only talk about possibilities, which is, somehow, painful.
"... Since when?"
"... The signs started about two years ago... Now she's like that almost every day…"
"... I see."
The old butler's indescribable reply left me with nothing but muttering.
Ahhhh... Seriouslyyyyyyyyyyy?
No, yes, it can't be helped that it has become like this, it can't be helped, but why is it like this, Augusto-san's mother?
Ehhhhhhhhhhh, what am I supposed to do now? What should I do? What's the right thing to do? I really don't know.
I tried to disguise my complicated feelings by lamenting loudly and exaggeratedly in my brain, but I couldn't say it out loud, so it was still kind of subtle.
Then I suddenly realized.
Oh, that's right, where's the doctor? Didn't you see the doctor?
“What did the doctor say?"
"... He said it might be psychological."
Oh, I see. Stress.
That's definitely Augusto-san's fault, isn't it?
I'm not sure if it's actually Augusto-san's fault or not, but it's almost certainly his fault.
Well, it’s not about myself but I feel sorry.
But the fact that it's psychological means that if the stress that's causing the problem is removed, there's a possibility that it will improve to some extent.
It's not a cure, but it's still better to have hope.
The way she was acting, she must be suffering from either a mental illness or one of those diseases that have become a problem in modern times, but I guess I'll have to ask the doctor for details.
I'll have a discussion with the doctor soon about the disease and how to treat it.
I'm not an expert, and it's frustrating that my medical knowledge is only as good as the character I'm playing.
I had studied it to some extent, but it was broad and shallow, and I only knew enough to get it from TV or the Internet.
The only books I've read are school textbooks and scripts, which I regret now.
No, I don't think I'm going to need that knowledge here, so I can't help it.
Rather, can I say one thing.
"Rosa, um... Did you tell Rosalind and Michaelis about this?"
You've informed the rest of your family, right?
I don't think it's right not to tell imouto-san and musuko-san.²
"... I'm sorry, but I haven't told them yet. I thought they would be more at peace if they didn't know…"
"... I see."
Ah, uhm, well, I guess it can't be helped.
It would be a shock for imouto-san-san to see her mother, and for musuko-san to see his grandmother in such a state.
It's just too hard when your immediate family member, Augusto-san, is going crazy and then you have to deal with your grandmother.
Still, I think it would be better to let them know in the near future, but... I'm sure they'll both be very shocked.
But still... I know it can't be helped, but it's just... I feel helpless.
Oh, I don't know.
I think I'm going to cry.
No, I'm not going to cry.
I feel like if I cry now, Augusto-san's dignity will be destroyed.
I don't want to do that.
Then, I suddenly realized.
I wonder why I'm depressed too.
Normally, I should be thinking, Thank God.
Because the fact that I can spend my time without anyone noticing Augusto-san's change means that I'm not burdened by it.
It should be a happy thing, but for some reason, I found myself on the verge of crying.
... Still, maybe this is something I can't help.
After all, I'm a modern Japanese who has never really faced an obstacle like this.
How could I not be shocked to see such a drama-like event actually happen to me?
I was disgusted with myself for being so weak.
... But I can't stay in shock and depression forever.
I still have a lot of things I need to do.
Okay, I'll do my best to switch it over.
Hang in there, hang in there! You can do it! You can do it! I'm a girl who can do it if I try! Fight!
I forced myself to change my mind, desperately inspiring myself.
For now, let's just get today's plans done.
I can get depressed later.
Anyway, I took a breath in and let it out slowly to calm down.
Then I felt a little better.
Maybe it was just my imagination, but it would be nice if I felt better.
As if to shake off my depressed mood, I forced myself to say the words.
"... There's someone I want to see before dinner."
I've come here to meet him.
The old butler had already made arrangements for me to meet him at the annex.
I left the tour to the butler-san and asked the old butler to check the luggage in the carriage.
There was no particular reason, but when I said that I wanted to make him as comfortable as possible as an apology for not taking care of him for twelve years, the old butler smiled cheerfully and sent me off, as if he was trying to deceive me somehow.
The old butler smiled cheerfully and sent me on my way.
The annex was a long way from the house, which was the second largest house in the country after the king, and I thought it must be hard for the old butler.
In Augusto-san's family home, which looked like a castle, there was a certain person who was currently in charge of the estate.
If the butler-san is Augusto-san's right-hand man, then he is his left-hand man, like two brothers who were born and raised together in this land.
When I reached the drawing room of the annex, I suddenly heard a muffled voice speaking.
"It seems you have a guest."
Towards the butler-san's calm words, I think I see, and am convinced.
No matter how many appointments he makes, in the end I've left everything in charge of his territory, and he's surely very busy.
As soon as I thought about it, Augusto-san's overpowered specs ears picked up the conversation that was supposed to be hard to hear in the room.
'Please accept this, then.'
'Well, that's an auspicious gesture.'
...... Hmm?
'No, no. In return, please patronize our business association this term...'
‘I see, I see, well this is.
Hahaha, you’re quite the bad guy.'
......... What is it? I don't know, is it my imagination?
'No, no, not as bad as Ernest.'
'No, no, not as much as you…'
Wait, wait, I'm hearing a conversation that sounds like some kind of period drama about a certain bad official and a bad businessman!?
Eh, Wait a minute, they aren't doing something like collusion or bribery or anything like that, are they?
What should I do? The probability of my neck and torso saying goodbye just went up a notch.
No, not yet, it hasn't been decided yet, I have to make sure of the truth first.
Should I barge in?
Or should I go in after the other person leaves?
There's a good chance that they'll play dumb either way, but I think it's easier to question them if they're caught red-handed.
Oh, God! What will be will be!!
After much thought and desperation, I stood in front of the guest room door.
Then, perhaps sensing my intentions, the butler-san opened the door for me as if it were a matter of course.
The two people in the room, who had been laughing with each other, looked at me in surprise, and I stepped in.
"Oh, you have a visitor?"
He was calm, dignified, and unruffled.
I put my hand on my chin and tilted my head lightly, trying to look dignified.
There were three people in the room.
There was a slender, hunchbacked middle-aged man with greenish-gray hair and a foxy, threadbare face, and a middle-aged man with the same hair color, a stocky build like a professional wrestler, and a face that looked like he had a bad personality, slumped on the sofa next to him.
Then there was a small, fat middle-aged man who seemed to be a guest.
The man with the fox-like face seemed to be working as a secretary, and the moment I entered the room, he held something like a document under his arm.
"What the hell!? What are you doing here?"
When the guest, a small, fat man with a very typical look, saw my face, he didn't hide his fear, but showed a panicked and impatient look as he stood up from the sofa.
The fox-like man then lowered his posture and rubbed his hands together, a small gesture, as he approached his guest.
“My apologies, Echagorn-sama, but it seems that Ernesto-sama has urgent business... I will make this up to you later…"
"Hmm? Oh, well, that's just the way it is."
The fox-like man laughs scornfully in a cat-like voice while sneaking something into the guest man's hand.
Yes, it's a brilliant sleight of hand, thank you very much.
"Well, then, Ernesto-dono, I'll leave you to it, and I hope you'll continue to patronize me."
"Yes, I'll be looking forward to working with you again."
The man who was my guest glanced at me with a frightened but suspicious look, had a conversation with a middle-aged man with a wrestler's physique, and then quickly left.
I heard the sound of the door slamming shut, and then I heard the footsteps of the man who was the guest fade into the distance. As I was about to open my mouth to say something, the atmosphere around me changed drastically.
If I were to use an analogy, I would say that the atmosphere was tense, like during a school test.
No, I'm sorry, that's all I could think of right now.
No, let's change it, it's not that kind of tense atmosphere.
It's like the tension you feel right before a play starts.
You'd think the air wouldn't be that tight, but that's all I know, so I guess it can't be helped.
Anyway, the words I was about to say receded into the indescribable atmosphere of tense tension that seemed to be bad for my skin.
The foxy man who had been hunching over slowly opened his threadbare eyes, standing up straight and clean, to the point where I wondered what the hell he had been doing all this time.
As it was, I stood beside a middle-aged man with a wrestler's physique without making a sound, and the stinky smile I had seen earlier completely disappeared, and a voice so calm that I forgot the slightly unpleasant cat-like voice came out of his mouth.
"It's been a while, Master."
"Really, you've kept me waiting a long time, kid."
Next, a middle-aged man with a wrestler's physique stood up from the sofa and smiled, sort of a grin or a wild, dandy-like smile.
This man, too, has lost his villainous air and looks more like a mafia boss.
No, he looked like a villain after all, but his expression exuded an unconcealed respect for me.
...... Uhm... Sorry, I'm having a hard time following you.
That? Where did those stinky people from earlier go?
Eh? What is this, Is this real?
Wait a minute, what do you mean?
“Even so, no matter what, isn't 12 years too long? Right, Paul."
“Brother, you're in front of Master. Please stop."
"What can I do? It's been 12 years since we've seen each other, you know?"
It was that kind of conversation, leaning on the fox-faced man's shoulder with his elbow, as if putting all his weight on him.
He's so thin, how can he be okay with so much weight on him?
No, no, no, I don't care about that.
I'd like to know where the bad cop and the small guy from earlier went.
Can I say it again? Yeah, I'll say it again.
I can't keep up.
I can't keep up with you.
I'm sorry, but so many things are happening at once, I don't know what to do.
It's so incomprehensible that my eyes could have become just the whites.
I'm thinking about it so much that I'm starting to lose track of what it means to be incomprehensible.
"So, if you're here, that means you're finally ready to do it, right?"
"Brother, come on, Master, he had his reasons."
While I was frozen in confusion, the man who looked like a mafia boss lit a cigarette in his mouth with magic or something, then inhaled and exhaled a cloud of smoke.
"Why? You're just a weak boy, aren't you? I'm sorry to hear that your wife is dead, but you can't just throw the whole place away and leave it to chance."
It's a good argument that I can't even make a sound.
I can only apologize for that, I'm really sorry about that.
It's not me, but.
"Ernesto, you're being too rude, shut up for a minute."
Before I could speak, the butler-san next to me interrupted in a cold tone of voice, but in the end, it was Augusto-san's fault for everything.
Well, it wasn't actually my fault, but I have to clean up after him, which was nothing short of unreasonable.
I mean, it's really annoying.
I don't know what I've done.
If I ever meet God, I want him to let me punch him once.
I want him to let me hit him with such force that I'll be blown up while spinning in a circle.
While thinking about this, I decided to sort out the information in my head for the time being, keeping my expressionless, calm and dignified attitude.
Let's see, first of all, there was a slim, secretary-like man with a fox face.
His name is Paul Cherbourg, and he is currently 41 years old.
His main job is to assist his brother, gather information and manage the schedule.
Next, there is a man with a wrestler's build who looks like a mafia boss.
Ernest Cherbourg, currently 43 years old.
His main job is to manage the estate as the acting lord.
They are blood brothers, as you can tell from their surname, their behavior, and their hair color.
They may not look exactly alike, but they are siblings.
Augusto-san and the butler-san are childhood friends and sworn brothers.
I'm wondering why they were doing something like that, but I guess I should ask them about it.
I have a feeling it's Augusto-san's fault.
Thanks to Augusto-san's overwhelming specs, I thought about it for a moment and decided to open my mouth again.
"No, it's all my fault, and therefore it's something I can't help but be bitter about."
"But, Master…"
“I said it's fine."
“Wah... I was out of line."
The butler gave me a subtle look of disapproval for a moment, and then gave me a polite bow.
I'm sorry, butler-san.
I only apologized inwardly, but verbally I said my apologies to them.
"Ernesto, I'm sorry."
"Boy, if you're going to apologize, you should apologize to my little brother.
He's been through a lot."
“Master, please don't worry about what my brother says, because I'm just happy that you're back."
His brother is leaning on him like he's his armrest, trying to pat him on the head, and he's looking straight at me and answering sincerely while slapping his brother's hand away.
I somehow knew that this was what they were really like.
"Hey, tch, so cold, you want your brother's attention that badly, huh? My brother is so cute."
"Brother, please stop being so annoying."
"Why don't you call me big brother like you used to?"
"What makes you so glad I have to call a middle-aged man "big brother"?
"Don't glare at me so much, you’re looking up at me."
I'm sorry, but there's just too much information here for me even if you include a bro-con factor.
I'm not sure why I'm being shown how middle-aged male siblings get along with each other.
I don't need that. I mean, who would benefit from such a picture?
"Ernesto, Paul, you'd better come back soon, we're not getting anywhere."
"Hey, hey, I mean, this was supposed to be a heartwarming exchange between brothers…"
"The only one whose heart is warmed is my brother, I'm not warmed at all, if anything I'm cold.
lease don't mix me up with my carefree brother, or rather, please don't get attached to him, the smell of old age mixed with cigarettes is contagious and smelly."
"The smell of aging is something that stinks, of course.
As people age, they inevitably become smelly.
In other words, Paul, you are destined to become smelly too."
"Since brother and I have different body types and constitutions, my pillow currently only smells like soap, so please forgive me."
"What? Let me smell it!"
"Please don't, that's disgusting."
Now that I know you guys are close, can we just move on?
I almost got a distant look in my eyes, but I acted as I normally would at the moment.
[1] : to be clear when the author originally wrote it it was confused so the author already corrected it. Clifford is the correct name.
[2] : it just wasn't working to translate this, like son-san would be weird, so I left it like that. For those who want a refresh imouto-san is used to refer to someone else's sister and musuko-san to someone's son, it's also in the glossary tab.
"imouto-san and musuko-san" is confusing. Cant you just use son and daughter instead? Thx for the chapter!
thanks for sharing! :)
Thanks for the chapter!