The place we arrived was a hill overlooking the Weibin territory at a glance.
The green lawn was lush even this fall, and all the trees blocking the view had probably been plucked out, so only small plants were landscaped at regular intervals.
The gravestone was in the middle of it.
『Hoven Portman. Sleep here.』
It was a short phrase.
Elric smiled bitterly and sat in front of the tombstone.
“That’s really like you.”
The location that overlooked the land he had cultivated, the clean landscaping, and the short words on the tombstone all reflected his father’s tendencies in his memories.
Given his personality, he would have taken care of all of this on his own before he died.
Even though he only saw the tombstone, Elric seemed to picture his father’s final moments in his mind.
“Because he loved perfection so much, he must have trained his businessmen.”
He was a man who did not forgive even the slightest flaw, so many workers must have worked hard to complete the construction of this tomb. You must have seen a lot of scars. Even though her father knew about it, he probably pretended not to know.
What a shame, his nickname was cold-blooded.
“I never thought I would encounter this. “Because the reunion I had in mind was a little different.”
Elric, who was licking his lips as he wondered what to say now, eventually gave up complaining further.
It was a pointless task.
Meanwhile, an outstretched hand swept the tombstone.
Perhaps because it was made of high-quality stone, the tombstone was smooth even after a year had passed.
And it’s cold too.
In that coldness, Elric brought out his father from his memories.
He is a powerful figure who raised Portman, a merchant from a single merchant family, into the upper class representing Wibin, and is a villain who has created numerous enemies with his ruthless personality.
A man who lived a truly lonely life, not even showing a smile to his children.
While reflecting on all these things, Elric realized something.
“I’m no longer as resentful as I used to be.”
One day, even when I faced a man I hated so much that tears of blood flowed, my emotions did not boil over.
I thought it was just because I was busy with life and fighting on the battlefield, but my resentment had already been diluted.
It was funny.
As I strip away my childish heart and let him go, all that remains is pity.
What was his end like?
How did he live for 9 years without me?
I was lost in thought and staring at the name engraved on the tombstone for a long time.
“He was a rational person until the moment he closed his eyes.”
It was Rdio who had tied up the carriage.
Elric looked at him.
R.D.O. had a face steeped in memories.
“You had heart disease. “You kept the truth hidden until the end, so only I and the doctor knew about your illness.”
“Is that so?”
“As the day of death approached, he devoted himself to organizing and monetizing his business. “I also suffered quite a bit.”
Rdio continued talking while laughing.
A grin escaped from Elric’s mouth.
“The butler is truly eccentric. “What did this cold-blooded person like so much?”
If you think about it, it was like that.
Rdio has been by his father’s side and assisting him every moment Elric can remember.
He was busy catching up on things he hadn’t seen and taking care of himself, which he hadn’t seen.
Thanks to this, Rdio was single until this age. He was living as a part of the mansion without his brothers or family.
You could tell that his father’s will was not absent in his life, but Rdio didn’t seem to care.
“He gave me a lot of money. “Is there any other reason?”
The way he shrugged his shoulders seemed somewhat sly.
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It was the moment when Elric burst into laughter again.
“But you don’t ask.”
“hmm?”
“My master’s legacy. Didn’t I tell you? “I cashed out everything I could.”
As Elric frowned in puzzlement, Rdio laughed.
“All that cash was inherited by you.”
flinch-
Elric’s fingertips trembled.
My gaze turned to the tombstone.
A look of surprise was evident on his face.
“This human?”
“Yes, master, you did so.”
What shook Elric was embarrassment.
This is because I could never figure out why he left a legacy to me.
Isn’t that right? If it was something he wanted to see, he was capable of doing it. If he had any regrets, he was a man who could leave behind an apology, not a legacy.
Elric opened his lips blankly, then stuttered and asked.
“… “Is there such a thing as a will?”
I thought I might have left the true meaning in words, but
“You don’t have that kind of personality, do you? It only contains instructions related to inheritance. If you’re curious about that, I’ll show you… .”
As expected, my father was not a man who moved like the wind.
A sigh came out.
I felt a little frustrated and looked at R.D.O., desperate for an answer, but he just shook his head.
“I don’t know the master’s intentions. “He approached that part more calmly than ever.”
Elric’s lips were tightly shut.
I wonder why he did such a thing, and even criticized his father, who left him so distraught until the end.
“What do you want to inherit?”
Elric did not answer the question.
A worry that had never occurred to him since he was a boy turned Elric’s stomach once again.
R.D.O lowered his head as he took a long breath and postponed his answer.
“Think slowly.”
Elric nodded.
*
I was on my way back with a sad heart.
Elric, who was looking at the scenery blankly, finally asked a question that occurred to him.
“… “Now that I think about it.”
“hmm?”
“wealth… .”
I paused, the words caught in my throat.
This was why the word ‘wife’ felt embarrassing.
In the end, Elric glossed over that part.
“… Why is he still in the mansion? “If I had left like that, the marriage would have been annulled.”
The answer to the question did not come back immediately.
Rdio was silent as he drove the carriage, and it was only later that he gave an answer.
“It was an arranged marriage, wasn’t it? “A transaction under the guise of marriage.”
It was a voice full of bitterness.
“… “Is that the reason?”
“It works. “Now that I think about it, I didn’t tell you.”
“what?”
“Portman became a hereditary baron.”
Elric’s mouth dropped open.
Rdio turned his head and looked at Elric. He looked a little cautious.
“Master, you have earned your title. If you inherit his legacy, the title will be passed down to Master. And I don’t know if he remembers… .”
Only then did Elric remember one fact he had forgotten.
These were the words I heard on the day of the wedding ceremony.
“… “Baron Yubin was poor.”
Wibin was from a noble family so poor that she had to marry Portman, who was from a merchant family. They took money from the arranged marriage using Tyria Wivin as collateral. The title must have been received in return.
Elric understood the cause and effect.
“Are you still a hostage? .”
I felt a little sick.
If I had to really ask, it would be pity.
One thing I don’t understand is why she remained here even a year after her father died.
The heir himself had not appeared.
If Tyria wanted to, she could have accepted the inheritance as a proxy and returned to her family, but what was the reason for not doing so?
When I asked about this, the answer I got was that.
“That was Madame’s will.”
“… “He did that?”
“yes.”
“Do you know why?”
“He is not a man of many words. In fact, to my shame, we did not become very close friends.”
Rdio said as if he felt sorry.
But Elric understood.
Why not? Isn’t her aura so noble that it’s hard to approach her?
Moreover, even if you ask a question, he usually cuts off the conversation with a short answer, so it would not have been possible for Rdio, who was a servant, to force him to speak.
Elric smiled sheepishly.
“Hmm, he’s a difficult person.”
“Isn’t she the master’s wife?”
“I’m a complete stranger. “I only saw her face once.”
“It’s like that for everyone at first.”
Rdio said it jokingly, but it was really difficult for Elric.
Just this morning, I felt uncomfortable eating, so I stuffed the food in my mouth and ran away.
How can we face each other?
As I feel embarrassed, I rub the back of my neck again.
As we chatted, we found ourselves in a mansion.
“Please go in first. “I will pack up the carriage and come back.”
“I understand.”
Rdio moved away.
It was the moment when Elric entered the mansion again with his cane in hand.
A truly fortunate meeting took place.
“… Oh, are you here?”
“yes.”
It was Tyria.
He must have been to a wheat field, as he was wearing a straw hat and holding a few pieces of wheat in his arms. Her clothes were simple, so she could have been seen as a worker, but for some reason, she had an aristocratic aura even in farmer’s attire.
Ah, what should I do with this awkwardness?
An artificial smile naturally appeared on Elric’s lips.
“Well, um… .”
“Please tell me.”
“Would you like to come in?”
Tyria looked at Elric’s face and then nodded.
“yes.”
Elric regretted it again.
I was trying to keep the awkwardness going by myself, but the problem was this damn snout.
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